Karl Ulrich earned a Bachelor of Arts in Writing from Loyola University and a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California. He began his career as a combat correspondent for the United States Marine Corps before obtaining work on the set of several network television programs and developing a passion for cinematography.

While studying cinematography at the University of Southern California, Ulrich shot several award-wining short films, earning awards from the Director's Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Since then, he has pursued his passion by shooting commercials, music videos and documentaries, as well as creating motion-picture marketing materials for 20th Century Fox and other corporate clients. Ulrich has also directed two award-winning short films and is currently directing and producing a feature-length documentary on the art of cinematography, with over 40 prominent ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) members participating.