What's Your Sign? feat. Cat Brewer

On this episode, Danny sits down with Director/Producer/Writer of the documentary, "Sign The Show", Cat Brewer! They talk about how watching a sign language interpreter at a Gavin DeGraw show inspired her to create the film, diving head-first into a film project with no experience, learning that there are multiple sign languages, ASL and Black ASL, pitching her idea to Andre 3000, who chose to be in the film, her biggest takeaways upon completion of the documentary and MUCH more! 

Where to find Cat: instagram.com/catbrewer 

Sign The Show Documentary: 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QUXti26uSdk?is=xTsGqItsguej7n54

Tubi: Watch Sign the Show on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/CzaKmF1bx4b

Intro-Late Night Jam by Infrared Krypto

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:24

What is good, good people? You are now listening to another episode of Since We Last Spoke with Danny Foxworth. I am your humble narrator, Danny Foxworth, and once again we're joined by an extremely special guest. She is the writer, producer, and director of multiple award-winning documentaries. Sign the show. It's available on Tubi and on YouTube and on other streaming platforms. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the one, the only, the lovely Kat Brewer on Since We Last Spoke. Kat, how are you doing this evening?

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Great. After that intro, like I feel like you could follow me around and introduce me like that every day. That was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Thank you. And your documentary was amazing. I watched it, actually watched it a couple of times, and I just I felt like every time I watched it, I learned something new. And I have so many questions regarding this film. So, first thing, what was the thing that inspired you to create the film?

SPEAKER_01 1:15

There were there was quite a few things. I was going through a really challenging time in my life, and I turned to the things that bring me joy, which was live music and stand-up comedy. Like those two things are so healing. They make you laugh, they make you feel good. And I've been at that point, I was in my early 40s. I'd been going to concerts since I was eight years old. So I've been going to concerts for a really long time. And for the very first time ever, I saw a sign language interpreter signing a show for the deaf people that were there. And like a lot of people, I was completely ignorant and I kind of was like, oh my gosh, let me look at this. It's it's very novel. I didn't understand the reasoning for the interpreter, like the true reasoning. And so I started talking with the interpreter, and then she started to interpret for the for me, for the deaf people, so that we could have a conversation back and forth. And I found out that deaf people love music. They love going to concerts, but they don't have the same kind of access that hearing people do. And I think that for me, the like the light bulb went on, and I realized that I had a privilege that like I never thought about, right? Was just to like, I'm gonna go to any concert I want to, and I'm gonna enjoy it. And deaf people don't have that opportunity a lot of times. So they need an interpreter there to not only interpret the music, but the emotion of the lyrics, and and they do that a lot through their face, through their nonverbal communication. So I was kind of heartbroken and I was a little like in awe of what was going on. And so I'm a college instructor. I teach. I've been a teacher for 26 years. That's what I consider myself. So I went went home and I was gonna write an article for the papers where I taught. And I had a roommate at the time, and he's like, What are you doing? And I told him this whole experience, and he was like, You should make a documentary. And I was like, Okay, so I have like zero experience in film and entertainment. So I went down to Best Buy and I pestered the kid working there for probably two hours to explain cameras to me. I bought a camera for 800 bucks. I saved the receipt because I was like, I'm a teacher, I can't afford this. I'm gonna return it in 30 days. I'll be done in 30 days. Ten years later, I still had the camera, and it took me 10 years to make the film.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

So Wow, you literally just answered my next question. You got your $800 worth of, you got your $800 worth out of that camera.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Did, yes. The experiences alone from making this film, the people that I met, the experiences that I had, the healing that occurred in me, like going through a difficult time, it's priceless. Like I know that sounds really cliche, but it was really just priceless.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

So share with us the uh what the creative process was like in making this film.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

