Check Out Karen Gehres’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Gehres.

Hi Karen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The road to becoming a Producer in film and television included roadblocks, detours, major hills, deep valleys, sinkholes, traffic jams, and thankfully, some God-sent stretches of beautiful open road.

After graduating from Parsons School of Design, as a Painter, I sold my paintings on the streets of SoHo, painted murals, created decorative paintings in people’s homes, and also printed my own photos.

While I loved, and still love painting, it wasn’t enough for me. I always had the gnawing feeling that I needed to be involved with film and the movies. The question was, how on Earth do you do that? I knew I couldn’t afford to go to school for filmmaking. Luckily, there was a special place called Film/Video Arts in NYC. I landed an internship there. If you gave them 2 days a week, they’d give you access to the equipment and classes. I did this while working a full-time job.

This started me on the road to film and television work. It also enabled me to start my first feature-length documentary. That documentary, Begging Naked, is now in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress.

Since I knew the equipment, I started getting hired as a location Sound Mixer. I was doing sound for a show that aired on channel Thirteen. The Executive Producer asked me why I was doing sound as she knew I was producing my own documentaries. I said I wanted to produce and just needed a chance. She gave me that opportunity and I started to segment produce for the show.

Then, one day, I friend of mine, called saying she was sick and asked if I could cover for her on the red carpet for a movie premiere. I had never done red-carpet interviews before but pushed through my nervousness and loved the experience.

That one gig led to another and another until I built up many clients. And those clients hired me as an EPK Producer. Producing EPKs and doing the interviews is a dream to me. I especially love being on set while the show is being made and grabbing the interviews with cast and crew.

Recently, I spent a year and a half producing a true crime show. It appealed to me because it was long-form doc-style storytelling. All the knowledge and skills I had accumulated over the past 25 years, was utilized while making the shows. This included my strong fine art background that has never failed me.

There is no cookie-cutter answer to how one goes about getting into the entertainment business. For me, there were countless pretty dismal lean periods. But the desire to be part of it kept me going. It’s where I belong.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the struggle for me was getting the first opportunities. The first gig on set, the first shot at producing, the first completed documentary, the first film festival… There is really no way around it, I just had to keep going and be very alert and ready for an opening. And even if I was nervous, I had to jump in when opportunities came my way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Producer for film and television. I specialize in producing EPKs, conducting red-carpet interviews, EPK interviews, and long-form documentaries. What sets me apart is the creative thinking I bring to everything I do. The creative out-of-the-box thinking saves the day every time. There is always a way to solve a problem in production or post-production. There is never just one way to do something. I think my foundation as a visual Artist has been my greatest asset.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.karengehresnyc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karengehresnyc/
• Other: http://www.parkavenuemotionpictures.com

Image Credits
Phil Penman