IFH 252: Rebel without a Crew – $7000 Feature Film Robert Rodriguez Style with Alejandro Montoya Marin

Welcome to the indie film hustle podcast episode number 252. If you’re just creative you always have to rely on technical people if you’re creative and Technical you’re unstoppable. Robert Rodriguez broadcasting from the back alley in Hollywood. It’s the indie film hustle podcast where we show you how to survive and thrive as an indie filmmaker in the jungles of the film business.

And here’s your host Alex Ferrari. Welcome to another episode of the indie film also podcast. I am your humble host Alex Ferrari. Today’s episode is brought to you by Black Box black box is a new platform and community. That is all about Financial Freedom for filmmakers like you if you join block box, you will be transformed from being a worker to being a maker of your own content and you’ll be making steady passive income from the global market Black Box currently allows you to upload your stock footage once get it too many Global agencies and then allows you to share that passive income stream.

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And you’ll get 50% off one day of eight or ten percent off your complete post sound package. Just go to Studio unknown. Not today on the show. We have Alejandro. Who is a writer director of the movie Monday and he made the movie for $7,000 which we’ve had many other filmmakers on on the show.

They’ve done low-budget movies for five grand and I’ve done really low budget movies. But what makes 100 specialist he was part of the Rebel Without a crew TV series, which is based on Robert Rodriguez says book of the same name and I went through the entire process of being mentored. By the legendary Robert Rodriguez while he was making his movie as well as having cameras on him 24/7 almost while he made his movie in just 14 days and of a budget of $7,000.

So of course I asked like is it really $7,000 is a TV show so like, you know, do they keep you a little disk give you that he’s like no they were pretty brutal and they just gave him what they said. They were gonna give him and there was no wiggle room at all. Now if you guys have been listening to me over the course of the last three years, you know, what a big influence uh, and what a fan I am of Robert Rodriguez.

So I really had such a ball talk to him about. Doing something. I always wanted to have done being mentored by Robert Rodriguez during the production of your first feature film. It is insane. But Alejandro was very humble really cool guy. We sat down and just talked shop and it was a ball. So please enjoy my conversation with Alejandro Montoya.

I like to welcome to the show Alejandro. How are you, sir? Hey, I’m good, man. Thank you for having me. No man. Thank you for reaching out man. You know, um, I’m glad that you told me you were a fan of the show. So that’s always a good way to start the conversation exactly. Listen a you until I heard those rumors and then I’m like, hey what up, but?

Uh, no. No, but seriously, man, and I I wanted you on the show because of um what you’re gone through with your movie. Uh working with Robert Rodriguez and all this kind of stuff. So we’ll get into all of that. But first first, I always ask this of all my guests. How did you get into this ridiculous crazy business into film?

Well General, I’ve always been a fan of movies. Like I’ve always collected, uh, VHS tapes. I used to do mixtapes kind of like how you do. Like a set with music but I would doing with VHS. I don’t know what I don’t know. What a VHS or cassette sir. I’m sorry with you. I’m messing with you dude. I used to do like an episode of something that a commercial in a music video that a movie so so you were like making mixtapes but with movies.

Yep, that’s awesome. I’ve always been a fan man and then like, um, I even though I was born in this state. I was raised in Mexico and back then it wasn’t very. Prominence to people to study film or like to make a living out of the Arts. That’s crazy talk. Yep. It’s crazy talk. But now look at this.

I know and for Latinos even more crazy talk because it’s so not even a remotely in the culture. I agree. It’s exactly your push the side as the crazy one of the family. I don’t know the counter doctors know you’re the local, you know, like I told my dad and my dad was like, how do you make money with that?

And my only answer at the time was like well I I compete. What was I didn’t know that I can make 50 bucks a day. And that was the big selling point. I don’t need much just 50 bucks a day. That’s your whole me for my life. I’m good. That should work out. It’s like a remember when he gets right numbers like, oh, I got $20,000 10 years ago, and I I still have nine hundred dollars so that will hold me on for two years exactly.

