At a very early age, Wayne Roberts knew he wanted to be involved with filmmaking. Inspired by Tim Burton and Stanley Kubrick, he loved the idea of creating new worlds. But, outside of film, he was inspired by Ernest Hemingway and various other classic authors.

Roberts’ is relatively new to the scene, but his first two films have made a big impact. In ‘Katie Says Goodbye,’ Olivia Cooke, Christopher Abbott, Mireille Enos, and Mary Steenburgen star in a film about a 17-year-old waitress-prostitute who wants a better life.

In his latest film, ‘The Professor,’ Johnny Depp takes the lead opposite Rosemarie DeWitt in a comedy-drama about a college professor who takes a reckless turn in life once he discovers he’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

In this interview, the writer-director talks about doing right by the characters, how a flash can turn into a full feature, the logistics of his creative process, the necessity of a powerful screenplay, why films should focus on emotion, and why it’s vital to avoid the trends of cinema.

If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5