The key thing is that you start every film from sort of a blank page, almost like you discover it like a child discovers a new world.

When you boil it down, it's all a visual expression. In a sense we are all storytellers through what we wear, who we want to be, how we want people to perceive us. Life, people and the stories they consciously or unconsciously tell inspire me everyday.

I think people, unfortunately, do live in constant fear. I think the government - and people in general - create scenarios people fear, because ultimately through fear you can control people. I wish we could live in a world where there would be no fear, but it's a driving force in many decisions people make these days, whether it's personal, economic, or even job-related. A lot of people stay out of fear in a job they hate.

All movements begin and end, and all have been inspired by others that have come before them. They evolve and then deconstruct again. There are very few designers whose aesthetic I'm drawn to on a personal level. However, that's different from the ways in which I might dress the characters in my films.

I always try to stay objective, and to remove myself from the process and look at the film again.

On Stranger Than Fiction, the script was so good that I stuck to every line because it was just such brilliant writing from Zach Helm that I felt like I really just want to shoot the page.

The goal is to align with your core group of collaborators, who understand your vision and aesthetics. I usually show them visual material of what I have in mind, as well as a color spectrum of mood boards.