Consulting Work

Karen has done a variety of consulting work in documentaries, narrative scripts, experimental films and everything in-between.

She is available for consultations focusing on dramaturgy, narrative and non-conventional storytelling.


Testimonials

Lynne Sachs
After only a few conversations, it became clear that she has an uncanny appreciation for and understanding of the mechanisms of cinema that go far beyond even the most serious members of the film community. I asked Karen if she would be willing to come to my editing room to watch a feature length film I am making.  As a Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts, I am currently producing a documentary in the form of an essay film.  Since the film does not follow the traditional character-driven formula of the genre, I was looking for an editing consultant who could move beyond this more familiar formula on both a conceptual and technical level.  Karen’s notes on my work as a whole were some of the most helpful I have ever received in my 25 years as a director.  She was able to offer a candid, insightful and precise critique of my rough cut, pushing the film into its present fine cut phase. In addition, she was able to work with me to hone in on the motifs I was exploring, assisting me to see the overall structure of the film and the way that my scenes were and were not contributing to the conceptual building blocks of the piece.  She not only advised me on the cinematic elements of the project but also on the voice-over narration.  After only one session, my editor and I were convinced that I should hire Karen as our post-production consultant.  Throughout our working relationship, her profound understanding of the way that images, sounds and words come together in film has consistently amazed me.
 
Karen Sztajnberg is a thoughtful and compassionate person who looks at her job as an editor, writer and consultant as an integral part of her life. As an artist, she takes her position as a member of the international film community extremely seriously.  Her knowledge of the field is vast, providing her with a wealth of information and wisdom that she is always ready to share with her clients and friends.  Each hour that I have spent with her in my editing room has been both pleasurable and productive. For all of these reasons, I would encourage any film entity to bring her onto their team.

Sophie Barthes
I've know Karen since our days together at Columbia University Film School. We have kept a personal and professional relationship which has been very enriching. Through the editing process of my feature film, ”Cold Souls”, Karen has provided insightful advice and to the point commentary when this was sorely needed. I have found her generosity towards my film to be well balanced by a sharp capacity to elaborate on the possible solutions to some of the weaknesses in the rough cut. 

We have both been through the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and this has been another opportunity for ongoing dialog as we continue to develop our cinematic sensibilities, which seem to largely coincide. I thought Casa Grande, her collaboration with Fellipe Barbosa, was very well executed and I know her contributions, as both writer and editor, were highly significant.

Karen is an extremely professional, bright, open-minded collaborator. She is a creative, focused hard-worker.
 
Joāo Maia
I have known Karen for about 2 years. I was present at the screening of Karen’s movie “Casa Grande”.  Karen worked as an editor and screenwriter. I loved the movie script and dialogues and immediately  thought she would be a great script consultant for my current project. Since then, Karen has worked with me as a script consultant in a feature film that I am directing and producing “Variacoes”. Karen showed an absolute ease in doing an in-depth analysis of the screenplay that truly impressed and stunned me. Her sharpness renewed my enthusiasm for the next revision. It was the best script analysis that I have had in my 20 year career.
 
Karen is an enthusiastic hard-worker, intelligent, reliable and extremely professional. It has been a delight to work with her.

Lindsey Cordero and Armando Croda

Every time we reached Karen for story advice on our documentary projects, we came out truly pleased with the experience.

We've been big fans of her screenwriting since we collaborated a few years ago in a documentary project, then we saw Casa Grande and it was very clear to us that she has great talent. We particularly like the way she analyzes structure and at the same time keeps track of the emotional heft of the film. She has the capacity to mediate in between the filmmaker goals and what she sees analyzing the film, by sharpening the filmmakers personal take. The fact that she is a great editor, experienced in telling stories from narrative, experimental to documentary makes her grasp of narrative very strong, full of possibilities and unique.