Behind The Scenes With …. brings to SoGoPro Street Team special interview series with amazing guest stars who are involved with film, theater or television. Every two weeks the series is hosting interesting personalities to share their outlook on industry and life.
We are happy to host - Karen Gardner! You all remember Karen from KT’s vlog interviews where she shared with us her scope of work as Production Secretary Extraordinaire. Now, with season 9 of One Tree Hill in progress we have Karen back in the production office to learn what happened since we’ve first met her!
Kasia: Welcome back, Karen! Nice to have you back here with the SoGoPro Street Team and it’s ever growing community!
Annie: Karen, can you just explain to us, and for those who may have missed the vlog interview what your role is within the Screen Gems Production Office?
Karen: I work in the One Tree Hill Production Office which is located on the Screen Gems Studios Lot. We are kind of the hub of the production... a lot of info gets passed through us.
Kasia: What made you go for a career in tv/movie production ? How did a major in Business Management turn into a film making?
Karen: I have to say it was never my career plan to be in tv/movie production. I knew nothing about it and honestly fell into it. I’m not involved in the creative aspect of the show(s) (which everyone should be thankful for) so in a way I’m still using my business degree. It’s just all about being organized and willing to work hard... it doesn’t really matter what your degree is.
Kasia: True, you might not be involved in creative issues but organizing the whole filming process is crucial when there’s a lot of going on and sometimes you need to be creatively thinking to get things done! So, it’s a different creative aspect!
Annie: Karen were there/are there any members of the cast of OTH that you had already worked with or met ii a previous life? I have a hunch that you and Hilarie Burton may have crossed paths at some stage...care to share?
Karen: I did work for Hilarie’s publicist in NYC “back in the day” and we crossed paths a couple times, although she probably doesn’t remember :)
Kasia: Little Bird told us that your first interview for job with OTH was with Kathy Rayle who also appeared in Kt's vlog. Was it tough in the interview with her?
Karen: No! Kathy is the best! She’s so easy to talk to and it didn’t feel like an interview. We love her :)
Kasia: Hey, no flattering!(laugh)
Kasia: It's been almost a year since we last heard from you, so tell us if you have travelled anywhere in the meantime for pleasure?
Karen: I didn’t have any big trips this hiatus... time flew by. It wasn’t a far trip but I did visit Savannah, GA for the first time and had a blast! I loved it there!
Annie: So, from the vlog, we know you are really very well traveled, I guess you speak some foreign languages? Whats your favourite language, come on now, give us a few sentences in your foreign language fetish!
Karen: I don’t speak any foreign language...and some would say I can barely speak English! I wish I spoke other languages, it was just never something I picked up. I took Latin in High School, so you can imagine the use I got out of that - and in college I took Italian which I loved but have never kept up with it and don’t really remember anything.
Annie: Italian is a beautiful language! That’s funny about the Latin, I studied it too actually for a period of time in High school, I always thought it was a punishment. Not sure its relevant but we had a fabulous rhyme that was usually chanted before, during and after class, “latin is a language as dead as dead can be, it killed the Roman boys and girls and now its killing me” enough said! Kasia: I like Italian .... coffee.
Kasia: In the office, how do you handle stressful situations when something is not going as planned (like your favorite FedEx , or airlines issues for location shoots)?
Karen: I usually get red and blotchy and laugh. I’m pretty sure it’s completely inappropriate and unprofessional but it’s my natural response :)
Annie: Speaking of logistical nightmares, II guess you were lucky enough to be in Utah, and Puerto Rico for OTH filming; tell us a little about how that worked out for you?
Karen: Ohh and don’t forget about the bustling city of Honey Grove, TX :) I feel very lucky that I was able to go to these places (for free) that I would have prob never visited otherwise. I’ve always heard great things about Park City, UT but I’m not sure I would have ever planned a trip there. I absolutely LOVED it!!! We had the best time snowmobiling and Kelly and I snuck off and did the Olympic bobsled... just things that I would never do otherwise.
Annie: Puerto Rico - official languages are English and Spanish. A lot of SGP street teamers are not native English speakers, so apart from being sheer paradise, how challenging was it communicating in a different language for work, rather than throwing together enough phrase book Spanish to ask for more than just a beer?
Karen: The language barrier wasn’t much of a problem. We hired a local that works in production offices down there and she was very helpful with the other locals that didn’t speak English (and she taught us dirty Spanish sayings:)). The hardest part as far as being in Puerto Rico was the driving!!! Kelly and I had a Jeep Wrangler as a rental and whipped that thing all around the island picking up things for the crew that we weren’t able to ship and traffic there was terrifying! They don’t really have the same laws/rules so there were quite a few honks honked and me screaming. But we survived. Kelly has counted 5 times that I’ve almost killed him in a car... I think that after 6 years that’s not that bad... right?
Annie: Note to self - say NO to Karen where 4 wheeled vehicles are concerned!
Kasia: So now you can go and audition for Fast And Furious 6 with ease!
Kasia: You said before that filming on location is even more work that on set shooting. What is the biggest challenge when it comes to work outside the office and studio?
Karen: You basically have to set up a mobile office where ever you are going. It’s your job[Image] to make sure the crew has everything they need and so it takes weeks of planning and things change constantly so you just have to stay on top of it and make sure that when you get to that mobile office it runs as smoothly as it would here in Wilmington.
