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Nick Cannon's Directing Method? 'Just Let 'Em Do Their Thing'

TV host/actor/rapper talks about getting behind the lens for 'School Dance.'

Nick Cannon has worn many hats during his lengthy career, from rapper to actor to television host. And with "School Dance," in theaters on Wednesday (July 2), he added another to his resume: director.

Cannon wrote, produced and directed the film, and though he doesn't appear in it himself, some true comedy heavyweights like Kevin Hart, Mike Epps, George Lopez and Katt Williams all do.

So how did Nick handle the new responsibilities?

"I feel like I'm one of those directors that -- especially with comedy -- [I say], Man, just have fun," he told MTV News. "Here's the blueprint, the script, and if you can make it better, make it better. And everybody did that. I mean, how do you tell Mike Epps how to be funny? How do you tell Kevin Hart how to be funny? How do you tell Katt Williams how to deliver a punchline? You don't. You just let 'em do their thing, and you capture it."

Also cast in the film is Amber Rose, who plays MaryWanna, a senior at the high school that the protagonist attends. She sang Nick's praises as a director.

"Nick is amazing," she told MTV News. "He's patient. He's smart. He's sweet. He's a genuinely nice guy. And you don't really find that with celebrities. A lot of them are, like, you know, a-holes. But he's not."

Despite the big names in the film, and this being his directorial debut, Cannon sounded at ease.

"The most fun was getting people like Kevin Hart and George Lopez and Amber Rose and people that they hadn't seen in this environment before," he said. "And some that they hadn't seen in a while. And some that they were like, 'Oh, this is my favorite actor, and they were all there, all together.' "

"School Dance" is out in theaters, VOD, iTunes, and Digital HD today.

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