Um, so then how how did you how did the experience of making a lot of short films because I’ve seen and your IMDb you’ve made a ton of short films your music videos commercials. How did all of that prepare you to make your first feature film? That’s a great question. I think every time you do something different which whether it be a commercial or a short film or a music video, you’re kind of prepping and you’re kind of like absorbing all this.

How do I approach this Talent OR how do I approach this shot? How long will it set me help me to set up this kind of wide shot or this pushin. It just kind of perhaps you so when you have multiple experiences, you can reach the new one and you’re like, okay, I gotta do this this and this it’ll be 90 minutes.

It gives you it gives you that um familiar Essence and situation that makes you kind of. He’s through things a little bit easier, excuse my redundance, but it just it helps you. Understand what it will take to accomplish something. That’s more elaborate or similar to what you already do. So as opposed to the first short film you ever did where you had a shot list that was about 150 shots in for an eight-hour day and and three people on your crew.

You become more realistic of what can be accomplished within the time frame exactly you I always like to do storyboards and shoplift just because I want to like. I’ve never done anything past 10 grand so far. I were I feel you brother. I feel you so I kind of don’t want to waste anybody’s time. So I always go to the bare necessities of what we’ll what do we need to sell this scene especially and it helped me for this experience of Rebel Without a crew because I didn’t storyboard my movie right?

Wow, there’s no time. Well, let’s let’s talk about it before we get into Rebel Without a crew. When was the first time you heard about the mythical story of Robert Rodriguez? And how did it affect you as Latino filmmaker? Well, I think I was about 11 years old you making you’re making me feel old, but go ahead.

How old are you? I’m older than you sir. I’m still older than you. Okay, I swear to God if you say you’re 37 or 38 no, no. No, I’m not in my thirties. Let’s just put it that way. Okay. Hey, hey 4030 Amen brother. Amen. So I was um, obviously I’m from Laredo, Texas. I’m from Laredo, Texas, which is two hours away.

From uh from San Antonio and he’s from San Antonio. He’s first generation. I’m first generation. So me loving film and seeing what he did with so little and what he was claiming its it was inspiring man. Like I told him in person and I think it’s on the show, uh, I would wash my dad’s car to get an allowance which was five dollars and paid to watch his movies, which were 495.

Wow, that’s insane. That’s actually that’s a pretty big compliment. It’s inspired me like him. Um, Robert Uh, Kevin Smith that hold that hold 90s grew Tarantino PT Anderson. I mean Linkletter all those guys. Yeah, like all of those guys inspired me to do to do film or or to be like look. I think if you are smart and you’ll give a creative script.

It could happen me right? I mean I think for me man with Robert when I first I was in uh, I was in high school when uh, when I’m Robert without Mariachi came out and I read that book Rebel Without a crew cover to cover in in college in college. I still have a first printing of it. Uh, and it I just it just blew my mind because it was this kind of mythical story.

I always say it’s at this mythical story of. A kid who’s twitch 23-man 23 and he was making Studio movies, you know in a time when there was no like Latinos making movies. Like no not really not in the studio system. I mean they had to beg to have to beg to get Antonio Banderas as the star of Desperado and he murdered it.

Oh God. I love that movie. Well, that’s actually still one of my favorite Robert movies of all time. I’d love love love love this brought up. Um, my favorite is Sin City. Sorry, of course gotcha. Gotcha. I’m getting a lump those movies, but you know, so that’s and for robbing a lot of times you do as a filmmaker you do need some inspiration.

There’s no shortage of stories to inspire you but Robert story was just so magical. We’re seven thousand dollar movie, which was the first time anyone had ever done that got picked up by a studio. And then he went off and and built up his career. And now he’s working with James Cameron on the latest movie.

Um, you know, and their buddies. Uh, I don’t know if you knew this or not. I’m gonna give you a quick Robert, uh, Robert, um trivia. Do you know that the reason why James Cameron actually edited Titanic or co-edited Titanic it was because Robert did it. No fucking way. I don’t know that. Yeah, because he was he was watching Robert edit movie.

