Karl Kases (DGA, BVR)

Stepstones

At the early age of 14 Karl Kases begins to shoot experimental films with his father's 8mm Bolex-camera.

Five years later he gets his first job as camera-assistant at the legendary "Wien Film Studios" under Franz Antel, a famous Austrian old time director.

1972 in Munich "Visions of eight" the official movie of the Olympic Games – produced by Wolper Pictures of Hollywood – books KK as camera assistant.

At the age of 25 he shoots his first TV-movie as director of photography.

The famous "Schimanski-Tatort" for Bavaria Studios follows. KK shoots three consecutive seasons before he continues with 26 episodes of "The Riddle of the Sands", a TV-series shot on a 39 foot sailboat on the North-Sea in stormy winter days.

But KK`s secret love is Hollywood. When the opportunity arises to shoot some of the European episodes of the legendary "Dallas" TV-spectacle, starring Larry Hagman, produced and directed by Lenny Katzman of Lorimar Pictures, he jumps on and starts a Hollywood career.

KK moves to the USA as director of photography and shoots "The War Of The Ewings" a Warner Bros. 90 min. "Dallas"-special, followed by "The Foot Shooting Party" a Disney short movie starring Leonardo Di Caprio and "Mindwalk", a Sundance Festival Film of 1991 starring Liv Ullman, Sam Waterston and John Heard.

Lenny Katzman prepares his new TV-series "Walker, Texas Ranger" with Chuck Norris and KK signs on as Director of Photography, filming 130 episodes. In between seasons KK shoots for CBS "The Presidents Man", "Sons Of Thunder" and "Logan`s War" - to name only a few.

But everything changes when Chuck Norris offered KK to become the director of the show. KK joins the Directors Guild of America and directs "Walker" during three seasons.

When "Walker" gets cancelled, KK goes back to Berlin, Germany. In the following 10 years he works as a director for around 20 TV-movies and 70 episodes of TV series for SAT1, ARD-Degeto, ZDF and ORF. (See "Stepstones" and "Trailers")

Currently Karl Kases is writing and developing film scripts.