If you're gonna take people on a journey that deals with some pretty heavy themes, I think you best have a sense of humor, here and there.

All the things that live within you find their place, in character and story, once you tap into that other space that is the creative writing space.

The test for me, when I read other people's scripts, is whether I feel like there's something about me that is the best person to tell this story. I have a pretty high bar for myself. There's a lot of scripts that I read and think, "Oh, this is great, but I think there are 50 other directors who could bring this to the cinema."

Life, to me, is never one color. Even in the saddest moments, you can have a chuckle. And in the happiest moments, you can shed a tear.

Ultimately, what audiences respond to is truth. Even as fantastical as the story can be, and out there, at its core, it's dealing with loss, madness and mortality.

I think hope is key, in life and in art.

I think we all have limitations, as directors. I don't care what the budget is, it's probably never enough money and never enough time. You figure it out. Sometimes the limitations bring more creativity.