What does the cast of Spongebob Squarepants, one Upenn frat house, class (or lack there of), and a creepy group shower all have in common? Kelly Diamond of course! As the only girl living in an on campus frat house Diamond – the creator and producer of UPenn’s campus TV show, Classless – is always breaking from the norm. After watching a few episodes of Classless, it is clear Kelly’s quick wit and humor has carried over to her work. But what about Spongebob and that shower? This week, Kelly explained all that to HerCampus. And after laughing out loud at her stories, the only question that you will be left with is: When can we hang out?
What is Classless?
Classless is Penn’s first comedic web series. It’s completely run by students who happen to be exceedingly hilarious.
Did you see Campus Cutie and Classless writer Jordan Michelson?
Is it a show that everyone can appreciate?
I think so, considering both my mom and my fifteen frat brother housemates enjoy it. Everyone can relate to awkward situations and I don’t think you need to be in college, or have even attended college, to think this is a funny show.
So what is it like living in a frat house?
Living in the frat is awesome. ATO is such an underrated frat. They’re hilarious, nice, and they look out for me. When I moved in I painted my room a girly green and one of the guys walked in and said, “I’m never coming in here again because my dick will fall off.” I never joined a sorority so it’s a lot of fun to hang out with the brothers. Plus I get a lot of ATO swag, which is the only reason anyone joins a frat or sorority anyway. Also, if anyone ever needs a date I’ll hook you up.
Any correlations between Classless and life in the house?
The guys in the frat are classy gentlemen, so not really. One of our actors (former Her Campus Cutie Jordan Michelson) is actually an ATO brother and my housemate. I’d say that’s about the only correlation between the house and the show. They all watch though and you may see a few of them in future episodes.
Does it parallel with any shows presently on air?
We’ve been compared to Community quite a few times, which gives us huge egos. I’ve also heard a few Office comparisons since it takes place at the student paper. I guess people see the word “paper” and think “Dunder Mifflin”.
What is your role in Classless and what does it entail?
I’m billed as the Executive Producer, which basically means I’m the biatch in charge. I guess the Hollywood term for my job is “show runner”. I have a hand in every aspect of production from writing to shooting to editing. I am also in charge of promoting the show and casting. Though all of these roles are important, I think people like to keep me around because I usually bring food.
Why did you create Classless?
Penn isn’t a place that has a ton of resources for students like me who want to make films. There are several classes and there is some equipment available but I wanted something bigger. I have always wanted to make a TV show and after several failed attempts in high school, I figured I should try again in college. As a Cinema Studies major, I had met other students who had these same thoughts and that’s how I knew this was something Penn needed. Plus, Drexel has their own sitcom and my competitive instinct told me we had to be better than them.
What did you have to do to get it started?
In the fall of my sophomore year I went to my advisor, the head of the Kelly Writers House, Al Filreis, and pitched my idea to start a student-run TV show. He trusts me for reasons I will never know and basically said, “here’s some money, go do it.” After making one horribly embarrassing first episode about sperm donation in the spring of my sophomore year, I went back to the drawing board and found a new writer and a new head of production. Between the three of us, we’ve managed to assemble an awesome cast and crew that has really helped us get to where we are.
How do you run your Classless meetings?
We have a large table that we sit around yell at each other for about an hour and a half. We are all loud people so it takes of gusto to roll with us. I basically come up with an agenda before the meeting and we do our best to stick to it. Most meetings involve reading scripts and discussing advertising tactics. That probably takes up a quarter of the time. The rest of the time is spent discussing such important topics as taxidermy, head writer Sean Kelly’s beard, and our failed attempt at a group Secret Santa.
What is your favorite part of working on Classless?
I absolutely love the feeling of releasing a new episode. To see the team’s hard work on screen is what keeps me motivated. I also love the team itself. The people who work on Classless are hilarious, smart, great people. We have all become close friends and that is something that keeps the show going. I also really enjoy when Jordan Michelson does pregnancy squats.
What else have you done with film?
I actually spent my last two summers in LA working in the film industry. Last summer I held an internship at Nickelodeon Animation Studios where I worked on Fairly Oddparents and TUFF Puppy. I also got to meet and hang out with the entire Spongebob cast, which is basically my claim to fame. I have worked at Mandeville Films, a production company run by a Penn alum, as well as with an alum who is a writer for television. I interned in the writing room of “Luck”, a new show on HBO written by David Milch. That guy is awesome. On my first day one of the producer’s dogs did something adorable so Milch threw $300 in cash at him as a reward.
Is there film in your future?
Absolutely. I love film and I will always love film. I have been lucky enough to make many connections out in Hollywood so I’m hoping to snag a job as soon as I graduate. I really feel fortunate to see film in my future because film makes me happy. To mix your passion and your job into one is the ultimate dream of any professional. I think it’s extremely important to love your career.
What is one thing you’ve learned from your time with Classless?
I learned that there is a gigantic, creepy group shower in the soccer team’s locker room. It’s at least the size of ATO’s living room and I swear it is out of a horror movie. You need to see it.