Interview with Just A Girl's Claudia Grace McKell
Image Courtesy of Claudia Grace McKell
Claudia Grace McKell is the writer, director, stunt coordinator, producer and lead actress of Just A Girl. McKell plays Rachel in Just A Girl, a short film about failure and victory. Rachel is an ex-karate champion who loses her hearing and moves with her family to a rural village. Rachel is disqualified for an altercation at an amateur karate competition. For her to succeed, she must fail.
Just A Girl, was screened at Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2020.
Describe yourself in three fictional characters.
Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs, Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Alabama from True Romance.
What got you into filmmaking and acting? Have you always known you wanted to pursue a creative career?
I started off training in dance, then I joined some stage groups. I’ve always done acting on the side in comparison to my dance training. I got into filmmaking because I was injured from a car crash. I started to consider acting roles and diverting from dance.
I am new to filmmaking. I didn’t go to film school, I’ve learnt on the job and by watching lots of films, documentaries and talking to creatives. I think from a small age I was a creative. However I started dance because I was struggling academically at school. My mum thought it would help focus me and give me a discipline. It also helped me to express myself which didn’t involve me having to fit in with a school syllabus. Being creative allows your own personal style to be explored.
As an actress, how do you prepare for roles and what are your favourite types of roles to play?
I research a lot when preparing by watching, reading and meeting people connected to the role. I think it’s important to be authentic to the story you are trying to convey. I also think it’s important to add a bit of you into the role as you are the most original thing you can offer to a role. Before set I warm up like I would a dancer, I make sure my body is warm. I don’t drink alcohol when I’m working and keep hydrated. I listen to my body, plenty of rest, water and eating healthy are all factors to turning up prepped to the job. My biggest prep is trying to be the most relaxed I can be. The camera can see when you don’t know your lines, or you are unsure. I find yoga helps me, and turning up early to your call time. Give yourself time. As soon as the day is over, move on. Call your family they are the reason you can be on set, and sleep. Sleep is my main prep as working in the TV and film industry, as you don’t get much.
Image Courtesy of Claudia Grace McKell
What was your inspiration for making Just A Girl?
My inspiration came from my friend Rachael. We were sitting at a dinner table and she said all I want is to go on a date and be just a girl. Rachael has mitochondria disease which means she has lots of different health problems, one of them causing her to be deaf.
There is a significant lack of leading women with disabilities on TV and film. Most disabled characters are supporting roles, comedic roles or a fetish. I think it’s important to break this stigma and show women who are disabled as leading roles, telling stories which represent a more true image of disability. Also I think it’s important to show disabled women as people who can be loved and sexually attractive not just because they are disabled. I was inspired to write a story which had a leading woman with a disability, who showed the real picture of being a girl with hearing problems so that other people didn’t feel isolated.
Can you discuss the process of writing Just A Girl, from the conceptualisation, to writing the script.
I sat and wrote the basic script in 30 minutes. It had a couple of edits. I wanted to be clear with the message I was trying to say. I didn’t want it to be a glamourised version of hearing loss, but I also wanted to entertain the audience. I sent it out to my friends, some who read whilst working with the script on their lap. It seemed quite easy to write as I was just writing my truth, how I actually felt about having hearing problems myself. It was the first time I had written about it and its the first time I’ve ever really spoken about how it made me feel. I still find it hard to comprehend, but I felt it was important for other people to know its ok to feel different.
How did you find the crew, such as the cinematographer, cast and sound department, that you trusted with your vision for the film?
I had worked with most of the crew before. I knew I needed supportive crew members as it was my debut short. I cast Sally George as my Mum in the film as I knew she could portray both strong and vulnerable at the same time. I watched Jacob Anderton in 13 Graves at The Romford Film Festival and saw he had this sensitive quality which was perfect for Massimo in ‘Just A Girl’. I cast Tyler Fayose in the Sensei role because he is such a motivated person. I also wanted the sensei to be young as to encourage a generation to be inspired to believe they could become sensei’s at a young age. Ian Burfield is a great friend of my dad Michael McKell, who is an actor. I knew he would support me as a director and also deliver a great performance. Ian Wherry was the composer, he has seen me grow up. He knows my style, my creative voice and we have collaborated before. I would say things like I want it to sound like stone statues screaming and some how he would come up with a soundscape that did this.
