One on One with Penny Cavanaugh
Writer, Producer and Director

Interviewed by: Rosa Lambros
01 August 2014
 

In this month's AUSXIP Interview Writers Series we are interviewing Penny Cavanaugh, an up-and-coming filmmaker and writer whose second movie, Star Cross'd Jammers, is just about to be released. We find out more about the process of bringing her creation to life, a little of her background and further writing endeavours! Sit back and enjoy this wonderful interview with the extraordinarily talented young writer, producer and director.

1.       Tell us a little about yourself and your background. What drives you?

I was born in Lincolnshire, England, and moved to Australia with my parents and little sister when I was two years old. I grew up in Canberra, with a brief stint in Sydney at the bottom of the Blue Mountains where my sister and I would explore the bush at the end of our street. I was always telling stories. My first written story was about some veggies that were eaten by a girl, but they wanted to make it back to the kitchen to be with all of their friends, so the kitchen utensils launched a rescue mission that was headed by the knives, who cut them out of the girls’ belly. Looking back, it was a pretty macabre story… a little girl being stabbed by lots of flying knives. I read a LOT when I was little, thanks to my parents, who bought my sister and me a lot of books. My favorite authors as a child were Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, L M Montgomery, and Ann M. Martin. 

What drives me? There’s no one specific thing that drives me. I am inspired by all sorts of different things depending on my mood and my surroundings. I can’t stand exercising, but I can watch the Cross Fit games and I’ll be working out for the next two weeks. It drives my poor wife crazy but she’s learning to realize that if something makes me feel empowered, then I will embrace it fully. That’s how I got into stunt doubling, started a degree in teaching, got my black belt, and took up muay thai (I was convinced I was going to train hard and beat Gina Carrano!). Hell, it’s how I got into Roller Derby in the first place! I watched Whip It, bought a pair of roller skates the next day, and the rest is history!

I’m not sure where it all stems from but I’ll hazard a guess that it definitely has something to do with my parents, who have told me that I can do anything I want to do, and be anything I want to be. I’ve never been pressured to “get a real job.” Instead I’ve been taught that if I follow my dreams with conviction then I can make that a “real job.” I remember when we were little, I wanted to be a doctor, and my sister wanted to be the lunch lady who delivered tiny teddies to the people at my dad’s work. They told us to go for it! Eventually my sister adjusted her dream job to being the Queen of England, and my parents were equally as supportive. 

I was raised without limiting decisions. Mum and Dad never told me I couldn’t do something; they just encouraged me to consider HOW I could go about achieving what it was that I wanted to achieve. 

I’m very aware that we only have one life, and growing up I watched my parents tackle different career paths and succeed wildly, so I’ve never thought it was strange to go wherever the wind takes me. I’ve definitely done that so far, and I’ll continue to do it for as long as it makes me happy. I hope that answers the question… What drives me? Life. Life drives me.

2.       "A modern day sport entwined with a classic Shakespearian tale with a romantic lesbian twist." This is how you've described Star Cross'd Jammers. When and how did you get the idea for such a phenomenal plot?

It was 2010 and I wanted to make another movie after having so much fun and success with Lightswitch. I was just getting into Roller Derby – actually I was in the height of my passion, and so it made sense that the next movie would be about derby. Originally it was going to be a short film, and in the first draft it was a lot more similar to Shakespeare’s play – both jammers ended up dead! The first thing that changed was when a film making friend of mine, Warren Coulton, who basically paved my path in the stunt world, said, “Why a short? Why not make it a feature?” And that was all it took to convince me. I got in touch with Michaela Upton, who I met at the Xena: Warrior Princess convention in 2007, and sent her the short script, and asked if she would be interested in developing it into a feature with me. She was very excited and so we talked a bit about what it was currently and what we wanted it to be. We made the ending a little happier – I decided that there was too much doom and gloom in the world, let alone in our entertainment, so it really just flowed naturally.

