Quotes from Taylor Steele

Me and my family, we sort of had this plan to... once we had kids, we had a plan that about every six years we'd move to a new country. So, when we had kids, we moved to Bali for six years, then we went to Australia for six years.

The beauty of my job is I do all different kinds of film directing, not just surf films anymore. And I do stuff from commercials to short films to working on feature films, and none of it is based from where I live. It's all based elsewhere, so I can live anywhere and commute to where I need to go.

For me, I like to have mystery in the surf films.

I feel like surf films are something I go back to for some balance - to reset myself as a filmmaker. They're something I'll always gravitate towards.

Making surf films for a living isn't my business anymore, so it's really more of a way to get creative and have a lot of fun with it.

I made surf movies for 20 years, exclusively. And it's incredible, and I feel blessed to be able to do that and have that long of a run.

'Proximity' features four legends and four rising stars who each bring their own athleticism, thoughts, and experiences in this behind-the-scenes look at modern surfing.

When I started to do work outside of surfing, commercials where I needed to lead, I came out of my shell more, and I realised I wanted to create an environment that's fun because, a lot of time on shoots, people are so stressed and running behind the clock in an intense way.

I started surfing at 10.

I think there just needs to be an emotional attachment to the surfer, however you get that, so that, when you watch the surfing, you can relate to that person, or you're rooting for them, in a way.

I started filmmaking when I started surfing, so the two things have been with me since I was 12 years old, so it's sort of been in my bones to make surf movies. I guess every now and then I just crave to do it again.

Our project goal was to push the boundaries of VR technology to show what a surf trip feels like from the first-person perspective. I'm excited to share this. It's pretty incredible knowing my mom can now experience riding a 20-foot wave.

Things always evolve and change on location, especially due to the nature of travel and the waves. A lot of unexpected things happen. Often we get lucky, but we also find ourselves scrambling a lot, especially when we are looking for waves in the remote spots of those locations.

I loved the fact that Mitch Coleborn wasn't on my radar for 'Stranger than Fiction' until he sent 10 waves of himself to us. Then he went from unknown to having a great section in the movie.

I feel like there is plenty of room for fresh ideas, always.

The more I learn and grow, the more I feel fulfilled, and even if I'm shooting a commercial for a car or a computer, I try to deliver a filmmaker's point of view where I can learn from the experience. Then I really enjoy it.

Rwanda was the best place. The people are so nice and positive about their future.

Running with the bulls was the scariest and craziest thing I have ever done.

The nice thing about working in surf films so long is becoming part of the surf tribe. Anywhere I go where there are surfers, I get welcomed pretty easily.

Cultural differences can be delicate situations we have to work within the respectful boundaries of.

You've got the movie, distribution, and marketing. All are equally important, so educate yourself on how to do the best you can at each of them.

A lot of new stuff just isn't having the same impact as it used to when people would wait for a specific DVD or video to come out and then watch it over and over and over. Now, it's a two-minute clip online and forgotten the next day.

When I started, I was 18 and really into punk rock and just wanted the action. Over the years, I've gravitated towards the travel and experience around surfing and trying to relay that feeling. Going forward, I'm interested in story-driven and personality-driven themes.

My parents are really supportive of my interests and try to help make them happen with the tools I need. More importantly, they instilled in me that anything is possible if you work hard to make it happen.