Sean Baker Quotes

You know, master classes are essentially extended Q&As. That’s how I always approach them. I don’t mean to downplay it. It’s just that I never fancy myself as someone who is taking a class. ‘Master class’ insinuates a teacher, and I’m not one.

‘Tangerine’ being my fifth film, I was out of favors. I couldn’t afford to get the Arri Alexa or RED cameras and I definitely couldn’t shoot on film.

Route 192 is its own thing, and you can’t find that anywhere else. The colors and shapes of the buildings, the way that all the small businesses in a way feed off of the parks and sort of rip off the themes of Disney – you’re not going to find that anywhere else.

Most of the characters in ‘The Little Rascals’ were living in poverty, but they decided to focus on the joy of being a kid: the humor, the heart, the resilience.

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.

All I know is this: The reason that I’ve gotten attention from this industry is that I just kept making films until they paid attention.

Dealing with kids, you’re always going to have to deal with something. I mean, they’re kids.

I’m not really the type to jump into a $20 million film just to do it.

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

I definitely learned a lot about how to be more communicative with my crews.

I want my films to be different, to use different techniques, not just make a calling card film.

Film is the only art form where we feel we have to title our stuff literally. Musicians don’t have to title their songs literally. It can be more about what’s conjured up when you think of a word.

In so many reviews that I’m reading of ‘The Florida Project,’ everyone is assuming it’s my second film.

A movie will live or die with your casting.

I think I’m my own worst enemy.

With a lot of these social realist films, the first thing you do is drain the color.

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

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.

I’m not a material guy, so I don’t need to surround myself with wealth.

I have been very inspired and influenced by ‘The Little Rascals’ my entire career.

From a filmmaker‘s point of view, there is something undeniably cinematic about a location like Santa Monica Boulevard, which is so chaotic and busy and over-stimulating.

I hoped ‘Starlet’ would finally open doors for me and lead to a much bigger budgeted movie, but that didn’t happen.

I try to create a very casual working place, where everybody – down to production assistants – can throw out ideas and not feel intimidated. When it becomes a collaborative environment, it becomes a small family, and everybody becomes invested.

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

I’m very influenced by Mike Leigh and the way that he always has these climactic confrontations, like in ‘Secrets and Lies‘ and ‘High Hopes,’ in which the ensemble cast meets in one location.

A lot of independent films try to pull off a 14-day shooting schedule, which I think is ridiculous. No matter how big or small you are, it really kills whatever sort of time you get to allow the actors to find their characters, and to spend time to think about what they’re doing.

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

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

There’s an alchemy that happens in my eyes when you mix it up, when you have a seasoned actor on set and your first-timer.

‘Man Push Cart‘ is very similar to ‘Take Out.’

New York City is the most culturally diverse city in the world, and yet there have been few films about the Chinese, Latino, and Middle Eastern experience in New York.

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

When I see a billboard that literally just has five names, and they’re all A-listers, I’m just like, What is that bringing to the world that’s new?

A lot of the LGBTQ community accepted ‘Tangerine,’ which was something we worked really hard to achieve.

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.’

I have a feeling that I might even disappoint some people by staying in this two to three million range and continuing to make character-driven stories.

In our most desperate times, people going through true hardships use humor to cope.

The iPhone in conjunction with the Filmic Pro app – the resolution is HD quality.

I love to combine first-time actors with seasoned actors.

I don’t have a family. I’m not planning one. I don’t have to support anyone but me and my dog.

I’m always looking for authenticity in my films. They’re based in realism.

We’re living in an age of the think piece.

The films that are coming out of SXSW are incredible, and they should get the same bids that films at Sundance are getting.

‘Greg the Bunny,’ the comedy television show that I co-created, happened almost by accident. Dan Milano, Spencer Chinoy and myself made a public access show that caught the eye of IFC, and it has had three incarnations since then with a season on Fox.

I went to NYU thinking I was going to make a ‘Die Hard‘ sequel, or maybe action and genre films for the studios, but I ended up falling in love with personal cinema.

I cannot stand Hollywood child performances. It just reeks of artifice, and it’s weird that, for some reason, Hollywood feels they have to make their child characters smarter than adults, and suddenly kids have the vocabulary of a college grad.

So many films are being shot on the DSLR, that they’re all starting to look the same. There’s a shallow depth of field. It’s a nice look, but I can always identify a film shot with a DSLR.

I’m fine with a title that’s open to interpretation.

I work with different actors with varied degrees of experience.

Children are funny.

I had never even heard of the term ‘hidden homeless‘ before… It’s not just Orlando and Kissimmee. It’s a national issue; it’s a national problem.

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

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

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.

When it comes down to it, I’m still in love with film – I’m a cinephile.

When you’re a child, the colors are brighter, sounds are louder and whatever.

There are characteristics of Central Florida you don’t see anywhere else. It’s quite beautiful.

I’m seen as a little risky to the industry, I think. All my favorite directors are.

A small lens gives you a very specific look. You don’t have a shallow depth of field.

Kids are kids. They still need handholding. No matter how trained they are, they need to be told what to do. They need to learn lines and understand blocking. You can’t just say, ‘I want you to walk from here to there and deliver your line.’