He’s like well damn it. I should do that on my next movie and Roberts like you absolutely should and he won the Oscar for Titanic. They’ve been friends. They’ve been friends for they’ve been friends forever from what I understand. Um, all right, so so just the one I just wanted to think I’m really excited for a leader battling.

I like to man. I’m really I’m really curious to see. The combination of James Cameron Robert Rodriguez, what comes out I think that’s gonna be a very interesting, uh, interesting porridge gonna put out there at South by Southwest when they had the elite of party in their backyard or in the lot of trouble makers and it’s like this.

Half a mile radius of a fake City that they made that looks like it is I heard dude. No, I heard that they basically built out a back lot. It’s in the ends there. It’s not going anywhere. So and they had the party there. They had functioning electricity and like sewers and like one wheel motorcycles are like from the Future No, no, no Duke like it made me.

Want to see the movie so much better so much more because they put a lot of effort in making this world like authentic. I mean, obviously there’s going to be CGI for some stuff but I’m telling you dude. I was on the set it was it was pretty magical. So, can you talk a little bit about what Trouble Maker Studios is and what Robert built out there because I’ve never been I would love to go one that I’ve talked a lot of people who have and who’ve worked with Robert, but it’s basically a filmmakers playground if I’m not mistaken.

It’s basically his playground where he develops a bunch of stuff and projects and edits and works on stuff. So it’s very very guarded. They have security. They’re super nice. It’s just it’s like it’s like the an independent filmmakers dreamlike everyone that works there top to bottom or just. Super supportive.

They love film. They’re all movie Geeks. It’s like the ideal job. Wow, that must be same. It’s amazing. Oh, so then tell me about your process your experience. Um submitting to Rebel Without a and what was the Rebel Without a crew series? So Rebel Without a crew is a TV show that people can go watch on gandi right now all the whole seasons on right now.

You can binge it and in the fall, it’ll be alright Network, which is Roberts Channel. That’s why wouldn’t why wouldn’t he have his own network? Yeah, right because because because when he gets bored, he’s just like what else can I do? Okay, I’ll try uh a network or fighting or exactly just yeah just an outlet for him to just mess around.

Well, he cooks he writes he added as he plays music like dude, like and of individual exactly, right? So the show shall show is based around the book that he wrote years ago. Yeah, it’s basically it’s it’s like a TV adaptation of what the book is only this time Robert chose five filmmakers across the country and he gives you uh, seven thousand dollars three days to prep 14 hour days and you shoot your first feature film.

That’s now how did you submit what was this emitting process like. So many process I did like I think I saw I’ve been a fan of the channel for a while like his shoulder just chairs off love that show. I love love that. I love uh-uh From Dusk Till Dawn, even though I haven’t seen the third season, right?

Uh, I just because like, you know, like they have like marathons of like Highlander Terminator 2. Like I watched the channel. Yeah. Yeah, they post. Excuse me. They posted. Uh something about hey, we’re we need filmmakers and without a crew of blah blah. So I did and I it was various stages where excuse Manchester eight North gross, um where you would submit projects short films and then from there it was several stages you submit short films and if you they like that that you submit up to Hitch and then instrument the pitch then the script and as you submit his crib you have like.

Or Skype interviews and a psychological exam and then how would you maximize it was a big process really psychological exam? That’s all. Yeah. That’s awesome. And uh, you know, like what uh, give me some storyboards show me a short film show me beat you up. They beat you up. Yeah. Now what’s your so you get the news you got accepted you lose your mind.

Now, what is the next step? How what was it like and how did it go? Once you got accepted? Well, I got accepted and it was okay. You’re gonna come in Austin and do your movie and even though when I’m in the pendants like I always have Mike my DP a sound guy and they do give you a plus one. So I immediately was like, okay, I’m bringing a DPS.

