Robert Rodriguez

That wasn't taught in film schools. That was completely... Again, they don't teach you... They teach you how to do one job so that you can go pull cables on someone else's movie. My thing was, like, be the owner, be the creator, be everything. And you cut the line, and suddenly you're at the film festival. And no one had really done that before you. Nobody had done that before.

That wasn't taught in film schools. That was completely... Again, they don't teach you... They teach you how to do one job so that you can go pull cables on someone else's movie. My thing was, like, be the owner, be the creator, be everything. And you cut the line, and suddenly you're at the film festival. And no one had really done that before you. Nobody had done that before.

It was the first time. That's why, even when I was doing it, I was like... kind of have the idea this can do it because I did that short film and I'm doing the math, but somebody must have done this already.

It was the first time. That's why, even when I was doing it, I was like... kind of have the idea this can do it because I did that short film and I'm doing the math, but somebody must have done this already.

It was the first time. That's why, even when I was doing it, I was like... kind of have the idea this can do it because I did that short film and I'm doing the math, but somebody must have done this already.

Even when the studio, in the book it shows, even when the studios were flying me up because they saw Mariachi and wanted to do a deal with me, I went, I've never heard of anyone getting the business like this. This must happen all the time where they find some filmmaker, student, they wine and dine them, and then you never hear from them again because I've never heard a story like this.

Even when the studio, in the book it shows, even when the studios were flying me up because they saw Mariachi and wanted to do a deal with me, I went, I've never heard of anyone getting the business like this. This must happen all the time where they find some filmmaker, student, they wine and dine them, and then you never hear from them again because I've never heard a story like this.

Even when the studio, in the book it shows, even when the studios were flying me up because they saw Mariachi and wanted to do a deal with me, I went, I've never heard of anyone getting the business like this. This must happen all the time where they find some filmmaker, student, they wine and dine them, and then you never hear from them again because I've never heard a story like this.

And I was the first one. That's why. That's wild. It was really crazy. And I didn't even want them to release it. I didn't want them to release it because it was my practice film. I just threw it away. They said... Wasn't everything one take? One take because I was shooting on film. And if I shot two takes of everything, I'd double my budget because most of the money went to the film.

And I was the first one. That's why. That's wild. It was really crazy. And I didn't even want them to release it. I didn't want them to release it because it was my practice film. I just threw it away. They said... Wasn't everything one take? One take because I was shooting on film. And if I shot two takes of everything, I'd double my budget because most of the money went to the film.

And I was the first one. That's why. That's wild. It was really crazy. And I didn't even want them to release it. I didn't want them to release it because it was my practice film. I just threw it away. They said... Wasn't everything one take? One take because I was shooting on film. And if I shot two takes of everything, I'd double my budget because most of the money went to the film.

I wrote the script around everything I already had so I wouldn't have to buy anything. So it's like, well, what do we have? We took stock in what we have. And this is a lesson for life. If you think you can't do anything, well, look around you. You've got a lot of resources. It's about being resourceful. We have a turtle we found. We have a dog. We've got a ranch.

I wrote the script around everything I already had so I wouldn't have to buy anything. So it's like, well, what do we have? We took stock in what we have. And this is a lesson for life. If you think you can't do anything, well, look around you. You've got a lot of resources. It's about being resourceful. We have a turtle we found. We have a dog. We've got a ranch.

I wrote the script around everything I already had so I wouldn't have to buy anything. So it's like, well, what do we have? We took stock in what we have. And this is a lesson for life. If you think you can't do anything, well, look around you. You've got a lot of resources. It's about being resourceful. We have a turtle we found. We have a dog. We've got a ranch.

Your brother-in-law has a school line, I mean, a bus line. We'll borrow one of the buses. When you see what we do with a bus, he crashes into it. He has a bar. Let's ride everything around that. So we just have that. And if I shoot two takes, we double their budget. How about let's shoot one take of everything. I know not everything's going to come out because I'm doing everything myself.

Your brother-in-law has a school line, I mean, a bus line. We'll borrow one of the buses. When you see what we do with a bus, he crashes into it. He has a bar. Let's ride everything around that. So we just have that. And if I shoot two takes, we double their budget. How about let's shoot one take of everything. I know not everything's going to come out because I'm doing everything myself.

Your brother-in-law has a school line, I mean, a bus line. We'll borrow one of the buses. When you see what we do with a bus, he crashes into it. He has a bar. Let's ride everything around that. So we just have that. And if I shoot two takes, we double their budget. How about let's shoot one take of everything. I know not everything's going to come out because I'm doing everything myself.

I'm pulling focus. I might meter it wrong. Who knows? But I don't want to shoot a safety take or it's going to double the budget. We'll go home after I finish shooting the whole movie. I'll see what stuff didn't come out and I'll go just reshoot that. Of course, you get home and you're like, I'm not going to fucking go back to Mexico and reshoot anything.

I'm pulling focus. I might meter it wrong. Who knows? But I don't want to shoot a safety take or it's going to double the budget. We'll go home after I finish shooting the whole movie. I'll see what stuff didn't come out and I'll go just reshoot that. Of course, you get home and you're like, I'm not going to fucking go back to Mexico and reshoot anything.

I'm pulling focus. I might meter it wrong. Who knows? But I don't want to shoot a safety take or it's going to double the budget. We'll go home after I finish shooting the whole movie. I'll see what stuff didn't come out and I'll go just reshoot that. Of course, you get home and you're like, I'm not going to fucking go back to Mexico and reshoot anything.