Highlights of The 2017 LSFF (London Short Film Festival) from 6th - 15th Jan 2017 SPECIAL EVENT: Crossroads + Filmmaker Q&A

By Tremayne Miller

Sun 15 Jan 

‘To complement this year’s riot grrrl underpinnings, we’re screening Tamra Davis’s noughties cult classic, Crossroads.’

Q&A

Intro

Davis initially turned working on the film down.  At the time Britney must have been around 19, Davis, however, did agree to meet her. In fact, she spent the entire day in her company, and bore witness to her transformation from girl-next-door to the megastar, that is Britney Spears.  It turned out they had an amazing connection, and Britney was insistent on the film being made, which Davis came to agree with, so long as she could manage to snapshot a truer, more real Britney.

Cast

Cast member Taryn Manning (Mimi) began playing Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett in the Netflix series ‘Orange Is The New Black’ in 2013. Manning is the vocalist in electronic duo Boomkat, and is a co-owner of clothing brand Born Uniqorn.

The Interviewer comments to Davis how one can “feel the merge that’s made between Lucy (Spears) and Britney Spears, the personality.

Screenwriter, Shonda Rhimes was the one to make this  transition possible, and has since become known for creating, and being the head writer, executive producer and showrunner of medical drama series, Grey’s Anatomy.

The director of photography (dop), Eric Alan Edwards, has worked with Gus Van Sant, and helped to maintain that good sense of reality, which was in keeping with Davis’s wishes.

*The last frame taken on the beach with the three girls held a snapshot image of what this film is truly about, female friendship, emphasising also the fact that the film was put together by three women, in the capacity of director, writer and producer.

Davis felt herself in a vulnerable position working with such a megastar, who had also commissioned the script, intending for it to break her out of the ‘virginal little girl’ persona she had been categorised in. 

But shortly after the film was made Britney’s parents split and she was also to break up from boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, only going to prove the toll young fame can have on an individual, and their loved ones. 

The ’I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ scene was shot not dissimilarly to a music video, where Britney chose her own hair style; although when given direction she was said to act most professionally.

Davis says of her ‘she is not a classical beauty but carries a charisma.’

Questions

1a) Were you given any freedom of choice (despite the film being commissioned by Spears)?

I never felt an ounce of pressure, and I worked closely alongside my writer and producer.

With respect to Britney’s acting – I made sure that her acting was authentic.

1b) Can you talk about responses to the film.

The test screenings by Paramount did well but a blatant boycott was made towards Britney (from the outset).

2) Was it difficult to capture the performance we see Britney make in the bathroom scene?

We built up to it. She also had an Acting Coach with her.

Interviewer  then discusses the other cast members who were chosen.

Davis: Both myself and Britney were fans of  Sex & The City, (hence), the reason that Kim Cattrall  was chosen to play her mother in the movie.

3) Davis talks about the filming process.

When you make a film you have a prep period but the actual shooting of this one was spread across three months.

c. Tremyne Miller

Tremayne Miller writes for heyuguys.com and is a guest presenter on LifestyleMK, Tuesdays 7pm