The Work That Made Me: Kat Garelli
Kat Garelli is the head of production at LA-based production company World War Seven. As HOP, she supervises all aspects of physical production for WW7’s diverse and talented roster and world-class clientele, ensuring projects are executed on time and on budget. Previously an executive producer at ArtClass, Kat’s experience on both the sales and production sides of the industry positions her as a next-generation hybrid industry leader and general force to be reckoned with.
A New Jersey native, Kat grew up washing dishes and waiting tables at her family’s diner, which gave her calloused hands, a voracious thirst for new experiences, and an unmatched work ethic. When she’s not deep in the lines of a bid, she’s practicing to become the next big industrial house DJ.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Kat> Ever since YouTube became a thing (before it had the ads we make before videos) I’ve been obsessed with memes, so my young, impressionable brain exploded when Weezer brought all the best ones together for the “Pork and Beans” video. It was like a fever dream where all my favourite characters from different franchises were together in one movie, but also Rivers Cuomo was there for some reason.
When I revisit this video and see all of the nascent internet’s first viral moments strung together for maximum nostalgia, I’m reminded why I wanted to get into making videos in the first place – to make people laugh and also cringe a little.
I also went on to write an 80-page thesis on internet memes for my college degree, so suffice it to say this video changed the trajectory of my life.
LBB>The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Kat> I remember watching the 2009 Super Bowl live and keeling over laughing at Doritos - Crystal Ball ad with my friends. Anytime we’d pass a vending machine, we’d pretend to shatter its glass nonchalantly. Later on, in a high school film class, we learned about how the spot was made by two amateurs who won a $1 Million Frito Lay ad contest (and, as it turns out, displaced Anheuser-Busch from its 10-year Ad Meter streak.)
My film teacher started putting us through the paces, pairing us off to make spec Doritos ads of our own and try to win the big prize for the school. While mine didn’t quite win the big game, it definitely made me believe I could make something great with a few insane ideas and a camera.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Kat> I feel so fortunate to have been a fan of Tyler, the Creator throughout all his career milestones—from the Odd Future days to the Internet-breaking “Yonkers” video and now with GOLF le FLEUR* and his fashion projects.
To me, Wolf marked a turning point in Tyler’s career – it was his most conceptual album to date that told a story from beginning to end and immersed listeners in a world that was unabashedly Tyler’s.
I felt like I was seeing a singular creative voice form in real-time. With each subsequent release, Tyler’s brand and stage persona became more defined, and his audience broadened from a niche in the hip-hop community to the larger cultural conscience. All the while, he inspired in me the idea that I too, a fellow awkward weirdo, could achieve artistic success without conformity.
He went on to turn Camp Flog Gnaw from a fictional place in the album's narrative to one of the most anticipated music festivals. I realised a decades-long dream by attending back in November, and hearing him perform songs off Wolf in his headlining set felt like a full circle moment.
LBB> My first professional project…
Kat> One of the first productions I coordinated was the IPO announcement spot for WeWork, featuring sit-down interviews with its now-former CEO, Adam Neumann, and chief architect, Bjarke Ingels, among several other major stakeholders. Shot in one day at a studio in New York, it was a trial by fire of juggling competing schedules for high-level executives, catering to their needs, and orchestrating various departments to pull off a seamless day.
Shortly after production, the company shelved its plans to go public, so the spot never saw the light of day. I do not take responsibility for this or the bankruptcy.
LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Kat> OK, I actually really love this video (and the song, for that matter) – all the way down to the slime green, early aughts WordArt title treatments, and Nelly’s inexplicable face bandage. But Kelly Rowland TEXTING on a NOKIA 9210 COMMUNICATOR that somehow has access to MICROSOFT EXCEL? If I made such an abstruse error, I’d probably fire myself.
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Kat> Amazon - Alexa’s Body. The female gaze is real – and if Alexa did come in the form of MBJ — having an omnipresent, always-listening disembodied AI in my house at all times would be a much easier pill to swallow.
I was in his hands, I was being changed…
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Kat> Working with the wonderful team at Carvana to craft not one but four brand spots (and infinite cutdowns/edits/lifts/versions) from pre-pro through delivery has definitely been the highlight of my career.
Over an epic eight-day shoot in LA back in 2022, I got to watch master director Paul Trillo create a world for this brand and birth its mascot, the oversharing mom, played by the hilarious Michele Simms. What’s more, I stayed attached through post and got to help audition several bespoke mnemonic devices that would become Carvana’s calling card. It definitely felt like my “I’m Lovin’ It” moment.
The “Oversharing Mom” spot was my personal favourite from the suite, so I was over the moon when I learned it’d be the first spot of mine to premiere during the Super Bowl. Plus, we got to sneak in a cameo of my absolute favourite assistant director, Kevin Brady, as the landscaper. I still chuckle at the thought of him wielding a hedge trimmer in every living room in America during the nation’s most-watched TV event.
I was lucky enough to go for a second round of work, where Michele returned to reprise her role, and I’m still itching to get the band back together.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Kat> If someone told me I was going to help Charlie Kaufman make a movie, and it would all be shot on a Samsung Galaxy S22, I would reply by asking them if I was actually in a Charlie Kaufman movie because it’s that random.
This project was such a technical and logistical feat – shot across several weeks in both New York and Toronto, and entirely on a smartphone no less. Watching acclaimed cinematographer Chayse Irvin jailbreak our shooting phone and bend light around it to paint the most exquisite frames was nothing short of miraculous. Working with a true auteur like Kaufman lit up the dormant die-hard filmmaker in me and others on set, and seeing the crew come together to support Kaufman’s vision was electric.
Nothing tops it – yet.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Kat> At one of my first production companies, we produced Khloe Kardashian’s Nurtec ODT spot. While the spot itself is quite straightforward and nothing to be ashamed of, it ended up kind of becoming a meme for a few days because of a combination of Khloe’s real plastic surgery and beauty work done in post. I had to steer clear of Twitter for a good while when it first came out.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Kat> I technically wasn’t a part of the development of this project, but I get credit for being a part of the launch (so I’m saying it counts)... David Shafei’s receptive spot for Native makes me smile every time I watch it.
I absolutely love the idea of weaving brand RTBs about an organic deodorant into a dramatic police procedural set-up, and this spot does that flawlessly. This was the perfect introduction to Shafei’s secret comedy weapon, which I’m excited to witness in action – pitch-perfect casting and performance that serves the brand’s messaging in unexpected ways.
