What was it like working with M. Night Shyamalan?
For me, it was a master-and-commander relationship—it was the nerd and the madman. I found the process of one storyboard per hour very slow. It was an exercise in patience and understanding that he says works. I think we became good pals in the end, actually. I have incredible respect for M. Night because he has great loyalty to those he works with. He should run for mayor.

How did you like working with stars Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard?
I was naked filming Paul in the pool. He thought it was shocking but I thought it was refreshing. But he’s a very gracious man. Bryce is a product of the system: a Hollywood family and all the positive qualities that come with that such as resilience and craft. In a couple of years we’re really going to see her blossom.

What was the most difficult aspect of this shoot?
Shooting in Pennsylvania was the hardest part. It reminded me of my middle-class upbringing and all that I ran away from. M. Night is incredible; 60 percent of the film takes place in the rain and at night. I thought, “How can I make this more Chris?” So we created La Luna—a huge light source that’s like the moon. We could shoot day and night and it would look the same. Since it’s a fairytale, time is inconsequential so the look is ambiguous. More importantly, it let us get to the bars before 2am closing time. That was the real function of La Luna.

What’s your verdict on the film?
I’m proud of it. There’s an intimacy about it and it’s quite different from the other films M. Night’s done. It’s dedicated to his children. Maybe it’s not scary enough for kids and it’s perhaps too intellectual for them but I felt very much a part of it.