Director

I don't like being in front of the camera.

I went to a private all-girls school where I didn't feel I fit in.

Chanel is a brand that is so inspiring.

I'm so drawn to photography because you can convey a complex story in a single frame.

My mentor in college was Stephen Shore. I loved his color palettes and his taking mundane things but finding them fascinating.

My grandpa always tells me that 45-minute lunches are key because an army marches on its stomach.

I'm so proud to be American.

I remember having crushes and longings, but there were all these missed opportunities or things that seemed like such a big deal, but you really don't understand what the other person is going through.

I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I was bad - I'm not very coordinated. But I always wished I could have been a dancer.

Movies are a collaboration, I feel, so I didn't think of myself as an authoritative figure as much.

I've been very surprised by people asking me what my teenage experience was like.

I didn't go to film school. My Grampa always says just watch a lot of movies. He didn't go to film school; he went to theatre school. It's interesting to learn about the technical side of it, but I think it's more important to learn about writing and working with actors.

To a certain extent, I like fashion, but sometimes I just want to be comfortable and don't really care.

I guess I knew my dad was into photography, so a part of me was interested in picking it up to understand him a little better.

When I went to college, my mum was really sad, so she preserved my bedroom, like a weird time capsule.

I enjoy fashion photography and textiles, that whole aspect of it. As more of an art form, I like Proenza Schouler. Those guys are really cool because they seem to have an interesting approach to it all.

Most movies use older actors, but I thought, if I could just put kids on camera and get them to be themselves, what could be easier?

The hardest thing on 'Palo Alto' was letting go because I kept working on it, trying to make it better.

I feel like I can communicate much better using images than words.

As a first-time director, you act a lot like a teenager. I made decisions because I was hotheaded. My skin broke out. I was trying to understand who I am.