 

3.       You wrote the script for Star Cross'd Jammers with Michaela Upton, and Natalie Krikowa co-wrote Lightswitch, your debut as a filmmaker back in 2009. What are the advantages, and the difficulties, of working with other writers?

I can’t speak for others, but I honestly did not come up against any difficulties at all when working with other writers. I think that it comes down to choosing the right people to work with, and both Natalie and Michaela were very great friends of mine so writing with them was like writing with an extension of myself. No ideas were ever blocked; they were all considered and either expanded upon or we mutually agreed that they weren’t working. With Natalie, we worked together in the same room for the first draft, and then we would just send it back and forth for tweaks and final polishing off. With Michaela, we were working from opposite sides of the world. I sent her the first draft and a massive long email about areas that I either wasn’t happy with or felt could be better. Michaela was really the driving force behind the storyline of the – ooh, I can’t tell you or it will give it away… Watch the movie and then email me and ask me!! I would write during the day in Australia and then send it to Michaela as the sun was rising in England. She would write while I slept and when I woke up there would be an email in my inbox with her edits. It worked seamlessly like that for the entire script writing process. Aside from just having someone to bounce ideas off, the other big advantage of writing with a partner is that the process isn’t so lonely, and you know right away whether an idea is going to work or if it’s just a terrible idea that should never see the light of day!

 

4.       What kind of routines do you tend to keep around writing or filmmaking, or do you even have one? How does a typical day look like when you are in full swing creative mode?

All my routines begin with the same thing --Food. If I don’t have food in my belly, I can’t concentrate, let alone be around people! A typical day when I am in full creative mode is to have breakfast and a giant cup of tea or coffee (depending on what is for breakfast and what I’m craving, of course!). Generally, if I know I’ll be writing for hours and hours then I’ll have coffee, because it means I won’t have to stop for lunch. I read that some writers use computers without the internet, and that’s definitely how I started writing the first draft of my novel, but I’ve found the internet comes in handy when I need to quickly research something. I do try and stay away from social media when I’m feeling particularly inspired though.

 

 

5.       What challenges did you have to face to bring Star Cross'd Jammers to life?

Oh, gosh, where to begin? No initial budget, teaching actresses how to roller skate, finding locations that would suit the script, getting enough extras for the crowds… that was one of the worst parts! We put the call out for extras for the tournament scenes, and about twenty people showed up. We squished them in at different angles, moved them around to sit next to different people, changed their shirts, gave them different signs… anything and everything to make it look like we had more people. The three tournament days on set were definitely the most challenging. We had to juggle over eighty cast and crew, costumes and wheels for over forty skaters and actresses, and my poor parents were tasked with feeding them all!

Post production was where the real challenges came in. During the editing process the rules of roller derby changed and so we had to go through the film and remove things like minor penalties and double whistles for the jammer. We also filmed at a location right next to a train station and a main road, so even if we waited for the trains to pass, there was still noise from the cars. Hindsight is 50/50, and looking back, we just should have found a different location, but when you’re an independent production and someone offers you a set for free (and it really was the perfect location despite the noise), you take it! We wouldn’t have had time to find a new location and we certainly didn’t have any money to pay for one. So that was tough trying to fix in post production too. Rob did a great job in cleaning up the dialogue.

 

6.       Some directors claim that working within tight restrictions, such as a low budget or limited time, makes them be more creative. How does this apply to your film making experiences?

Well, it certainly helped me lose weight! Seriously though, it did test our ability to ‘look outside the box’ and come up with alternative solutions to the way the Hollywood folk do things.

