#804: Robert Rodriguez, The Wizard of Cinema Returns — The "Fear-Forward" Way of Life, How to Overcome Self-Doubt, Learning to Love Limitations, and Counter-Intuitive Parenting That Works

Hello, boys and girls, ladies and germs. This is Tim Ferris. Welcome to another episode of the Tim Ferris Show where it is my job to interview world class performers to break down how they do what they do, what are the frameworks Tools, influences, so on and so forth that have helped make them who they are. My guest today. Is back. At long last, he is one of my most requested guests for a follow up, Robert Rodriguez. He is a film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, and composer. He does everything.

Absolutely everything. And to give you an idea of the genesis, while a student at the University of Texas at Austin, UT Austin, that's right here in my backyard in nineteen ninety-one, Rodriguez wrote the script to his first feature film while sequestered at a drug research facility as a paid subject in a clinical experiment. I'm not making that up. That paycheck. Covered the cost of shooting his seven thousand dollar film El Mariachi, which won the coveted audience award at the nineteen ninety three Sundance Film Festival and became the lowest budget movie ever released by a major studio. If you want the full story on that, listen to our first conversation. Which you can find in the show notes. Rodriguez wrote about these experiences in Rebel Without a Crew. A perennial guide for the independent filmmaker. Really, it is a guide to Bare bones, bootstrapped entrepreneurship of any type. It's worth reading. Then he went on to write, produce, direct, and edit a series of successful films, including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, and The Spy Kids franchise, which is huge. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Frank Miller's Sin City.

We can be heroes, and he's also collaborated with director James Cameron on the film adaptation of Alita Battle Angel. His films have grossed more than$1.5 billion at the box office. Then in 2000, I suppose somewhere in the middle there. Rodriguez founded Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas, which I've visited a number of times. It's worth checking out if you ever have the chance. He recently directed the Lady Gaga Ariana Grande video Rain on Me and episodes of The Mandalorian and the Book of Boba Fett and launched Brass Knuckle Films, an Investible Action Film Slate. What does that mean? If you've ever wanted to pitch Robert Rodriguez a film idea or get profit participation in action films and sequels He tells you all about it.

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