Sean Baker

“Some have said I focus on marginalized communities, but it's not like that was my mission statement. I've just told stories that interest me, and that I'm not seeing enough of, on groups of people and subcultures that are often not seen.”

“I've fallen in love with Los Angeles, and I love to explore it myself.”

“I don't see myself as a short-film director, and I'm not a commercial director.”

“My way of directing is definitely unorthodox, definitely unconventional.”

“'Tangerine' taught me that if you win an audience over with comedy, then hopefully have a soulful message at the same time.”

“I'm always looking for authenticity in my films. They're based in realism.”

“If you look over the history of cinema, changes happen when directors embrace new tools and technology and think outside the box.”

“There are so many directors who don't like any kind of interaction on set except for producers. I am the opposite.”

“I'm from outside most of these worlds I'm focusing on, and I feel there's an ethical approach to making these kinds of films. My biggest fear is that if you paint your characters in, you could be doing them wrong.”

“I grew up torturing friends and family by making super-8 and VHS epics.”

“Most filmmakers, if not all, come from a place of privilege, if only because of the expense.”

“I come from the school of thought that feels that if you can shoot film, you should shoot film.”

“We're all getting in trouble on Twitter - just get off and use your Instagram.”

“'The Little Rascals' was set against the background of the Great Depression: the characters were living in poverty. It's just that it wasn't focused on it. It was focused on what makes childhood universal. We're all laughing at kids because we see ourselves in them; we remember our childhood.”

“I think most of our eyes are trained to background being completely out of focus, but you can't do that with an iPhone unless you manipulate it quite a lot in post. You have to accept the fact that your film is going to look a little different on the big screen. Even though the resolution holds up, it does have something very different about it.”

“My one hope for Netflix and Amazon is to be a little more art house- and indie-friendly, pushing those just as hard as they push their originals.”

“A movie will live or die with your casting.”

“I like hearing from everybody and not just my co-screenwriters or producers. For example, while on set, I find it valuable to turn to my PA and ask, 'What do you think? Is this scene working? Do you like what you see? You got any ideas for that line there because that idea isn't working for me.'”

“If more stories are told about marginalized communities, subcultures, and minorities, the less marginalized they will be.”

“I'm an advocate of all mediums - it's a larger canvas for us as artists - but we have to keep in mind that celluloid film is what created this wonderful art form, and we have to keep it alive.”