 

7.       How does Star Cross'd Jammers compare to your previous work? How does it feel different?

Star Cross’d Jammers was a much bigger scale production than Lightswitch. Lightswitch was a very tightly run set, with only two actresses. Star Cross’d Jammers had seven actresses who had to learn how to skate and get to know their ‘team members,’ who were real roller derby girls. The schedule was tighter, the locations were bigger, and the script was much longer. I didn’t direct Lightswitch either, so I didn’t have as much of a say on shots, so that is definitely one of the biggest differences. When I write, I always see a clear image in my mind, so then handing that over to someone else to create on a screen means the end product isn’t always exactly what was in your mind originally. With Star Cross’d Jammers, I had the opportunity to transfer my vision from my mind to the page, and then to the screen. That was very cool.

8.       You wrote, produced, and directed Star Cross'd Jammers. Which job was the most challenging? Where do you feel most comfortable? Any plans for acting in the future?

Producing was definitely the most challenging because you have to put away that creative part of your brain and focus on logistics. I feel most comfortable writing because it’s very natural to me. I’m not sure I could do all three again, but I probably will one day because I just can’t turn down a challenge. If I’m passionate enough about it, I won’t even see the obstacles so long as I focus hard enough on the end result. Neither Michaela nor I had any experience directing at all though, so maybe next time I’ll bring on an experienced director and just work with them for more experience. I’m definitely all for learning!

Any plans for acting? Originally I had considered playing Scabrielle actually, but I didn’t want to ruin the film by being on the wrong end of the camera! I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes to be an actress, but I don’t think I would rule it out completely. I have been offered a role in a project slated for shooting in Los Angeles early next year, which I’m really excited about, but I’m fairly certain there’s no dialogue so that takes away some pressure. I’ll never say definitely not, but it’s not something I will be actively pursuing any time soon.  

9.       What is the best piece of advice you’ve heard? On filmmaking, and on life.

On filmmaking, “plan everything and then expect to throw it all out the window.” Boy, did that turn out to be the truth!

On life, probably “Do something scary; the payoff is awesome.” I’ve taken this advice on more than one occasion and have never been let down! I was also told in high school that “the only person worth being in this world is yourself.” And that has always kept me true to myself, my values, and my dreams.

 

10.   What other films and filmmakers are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work? What influences have shaped you?

My favorite movie of all time is A League of Their Own. I’ve loved it since I was a little girl, when I used to watch it at least once a day, much to the chagrin of my poor parents. Penny Marshall is brilliant, not just because of her first name, but because of the way she tells her stories. I really love her. I also adore Katherine Fugate, because of the way she develops her characters, and she has been a significant influence in my writing.

I grew up watching Xena: Warrior Princess and that show was most definitely important to me. Not just because of the impact the shows values had on me as a person, but because of the people I have met who share the same love for the show. It’s not even about the show any more… The ripples on the pond stopped long ago but the stone is still at the bottom of the river, and it always will be… forever changed. I met my wife at a Xena convention, and we got married at a Xena convention.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention “The Go Giver” here. Written by Bob Burg and John David Mann, that book has inspired me beyond belief. Look it up, and check it out. DO IT.

The birth of my nephews has completely changed my life. I see the world in a whole new light thanks to those three amazing little men, and I’ve already noticed that it has impacted the way I write. I’m actually developing a new project because of them.

My biggest influence is inspiration. I want to be inspired, and I want to inspire. Telling stories is the best way to do that.

 

11.   There are obvious references to Romeo and Juliet throughout the movie. What other references can we find? As in the names of many of the characters?

Well now, that would be giving it away, wouldn’t it? There are plenty of little Easter eggs in there for all sorts of different communities and fandoms. If you recognize it and it gives you a giggle, then you win! Some of the more personal references though would be the Cannon skater “St Scare, #2003” – I went to St Clare’s College in Canberra and I graduated in 2003. The name of the doctor in the film is Dr. Caldwell, after my seventh grade homeroom teacher. Another one that is a little more specific is that Scabrielle’s number, 14, was picked because the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls were the fourteenth league to be accepted into the WFTDA. Not too many people would know that.

