Jenny Austin of OR DIE TRYING met with Director of Photography and Sound Mixer, Kara Johnson, to discuss her journey in Los Angeles.
Name: Kara Johnso
Field of Industry/Company/Job Title: Freelance Director of Photography and Sound Mixer
Favorite Film: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
ODT: Are you from Los Angeles originally?
KJ: I'm from Raleigh, North Carolina.
ODT: Tell us about the moment you decided to move to L.A.
KJ: I decided to move to L.A. about a month or so before I graduated from college. It made me feel inspired, and ready to give my all towards working in entertainment.
ODT: Why have you pursued a career in the film industry?
KJ: I've pursued a career in the film industry because I think my calling is to entertain people. I love to do it, and people have told me I'm good at it, hopefully they're right 😉.
ODT: How did you get into the film industry?
KJ: I started working as an Office PA in reality television, and from there made contacts and friends who recommended me for other shooting opportunities.
ODT: Any memorable moments in your journey?
KJ: Probably the coolest thing I've done in my 3 years in LA was mix sound for an interview with Morgan Freeman. He's the coolest.
ODT: What do you love most about the film industry?
KJ: I love that people are so willing to help others. Sure, we're all competing for jobs and screen opportunity, but you have to start somewhere.
ODT: What have been some of the more challenging moments about being a woman in the film industry?
KJ: Trying to work in camera or sound as a woman is extremely challenging, because it really is a boys' club. You automatically feel excluded and have to work twice as hard to get on the rest of the crew's good side. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't carry heavy cameras or hold a boom pole for extended periods of time.
ODT: What motivates you? What dream(s) are you most fighting for?
KJ: Being able to get reactions and emotions out of people from watching/listening to my work is what keeps me going. I like creating things that make an impact. Being creative and making a positive impact is the dream.
To see Kara's work, checkout http://www.karajohnsonfilms.com/
To support more women in film, like Kara, contribute to OR DIE TRYING on Seed&Spark today.
