Meet Claire Rose Kennedy of San Pedro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Rose Kennedy.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I won a contest. The MasterCard Priceless Experience internship brought me to LA for a six-week film bootcamp and that was it. I was sold on this place. I crashed on a friend’s couch, picked up a grip truck the next day for his short film and promptly backed it into the Quixote building (sorry about that, guys!).

I was a grip, PA, coordinator, production manager, reader, and then I started getting paid to write – usually with envelopes full of cash – still my preferred method of compensation. I wrote features for directors and that led to writing treatments, including in the commercial space.

That turned into a sort of Directing Masterclass. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best directors around and get a firsthand look at their process. So, when my husband said: “Why don’t you direct my feature” I said: “Are you out of your goddamned mind?”.

We have three kids, three dogs, a house that refuses to ever get clean, grocery bills that only go up and the emotional rollercoaster that is the marriage between an actor and a writer.

Pro tip: The first rule of Hollywood is do not date an actor. The second rule of Hollywood is do not date an actor. The third rule of Hollywood is for god’s sake do not marry a goddamned actor. And yet here we are.

We just wrapped principal photography.
The house is still a mess.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well, I reckon it’s all relative, right? A smooth road. I tell myself that whatever I went through, it brought me here, to my kids and my husband and my dogs and they’re worth it.

But yeah, I’ve been through the shit along with everyone else who chooses this sort of path. I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone with a super smooth path who isn’t lying to you about it. But what do I know? Maybe I just say that to make myself feel better.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a writer and director and I’d like to think my listening sets me apart. When you write for other people, you learn to listen to what they’re saying and what they’re really saying. When you write for yourself, you learn to listen to your characters and let them go where they want to go. When you have kids, you have to listen, even to their terribly told stories – we’re working on it – “stories have a beginning, a middle, and an END”. This skill serves as a director too, both listening and really hearing what everyone has to offer. You don’t have to agree with it all, but it’s good to get the perspective. You can hear when an actor genuinely has a fresh take in them and when they’re just unsure of their performance. You know when your DP actually messed up a shot and when he just wants to attain impossible perfection.

I reckon the other thing that sets me apart is a note I once got from a development exec “Claire, I’ve never said this before, but… this could be longer.” I think coming from advertising, I know the value of a second, both in life and in storytelling. Time is the most valuable thing we have, if you’re going to ask the audience to give you some of theirs, you damned well better earn it.

You can pack a lot of story into a few seconds – you gotta know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, when to let an idea simmer for a beat and when to move on before you become self-indulgent.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve always loved conversation. For me, there’s nothing better than a friendly argument with someone who has a different view on life. I think that’s why I love reading, theater and film so much – you get to understand someone else.

As I got older, I appreciated film even more – the communal nature of it – how everyone contributes and how it’s impossible to do without all those unique contributions. My short film talks about this realization and how impactful it was on me.

A friend of mine summed it up calling a film set an “army circus” and that’s about right – the fun and creativity of a circus with the logistics and precision of an army. My husband is former military, as were a few other of our cast and crew, so for a gift he gave everyone a bespoke challenge coin. I gave everyone red clown noses – it made sense because the name of the film is “You Are Here” and we all know those classic red dots.

Truth is, I think I’m still pretty similar to how I was as a kid… for better or worse. I’ll sum it up with this: my grammar school teacher’s wife passed away and I told him how sorry I was. He thanked me and said “She sure loved you, honey, she would always stick up for you when the other teachers bashed you in the lounge.” Love me or hate me, at least I’ve made an impression.

Pricing:

• If you want your own challenge coin, head on over to “youareherethemovie.com” and get one for $20

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youareherethemovie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairerosekennedy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/You-Are-Here/61550267955827/