The Robert Rodriguez 10 Minute Film School - Part 1 of 2

Director of Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City explains how he made the film, El Mariachi on such a low-budget.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[WebCamTheMovie1]

The best lesson to be learned from Rodriguez is: just make a movie. When you're just starting out... often the only person who belives in your ability is yourself.

[EGarrett01]

I don't believe you. Primer, the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and a lot of other movies were shot in the US by independent filmmakers with skeleton crews or no crews at all, with casts from Craigslist, and they got picked up and distributed.

[RockoMyler]

It would be nice if Rodriguez's original version were available somewhere.

[nesta6480]

A: Write the script with the knowledge of constraints. What do you have that's free? Write to that. That's one of RR's main points.

[nesta6480]

Doesn't sound like luck at all... sounds like setting the conditions up for success from the start.

[ultradumbass]

the guy who made el mariachi was able to do it because he lived in a small town where everyone knew each other so it was very easy for him to allow him to shoot scenes for free. not everyone will get that lucky.

also remember this was 7,000 dollars over 20 years ago. today this would translate to close to 15,000 dollars.

if you got good connections or happen to be very fortunate you can make movies cheap, but for an average person, a real blockbuster movie will still cost at least 15,000.

[Lien3383]

I like you Rodriguez...But oh my,...Please, don't talk about FUCKING ZOOM! I hate it, it killed magic of film

[adam hall]

machete 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[3baxcb]

Like you have the balls to do it.

[Lax Kendra]

It would look great then

[Lax Kendra]

Not if I shove my foot up your ass..

[3baxcb]

But it wouldn't look nearly as good as El Mariachi.