My friends and I were watching Laguna Beach, and I said, “I could totally do this. My life is so much more interesting.” I mean, good for MTV, they made really successful reality shows, but I think people get tired of hating characters. It’s all, ‘Cami, your shoes are so ugly.’ My friends are trying to follow their passion and get through the day. I think people relate to that.
So I rented equipment and made a seven-minute demo pilot of my college friends in a New York version called Under the Arch. (This is way before MTV started filming The City!) All I did was put it on Facebook, and suddenly it got press from all the gossip blogs, and NYU kids starting writing about it. We’ve put a beta version of seven episodes online, and we’ll open it to the public next month. It’ll include these things we call “webverts,” where the characters talk about brands like Burberry or DKNY, which I think can remold the advertising system and make it a positive thing.
Now that I’ve graduated, I work in an insurance company. It’s fascinating: When you’re in a suit and tie, you’re wearing a completely different costume. I’m very serious about the job, but when 5:15 hits, I’m constantly out meeting people and spreading the word about the show. My friends call me Hannah Montana.
Murray’s show debuts at underthearch.tv on October 15.
As told to Chris Rovzar.
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