The whole concept of the devil is a metaphor on one level.

My creative partner is a writer, and he's got an executive producing credit on this film. We've made three films together and I would never underestimate the impact of a writer.

But a writer's contribution is literary and a film is not literary. When you take that stuff off the page, and cast the people who are going to fit into those roles, that's what being a director is.

Ray Charles, in his own way, it's like at the beginning, Ray Charles changed American music, not once but twice.

I'm not in front of the camera, they are. I encourage them; I build up as much of their confidence and ego as possible. They've got to take control; I can't act it out.

I also know what looks good before the camera, how to move the camera, and how to get a story on the screen.

I make films about working class people.