My dad's gay experiences really had a very positive influence on me and my straight relationships - how to better accept all the weirdness and ambiguity and ups and downs and paradoxes. I knew from the beginning I was writing about love.

L.A. is so isolated and unhip in a way; it gives you room to figure out who you are and explore more personal stuff.

I pretty much believe that a film is a film and when an audience watches a film, they finish it.

I don't really believe that documentary is objective reality and fiction is all illusion.

I'm into people's emotional lives and relationships and the complications of living. That's my turf.

I'm not a craftsman of graphics or art or film. I'm more of an idea generator and manufacturer.

People ask 'How does doing a film compare to doing an ad?' Well, when you're doing a commercial you don't have to sell tickets. You have a captured audience. Which is actually completely rare and great; it gives you a lot of freedom. When you make a film, you have to do advertisements for the film.