Creative Portfolio
Carl Kelsch
With experience leading projects at brands like Harper’s Bazaar, Oprah Daily and Marie Claire, Carl Kelsch draws on a wealth of experience to make room for magic on every project, including content strategy, video production, and entertainment writing.
Scammers
Written, directed and edited by Carl Kelsch, the short film Scammers (pictured above) premiered at Santa Fe International Film Festival in 2023, making stops at eight other fests like Annapolis Film Festival in 2024 as well as Queens World Film Festival where it was nominated for “Best Director, Narrative Short.” The full film is now online here.
—Film Threat
“Scammers, in terms of direction, is a masterclass in simplicity” Score: 9/10
Collected Writings
Interviews with inspiring creators, articles on culture, plus reviews for outlets like Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire and Slant Magazine. Dominique Jackson, Elizabeth Banks, Zarna Garg—these were “pinch me” moments.
Editorial Project Management
Key accomplishments
Oprah’s Favorite Things
Coordinated consistency of assets across all channels including print, social, Amazon, and Apple News.
General Excellence award from American Society of Magazine Editors
Supported Harper’s Bazaar as Managing Editor when the brand won its first ASME award in 2022.
Bazaar’s Annual Performance Portfolio
Tracked photo and video shoots, led design reviews, managed editorial content, monitored retouching schedule, and even contributed as a writer.
Roller Derby Short Doc
A spec pilot for a docu-series, filmed in NYC circa 2006. Runtime: 11 minutes
Graphic Design Portfolio
Marketing and promo materials for theater and film projects
Horror Short
For My Facebook is a just-for-fun, no-budget short. Only three minutes long!
My First Movie
The Black Ooze, directed by a 9-year-old budding filmmaker
The Pod
Written by Carl Kelsch. Directed by Jeremiah Kipp years before he chilled Shudder audiences with his features Slapface and The Mortuary Assistant, this 19-minute short also features legendary NYC horror director/producer Larry Fessenden in a featured role.
More on Vimeo
Find more videos on my Vimeo page, including two of the three Nintendo Nightmares episodes made with friends on a VHS camcorder in the circa 1989.