Looks good. IMovie will look passable by did about myself right? I’m not a direct photography should I know you know, like right and um, you know getting there and the way they were treating us like like, you know, like they you would turn around From the Block and then there’s like ten cameras and I can guarantee I’m telling you this honestly, none of it.

None of it was was planned. None of it was like, oh let’s do this would create. Drama, right like none of that shit. I mean doing a movie for 7K has drama in itself. Oh, yeah in a city. No right even more so you’re right because you didn’t know the layout of the whole place. Yeah. We have done it here in Albuquerque.

No problem. I know I know people with uh, grip trucks. I know my plus-one manages like grip company, but so but they basically just go here Seven Grand to gave you no other resources. Man for the show when you see episode one, huh? I know this show they’re like, by the way, it’s time to pick up locations and you’re like, all right, they put a binder in front of us and then go you got 50 minutes of big locations.

Wow, that was and they but you but those locations were set up that that you could use them for free not for free, but dude what happened the camera equipment in the sound like yeah wouldn’t break. They didn’t give it to you for free half my budget went on camera and sound and grip really what kind of camera did you use we used.

Uh, it was a it was a the C300. Okay, uh-oh. Okay. Yeah pretty decent camera spectable camera. Absolutely. Yeah, you can definitely get some like good depth of field and it crushes the black background really nice. So they’ve really kind of put you through the wringer like you had to really make a movie for 7 Grand.

Yeah, no. Yeah, dude. It was it was how about post did you do all the post yourself that you are able to bring people to help you like a bloated? I brought a colorist and uh, I edit my day job. So, um, it wasn’t as difficult as I know that for other people, but I can have someone that’s a really close friend of mine to give me tips and stuff like that.

But yeah, we did music like the soundtrack came out of those. Um, Seven Grand and I think I saved about $1,700 by the end of the shoe because I knew my sound check was gonna was gonna be pivotal but we were able to get music by likes sleigh bells Harlem. Yeah. Uh, yeah, like my goal was we got to make the soundtrack one of the best independent film soundtracks, right?

And it sounds amazing. I saw the list of uh music guys. You guys are amazing. Yeah, thanks. I know the balance were amazing just to Mother West helped us out. He’s a friend and uh a record label in New York City that uh that you know, we’ve been working together. We’re actually going to New York this Friday, uh to screen the movie at SoHo film festival and we’re gonna go to a magnetic field concert next thing.

So then now for my understanding Robert Rodriguez, did Mentor you a little bit. Yeah, Robert was very Hands-On on man. Like he would come up and give us tips about like look locations do this. Why don’t you do that then you have so we had to one-on-one that were anywhere from like 15 to 20 minutes.

I mean doing a thousand Elite a short film in three commercials right now. Sure sure why not but yeah, right because why not but he did help you and he did mention you a. Yeah, he would give us tips and a lot of the tips that I grabbed from him, uh was about editing. So it was really cool that he went to every set and visited every set and um when he went to my set he stopped for a bit.

He looked at me. I did one tag and then he goes into editing in your head aren’t you? Like yeah. He’s like perfect I do that too. It’ll help. Like he starts giving you tips of like you should do this, but maybe not worry about this unless you have time, um, just how to maximize time because we only had nine hour days.

Yeah, you couldn’t go over you couldn’t go over there was just no way because you have a crew following you and the house that we were at is usually an hour away from all downtown Austin, right so that would uh, that would like. I want to fuck up our times so then basically and I’ve said this many times before time is your your biggest enemy making a movie is that that clock keeps ticking no matter what that Sun’s going down.

Yep. No matter what and no matter what kind of gear and crew and all that stuff time is something you cannot control and it cannot stop. Well. Yeah and especially under this like budget because if you had Manpower, yeah, I mean, it won’t look the same, but you can you can kind of. Mimic that something with a 10K, you know, but then you don’t have that like right exactly exactly short or the movie.

I based it a lot at night because that way we could uh, utilize the death. Of the City of Austin which has a lot of light and then with like maybe a pan on the fail you can you know, you can cheat a little now as far as the show is concerned the five filmmakers. Is there a competition within the five film fan or was just getting on the show was that’s that’s the goal in the end.

