When you're shooting a low-budget movie you're never just the director: you're also in the catering department, and hair and make-up and a part-time grip. I can't even imagine the luxury of not having to keep an eye on every aspect of production while directing.
I learn more with each film, and I gain confidence in my style of working. But at the same time, each one is a new monster.
I usually cast myself in things because acting is how I best relate to artistic impulses. It's what I've wanted to do since I was a child, so a scene usually plays itself out in my head with me performing it. And if I cast myself that's one less person I have to pay, one less person I have to explain my vision to, one less person I have to worry about.
The money for my movies mostly come from talented and generous friends willing to work for almost nothing. As a producer, my job is to get as many people to give me things for free as I could. And most people are kind, and they know how hard this kind of thing is, so they are willing to help how they can, and reduce their fees how they can.
The sort of movies I make are not ones that can easily be sold upfront, so I have to make them and prove their mettle before I can sell them.
