I like to really know what every scene is about, what the text is, what the subtext is. Then I figure out how to express that when I'm shooting.
My background is in modern dance. I was a dancer and a choreographer before I was a director, and in dance, you can't cheat. Your leg goes up in the air, or it doesn't. So when I direct, I'm a big preparer.
Film schools are now nearly 50-50 male-female, and women are also well represented at festivals and in indie film. But what happens to them after they direct their first film or short? Where do they go? They certainly aren't being given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
One of my first episodic jobs was on 'Twin Peaks,' if you can imagine that - one of the most unusual series ever.