You make it your movies to go. Yes back in option. It’s not a competition. It’s basically just a journey of how we handle. The stress and how we did our first feature film and you know, there was you can see them you’ll see the movie very soon on gandi no rain because right now they’re letting us tour film festivals now the so um, I’m assuming there was some drama on the show.

I don’t wanna I’m sure me there was some drama on the show. Yeah. I’m sure there was uh, was there any onion and your episode? I mean they kind of like do like a montage of of what everyone’s going through and yeah, like dude, we had a bond just off happen in mind. So it’s like what’s the worst thing that happened to you during the shoot you first feature.

It was several my man. Um, one of our actors had to couldn’t take the job and it was like the day we had to choose actors. So if you want to see what happened check it out, uh, if rain after unloading all the equipment setting up it started raining and I was like then we got pulled it like cops came in and tried to shut down the set.

Really. Oh, bro, you have field you’re gonna have a blast. I can’t wait to watch the show. I’m dying to watch the show a lot of a lot of craziness. Now. What is the biggest lesson you learned from this entire experience? Patients have learn to practice patience that it’s okay to over to prepare over-prepare but there always has to be an element of spontaneity unset there always has to be and every time I do a project I become more a lord.

And more in love than actors absolutely man, but actors that really want to work not divas that are trying to you know is to get attention. Right? Right, right people who are in The Craft exactly professionals not like I can’t talk to you in my I have to like I saw the documentary where Jim Carrey played great.

It’s a great documentary, but I don’t think I would have had the patience. Oh the deal with him. Man, I would be like Jim. I’m gonna fucking beat the shit out of me was a child. But the thing is that he was doing that to Milos Forman and meal was like is an oscar-winning director. I don’t and he couldn’t handle them.

But when when you when you hire someone of that caliber doing that kind of work you just strap on and hold on tight and you just roll with it because if you’ve got to because at that point Jim was Jim. Like he was the one of the biggest stars in the world at that moment. Oh, yeah, and you just I say no because I’ve never gone to have that opportunity.

But like let’s say, oh I made I wrote a script that Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement. I’ll be like dude do whatever you want. He could like Flint crap at me like a monkey. I will I’ll be fine with it. Exactly, if that’s what gets you gets you to the point that you need to get to Daniel fine.

I get you. Um, one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was from uh how to work with actors like of that caliber is because I always ask, you know directors when they come on the show. Like how do you work with these big stars? You know, if you have the opportunity to work with a legend or a big star and uh this director Zack, I forgot I can’t say I can’t pronounce his last name, but he directed movie with John Malkovich.

And it’s John John Malkovich. You know, like, how do you direct John Malkovich? And it’s your first movie? Yes. So how did he he did a it was wonderful. He walked up to John on the first day and goes how do you want to be directed? And I was like that’s amazing and he was like, thank you for asking and he gave him because it’s John Malkovich.

You’re not gonna treat John Malkovich like you’re gonna treat a first-year actor. Well, you can’t treat actors the same like I’ve noticed that some actors respond to over comforting and you’re doing a fantastic job. They respond that way and I know actors that I be like, hey, stop fucking around.

Let’s do this and they boom they just fucking get on it. They go they go so some more. Yeah actors are somewhere more needy. Some are more often. They like just let me be yeah everyone’s different. Everyone’s different but if you but with uh with a star of that caliber on set if you don’t get that code well within the first half day.

Yeah the rest of the shoot you it’s gone if they want to start pushing you around. I had this one director. I knew that had a did a movie with um with like, uh, some big let’s just call him big action Stars got it. If I tell you your name, you know who they are. 1880s and 90s action Stars. Okay.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re all right within the first 15 minutes. They tested them and that was over and they beat him up and pushed him around the entire show the entire show because he did not know how to handle. Those kind of personalities so it’s direct things not only about um cameras and lenses and managing a whole set.

