By Jane Hart, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood

Dan Fauci was the Center’s fourth and final speaker in the 2013/14 Hot Topics Artist series held on Saturday, April 5. Hot Topics has been funded in part by an Arts Challenge grant by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Fauci is the highly esteemed Los Angeles based executive producer and former head of comedy development at Paramount Studios. He maintained this position for several years, and was a driving force for the hit sitcom “Fraiser”. He shared details of his decade’s long experience in the industry as well as a behind the scenes look at the creation of one of his current projects, the acclaimed web-based comedy series, “Whole Day Down.” The six episode comedy, written by Tai Fauci and Patrick Breen, lampoons the contemporary art world.

Fauci’s presentation included excerpts from the series, as well as a lively exchange between attendees at his presentation. Additionally, he revealed some of the challenges that accompany creating a successful television show. During his talk, Fauci engaged with the audience on the importance of creativity every person innately possesses. He emphasized how connecting with the creative process can ultimately enhance individuals’ lives. For decades Fauci has facilitated a variety of intensive workshops emphasizing creativity as the core of a fully realized life.

As a possible outcome of this Hot Topics talk, a discussion arose proposing the possibility of his returning to the Center at a future date, to host a creativity workshop.

Dan Fauci