So I'm just glad that I didn't know what I didn't know because I would have never started this process. I teach communication courses, so like I could talk. So that's not a problem. And so I just was like, okay, let me go interview people for this documentary. And I came from the perspective, I had a little bit of a marketing background. And I thought if I'm gonna make a movie about deaf people and about this culture for hearing people to learn from, like I have to get celebrities in it, like people who hearing people would want to see and hear on camera. And so I just really what I called hustling with gratitude and love. Like I go stand at a stage door, at a concert venue, at a comedy club, and it'd be like, can I I have like a 15-second elevator pitch? Can I talk to you for just a second, 30 seconds about this film? And most artists that I approached said yes. Sometimes there were scheduling issues and it took a long time. There were a lot of gatekeepers, which that's their job. I understand that, but I just really was like, what artists are in close proximity to me, so I don't have to travel too far to try to get an interview. Right. My sneak backstage at festivals, it was so much fun. Like, so my creative process is probably very different than other filmmakers. I just interviewed people that I wanted to interview. And then once I had the footage done, I don't know if you want me to get into this part of the process as well.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Okay, so so this is very interesting. I used to be obsessed with this TV show called Undatable, and it was produced by Bill Lawrence. Bill Lawrence is amazing. Like he he did scrubs, Ted Lasso, shrinking, like and so I used to go down to LA and I'd go to these tapings of Ted Lasso. And then somehow on Facebook, I friended Bill Lawrence, and then I saw he had a friend that was in uh like production, and I was like, oh, he worked on the wire. Let me just connect, right? So I connected with this guy on Facebook, and um, his name is Damon, and unfortunately, he is no longer here. He passed away due to kidney issues. But I reached out to Damon and I was like, hey, like, I know nothing. I know I need an editor now to like, I have 55 hours of footage. What do I do with it? Wow. What do I do with it? And so he's like, let me find you an editor. So he scoped and found five people, sent me their reels, and then he's like, I'm not gonna tell you, but you know, one person is disabled, but I'm not gonna, and I was like, well, whoo! Like I want to use someone in the community and the culture, and he's like, I'm not gonna do that. And so then he sent me the reels. I found somebody that I liked. Um, his name is Kai. Um, Kai Keefe, Kai O'Keefe. Like, I love him. I said he was my angel. He worked with me for about four years. I think we started editing in 2019, and then he just was amazing because I'd never done this process before. So he really walked me through it. And we did everything online. He's in Washington, D.C. I was in Vegas, but we did everything online. I had a lot of people that helped consult a few of the people that were in the film, especially. I wanted to get it right for the deaf community. I wanted to be able to represent them correctly. I wanted to make sure that it was open captions so they didn't have to turn on their captions on their TV from an editor. Then it was like, okay, you need a post-who's your post-production supervisor? And I was like, I have no idea what that is. I have no clue. So then I got on a website called, like, I think I can't even remember the name of the website, but it's it's kind of like a Craigslist for artists and stuff. And so I found this woman who was living in North Carolina at the time, or LA. She then moved to North Carolina. She was like, You were supposed to hire me like years ago. And I was like, Yeah, I know, but I didn't know. Um, so then she found me a post-production supervisor who then we went to a studio in LA, and I didn't know that film had to be color corrected. I didn't know that sound needed to. I was just like, Yeah, I have I I made this film, but so it was a lot of fundraising in my process because I'm a teacher. I funded a lot of it on my own. I found an angel investor and I crowdsourced through GoFundMe. Trying to think like what else was in my creative process. It was just, it was just a nonlinear process. And I know so much now that I didn't know then that I'd be happy to do another documentary because then I would know the proper steps to take, and I think it would go a lot smoother and easier. Maybe I want to jinx myself. Yeah. So I guess that's kind of my creative process. It was just literally learning step by step as I went. Like, okay, I've done this now, what's next? This, oh, I needed that then. Okay, well, let's go back and we'll bring it up to speed.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

