Diane Korman - Producer, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Few people know more about transformation than Diane Korman. Each week she coordinates the team that transforms lives by giving families in need an entirely new home on the Emmy-award winning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

A reality television pioneer, Diane has spent the past ten years working on the founding teams of groundbreaking shows that have shaped the reality genre. Mark Burnette, who created Survivor and The Apprentice, hired Diane for his first major show, the Eco-Challenge, and she spent three years traveling the globe organizing press teams for the adventure race. Diane then developed documentary television for Discovery Channel, ESPN, and National Geographic. She also worked for E! Entertainment coordinating the popular E! True Hollywood Stories and the On E! Specials, before joining Blind Date, the show that started the reality dating genre. After Blind Date, she continued as a field producer on TLC's A Dating Story.

When Diane's interest changed from Dating to Design, she became a producer at one of HGTV's top shows, Designing for the Sexes, and later moved to Outer Spaces, an outdoor style show. After hearing about a show in development that was planning to re-build houses in seven days, Diane decided she had to join the team. Much to her surprise and delight, she is now able to produce shows that merge her design interest with a compelling social purpose. She still credits her mother, a Special Education teacher for over 30 years, as her inspiration. Diane lives with her husband in Torrance, and spends her rare free time hiking, scuba diving, cooking and volunteering with her husband at Red Cross events.


Have you noticed a thematic change in "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" since the show started? It seems to have become more emotional or dramatic in the past couple seasons.

I actually think our show has always been emotionally driven. Our first show was the story of a family with a dilapidated house because all their money went into medical costs to fight their six-year-old daughter's cancer. I think we've always been on the cutting edge of reality television and we're not afraid to take some risks. We've always pushed the limit of human drama.

How many submissions do you get in a week, and what advice would you give someone who wanted to submit an application?

We get thousands of submissions each week, and the team that reads those letter have the toughest jobs of all -- imagine reading all the stories day after day. I think the main thing we look for are truly deserving families where there was a string of bad luck leading to the collapse of the house. If the house is really the problem, then maybe we can be the solution. My suggestion would be to write the story as you would a pitch -- if you can't tell your story in two sentences, neither can we. For example, "My parents retired and bought a rundown summer camp for kids with disabilities, and every penny they have goes to improving the camp as their house crumbles around them."

How are you able to get a house up in 7 days? Has EMHE managed to streamline some aspect of homebuilding?

We don't build the houses in 7 days, its more like 5 days 9 hours from the time the house is demolished to the time the family comes home. And almost 100% of the labor and materials and supplies are donated. No one could ever afford to build these homes in such a short time. On a normal build cycle, the time frame would be 6 months, so we build a month's worth of home in a day. But, the reason it happens is because the entire team is working toward the goal of changing a life. This is not a normal house build, and could never be this way when the laborers are building homes for people they do not know. It truly is a miracle of love and devotion.

I'm sure you have many, but what are a couple of your favorite transformations on the show?

Hard question -- I've loved all the families we've worked with. My heart still breaks when I see footage of Rodney Anderson's house. Deep in the heart of South Central Los Angeles, Rodney was a basketball star, with a full scholarship to Fullerton. He was on his way to the NBA, until one fateful night when he went home to visit a friend, was mistaken for a gang member and shot three times in the back. He was lucky to have survived the shooting, but paralyzed and bound to a wheel chair. Rodney's parents applied for money from the state to ADA the house and after a contractor did some demolition including removing their only toilet, he took off with their money. Our builder had a small company and a huge heart, he gathered everyone he knew and tackled the project. We built two homes, one for Rodney and his fiancee and one for his family on the same lot, so they could always watch out for him. And we had a wedding for Rodney, at 4 in the morning after they toured the house all night long. Another favorite was in Livermore, California. The seven girls and one boy of the Cadigan-Scotts lost both of their parents within two weeks of each other. The oldest girls moved home to make sure the youngest girls weren't sent off to foster homes. The family had so much love for each other. The old house had one bathroom for all eight of them. In the new house the boy got his own modern, masculine bathroom. And the girls got a huge bathroom with seven sinks for the seven sisters.

Beyond each family's individual story, what are some of the other ways the show is able to positively impact broader social issues?

Our families are metaphors for the struggles of all people in this country. But the message is when communities come together, we can accomplish anything. This TV show proves that people care about each other, that neighbors care about neighbors and that positive change is still possible.

What is the biggest challenge to making the show come together on time?

No matter how early we get the house, we always suck every last minute of time to finish the decor. It's actually the most fun I have on the entire shoot. We are running around moving as fast as we can. Finishing the house while dressing the house. Against the clock. Volunteers and designers working together just to make everything beautiful for the family when they come home.

What's the best part of your job?

There are two moments: When the family finds out their lives will forever be changed, when Ty [Pennington] shouts out the words "Good Morning Johnson Family." You see families fall to their knees thanking God, crying and hugging each other. It restores your faith in humanity. Then after the makeover is finished, watching the expression on the family's face when the bus moves and they see their new home for the first time. It's the most amazing thing you'll ever see. Grown men, construction workers, producers just balling as they see pure joy and raw emotion... it's a force, I can't quite put it into words.

What is the biggest risk you've taken personally?

I have dedicated myself to this job, often sacrificing my personal life to continue at the pace, and I do think it is worth the sacrifice.

Where do you turn for inspiration and to "refuel?"

There isn't a lot of time right now to think about refueling... once you begin momentum in your life, you have to ride the wave and continue to work toward your goals. This year I made a new commitment to healthy eating and exercise, because if you take care of your foundation, every day can be inspirational. If you are waiting for inspiration to hit you on the head and someone to hand you time to take care of yourself, you are missing the boat.

How did you find your purpose?

I think I'm a really lucky person in that I have many purposes in life. I think we are all here to make the world a better place and to make a difference. I care very much about people and find much joy in being with others who try to make a positive impact on the world. Goodness and kindness are contagious, so if we all try a little harder to make a difference, just think how much better the world would be.

Is there a particular quote that has had a significant impact on your life?

Winston Churchill once said, "With great success comes great responsibility." I take that very seriously in life.

Does spirituality play a role in your life?

Running on the beach on my birthday this year, I stopped and stared at the waves crashing on the shore and it was beautiful. In one beautiful moment, my breath was rising and falling in synchronicity with the waves, and I got it... When you realize that all living things are connected... that we all have the same needs... that is when you see the hand of God.

What's your favorite technology or gadget?

I admit I am addicted to the blackberry, the "crackberry." I can type about 60 words a minute on it. I've learned all the tricks and short cuts. I get nervous when I've put it down and can't find it right away. It's a bad addiction, but when you travel as much as I do for the show, nothing else can help you to communicate and answer the thousands of questions that need an immediate response.

What's your preferred method of getting your daily news?

Every morning I try to listen to NPR on my way to work.

What dream for the world do you think can be achieved in our lifetime?

Our responsibility is to create a cleaner environment in all aspects. On our show we put this to practice when we removed mold, cleaned indoor air pollution and recycled all useable building materials. We have the technology and innovation in this generation to support the environment, and make better consumer choices that solve problems instead of create them.

(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)