Robert Rodriguez

Holy shit. And you can feel it. It's like, if I wait for these guys, this moment will be gone. And then another one was Mickey Rourke. He had so much freaking dialogue. He had just done this whole big dialogue scene. He had another one that said, let's go ahead and start with a wide shot.

where the two actors, if I'm the camera, you know, Mickey and Elijah are here, let's get a two-shot, and we'll come around on Mickey close-up. We'll turn Mickey around for the close-up. Let's start with the wise thing, get used to the lines, and most of it's going to be sold in the close-up. We sit down, Mickey starts delivering the take. I'm like, hold on, hold on a second.

where the two actors, if I'm the camera, you know, Mickey and Elijah are here, let's get a two-shot, and we'll come around on Mickey close-up. We'll turn Mickey around for the close-up. Let's start with the wise thing, get used to the lines, and most of it's going to be sold in the close-up. We sit down, Mickey starts delivering the take. I'm like, hold on, hold on a second.

where the two actors, if I'm the camera, you know, Mickey and Elijah are here, let's get a two-shot, and we'll come around on Mickey close-up. We'll turn Mickey around for the close-up. Let's start with the wise thing, get used to the lines, and most of it's going to be sold in the close-up. We sit down, Mickey starts delivering the take. I'm like, hold on, hold on a second.

I brought my camera over, zoom in, just adjust that light real quick because I'm the DP. Because if I had another director of photography, they'd be like, oh no, no, we have to relight and all this stuff. It's like, no, no, let's just do this. Let's go. He's doing it right now. And I go and that performance is just right then.

I brought my camera over, zoom in, just adjust that light real quick because I'm the DP. Because if I had another director of photography, they'd be like, oh no, no, we have to relight and all this stuff. It's like, no, no, let's just do this. Let's go. He's doing it right now. And I go and that performance is just right then.

I brought my camera over, zoom in, just adjust that light real quick because I'm the DP. Because if I had another director of photography, they'd be like, oh no, no, we have to relight and all this stuff. It's like, no, no, let's just do this. Let's go. He's doing it right now. And I go and that performance is just right then.

And so you can feel that when you're, also you're operating and you're the camera guy and you're the DP. It's like high-tech guerrilla filmmaking. Yeah, we're on a green screen, but it's like, All the crew needs are marching orders. Just put a light back there, hitting them harder. Like this is a 5K, make that a 10K. It's gotta be stronger.

And so you can feel that when you're, also you're operating and you're the camera guy and you're the DP. It's like high-tech guerrilla filmmaking. Yeah, we're on a green screen, but it's like, All the crew needs are marching orders. Just put a light back there, hitting them harder. Like this is a 5K, make that a 10K. It's gotta be stronger.

And so you can feel that when you're, also you're operating and you're the camera guy and you're the DP. It's like high-tech guerrilla filmmaking. Yeah, we're on a green screen, but it's like, All the crew needs are marching orders. Just put a light back there, hitting them harder. Like this is a 5K, make that a 10K. It's gotta be stronger.

They don't need to know that I'm gonna make that a lamppost later. They just need marching orders for the moment. So I can just kind of tell people, do this, do this, do that. And then I know what I can accomplish with the actor and then everything else falls into place later because I'm gonna put all that in later.

They don't need to know that I'm gonna make that a lamppost later. They just need marching orders for the moment. So I can just kind of tell people, do this, do this, do that. And then I know what I can accomplish with the actor and then everything else falls into place later because I'm gonna put all that in later.

They don't need to know that I'm gonna make that a lamppost later. They just need marching orders for the moment. So I can just kind of tell people, do this, do this, do that. And then I know what I can accomplish with the actor and then everything else falls into place later because I'm gonna put all that in later.

Once you know how to do a lot of jobs like that, you can just move at the speed of thought, which is where the actors love being creatively. Because nobody knew what green screen was back then. They're like, what is this again? So I explained it as, well, it's kind of like doing theater, but instead of a black curtain behind you with a prop, it'll be a green curtain.

Once you know how to do a lot of jobs like that, you can just move at the speed of thought, which is where the actors love being creatively. Because nobody knew what green screen was back then. They're like, what is this again? So I explained it as, well, it's kind of like doing theater, but instead of a black curtain behind you with a prop, it'll be a green curtain.

Once you know how to do a lot of jobs like that, you can just move at the speed of thought, which is where the actors love being creatively. Because nobody knew what green screen was back then. They're like, what is this again? So I explained it as, well, it's kind of like doing theater, but instead of a black curtain behind you with a prop, it'll be a green curtain.

And you might just have a cup or just a steering wheel, but it's just you and the other actors, just like this. And everything else will be painted in later. We're just talking. We're locked in. If we stay locked in, we'll look great when there's rain coming down and we're on a ship later. But it comes down to this, right? And the more... It was so fun to do those kind of movies.

And you might just have a cup or just a steering wheel, but it's just you and the other actors, just like this. And everything else will be painted in later. We're just talking. We're locked in. If we stay locked in, we'll look great when there's rain coming down and we're on a ship later. But it comes down to this, right? And the more... It was so fun to do those kind of movies.

And you might just have a cup or just a steering wheel, but it's just you and the other actors, just like this. And everything else will be painted in later. We're just talking. We're locked in. If we stay locked in, we'll look great when there's rain coming down and we're on a ship later. But it comes down to this, right? And the more... It was so fun to do those kind of movies.

To this day, you try to be close to the action, connected with the actor that's performing. Because it's like a dance. You end up... That's so good to hear. Remember on Dust Till Dawn, Michael Parks in the opening scene, he's talking about