Episode 203: Interview with Pen Densham

Pen Densham’s life reads like a story that was never meant to follow rules—and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. A filmmaker, writer, and now a boundary-pushing photographer, Densham has spent his entire life chasing one idea: the magic of creation. In his conversation on The Savoir Faire Audio Experience, he doesn’t just talk about success he reveals the mindset, vulnerability, and relentless curiosity that fueled a career spanning Hollywood, global storytelling, and now a completely reimagined form of visual art.

Densham’s journey into creativity didn’t begin in a classroom or a structured environment. It began in chaos, curiosity, and exposure to the raw magic of filmmaking at a very young age. “My parents, when I was a tiny kid, were making short films that went in the movie theaters,” he recalls. As a child, he was immersed in a world where cameras created energy where simply pulling one out could transform a room, attract attention, and create something larger than life.

That early exposure planted a seed. For Densham, filmmaking wasn’t just a career path it was spellcasting. “I literally fell in love and wanted to cast spells with cameras my whole life,” he says. That phrase alone captures the essence of his creative philosophy: storytelling is not mechanical it’s magical.

But his childhood was not without hardship. Losing his mother at the age of eight and growing up in a difficult household environment forced him to rely on imagination and creativity as an escape. Photography and storytelling became not just passions, but survival tools. Even at a young age, he showed signs of creative drive selling photographs to local newspapers at just fifteen and contributing work to national publications soon after.

By seventeen, he had already photographed the Rolling Stones for the BBC an achievement that would define many careers, yet for Densham, it was just another step in his ongoing search for identity and creative purpose.

What’s most striking about his story is the honesty he brings to his internal struggles. Despite early success, he often felt like he wasn’t good enough. “I felt I was a miserable failure,” he admits. This vulnerability is something he doesn’t shy away from instead, he embraces it as part of the creative engine.

He describes creativity as a dual force one that fuels both anxiety and excitement. “Anxiety and excitement are the same engine, but it’s just how you use it,” he explains. That insight is critical for anyone in a creative field. The same energy that causes doubt can also drive innovation if you learn how to harness it.

At nineteen, Densham made a bold move leaving behind what he perceived as failure and starting over in Canada. It was there that he found a community that supported creative risk-taking. Surrounded by artists, filmmakers, and thinkers, he began to build something real.

Alongside his partner, John Watson, he founded a film company, producing short films and artistic pieces with limited resources but unlimited ambition. They lived modestly, taking risks that more conventional lifestyles wouldn’t allow. “Because we were living sort of like working hippies, we could afford to take the risk,” he says.

That willingness to take risks paid off. Their work earned recognition, including Oscar nominations and even medals from the Queen of England for their contribution to the arts. But even with that success, Densham hesitated to fully step into his potential.

It wasn’t until years later that he decided to push himself into writing and directing narrative film. That decision led to a breakthrough moment a short drama that he initially doubted but which went on to receive critical acclaim. That project caught the attention of legendary filmmaker Norman Jewison, who personally reached out to mentor him in Hollywood.

From there, Densham’s career expanded into major film work, including contributions to iconic films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft, and Houdini. But even in Hollywood, he resisted the pressure to conform.

Rather than chasing trends or duplicating existing formulas, Densham focused on storytelling driven by emotion and instinct. “When you tried to please the system, they wanted you to do duplicates of what was already existing,” he explains. Instead, he chose to create what he calls “life scripts”—stories rooted in personal experience and emotional truth.

That mindset led to one of his most defining successes: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Despite being told by multiple studios that audiences didn’t want to see sword-based films, Densham trusted his instincts and wrote the screenplay anyway. The result was a massive success that redefined his career.

His approach to storytelling is deeply philosophical. He views creatives as modern-day storytellers carrying forward human knowledge and emotion. “We’re the shaman of this time and age,” he says. Through film and art, he believes creatives help society process experiences, learn from mistakes, and evolve.

This perspective extends into his latest creative evolution—photography.

Unlike traditional photography, Densham’s work challenges the very rules he was once taught. For years, he struggled with trying to “get it right,” producing technically correct images that lacked emotional impact. The turning point came when he observed his daughter experimenting freely with his camera.

“She was shooting photos that didn’t have rules… and I was compelled to look at them,” he recalls. That moment forced him to question everything he had learned.

From there, he began experimenting moving the camera, breaking traditional composition rules, and embracing abstraction. Instead of capturing reality, he started interpreting it. Trees became streams of energy, water became living motion, and koi fish transformed into flowing brushstrokes of color.

“I started to go into an entirely different mindset… letting go of what I learned and saying, ‘What if?’” he explains.

This approach has turned his photography into something closer to painting what he describes as “painting with a camera.” His work invites viewers to see the world differently, to reconnect with nature, and to experience emotion through imagery rather than representation.

At the core of everything Densham does is curiosity. He doesn’t claim to have all the answers. In fact, he openly acknowledges the uncertainty that comes with creative exploration. But that uncertainty is what drives him forward.

“I get scared and excited at the same time,” he says.

That balance between fear and excitement, doubt and passion is what defines his career. Whether working in film or photography, Densham continues to push boundaries, challenge norms, and explore new ways of seeing.

His message to creatives is clear: don’t wait for permission. Don’t follow rules blindly. And most importantly, trust your instincts even when they lead you somewhere uncertain.

Because that’s where the magic happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFCO5iBLfso

🎧 To hear the full conversation with Pen Densham, tune in to his episode on The Savoir Faire Audio Experience, streaming now.