All I can do is focus on staying true to the style of music I write and sing because that is the only way it's going to come off as honest.
With 'Apollo 13,' I wasn't sure the genre would work, because space films hadn't done that well.
I'm very fascinated by genre.
I started out being quite an eclectic composer, not quite sure where to fit in. I tried my hand a bit at everything, except perhaps music with lyrics.
People told me that Miley's '23' wasn't hip-hop. Let me tell you, she went in and owned that track.
A novel is both a story and a piece of writing. A movie is a story and a piece of filmmaking.
To me, the AMC brand is great storytelling - they call it slow-burn storytelling.
Disco is just jitterbug.
As a writer, I think about films I work on in a traditional Hollywood kind of a way. I'm curious to see how it translates.
Oh, hip hop is always changing.
The music I grew up listening to had a message.
I think drama and comedy are pretty much all the same, and the issue is whether or not you have a sense of humor.
There are times pop music is the end result when I'm in the studio, but I don't really go in and say, 'Today I am going to make a pop song,' but it can happen.
The thing I am attracted to is just good writing and stories that are based somewhat in reality.
The first and foremost criterion for me when selecting a film is the character I am playing, and then the director.
The aim is to move from doing just action dramas to establishing myself as someone who can do family dramas as well.
There was no match for Barry White. His music is just going to live forever. It's not limited to disco or soul or hip-hop or anything.
Music is beautiful. Yes, music is great. My music's great.
I don't get a chance to be funny with the thrillers. I like to be funny, and I think I am really funny. So with 'Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life', it was fun to let loose.
Reggaeton is amazing.
I think it's all about the music you listen to along the way. For me, my parents always played Motown music and The Beatles, so I was drawn to the soul.
Ultimately, a director is a storyteller. I wanted to fortify that part of my life as a director, so I thought the best way to do that is to study and learn about the greatest stories ever written.
Storytelling is storytelling. Good stories need compelling characters and interesting conflicts. That's the bottom line no matter what medium you're writing for.
As an actor, I am meant to dabble with different themes and genres.
We're a rock band. We're proud of it. We're not an art band, a noise band, or an extreme band.
