USC alums produce biblically inspired series


A biblically inspired tale of heroism and a classic good-versus-evil plot line is what defines Leviathan as a shocking and inspiring new web series produced and directed by USC alumni and current students.

Cory Malkin, the show’s director and producer, describes Leviathan as a classic “good-versus-evil” story that takes place in a world parallel to our own.

Malkin, a sophomore majoring in critical studies, said the plot of Leviathan surrounds a girl who has the power to trigger events that will lead to the apocalypse — or Rapture, as it is known in biblical terms. The girl is fought over by two factions, the forces of heaven and hell, both with their own agendas for how they want to use her power. The twist lies in the motives of both the angels and demons, which contradict classical interpretations of what one would believe about the forces of heaven and hell.

“There was such a lack of originality in film and TV, with just reboots of the same few plot lines,” Malkin said.

Malkin and the team studied classic literature, including the Bible, to form their story line. This story is a modern twist on their interpretation of the Rapture and how it will be very real, a natural event, not the typical “earthquakes and hellfire” version, according to Malkin.

“Humanity is where the end of the world really lies, that’s where the divide starts, with us,” he said.

Despite the the biblically based plot, Malkin doesn’t believe that the show has overt ties to Christianity.

“We’re not really shooting for a religious demographic,” Malkin said.

He said that the story revolves around everyday life, with fantastical elements, something that any fan of the Lord of the Rings or science fiction would love.

Malkin provided the initial funds for the production of the pilot. Now that the series is finding success, they are able to explore the world of private investors to help fund their next endeavors with Leviathan. They have even started a campaign that raises money for the project by selling props from the set to fans.

Besides funds, projects of this size require a substantial cast and crew. To find their actors, Malkin explains that they simply put out a local casting call in Phoenix, where the series was shot.

To bring together a crew was a different story. Malkin tapped into his very talented group of colleagues and friends to pitch the story. Malkin was able to bring in some of the most talented young people to be a part of his project.

Brian Tang, a cinematic arts, film and television production production major, had a strong desire to work with Malkin from past knowledge of his work on other projects. When approached to do the project, he saw the perfect opportunity to take his cinematography skills, in conjunction with Malkin’s direction, to amazing new heights.

“I was really inspired by the skeleton of the story that Malkin gave me and I could really see how the project could be very visually creative. I knew I had something to bring to this project,” Tang said.

The show’s editor Michael Ritter, a junior majoring in cinematic arts, film and television production, said he was skeptical when first joining the project because he came from a less religious background than the others. He soon realized, however, that the story was much more than the religious references.

“The second he finished pitching it to me, I was like, ‘I’m in,’” Ritter said. “He doesn’t just foster a singular vision. Malkin really brings out this collaborative process which is honestly the most effective way of working with people.”

The team agreed that they owe their success to the passion and determination of all the cast and crew members.

“Through this project we found out that in this industry, it’s all about who you work with,” Malkin said.

He said the passion from the actors and the talent and collaboration from production crew such as Brian and Michael is why the project became so successful and fulfilling for all parties. Malkin explains that, in this business, if you don’t have a group of people invested in your project, it will fall flat with no creative insight or inspiration.

“We learned that this industry doesn’t need a studio or high-quality equipment, it’s all about the people and the passion and with that, all the puzzle pieces will fit together,” Tang said.

In terms of marketing this project, Malkin said that it all stemmed from social media. Especially in the early stages of the project, they publicized themselves through their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages in order to spread the word about Leviathan and to acquire a following of devoted fans.

“We had our premiere a couple of weeks ago at a local station in Phoenix and the reception of the show and the turnout of fans was incredible,” Malkin said.

Despite the groundbreaking work done by such young students, one of the most important factors to this project is that it explores a new way of producing film and TV.

Malkin said that in the past, the idea of a web series has really been undermined in the film and television world. Now, with outlets such as Netflix or Amazon, however, there is an in-between for producers where nothing has happened yet. Malkin believes that in this new era of television production, the stage has been set for something original and groundbreaking, something like Leviathan, to take over this new “middle ground” of production in a new digital age.

“We’re trying to forge new grounds within an area that is different from the traditional way of receiving digital media. I think we’re breaking ground within this industry,” Malkin said.