Jenna Malone was a very important piece of how the film [The Neon Demon] turned out.

The best thing you can do with actors is collaborate with them. My job is to inspire them to give their best. And they're only inspired if they feel they are part of the creative process, otherwise they'll shut down. So my goal is always to ask people what they would like to do before I even say my opinion. I usually don't know anything until I see it. I'm a fetish filmmaker - I make films based on what I want to see.

Sometimes you can play against type, or you can just repeat what they've already done. It can be an obstacle; it's a very fine line.

I try not to have too specific notions because it messes up the process later on. I leave it very open to interpretation until I start casting. Everything changes a lot when you start casting. I mean everything.

Personally I kept my feelings out of it and created a fantasy. That's the process of going through this world being beautiful.

The more we become civilized, the more we simultaneously understand our need to be virtuous, and our need to understand our experiences on a subconscious level.

I can't make a film that I don't feel comfortable with.