What was your experience like being both an actor and director for this film?
I really enjoyed it; I know some people find it stressful to switch back and forth between the roles, but it doesn't bother me. Everybody works differently--I used to think that it would be a compromise to do both, but I don't see it that way for myself anymore. As an actor, I like working with myself as a director because I can give myself a carte blanche. One of the challenges I have as an actor is letting go of inhibitions; for me, if there's no one judging my performance, it helps free me to take more risks. That way I can assess my performance in the editing process and assemble a scene accordingly, rather than hold myself back on set because I'm trying to meet someone's expectations. Of course, my acting process reflects my lack of experience, and I think I will only get better at it with time.
As a director, I obviously lose an objective perspective when I'm acting in a scene. But on the other hand, I gain the subjective perspective of the actor; I can feel if a scene is right in a more intimate way. There were times when I trusted my instincts as an actor even when they weren't what I had envisioned as a director. These are some of my favorite scenes--the ones that deviated from the direction and were fleshed out to be more complex. It's hard to say that if I had been directing another actor if I would have been smart enough to allow them to deviate from what I had envisioned, or if they would have even allowed themselves to deviate in the first place; of course, directing is also something that you only get better at with experience.