Taylor Steele

“Do things you love; then success, possibly, will follow.”

“I loved the fact that Mitch Coleborn wasn't on my radar for 'Stranger than Fiction' until he sent 10 waves of himself to us. Then he went from unknown to having a great section in the movie.”

“The beauty of my job is I do all different kinds of film directing, not just surf films anymore. And I do stuff from commercials to short films to working on feature films, and none of it is based from where I live. It's all based elsewhere, so I can live anywhere and commute to where I need to go.”

“I would love to document all the interesting characters out on the East End. There are some really inspiring people - you can feel the creative energy out there.”

“I get really excited when I see filmmakers make something that is subtle and feels real. It is really tough to do right.”

“'Proximity' features four legends and four rising stars who each bring their own athleticism, thoughts, and experiences in this behind-the-scenes look at modern surfing.”

“Cultural differences can be delicate situations we have to work within the respectful boundaries of.”

“For me, I like to have mystery in the surf films.”

“The more movies you make, the better you will get.”

“I started doing non-surf stuff like commercials, short films, and music videos and just started expanding my filmmaking that way. I started doing that more for a career: you know, it was paying the bills, and it was challenging. I was stimulated by it.”

“I don't know how many movies I have made. Movies that pop into my head when asked are 'Momentum,' 'Loose Change,' 'Shelter,' 'Sipping Jetstreams,' and 'The Drifter.'”

“With talent so stacked on a project like 'Proximity' and so many intense locations explored, it's almost impossible to showcase every highlight in the confines of one film.”

“Every time there is a major shift in technology, it's been hugely exciting and scary at the same time. I have seen some really drastic changes in technology, like shooting only film to video to digital.”

“Making surf films for a living isn't my business anymore, so it's really more of a way to get creative and have a lot of fun with it.”

“I feel like there is plenty of room for fresh ideas, always.”

“I was hoping that I could one day get a job at Quik or Billabong working on their videos. So I made 'Momentum' on a shoestring budget for fun and sort of a resume to work for others.”

“It's not about the equipment. Be less concerned about what kind of camera you have and more about what kind of effect you're trying to accomplish. Finding an original take is much more important than what you shoot it with.”

“Going back to the films I made in the nineties, they might not have been the most thought-provoking movies, but there was always this conscious thing of knowing that it was fourteen-year-old surfers who were really into it, and so I've wanted to be responsible with that.”

“When I started to do work outside of surfing, commercials where I needed to lead, I came out of my shell more, and I realised I wanted to create an environment that's fun because, a lot of time on shoots, people are so stressed and running behind the clock in an intense way.”

“I feel like surf films are something I go back to for some balance - to reset myself as a filmmaker. They're something I'll always gravitate towards.”