LVC Alum Helps Bring King of the Hill Back to Life

Once a King of the Hill superfan, Joe Vitelli '07 was thrilled to work behind the scenes, bringing Arlen's most famous family back to life.

"Every project is different: some challenge you creatively, some, technically, and then some resonate on a really personal level," Vitelli said. "I've been fortunate to work on various shows I've enjoyed in different ways, but landing the King of the Hill revival was on another level entirely. I still can't believe I had the privilege of contributing to one of my favorite shows."

As the post-production coordinator for the revival, Vitelli handled a little bit of everything.

"I worked alongside the post producer and post supervisor to keep the entire post-production process organized and moving smoothly, while acting as a liaison between the edit teams, sound department, VFX, music, and the studio and network," he explained.

He also organized and ran table reads, scheduled and attended all voice-over sessions, and coordinated with most of the production team.

For longtime fans, Vitelli believes the revival succeeds because it respects the original while offering something new.

"Returning to the status quo for a 14th season would have provided fans with a short-lived hit of nostalgia, but I think eventually it would have felt stale," he said. "Aging the characters up opens so many new avenues for fresh stories. Co-creators/executive producers Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, executive producer/showrunner Saladin Patterson, and the rest of the writer's room knocked it out of the park."

Vitelli's credits also include DC's Legends of Tomorrow, The Flight Attendant, and 13 Reasons Why, but he sees working across genres as less intimidating than it seems. "Genre is largely just a different flavor of pie," he said. "If you know how to bake a pie from scratch, the flavor doesn't matter much. The ingredients may change, but the process is pretty much the same."

Looking back on his time in LVC's then-new Digital Communications program (now Digital Media), Vitelli credits faculty conversations for shaping his thinking.

"Honestly, the most important part of my time at LVC wasn't the program itself, but the daily dialogues I had with professors," he said. "Learning to think critically, evaluate literature and media, speak confidently in front of others, and not be afraid to challenge ideas-those became the philosophical pillars of my career and personal life."

His advice for current LVC students hoping to work in TV or film? Start creating and start connecting.

"Make things and put them on YouTube. Figure out what aspect of the process you like, study it, and practice it. Learn to edit your stuff, learn to shoot your own stuff. Don't be afraid to just make things."

Now based in Los Angeles, Vitelli is focusing on his next big goal: turning his short film Hostile City into a television series.

"Knowing how hard it is to sell a TV show, I just delude myself into assuming that it will happen if I keep working toward it," he said. "That's all you can really do. Keep plugging away."