Annie: In the interview we had with Kelly a little while ago, when we asked how he felt about the last season of OTH wrapping, his answer was “Honestly - we’re all geared to the film/tv/gypsy lifestyle. I’ll miss Mark Schwahn and Joe Davola the most when we break camp. Yes - 100’s of technicians and actors in limbo again - but strong bonds have been formed... oh - and maybe I’ll miss a couple of the actors...”. How do you see things going for you, once OTH wraps?
Karen: It’s true what he said... I’ve been very lucky and for the past 6 years I’ve had a steady job and OTH has always come back... I haven’t had to look for anything else. It will be difficult but it’s the nature of this industry, it is what it is and you can’t be in it if you aren’t prepared to deal with that. I think I would hate a 9-5 job thinking “this is where I’m going to be 20 years from now?” Personally, I like the not knowing what’s next.
Kasia: Where do you see yourself in a few years time? In production or something else (but still film/tv related)? What is your ultimate career goal?
Karen: I have no goals :) Seriously. I’m a bit of a gypsy and go with the flow, I don’t like concrete plans.. it freaks me out.
Annie: If you had to rat someone out, who is the biggest Diva in the production office or beyond?
Karen: The copier....I hate that thing!
Annie: Got to ask, the question that kills, but do you have a favourite Character in OTH, and you can’t say anyone under the age of 10!
Karen: I was always a fan of the Brooke and Julian storyline. I like them a lot in real life so I’m always rooting for them.
Annie: If you could choose to work with anyone anywhere in the world, who would it be, where would it be and why?
Karen: I love me some Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs... I think he’s such a hottie and soo funny. I also love Jon Stewart. I have a thing for old funny men...I swear its not a daddy issue thing, I don’t think. :)
Kasia: Do you happen to follow SoGoPro website or the Street Team blog? What’s your favorite part of SoGoPro and its community?
Karen: I sure do know how to Internet shop but I’m not very Internet savvy. I don’t follow anyone on twitter or anything but I do check in on the website from time to time. It’s been great to see Kelly and Hilarie start this company and see how the fans have been so supportive.
Annie: Ok, so I have been reliably informed that nothing is off limits with you, which I think is admirable, so what had been your most embarrassing moment in the film industry to date?
Karen: You know we have this discussion a lot with Kathy Rayle over dinners, our most embarrassing moment ever, and I can’t think of one! People say I don’t embarrass easily so maybe that’s it. I say really inappropriate things a lot and sometimes go... “Whoopsie was that too far?” That can be embarrassing.
Kasia: SoGoPro brings up a lot of interesting literature, music, theater to the table. Can you share your favorite authors/artists/titles with us?
Karen: I pretty much just copy whatever Little Leigh is reading :). She made me read Harry Potter (no one try and kill me, but me no likey) however I did enjoy The Hunger Games, Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, Chelsea Handler’s books :), and right now I’m reading Room. I do loooovvve me some musical theater also, it’s one of the things I miss the most about living in NYC.
Annie: Is there anything you want to tell us about any addictive habits you have, um, I don’t know, gambling??????
Karen: Gambling for sure! When we were in Puerto Rico you could always find me at the tables with the Producers, I convince myself it was a bonding technique...my parents are very proud :). I also pick my face a lot (ewww, I know). Kelly and Leigh put pepper on my desk and told me if they caught me picking my face I had to eat the pepper. I just went to the bathroom and picked it. :) Ok see now you are just freaking me out, ick, ick and double ick, face picking? Really? As for the gambling, I would be proud too, just hope you weren’t betting the same amounts as the producers!
Kasia: Now that you’re in the business that is dominated by men tell us what a girl’s got to do to be appreciated and treated equally? What would be your advice for girls working in men’s environment?
Karen: I’ve never felt that because I’m a girl people have treated me differently... maybe it’s the guys I work with or I’m too oblivious to notice! Our Warner Bros Executive is a woman and we have women writers, producers, department heads. At least here at OTH I feel like women are treated equally, they are just as smart, just as funny, and just as creative as any of the men. I think as long as you believe it in yourself that you are capable as any man, they will believe it also...and if they don’t...screw ‘em (not literally) :)
Kasia: It seems there is a lot of paperwork and fax/mail/shipping to do during the production and filming process. I can’t imagine how you manage to keep everything running smoothly! How long did it take you to learn how it is all done?
Karen: You are definitely thrown in the fire and it’s a learning process throughout the years. There’s never a time when you go, “now I know it all”.
Kasia: I must say I’m pretty impressed on how well you handle working late hours considering you start your work day really early (most of us usually flip over to another side in beds) . *Annie :Speak for yourself, K* What’s your secret ? *Kasia: Oh, shoosh!*
Karen: Ha, there is no secret. We don’t even have the worst hours on the show! You can never complain to a Teamster or someone in the AD dept because they have been there 2 hours before you got in and they are still there when you leave :). We all look pretty rough and worn out most of the time... we look forward to the Wrap/Christmas parties when we can wear dresses and look like real girls. It is what it is and, to be honest, you just get used to it.
Karen it has been fabulous hearing from you, thanks so much for taking the time out to join our random world and give us a few interesting tid bits, enjoy the shoots for Season 9 and come back and visit some time!
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