Mariachi Style! Going Independent/Low Budget

Wow! I'm really bad at writing on my blog. I'll have you know it's not my fault, it's this thing called life, apparently it's kinda tough. Anyway, I thought to myself today 'Self, I think you should blog about your new hero in the film industry, Robert Rodriguez'. So guess what, that's exactly what I'm gonna do!

So, Here's a picture!


Let me tell you a little about how I learned about this hero of the film industry. I was reading this wonderful book that will expose my intellect to any of you who didn't know already, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting". The book talks about many aspects of film, from the history of film to how to write one. In one of the sections it brings up Robert Rodriguez, who was just a 23 year old film student from Texas. He also singlehandedly changed the way films are made today. The book spoke about Rodriguez submitting himself to medical testing for a month to save money to make his own film. He took that money and made a short film called "El Mariachi".
That's about all the info I was given from that book. His story inspired me though and kept me motivated as I started my journey in screenwriting and film making. The other day, I was at a friend's house and I noticed a book on his shelf entitled, "Rebel Without a Crew" By Robert Rodriguez. I jumped at the opportunity and read the entire book in two days. It's a compilation of his journal entries from the time he thought of making the film on through it's sale to Columbia pictures and up to it's fantastic triumph at the Sundance Film Festival.
Now, that being said, let me tell you a little about Robert Rodriguez, his story, and why he has become sort of an 'Idol' to me in the film making industry.
Robert Rodriguez was an average college student. His grades weren't great and he made money by drawing a daily comic for the local newspaper. He loved film though, practicing by recording on a VCR attached camera and editing between two different VCRs. He couldn't get into film school at the University of Texas (You should all know how I feel about this school) so he made a short film on his own and beat the UT film students. He approached the dean, showed him his work and the dean admitted him despite his grades. He made another short named 'Bed Head' and ended up winning over 13 different film festivals. He felt he won those because of the experience he had making shorts. His logic was if he was hired to direct he would direct a full length film, and in order to avoid the fall out of a second 'bad' film as a new director, he should practice making feature length films in the Spanish market. He went in for his testing and wrote the screenplay while he was in the institution. He got out, ran down to Mexico with a borrowed camera, and filmed his friend running around a small border town. He edited it in the local cable station pulling all nighters!
He finally drove to LA for 2 weeks to try to sell it to the spanish market, but no one wanted to pay what it was worth ($30k - $40k in their minds). One company offered them $25k but they waited to see if they could get something better. With a little spare time they had, Robert went to a local talent agency and met with an agent there. He gave his assistant his demo tape and just asked for suggestions. He met with him the next day, and after sending an English subtitled copy back they offered to be his Agent. He ended up selling it to Columbia for $150k and 50% of all VHS sales. That included a 3 year exclusivity deal. It took them about a year to reedit the film for the big screen and he made $2k a week in per diem (Which he pocketed as he slept in his office and showered in the studio gym). Mariachi ended up making about $150 million in theatres and landed Rodriguez the opportunity to make the films he wanted to. He has penetrated the market and makes his films so fast and so cheap EVERYONE wants to work with him. He was given a budget of $40 million to make Spykids, and made it for $25 million! People love the guy.
I can only hope to accomplish those kinds of things in my life time, and with my career! I'm excited to be a part of this wonderful field!
As for an update on my career, I wrote a short film with Mike Hall and we filmed it recently, due to some technical difficulties we have been unable to edit it, but after one more day of refilming a few scenes we will have it edited and entered into some film festivals. I'm also excited to be working with some great local filmmakers on their projects. It's an honor for me to be asked to help! I'm looking into writing and directing more short films and expanding my abilities as much as posible.
Also, with in the next Month, I should be Co-Owner of PMMaedia, llc. Mike Hall and I came up with the idea in February of 2008 and we've really been working hard to make it a reality!
Check it out, let us know what you think!
-Phil