And kudos to you for just really having the fortitude to see this project to completion because a lot of people would have thrown in the towel at that point, and you stuck with it, and we're all better for it.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Thank you. There, yeah, there were many times, many tears of frustration, uh, like I'll never finish this, why am I doing this? But once you start fundraising and people have donated and people you don't know at all, who just like saw you and saw what you were doing, I was like, Oh, I can't let these people down. Like, yeah, I have to cross the finish line. So I think that helped a lot too. I had a lot of support from friends and family.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

And that's that's key right there. That's beautiful. So first thing that uh I really stood out to me, the interpreter, uh, Matt Maxie. And hearing his story about how he was in he did interpretive sign language at uh Bonnaroo, and that caught the eye of Chance the Rapper. And then Chance the Rapper reached out to him and said, Hey, uh, what are you doing for the next two weeks? And he was like, I'm free. He's like, Come on, come, come do some shows with me. I was like, Man, I like I love that. That's so dope. And learning about that and learning about uh you got American Sign Language, and then you have basically like black American Sign Language because you know when he did his sign language, it wasn't the same as what as like the uh the American Sign Language, and it was just really cool hearing his perspective, and then him talking to um talking to Waka Flacca and then like talking about like different terms, like talking about like it's lit and you know trapping. Yeah. And just seeing how he would do his interpretive sign language to like talk about trapping and being lit, and how if you did it in American Sign Language, it wouldn't really be interpreted the same way. And that was I was like, man, I had never really taken that into consideration. And that was just so cool to witness.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

There's there are, yeah, it's it's truly incredible. And like, you know, even even East Coast to West Coast, there's differences and variances in our language and the words that we use, and it's the same in different cultures. But there is a very like deep, rich history with Black American Sign Language. They went through segregation just like folks did here in the US, and it changed the way they had to communicate or were able to communicate. And so it's a real source of pride. Like, even though we were deprived of this, like we created this, and this is what came from that struggle and that oppression. And so it's it really is quite beautiful to see that and to see how it has shaped and influenced people's lives today, especially in music, especially with Matt. He's incredible. He's one of my, you know, I stalked him, I tease, I stalked him for a year online to be able to interview him. It was like I'd send him Snapchats or like Instagram or Facebook. And it was like we had been communicating for a whole year before I actually met him and interviewed him, which was outside of a Waffle House in Dover, Delaware at like two o'clock in the morning after he interpreted for chance. So it was No kidding. I'm not I I will do anything for an interview.

unknown 12:36

Like I will.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Yeah, but the the history of the language, and people assume that there's just sign language, right? American Sign Language, ASL. But there are just as many different sign languages as there are languages in the world. So there's Chinese Sign Language, Australian Sign Language, British Sign Language. It's not, it's not the same for every language. It's it's very different. But there's ways to be able to work around that and to connect and to build community and create together.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Yeah. And I can't remember the name of the lady that was inter and was an interpreter. And then when I saw the graph and this said trilingual interpreter, I was like, wait, what?

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Yeah. Yeah. I think that was Kelly, Kelly Curdy. She's also an amazing interpreter. Yeah, and interprets in multiple languages. So like just imagine like your brain like having, like, okay, like you're hearing someone speak Spanish and now you have to interpret that in Spanish. And, you know, I I can't it it's an incredible skill to have. I I give them all such props for being able to do that and to be able to provide access.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Absolutely. And then bringing it back to Flocca, and then uh, you know, the the viral clip of Holly Magnati, the uh the interpreter that was I mean, she was just really putting in work when when uh Flocca was on stage and he w walked down and he stood next to her, and you know that Yeah Yeah, and they were jamming and everything. Now I was like, wait a minute, oh that's her.

