I've never been a textbook director. I like to take things off the page. If you have the right actors and preparation, it doesn't matter if it's a drama or a comedy, I like to let them loose. I don't think I've changed that much over the years. My approach is definitely not for all actors. I stand beside camera and talk during takes and throw out alt lines, etc. With experience, I do find that I've learn new psychology and communication and how to make the improv process more technically and creatively efficient, but I think that's pretty intuitive.

The best advice I have is don't let anyone talk you into anything. Follow your gut. Don't pass around your screenplays and ask strangers for notes. Create your own opportunities. Keep the cost of your lifestyle and responsibility low so you can pack up and leave it all behind when you see the crack in the door. Hang onto your friends and make movies with them. Don't wait for the phone to ring.

Festivals are a valuable way to get exposure for you films and learn from an audience. Each film plays differently with each crowd (or lack of crowd) and I love to expose myself to those experiences. They can be brutal, and they can also be incredible rewarding after the hard work you've done getting the damn thing made. The most beneficial thing about festivals is meeting other filmmakers and festival staff members from around the world and watching films you'd never see in any other circumstance. You expand your mindset, make friends, make connections and learn a lot culturally.

Of course, it was deliberate. This is not an industry that was banging down my door to hand me an opportunity. I was a guy making small films that very few people were showing up for.
I personally love all types of movies and after "Snow Angels" I was feeling the itch to explore something outside of dramatic low budget films. I had done four films and made my stamp, but I wanted to challenge myself and explore other genres.
Comedy is dangerous and extremely subjective. You have to be able to make yourself even more vulnerable to an audience reaction because you're asking them to be alive and vocal about how they feel.
On top of the personal thrill of that, I've had a lot of fun playing with the toys of big budget moviemaking. The logistics are exhausting, but I've had a blast and an education. I've been able to bring my friends aboard to take these adventures with me and we have learned a lot and am really proud of what we've gotten away with. I honestly can't believe the creative independence I've had at the studio level.
Filmmaking is a passport to the world. Why tie yourself down with an industry or an audience's expectations? Grab your friends and do whatever you dare each other to do every day of your life I say.