It’s insane man. It’s insane now talk a little bit about the movie. We’ve been talkin about the making of it. What’s the movie? The name is Monday the movies called Monday. Tell us how you came up with. What’s it about all that good stuff. So Mondays in action comedy, uh, very inspired by a um, After hours and Scorsese, right?

I love I love that ride all those like really fast pace PT Anderson kind of movement. Yeah, and it’s about a stoner who gets fired and dumped so when he tries to get his life back together, he gets caught in the middle of a Cartel War, of course, of course why it happens every day, so it’s kind of like escaping.

Uh the inevitable because when he gets caught in the Cartel War he gets uh, you know, he’s basically like you have to kill this person or we kill you at your family. Nice nice. So you’re really pushing the uh, the obstacles on this poor character. Oh, yeah. No we tried and we tried to make it like a rollercoaster ride and my movies only 60 minutes, but I.

I think what we set out to do we did I went into this to the Rebel Without a crucial not trying to oh make the next Reservoir make the next hard make the next year. No just make a movie that has no plot holes. You’re already under a lot of stress and cameras pointed at you 24/7. Okay, I couldn’t imagine that being sane.

It was it was pretty insane. Yeah, because it’s difficult enough to direct a feature but then to have the pressure of a documentary crew following you every second of every day. You can’t lose your shit. You can’t say something stupid because now it’s on tape. Yep. Oh God. Yes an experience. So that’s what the whole goal was.

It’s just like look just make make sure you have no plot holes. And have a good time make up a fun movie survive basically survive. Yeah, and also because I also every time I do a movie I always think of The Spectator like, um, I don’t know if I said that right. Sorry English is my second language the audience member or expect.

Of course, I I do movies that I would love to say down and I would watch like if someone told me that pitch. You know what? I mean? Yes, of course. I’m sure we have like I watched the shit out of it. Yeah, it’s that’s awesome. That’s awesome. Now you also just you got to another Milestone. If not making your first feature.

If not having Robert Rodriguez meant to you. If not shooting all around Austin and having a good old time and being on a show. You just screened your movie at South by Southwest this year. What the hell was that like. It was amazing. I mean, I remember for people that are not in the film industry.

Like I was telling my cousin’s right like hey, we screen. I don’t know it was March 12. Actually, I remember the exact date and they still hadn’t had their from Mexico City and they hadn’t had tickets a week before and I’m like, hey, I just want to let you know this isn’t a rinky-dink. Film festivals one of the top in the world.

Yeah, if you if you think you’re gonna just like Walton get tickets. It’s like bro. It doesn’t happen that way. They’re like, oh this is nice. No will be exactly he didn’t even give us tickets. Oh that Booth. Sorry, man. I can’t. Oh God. Imagine the craziness. I mean, yeah, I mean look that’s filmmakers you want you want Sundance?

You want South by you want Tribeca Toronto can you know the top five like, you know, and there’s a handful of other ones there as well. But there’s only really 5 to 10 big festivals in the world that mean anything anymore in a lot of ways to South by Southwest as climbed up that ladder to be uh, arguably one of the top two or three.

Festivals in the country. Oh, yeah, dude. No, it was an experience like the whole city of Austin like down. I’ve never been I’ve never been but they shut down here. Hey, dude, you’re gonna have a blast. There’s there’s always parties. There’s always people there’s craziness. No, no. No, it was so much fun.

You got to get to meet. Uh, like my star Jamie got to meet Ethan Hawke like it’s just. I got no, it’s so much fun man. It was it was overwhelming and you know, how you when you have one of the best moments in your life four days in your life. It goes by really quick. Yep. That’s how it was man. And there was a show.

Yeah, it’s over but thanks to the show. I could always relate because it was just ear to ear smile and just you know enjoying just going for the ride. That was a lot of fun. That’s so awesome. So, what’s the net what’s next for you, man? Well, we’re already in talks of doing another feature. We got financed to do another one and we’re figuring out of it.