Writing My Brains Out

Well, It's been a long time since I've written anything. I figured I would share a little bit about what I've been up to since I last wrote.
1st - I've been decided what I really want to do in life. That's a pretty big step for most people. It's something we have been asked since we were kids. I remember back in kindergarten, the teacher had us draw a picture of what we wanted to be when 'we grew up' (though I will be the first to admit, I don't think we ever really grow up, we just let society control our freedom with something called a 'career'). I watched as kids showed their paintings of astronauts, firemen, policemen and I'm pretty sure Louis, the kid who ate toothpaste, wanted to be a cowboy. I however wanted to be an artist, and sadly my capabilities in the art department haven't changed much more than that drawing I did of me, as an artist.
Those things changed as I changed. I next wanted to be an Author, I even presented that in a career fair in Tupelo, Oklahoma. After that I was told by a computer program that I would be suited to be a Landscape Architect. (Now I do need to interject a warning here. This is to all teachers, government leaders and educators of all kinds: Aptitude tests work. But they only work according to the students state of mind at the time. As my mindset changes, my aptitude tests change, I'll even show you my test results in my Student Success class from last summer) I ran with that, heck $70,000 is a lot of money for someone in a small town in the sticks of the O-K state. I accepted that as my desired career choice until I was graduated from high school. Heck, I'd even done all the extra curriculars I needed to! I worked at a Lawn care company, I was Vice President of my FFA chapter, I took architecture classes, the whole thing. Then I read a book called Rich Dad Poor Dad. Wow! That changed my mind in the six hours it took me to scan it's 200 odd pages. After reading that book, I can honestly say $70,000 looked like chump change to what could be acheived. And after five years of desire to be in business, I've changed my mind again.
What is it? What could I possibly want to do now? If the prospect of making more than $70,000 could change my mind after years of study and work, what could pull me away from the world of business? Well the fact that a normal job would probably kill me might help you understand my desire to do what I WANT. AND I WANT TO WRITE! I love it! I always have! Since I wrote my first book in 5th grade, past the four 'novels' I wrote between 6th and 8th grade, on to the three part story I outlined before my mission, I HAVE LOVED WRITING!
I also love movies! So what do you get when you mix movies and writing? SCREENWRITING! I want to be a screenwriter. There, I said it. I want to write movies that I want to see. I want to write award winning comedies, mind blowing psychological thrillers, franchised science fiction stories and yeah, even chick flicks. I love movies! I love writing! I want to do it!
Now I guess that leads me to my ultimate goal, the Oscar. I want to win an Academy Award. I want to direct my own work, heck I may not be the prettiest thing ever, but the world need overweight balding actors! And that's me!
So that is what I have been doing the last few months. I stopped by Barnes and Noble and I bought a wonderful book by Skip Press, it's called The Complete Idiots Guide to Screenwriting, and it's been the most influential book I have read in the last year www.skippress.com . I also followed his advice and checked out an amazing website, www.wordplayer.com . Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio have been personally teaching me, a lowly Okie, how to write professional screenplays, sell them and make a dent in one of the largest and most influential industries in the world: Hollywood (Now when I say personally, I hope you understand they have written over 50 posts covering every aspect of screenwriting, and it's directed toward new screenwriters). Yeah, that's right! The guys who wrote Aladdin, Pirates of the Carribean, National Treasure and Shrek are willing to teach anyone and everyone what they know about screenwriting. And they make you feel like you can do it too!






Another acheivment I have made is the accomplishment of Scriptfrenzy! www.scriptfrenzy.org In the month of April I wrote over 100 pages in screenplay format for my first attempt, Do Us a Favor and Kill Yourself. It's the story of a social outcast who runs away from home and finds himself while defying social norms. I'm very excited for that, and guess what... I finished it yesterday. Sure, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. I still have to rewrite it a few times and edit the crap out of it, but the fact that I accomplished it makes me happy.
I hope to submit it to several competitions over the summer and I feel I will do well, either way that will give me something to shoot for as I continue my desire... no, my lust to be a professional screenwriter.
Thank you for reading, and please send me anytips or comments. I'm always looking for connections or people with an inside hand into the world that is Hollywoodland. Give me a shoutout and I'll be happy to submit examples of my writing to anyone interested. Have a great day!