Image Courtesy of Claudia Grace McKell
I thought the exterior locations were calming and dreamy, how did you choose/find the locations for the film?
They are local to me. I live in the countryside and coastline in Essex. I have discovered as an adult that the sea is very important to me. It’s almost a complete escape. Some people might watch a film, listen to music but for me looking out to the horizon across the sea is my place. It makes me think I have always got more time and more to give in life. I wanted to show this in the film. I also wanted to make the locations like another character in the film. When you have hearing problems you often feel isolated. The countryside and the sea give you this sense of space, when you see the character in a wide shot in a field alone you visually see the sense of loneliness.
How was your experience directing Just A Girl?
I really enjoyed directing. I like working in a team. I was nervous people would find it hard to understand my visions because it was so personal but the cast and crew were great. I think it’s important to have a vibe on set, and this set was just like family. It made me realise I have some very special friends and that my family are incredible.
What are some of the lessons you learned, while working on Just A Girl?
Don’t be afraid. Push yourself and your crew to discover things. I think I over-thought about how other people would perceive the film. Next time I would try and listen to own voice more rather than the ones who say you are not good enough.
What does the title Just A Girl, mean to you and how did you decide it as the title for the film ?
The title came from a break up. A guy once said to me, “I was just a girl.” I thought I’m never going to be just a girl. That's how I came up with the title. Everyone is a leading woman, man or other in their own story, we are never just half of somebody.
What is your martial arts background and how did you incorporate it into your film?
I trained as child in Karate, and more recently as an adult at my local village hall. I am a brown with white stripe and train when I can now. I used some of my club members in the film as I felt this was important to show the true ethos of karate. The choreographed fight is based on a real experience I had at a national championship when I lost my temper. It was worse than the film, as my dad came and escorted me off the dojo floor. I really wanted to show what training in class was like as a lot of the time in martial arts films you see all the fancy stuff. I have learnt some much in my training and really wanted to show how karate is more than just flashy kicks, it’s about how we control ourselves in life. It’s about respect and learning to respect others and yourself. I wanted this to be integral to the film.
You were also a stunt coordinator on the film, how did you design the stunts for the film?
I worked with my classmates to choreograph the fight. I had worked with Sophie the stuntwoman before and knew we could trust each other. I wanted more stunts, however I believe martial arts and action should tell a story. I didn’t just want ten minutes of a fight scene with no storytelling.
Just A Girl reaches many communities, such as the deaf community and female athletes, what message do you hope they take away from watching the film?
Don’t give up. I think the message at the moment of, you can do anything is a false belief. You can do anything if you are willing to never give up. You are going to fall down, you are going to have life challenges thrown at you. However if you have this drive not to stop regardless then all your dreams will come true. Also you can make anything a problem, but it’s the people who refuse to allow these to surface who succeed. Boundaries are your responsibility to kick down.
Do you have any upcoming projects, you can tell us about?
I’m currently working on set on BBC Doctors learning the craft of TV making. I have written another short and plan to shoot a music video this year.
How has your experience been with the Fighting Spirit Film Festival?
It was really special to be considered in a martial arts festival especially as its my first time making a martial arts film. I enjoyed meeting people and discovering another community of filmmakers.
Image Courtesy of Claudia Grace McKell
Speed Round. Pick one film for each category.
What is your favourite childhood film?
E.T.
What is your favourite film by your favourite filmmaker?
There are too many to choose. I really like True Romance. At the moment it is Parasite. It was truly one of the best pieces cinema I have ever seen.
Which cinematic universe would you like to live in? (e.g. The Grand Budapest Hotel, X-Men, MCU)
I think I would like to live in a Wes Anderson movie. They are so quirky and there is always an adventure.
What film do you think is underrated and deserves more attention?
Robin Hood: Men In Tights. I used to watch it with my brother as kids. It just makes me laugh and is silly which is sometimes what we all need.
What is your current favourite film?
I watched a film called Bad Words which is another comedy. It made my whole family laugh which I think makes it my favourite. There is nothing better than laughter.