unknown 14:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

I was like, man, it was cool to see that you got to interview her as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Yeah, Holly was amazing. She doesn't grant interviews, so again, she was she was another one that was like almost two years into the process of making the film. And, you know, we did a FaceTime one night. She was like in her kitchen and she was just kind of like, hmm, okay, let's just see who this chick is. Like, I'm not, I'm not in the community. I'm not deaf. I don't have, or at the time I didn't have deaf friends, I didn't know any sign language. And she's like, Why are you, why are you doing this? And I was like, just because I recognize this privilege that I had, and I want other people to understand that it's a privilege and to be able to step up and do what we can do to help a community that's been underserved and oppressed. And she was like, I'm in. But yeah, Holly's Holly's amazing. She has interpreted for so many great artists throughout the years. She's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Yeah, and then another segment that I I saw in the documentary that really blew my mind was the Deaf Comedian segment. Because I hadn't even considered or even thought that there would be deaf comedians, and it was just really eye-opening. And then I can't remember the lady's name. Kathy had Yes. Liana. Yes, Liana. And had she had to go to deaf camp.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Yes. Yes. Her mom signed at church to uh she put in so deaf people love any kind of music that has a really strong beat. And so Liana tells this story about how her mom was interpreting at Easter in the church. Her mom is deaf, and so she put in a CD to play music, and so she was interpreting this religious sermon to Tipsy by Jay Quan. Yeah, you know, she just felt the strong vibrations and the beat, and that's what she was going with.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

So you gotta meet the people where they are. Yes. And then uh and then uh the other lady was just talking about Kathy, and uh like she was like, so how do you how do you like like what do you call usually are you deaf? Are you ASL? She's like, No, I'm Kathy.

unknown 16:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Yeah. So just like as a little kind of insight to that, it's really interesting. Deaf people, you know, they the way they self-identify can be very different. A lot of it's based on age. There were some people in the film that wanted to be called deaf. Some people wanted to be called hard of hearing, some people wanted to be called hearing impaired. A lot of deaf people, especially now, don't see it as an impairment necessarily. And so they want to be preferred to be called either deaf or hard of hearing. I always ask, like, what do you prefer, you know, to be identified as? Because it's just as rich and diverse as as our world, right? With pronouns and ways to identify.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Yeah, that's that's that's a great point. You're just like call me Kathy. That's my name. It's right to the point. Call me Kathy. And another one of my favorite parts of your documentary was when you got to talk to Andre 3000. And from what I understand, there was a uh a great story behind getting him to sit down for the interview. So share with us what that experience was like.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Did I tell you that? Did I mention that? I don't know. I get I always get embarrassed when I tell this story. I I heard it in passing. Okay. I I get I get very overwhelmed by people's generosity and graciousness, especially doing this film where I'm not a known filmmaker. I don't have a name in the industry, and so many people were just willing to give of their time and their ideas to be able to like help me see this vision come to life. So I I met him at it was a complex con down in Long Beach, California. He was like drawing, and I remember like, you know, he's after he's done, he's going around the rope and like signing autographs. And I was like, I just can I talk to you for like 15 seconds and you know, I'm just trying to spit out whatever I can to get his attention. He's like, Oh, you know, like my manager's over there. So I went and I met his manager, and then she's like, Okay, you can meet us over at this booth. So we went and I told him everything, and then we coordinated a an interview down in LA, and he was so just genuine and kind. And we had this fabulous interview, and he like was very creative and giving like different ideas about people that I could interview. He tried to set up interviews with other people that he knew that he thought might be a good fit for the project. He was just so, I mean, it's Andre, right? Like, yeah, you're you're just and I have to, as much as a fan as I am of these artists, like I'm I need to just treat them like a regular person because this is not about them, right? It's about this bigger issue that I want them to help like bring awareness to. And so after the interview was over, he he leaves. And like this happens with a lot of my interviews. Like, I just like I need a moment and I just start crying, like all of my emotions just start coming out. I think it's I don't know if this is the story that you wanted or that you heard. So I'm the woman who was hosting, like in the hotel, she came in and she's like, Are you okay? And I was like, Yeah, I'm fine. I just I just need a minute. This is my process. Like, so she brought me tissue and I was like, Okay. And then like she leaves, and like less than 45 seconds later, I'm still sitting in a chair, like, you know, ugly crying. And she comes in, she's like, He's coming back, he's coming back, like pull yourself together. And I was like, What are you talking about? And so I'm just like, I know I have mascara running down my face. And he comes in and he's like, I, you know, I'm trying to pull myself together. And he's like, Kat, are you okay? And I was like, I'm fine. Like, I'm just I was sobbing. I was like, I'm just so grateful for this opportunity. And he just like he starts clapping his hands and like jumping up and down. He's like, I still got it. I was just like, Yes, do you still have it? And then he's like, Come here, do you need a hug? And I was like, if you hug me, I'm just gonna lose my shit. And he was just like, Come here, and like I literally just sobbed on his shoulder for probably like 30 seconds. He was, I was trying my hardest to like my sorry, my dog just came over to say hello. Yeah, and then he had come back to actually tell me that he had this idea about take, you know, how we take a moment of silence for something, and he was like, we should take a moment of sign language. And I was like, Oh my god, that's so dope, right? And so then he was like, Yeah, let me just film this little promo. And so he filmed a promo for me, and I'm like, okay, have to set my camera back up and pull myself together and you know, be me. But it was um, I think it was just this lovely, genuine interaction, and he was so humble and so sweet, and I will never forget that for the rest of my life.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

