I go into meetings with some film-makers and they literally have nothing to say, they're almost bored by their own material. I'd rather work with people who are very passionate and very animated about what they want to do. People who just want to tell stories.

The key is to work with people who are passionate about storytelling and who have a similar sensibility of the type and nature of the stories that you want to tell.

When you know what you're passionate about and what you want to do, just go for it and own it.

I've just been blessed to work with these really great people.

You just have to surround yourself with people who are going to support and love you before trying to sell you as a product, or push you into something you don't want to do.

It's very much an ensemble film — I can't stress that enough because all the actors I worked with are all tremendous, ... Many different things happen within the film, the characters kind of intertwine and by the end, they come to the same level and connect. So it's hard to explain, but basically it's about dysfunctional youth and families in suburban America.