Doing one for movie or partially financed to do another one. Are we talkin another seven Grand or we a little bit hired out to eat. I need to find what is it eating? You’re an artist. It’s about the art. No can’t you just spend I’m a fan now we um, we’re actually. Thinking of doing a sequel uh for for Monday and yeah, it will be called Tuesday, of course and then you’ve got five more five more sequels make a whole series out of it.

Yeah, right if they like and if people watch the first one or the second one now as far as distribution is concerned, how is that work and who owns it? Do you own it as a troublemaker own it? Yeah, it’s gonna be screening on go 19 El Rey. So they have they have the rights and I’m. Perfectly fine with that because got it.

I’m said I’m a fan of hell. Oh right Network so that it’s on you’ll be like happy as all. Hell. Oh, heck. Yeah, dude. Thank you. I mean, obviously we can sell distribution for like International that could be awesome just to have other languages check the movie sure, of course, of course now listen, so I’m going to give you a lightning round of questions asked all of my guests.

Um, what advice would you give a filmmaker want to break into the business today? It’s gonna be hard you’re gonna get know every day multiple times a day. But if you really love it and you and this is the only thing you want to do do it because it’s a beautiful feeling when you accomplish. Oh you take a step up.

So do what you love but make sure you’re gonna suffer. It’s gonna take a lot of work and you’re gonna have to learn and work a lot. If anything is is like those eight years of pain are all worth for that one minute. Hey, I just screened at South by Southwest. I agree. Isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it?

That like that moment you like I’ve been busting my ass for a decade, but I just thought here and it’s all worth it when Robert I’m not gonna lie, dude and Robert, uh shared we got our first review from um, uh the uh game of geek though. Yeah or some kind of geek then some like that. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, uh damn it. I’m so I feel so embarrassed that I can’t remember I gotta I gotta plug the please I know but what do they while you’re looking? What did they say? They gave me such an amazing, um review on the movie like they saw it and they loved it at Robert shared on all his social media movie poster.

Nice. Yeah, man, and. I was just like Jesus Christ, you know what? I mean? Like of course, of course, of course, I was like, I cried a little I didn’t know you should cry a lot sir. That’s a hell of accomplishments. No questions now, can you tell me the book that had the biggest impact on your life or career?

I mean obviously Randall was out on a girl, of course. Rebel Without a crew was one of them but I love The Godfather like I loved the Godfather I uh, I love the movie already when I was a kid. Like I saw that movie way too young. Yeah. I know as you should my 6 year olds already seen it. It’s amazing.

I thought tastic movie and then reading the book was just pretty mind-blowing like I was like, oh my God. This is amazing. Right it’s an amazing movie. There’s a lot of stuff that’s not in the movie. So it just makes everything seem better or not better. But like we discover little layers of it.

It’s more flavor. It’s just different layers of flavor, dude. I agree to something that you thought was delicious in the first place. Um, now what is the lesson that took you the longest to learn whether in the film business or in life? And by the way, it’s game of nerds there. It is. Good game of nerds.

I say will put it is game of cheese. That’s uh, that’s a tough one, man. I think one big one that uh, I’ve been discussing a lot is you can’t really compare yourself to everyone because everyone has a different trajectory that you’re going that they’re taking to get to the top or to get to. One of the top spots or you know, wherever they’re going wherever they go.

So when you see someone that didn’t struggle maybe as much as you or like Robert like like Robert like 23 gets a freakin Studio deal. Yeah, man, but he told his blood he was married. He had kids are enough fair enough, but a lot of people a lot of people would still bust his balls like you were 23, you gotta hand it to you, but they don’t know that story of all the other stuff.

They had to go through to get to that point. But still I guess I see your point. Yeah. No, it’s you just can’t compare yourself. And if it happens, it happens, I think that I never want to first of all I can I don’t think I’ll ever be as talented as. Spielberg or Rodriguez or Tarantino? But if I those guys are just like they’re just so good at what they do and I think the fact that if I could make a living and live comfortably doing art and making films it feels like I accomplished what I set out to do in life.