I wouldn't either. That's awesome. So, what was the response like whenever you released the documentary?

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yeah, so that's a whole interesting process in and of itself, right? Like I was like, I'm gonna get an agent. Because so when I was when I was making the film at one point early, early on, you could inde an independent artist could just upload their film to like YouTube and monetize it, but things have changed. And when I was like when the film was complete, then it was like, oh, now you have to find an agent. And I was like, why do I have to find an agent? Well, then the agent finds you a distribution partner. So you can't talk to like I was I was emailing people at Netflix and just being like, hi, I'm Kat Brewer. I made this like again, not knowing anything, but just like this is what I did. And so when the film was done, we so me and my producers, so Matt Maxie was part of that. He's one of my executive producers. Uh, we took it on the film festival circuit and we did that for a year. And it was amazing. The film got wonderful reception from audiences, both hearing and deaf. There was huge turnouts in the deaf community wherever we went to come and see this film because they are such a community that. Just kind of gets shoved to the side and doesn't have a lot of attention. And again, I started this film back in 2014. Things have definitely changed now. I know there are still issues with Live Nation, but they have an amazing person working in their head of accessibility who really is making a lot of changes that I think, you know, change doesn't happen overnight, but they are making progress. And so that's really exciting. But yeah, it it's it's been very well received. It's on, like you said, it's on Tubi, it's on Apple, it's on YouTube and Google Play and Roku. And you know, people are like, oh my God, you're gonna make so much money. Um but yeah, so I'd love like for your listeners or viewers to to watch and not not again because not because I'm making money, just because it will teach people. For me, like I've taught in a classroom for 26 years. At the time it was 23 years, and this was just another platform for me to teach and to teach to a bigger audience. Thankfully, they are in one place at one time.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

I love it. So, are there any plans for any other documentaries?

SPEAKER_01 23:53

I don't know, to be honest. That's like the million-dollar question. I think that I would love to do another film one day, but I would definitely need to get backing beforehand because trying to raise money through the process of it, it's really nerve-wracking. And that's what stalled a lot of it was just not having the money to do it. And it would have to be an issue that really meant something to me. Like I I have a hard time promoting something if I'm not like 100% into it and backing it. So if some kind of spark comes up, I'm absolutely willing to let it catch fire and take me down that path again. But until then, I'm I have my dream job teaching at a college. Um, so yeah, it's what I love to do.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

I love it. So now we're going to get into the five question segments. So the first and last question are the same question I ask every guest I have on here. Questions two through four, 100% random. So question number one What were Kat's go-to school lunch items?

