Among her post-graduation projects was designing the solar townhouse complex built around a man-made lake on the 20-acre site, complete with waterfalls and swimming pools.

Feeling limited, Hardwicke moved to Los Angeles, where she studied at UCLA film school to explore her creative talents.

[6] During this period in the 1980s, Hardwicke made an award-winning short, Puppy Does the Gumbo and was recognized with a Nissan Focus Award and was featured in the Landmark Best of UCLA film program.

[7] While working with such big-name directors, she was able to study their techniques: "I always told them I really want to make my own movies, and they were all very generous and gave me tips."

[7] Through the 1990s and early 2000s, Hardwicke worked as a production designer on films including Tombstone (1993), Freaked (1993), Tank Girl (1995), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), The Newton Boys (1998), Three Kings (1999), and Antitrust (2001).

I really wanted Nikki to be in it, because her energy was so inspiring to it, and I don't like the movies where the person is eighteen years old playing a thirteen-year-old, so I said, 'We're going to shoot it even if it's with a digital camera and me as the whole crew."'

A young teen loses her innocence in a rapid spiral of events, with disturbing portrayals of drug, sex, theft, and dropping out of school.

Capturing a range in high impact emotions, the film encapsulates the realness and authenticity of teen angst, that which includes mood changes and forming identities.

"Instead of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Hardwicke and Reed create an eye-opening portal into the life of teenagers growing up at an alarmingly young age; the anarchic friendship between Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Evie (Reed) leads to a chaotic chain of events that include drugs, sexual encounters with a guy twice their age, and self-mutilation.

[10] As she lived in Venice Beach and knew most of the Z- Boys well from surfing, Hardwicke drew on personal experience in directing the film.

Based on a true story, Lords of Dogtown follows the young Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams as they revolutionize the world of skateboarding.

After the team begins to reach success like winning major contests, fame follows and soon the Z-boys start to appear in many magazines.

Through this fame, the Z-boys (Stacy, Jay, and Tony) start to get noticed by well-known skateboarding companies in hopes to take the boys away from Skip.

Not only do the Z-boys find their passions with a newly created sport, but also they use this experience to form an identity amidst their teenage years.

"[11] Hardwicke has said that the drama film was not intended to compete with the documentary, but to express the perspective of people as they lived the events, rather than later recounting them.

Lance Mountain, legendary skater, cameraman and long-time friend of Peralta, shot the action while riding along behind the skateboarders.

She was initially reluctant to take on the project as she was concerned about finding a fresh approach to the story, but changed her mind after conducting some research: "...

Hardwicke wanted to cast a young actress as Mary, traditionally held to be about 14 or 15 at the time of Jesus' birth, given the marriage age of girls in that culture.

Twilight is the story of a teenage girl named Bella Swan dealing with her parents' separation, and living with her father after years of having little to do with him.

[15] In Korea specifically, the success of the Twilight film produced many fan sites, art, marketing products, and even themed cafes.

Hardwicke found Robert Pattinson unique, with his own wide range of interests in art, literature and music; she thought him deep enough for the part.

[18] Amid rumors of a rocky relationship with Hardwicke, in 2008 Summit Entertainment announced that she would not direct the Twilight sequel, New Moon.

An adaptation of the classic fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood", Hardwicke reimagined it as a coming of age story, exploring the theme of adolescence growing into adulthood and sexual awakening.

Red Riding Hood is played by actress Amanda Seyfried, with supporting roles from Max Irons and Shiloh Fernandez as her love interests.

[21] Following a young female rock musician and her band Plush, the film starred Emily Browning, Cam Gigandet, Xavier Samuel and Frances Fisher.

[23] Also in 2013, Hardwicke directed and executive produced the pilot for the CBS hour-long legal drama Reckless starring Cam Gigandet, Shawn Hatosy, Kim Wayans and Adam Rodriguez.

The film starred Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette as best friends who hit a snag in their friendship when one of them is diagnosed with cancer as the other becomes pregnant for the first time.

It stars Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Anthony Mackie, Aislinn Derbez, Matt Lauria and Cristina Rodlo.

Her film Lords of Dogtown features the laid-back California lifestyle and focuses on boys growing up in the streets of Venice.

Hardwicke has worked with many tween idols of the 2000s: Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed (Thirteen), Emile Hirsch (Lords of Dogtown), Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner (Twilight), whose breakthrough roles were in her highly successful films.