Primarily one of the original and most influential writers of SNL, Tom Schiller was also the director of the show’s iconic ‘Schiller’s Reels.’ These short, often surreal and beautifully cinematic films were a signature part of the show’s early years. The most famous of these is ‘La Dolce Gilda,’ a beautiful tribute to Gilda Radner. Schiller occasionally appeared in his films and in sketches, but his primary contribution was as a writer and filmmaker, giving the show a unique, artful, and often melancholic visual language that was a stark contrast to the live, chaotic energy of the sketches.