Robert Rodriguez

Yeah, if it was any other bozo, I'd be afraid. But he designed the escape vehicle. That kind of confidence, that's him. He just knows if some other bozo had designed the escape vehicle, I would be afraid. But total confidence because he did it.

Just to get you excited about how creative this stuff is. So Desperado was the only movie on the Sony lot being edited digitally. Not only was I editing on a computer, I was editing in my house, which in 1994 was just unheard of. So I'm there in my house, and they made me cut in LA, because at first I told the studio, I want to edit Desperado myself, because it's important that I edit it.

Just to get you excited about how creative this stuff is. So Desperado was the only movie on the Sony lot being edited digitally. Not only was I editing on a computer, I was editing in my house, which in 1994 was just unheard of. So I'm there in my house, and they made me cut in LA, because at first I told the studio, I want to edit Desperado myself, because it's important that I edit it.

Just to get you excited about how creative this stuff is. So Desperado was the only movie on the Sony lot being edited digitally. Not only was I editing on a computer, I was editing in my house, which in 1994 was just unheard of. So I'm there in my house, and they made me cut in LA, because at first I told the studio, I want to edit Desperado myself, because it's important that I edit it.

And they go, no, you can't. Why not? We've never had a director edit his own movie here. So we don't want to set a precedent. Because they thought it would give you too much power. This is the power of precedent, they said. well, you bought mariachi and I edited that. So I said, okay, but you're going to have to edit in LA so we can watch you because we don't think you know what you're doing.

And they go, no, you can't. Why not? We've never had a director edit his own movie here. So we don't want to set a precedent. Because they thought it would give you too much power. This is the power of precedent, they said. well, you bought mariachi and I edited that. So I said, okay, but you're going to have to edit in LA so we can watch you because we don't think you know what you're doing.

And they go, no, you can't. Why not? We've never had a director edit his own movie here. So we don't want to set a precedent. Because they thought it would give you too much power. This is the power of precedent, they said. well, you bought mariachi and I edited that. So I said, okay, but you're going to have to edit in LA so we can watch you because we don't think you know what you're doing.

We saw the footage and the shots are really short. It's too short. I was like, shots are too short. Oh, because I was shooting my cuts. You know, like they're used to seeing footage of Antonio walks into the bar and it's going to be a dialogue scene. They expect the whole thing done from a wide shot. I would shoot the wide shot. He walks in, cut, move the camera. Let's get over here.

We saw the footage and the shots are really short. It's too short. I was like, shots are too short. Oh, because I was shooting my cuts. You know, like they're used to seeing footage of Antonio walks into the bar and it's going to be a dialogue scene. They expect the whole thing done from a wide shot. I would shoot the wide shot. He walks in, cut, move the camera. Let's get over here.

We saw the footage and the shots are really short. It's too short. I was like, shots are too short. Oh, because I was shooting my cuts. You know, like they're used to seeing footage of Antonio walks into the bar and it's going to be a dialogue scene. They expect the whole thing done from a wide shot. I would shoot the wide shot. He walks in, cut, move the camera. Let's get over here.

Cause we went into, cause I'm not going to use it for the rest of the scene. I know we're going to get into coverage cause I've already cut it. So I was like, huh, that's interesting. So I cut the first scene. If you've ever seen Desperado, the first scene is the best scene. Steve was telling me, he's telling a story. He's talking about the myth of the mariachi. He's doing it. It's crazy.

Cause we went into, cause I'm not going to use it for the rest of the scene. I know we're going to get into coverage cause I've already cut it. So I was like, huh, that's interesting. So I cut the first scene. If you've ever seen Desperado, the first scene is the best scene. Steve was telling me, he's telling a story. He's talking about the myth of the mariachi. He's doing it. It's crazy.

Cause we went into, cause I'm not going to use it for the rest of the scene. I know we're going to get into coverage cause I've already cut it. So I was like, huh, that's interesting. So I cut the first scene. If you've ever seen Desperado, the first scene is the best scene. Steve was telling me, he's telling a story. He's talking about the myth of the mariachi. He's doing it. It's crazy.

It's crazy. So then they come over. I say, hey, you come see my first scene. So they come over to my house. They watch it. Okay, you know what you're doing. But I was cutting Desperado in my house that I rented there. And then we shot Dust Till Dawn at the same time. So I was cutting Desperado, Four Rooms, and Dust Till Dawn myself. I'm the editor.

It's crazy. So then they come over. I say, hey, you come see my first scene. So they come over to my house. They watch it. Okay, you know what you're doing. But I was cutting Desperado in my house that I rented there. And then we shot Dust Till Dawn at the same time. So I was cutting Desperado, Four Rooms, and Dust Till Dawn myself. I'm the editor.

It's crazy. So then they come over. I say, hey, you come see my first scene. So they come over to my house. They watch it. Okay, you know what you're doing. But I was cutting Desperado in my house that I rented there. And then we shot Dust Till Dawn at the same time. So I was cutting Desperado, Four Rooms, and Dust Till Dawn myself. I'm the editor.

I don't have an editing team other than the ones who imported into the machine. So Del Toro came over. Soderbergh came over. Can I borrow it for Schizophilus? No one had heard of somebody having an Avid in their living room. Jim comes over and he goes, I hear you have an Avid in your living room. And I go, yeah, come check it out. I'm just like, I roll out of bed.

I don't have an editing team other than the ones who imported into the machine. So Del Toro came over. Soderbergh came over. Can I borrow it for Schizophilus? No one had heard of somebody having an Avid in their living room. Jim comes over and he goes, I hear you have an Avid in your living room. And I go, yeah, come check it out. I'm just like, I roll out of bed.

I don't have an editing team other than the ones who imported into the machine. So Del Toro came over. Soderbergh came over. Can I borrow it for Schizophilus? No one had heard of somebody having an Avid in their living room. Jim comes over and he goes, I hear you have an Avid in your living room. And I go, yeah, come check it out. I'm just like, I roll out of bed.

It's like, sounds unremarkable because that's what you do right now. But back in 94, it was unheard of. I'm cutting three movies at the same time myself. I roll out of bed. I come here. I can cut Desperado. I can cut Dust to Love. And he went, that's it. I hate working with editors.