12.   Why did you decide to set the story within the context of roller derby? Do we need to be familiar with the sport?

I was very passionate about roller derby at the time so it made sense that I would want to write about the sport. I think that being familiar with the sport will give you a whole new level of enjoyment of the film, but you definitely don’t need to know anything about the game in order to enjoy the love story between the two. I think that roller derby is just the placeholder for anything that you are passionate about. When you put your relationship up against your passion, which one do you put first? It rings true even with something you aren’t necessarily passionate about – like if you have a high demanding job that requires long hours of work. There comes a time that you need to decide what you will put first. How many dinners or family weekends will you miss because you have to stay back at work? I definitely think you can relate to the film even if you don’t have a clue about roller derby.

13.   Roller derby is a highly competitive, athletic sport. Was it hard for the actors to learn how to navigate the track?

I think they were amazing! They put in a lot of hours of on skates training before we let them anywhere near a roller derby scrimmage, and even then their very first scrimmage was in socks! The Bruised Peaches and the Terrible Muriels were made up of all derby girls, so some jams were purely derby girls. That said, some of the actresses were begging us to put them into the derby girl scrimmages. Samantha Jane Faircloth (Regina Phalange Crusher) is an ex-figure skater so she really fit in perfectly – she even jumped the apex at one point (the roller derby equivalent of a slam dunk in basketball!)

 

14.   Do you play favorites? Is there a character with whom you identify best? What makes them special?

I’m reluctant to say Scabrielle, because she is an intensified version of certain aspects of my passion for roller derby, but I did take a lot of my obsessive tendencies and inject them into her character. I don’t think I identify with any of the characters specifically, but there’s probably a little bit of me in each one of them. I do have a favorite character, but that’s my little secret. It’s not one of the main characters either!

 

15.   The music score is outstanding. Are we going to see the soundtrack on CD?

Thank you! Roberto Merlini was the driving force behind it. I’m so proud of the soundtrack, and very grateful that we had such talented musicians who were generous enough to let us use their music. A soundtrack is definitely in the works down the line, but right now we are focusing on film distribution. The most important song in the film to me is “All that I am,” written by my dad, Michael Glasswell. He wrote another song, but we just didn’t have enough time to get it in the final cut and I would like to put that on the soundtrack too.

16.   Why should we watch Star Cross'd Jammers? What can we expect from it?

You should watch it because I said you should! I’m also going to jump off a bridge later and I welcome you to join me! No, really though, it’s a sweet little love story that was made with a lot of heart. Don’t expect a Spielberg epic, because I’m not there (yet). Stick with me from the beginning and you can be one of the ones that said, “Hey, I bought her first ever feature film!”

17.   Star Cross'd Jammers is going to be released on August 1. You’ve been promoting it at the Roller Con in Las Vegas recently. How did it go?

Roller Con was a LOT of fun. Five days of roller derby, and I was very excited to discover that everyone I talked to about the film already knew about it! (NOTE: The release date has been updated to early August, due to delays in the DVD production process).

18.   What are you working on at the moment? Can you tell us something about your future projects?

I have a few different projects that I am working on. One is a compilation of short stories that will be sold as a novel called #ImGay, which shares the coming out stories of women of all ages around the world. I’m really excited about it because it gives many different perspectives and consequences from those same two words… I think people will really enjoy the stories we are sharing and the phenomenal women who are telling them.

I’m also working on an historic novel called ”Bucket Full of Stars” which I’ve been working on for a long time but only now have found the time to focus on it properly. I’m really in love with the story and I’m itching to get it out there. I get new ideas often, and I write them down and file them away in my “Imagination box” (as the folder on my computer is called). I don’t anticipate slowing down creatively any time soon, so I guess, watch this space!!

19.   How can we know more about you and your work?

For information and updates on Star Cross’d Jammers you can visit www.starXJammers.com and head over to Facebook and like the page: facebook.com/starcrossdjammers , and for updates on me and my work in general, my website iswww.glasswellcavanaugh.com and the Facebook page is facebook.com/GlasswellCavanaugh – I look forward to seeing you there!!

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