Absolutely. I mean if you can make a living doing your art my God you’ve won. Right You’ve Won dude, like you don’t have to be the major league, you know star that hits 100 home runs into season. Like exactly you could be the guy with a 250 average and that’s just working and and getting people on base and doing your job and making a living doing what you love.

You. Don’t you know, there are those look there’s there’s only one LeBron, you know, there’s there’s only one Michael Jordan and you know, there’s a whole. A whole league of guys who wanted to be my good exactly. It’s you know, I don’t know man. I feel like that’s the uh, that’s the ultimate goal.

You’re doing what you love is like the red letter media guys on YouTube. You know what? I mean? They look like they’re having a blast. Yeah. Absolutely. Look rocketjump those guys. I mean, yeah, you know, what’s at the chicken teeth or RoosterTeeth RoosterTeeth RoosterTeeth chicken teeth, uh, rooster Rooster Teeth.

Those guys are they’re having a ball, you know, are they making Avengers? No, but they’re having a ball and that’s okay. That’s perfectly fine break time. They’re paying their bills. They’re hanging out with people that love art and they’re having fun. Like dude. You’re good. You’re good at that point.

Now what if three of your favorite films of all time Star Wars The Godfather Pulp Fiction good good. Good. Good good now and where can people find you online? Um, they can go to Instagram and look up one word or on Facebook. And also on YouTube. I have a YouTube page that I don’t really do a lot on but it has music video short films and I usually document on my iPhone when we go to another film minute videos of just what we’re doing on a montage of music and nice feather fun to do nice.

And of course you have your website. I do ee ee. Thank you for sharing your journey with us man. And uh congratulations man. I mean you’ve definitely you’re one of five people who had a very unique experience. Uh, so that’s why I wanted to have you on the show and thank you again for the inspiration sir.

No, thank you so much for having me man. Hopefully people could go check out the show because it definitely has a feel of inspiration and a fuel that you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t give up if you really wanted because I mean come on man. I never I never thought in my mind. Yeah, I’m gonna shake Robert Rodriguez’s Han and we’re gonna talk about predator in his office, right?

That’s generally not in the cards for most people exactly. I never thought it would like we would say that you’re crazy man. So it’s. Thank you so much for having me. This was fun. I was looking forward to this. Thanks, man. I gotta admit. I’m a little jealous. I gotta admit. No, but seriously, I want to thank you for coming on and sharing his journey.

Um, but I mean who wouldn’t want this opportunity who wouldn’t have wanted to be mentored by Robert Rodriguez and go through this process. And I’m so glad it’s worked out for him. And Monday is an awesome action movie and if you guys get a chance to watch it, definitely see it on the network, which I’ll put links in the show notes at indie film forward slash.

And if you guys have not read Robert Rodriguez’s legendary book called Rebel Without a crew about his experience making El Mariachi and his Hollywood experience was that I think is even more interesting of what he went through. And how he kind of Rose the ranks with that movie. It is an eye-opening book.

So I will have a link for it in the show notes as well. Please check it out. And also check out the show it is going to be airing on the El Rey Network. I’d also like to thank our new sponsor streamlet. Now, if you’re selling your film on Amazon Prime and noticing that you’re not getting a whole lot of cash for it nowadays think about also putting it on streamlet.

It is a s vaad platform a subscription based platform where your movie will not be buried it’s free to submit and has a royalty rate three times as much as Amazon. So you get to keep all the rights. So if you want to submit your film today, go to streamlet. That’s Str. And I’ll leave a link to it in the show notes.

And that’s it. Another one in the can number 252. Thanks for all the support guys. And again, if you have not gone to filmmaking podcast and leave me a good review a little five-star review. Stop what you’re doing right now and go do that. If you like the show, it helps me out helps to show out so so much.

So thanks for your support guys. And as always keep that helps with going. Keep that dream alive, and I’ll talk to you soon. Thanks for listening to the indie film hustle podcast at indie film hustle. That’s all.