Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmakerwith $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

Just such a great book

Robert Rodriguez has set out to tell the tale of how he parlayed a $7,000 16mm movie into a Hollywood career. Summarised like that he sounds like a scheming know-it-all whom you would gladly kick in the teeth, but in reality he was just a guy obsessed with making movies, who found a way to leverage his meagre resources just enough to make a cheap Spanish film he hoped to sell on the video market. He tells the tale with engaging honesty, freely admitting his mistakes (just as he does on the commentary to El Mariachi, the film itself). It's incredibly inspirational. But if you are buying the book because you want to follow his path, just remember two things: One, the fact that he made the film at all is testament to his determination and his ability to deal with people, getting his friends and the amateur actors to do what he wanted, which is pretty much the kind of attributes directors really need: unless you also have those qualities, it's not going to work. Two, while he might have gotten a lucky break when his movie was seen by a major Hollywood agent, it was again his energy and his interpersonal abilities that got him the contact in the first place, and if you see El Mariachi you will see that, despite having virtually no budget, it is a very good film. Mr Rodriguez has talent. Without that shining through your film, it doesn't matter if you get Steven Spielberg to watch it, you won't get in.

Inspired, honest and unassuming, a testament of great talent. This book also happens to be a great handbook on how to run your own business and fuel your passion.

To quote San Antonio Express News, this book was wild, zany, funny, outrageous, and fascinating. A must-have for indie filmmakers: a diary, an autobiography, and an instruction manual rolled into one.

The book itself was not in new condition but absolutely good enough and fine for being able to read. The content is fantastic. I love Robert Rodrigez and what he has achieved and created throughout his career and to be able to read about his process and where he started is amazing.

Truly unbelievable story about a regular guy doing what it takes and making it happen. Simply must read for every aspiring or even established filmmaker. You'll think you can fly after reading this one :) Inspiring as f***!

This book gave me the confidence to pursue film making. A must read, no bull guide to making films. It's not as complicated as you may think. And I love the 10min Film School section in the back.

Brilliant book, very inspiring. only bad is the technology described in this book is dated but no problem Must read for all budding filmmakers, good read for fans of film also.

LEITURA OBRIGATÓRIA

questo libro è il diario di viaggio della creazione di El mariaci, il primo lungometraggio in pellicola 16mm girato da Robert Rodriguez. La vera storia scritta da Rodriguez stesso, di come con 7000 $ girò il suo film, poi lo montò in vhs e lo fece girare, solo dopo la Sony ne acquisi i diritti, e lo rieditò in 35mm con tutte le lavorazioni del caso. Tutta l'energia, la passione, le sofferenze sopportate per ottenere un risultato negli anni 90 impossibile. Il padre di ogni videomaker e filmaker moderno svela trucchi e spiega perchè il suo modo di girare a Hollywood funziona poco, e invece funziona a livello globale. Suggerito a tutti coloro che vogliono intraprendere la carriera cinematografica, e sono stufi di sentirsi dire come fare film con i milioni di dollari.

Rodriguez, much like many independent filmmakers, entered the cinema world with a movie that cost not even a skirmish of a typical Hollywood blockbuster. To make the movie, Rodriguez used his own money (a piddling $7,000) by participating in a experimental clinical drug testing and even veto some of the seemingly inexpensive movie tools (slate) to keep the costs down. The result was "El Mariachi", the movie that launched his career and showed that with a little creativity, anyone could make it in the business. No matter what your opinion on the movie is (which is very good, in my opinion), you cannot deny that "Rebel Without a Crew" is a fantastic read. Rodriguez depicts the making of the film and then its subsequent celebration at film festivals in chronological order, breaking them down into dates like a diary. In the process, he shows what he did to keep the costs down and used a variety of techniques to make a movie look like a million bucks, such as using a ladder instead of crane for crane shots, a wheelchair for a dolly a la Godard or using a sound effects track on a VHS camera. It's also important to note that Rodriguez shot this whole film with only one camera and not a single crew member on the set. He was also 23 years old, two years younger than Orson Welles was when he made "Citizen Kane". This is a rags-to-riches story straight out of "Cinderella" and yet it's true. The book is so gripping that it would make an excellent movie. That's how good it is. This book is extremely entertaining, but it's also very informative and refreshingly without prejudice towards Hollywood. When reading this book, you get a complete understanding of what it takes to get not only your movie made but also sold, distributed and promoted. Rodriguez gets to meet or contact with many of premier directors at that time, most notably Jonathan Demme, Richard Linklater and, of course, his future war buddy Quentin Tarantino. As the movie becomes more successful, Rodriguez achieves critical recognition, winning numerous awards and successfully entering the mainstream with films like "Desperado" and, after the book's release, "The Faculty" and "From Dusk Til' Dawn". In the end, Rodriguez had done the near impossible: he became an independent filmmaker that succeeded in Hollywood without losing his roots. The icing in the cake, however, is the astonishing "Ten-Minute Film School", one of the book's final appendixes that details how you could make a movie without the need of a million dollars or even ten THOUSAND dollars. Rodriguez argues that using your smarts to overcome financial barriers, rather than being expensive, can turn a bad little movie into a great little movie. In the end, he offers encouragement for aspiring directors to keep their passions strong and following them will lead you to enormous fulfillment. Amen to that, hombre. "Rebel Without a Crew" is one of the best books about making movies ever conceived, a tonic to the costly film schools and programs that promise you many and deliver little. At the same time, it's also a great underdog story of how a certain nobody used his brains and wit to achieve the impossible and become a success story - all for a mere seven grand. Engrossing, insightful and endlessly engaging, "Rebel Without a Crew" belongs in every movie lover's collection. Don't even think of making movies without buying this book first. Strongest recommendation to buy.

Robert Rodriguez a toujours adoré le cinéma et il a commencé très tôt à en faire. Ses premiers court-métrages ont été récompensés dans toutes sortes de festivals. On peut d'ailleurs les voir encore aujourd'hui sur Youtube... et constater que son talent était bien là dès le départ. Pour financer son premier long métrage, le désormais légendaire "Desperado", le jeune cinéaste sans le sou n'a pas hésité en 1992 à passer un mois dans une clinique où l'on testait des médicaments sur des êtres humains. Avec les 7000 dollars ainsi récoltés et une mauvaise caméra vidéo, il a ensuite réalisé un film dont les acteurs étaient choisis au jour-le-jour, dans des décors on ne peut plus "naturels" et avec des effets spéciaux bricolés à la va-comme-je-te-pousse. Au final, les pontes d'Hollywood ont été tellement impressionnés par le résultat qu'ils lui on proposé de distribuer son oeuvre et de devenir un vrai metteur en scène professionnel. C'est ce parcours en forme de conte de fées que Rodriguez nous raconte dans ce journal bourré d'idées intéressantes, d'anecdotes amusantes, de conseils précieux et - surtout - de passion. Vous aussi vous avez envie de devenir riche et célèbre dans l'industrie du cinéma? Le beau Robert vous explique comment - lui - il l'a fait. Comment il éclairait ses plateaux, comment il réalisait ses travellings, comment il préparait son montage et comment il s'arrangeait pour toujours tirer le maximum de son microscopique budget. Ce bouquin ne vous donnera aucune recette infaillible, mais il vous apprendra au moins une chose primordiale: pour se différencier des autres, il ne faut jamais compter que sur soi-même. A méditer.

Libro interesante, aunque ya lo conocía y parece un poco incompleto. Pero es ameno a la hora de leerlo y no es tedioso.