SPEAKER_01 24:53

Probably peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ruffles. And ruffles chips. And I like to put the chips inside the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

SPEAKER_00 25:02

You know what? You're not the first person I heard say that. I've never tried it, but you're not the first person. Duly noted. So what what jelly do you prefer?

SPEAKER_01 25:13

I love raspberry.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

And creamy or crunchy peanut butter? Creamy. Nothing wrong with that. Question number two. Actually, scratch this the question I had, and going back to your love of concerts. Who what was the first concert you went to?

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Uh it was Rick Springfield. No. Yeah, not Jesse's girl? Yes. And I I have to admit that I just saw him last year also. So like, yeah. But I love like one of my favorite artists was like Tony Tony Tony. Like, I love like anything 90s, RB, that New Jack swing. But Tony Tony Tony was one of my favorites and Guy. I love Teddy Banks.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Question number three. What was your worst airport experience?

SPEAKER_01 26:04

I'm gonna say I haven't had one. Like I I love traveling. I mean, you know, like so people, I've been stranded on the tarmac, right? Where you're just sitting in the plane and it's like two hours and you're hot. So, but I don't look at that as like a worst experience. Like the worst experience would have been like taking off in that plane and having something happen in the air. So I think it's about perspective, right? I don't, I don't think I've had a bad airport experience.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

I'm right there with you. Question number four What's your favorite restaurant in Vegas?

SPEAKER_01 26:40

I love this little place called Marikai. It's a Greek restaurant and the food is delicious. Yeah. And then there's Chica on the strip inside the Venetian. I think it's like one of the only female-owned restaurants. I see, now you've opened up a whole thing. Maroon, it's a new Jamaican steakhouse. It's really good.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

I'm I'm I'm just sitting here taking notes.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Like, come come to Vegas. I'll hook you up.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Got to. And I'm a big Las Vegas Aces fan, so I got I got even I got even more reasons to go to come to Vegas now. All right. And then the last fan. Uh no, I'm a Carolina Panthers fan.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Okay. Uh that's fine. I lived in North Carolina, and I lived in California, and I'm not a Raiders fan either.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

So I hear you. Yeah, all my sports allegiances, they're all over the place, but there you go. Last question. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?

SPEAKER_01 27:35

My dog. My dog. I love her to death. She's crazy. She gets the zoomies every night. And yeah, she makes me laugh all the time. Yeah. Rescue a dog if you can. You'll be the one that's been rescued.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

I can literally sit on YouTube and just watch Zoomy compilations like for hours.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

I'll send you one.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

I film 'em.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

I'll send you one.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Please do. Where can the people find you?

SPEAKER_01 28:03

I am on like almost all social media except for Snapchat. I got off of that for a while. But it's I'm at Cat Brewer. C-A-T-B-R-E-W-E-R. I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram, but also sign the show is also on all of those. On Threads, which is where I met you. I'm on Instagram, Facebook. Yeah. So either sign the show or Cat Brewer.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

And I'll have all of those links in in the uh show notes. So, Kat, thank you again. And it was great to finally be able to uh talk to you and chop it up and just pick your brain about this this beautiful documentary. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

You ask great questions, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Thanks. See? Now you're gonna make me cry. So again, thank you for being the guest on here, and thank you all for listening. Make sure you tune in to Since We Last Spoke with Danny Foxworth, like, download, or subscribe. Tell a friend to tell a friend about the podcast. Subscribe to my YouTube channel. You can find me at Danny Foxworth843. There you can find videos of every episode of this podcast, as well as my baseball podcast at The Plate with Danny Foxworth, my candle podcast, The Wicked Good Time with Danny Foxworth, and Growing Up Low Country with Liz and Danny. And for Kat and myself, this has been another episode of Since We Last Spoke. And until next time, y'all be good. Peace.