Sean Baker

I've told my agent to push the idea of me as a director for hire off the table. Otherwise, we're wasting people's time.

I spend a lot of time on my phone, so I have two Mophie backups myself.

Tangerine' was less than half the budget of 'Starlet,' and 'Starlet' was already a microbudget film. A director always wants more time, and we had a limited amount of resources.

Somebody who doesn't understand my directing style could be pretty taken aback by it if I start going off the schedule and focusing on something because I'm inspired in the moment.

When people talk about first-timers, I always think of Spike Lee. In every film he's made, he has A-listers, but he's always giving roles to first-time actors and breaking careers. He's brought such wonderful actors into the spotlight, and I love that.

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

Digital is great; I see the benefits and beauty in both formats. But it doesn't give you that organic quality that celluloid brings.

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.

I know that 'Tangerine' is getting a lot of attention for pushing the iFilm, but I am really mourning the death of celluloid.

I grew up with 'The Little Rascals' and always try to work a link into every one of my movies.

Talent is out there. But sometimes it doesn't work. You're going to find people who you think are wonderful, and the minute you turn on the camera, they just don't understand the concept of acting.