Joe Rogan Experience #2310 - Robert Rodriguez

Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe. Rogan Experience. Train by day. Joe. Rogan podcast by night. All day. Oh man. Very very nice to meet you. Incredible to meet you. [ __ ] gigantic. fan, man. I appreciate that. I just love. what you've done because like anybody. who could start their career off and. make a movie for $7,000 is a hero. That's such a just an incredible. accomplishment to make a a movie that.

people still watch and talk about today. for seven grand. It was an experience. for sure. I I I had a really good. plan and it backfired. So I tried to. right away when it worked in a different. way, I wanted to share that experience. I wrote a book called Rebel Without a. Crew that really inspired filmmakers. because you remember that for it too. just recently. I couldn't believe it. hadn't read it since I wrote it and I. had forgotten a lot of the details and. now I can see why it inspired so many.

people because it you know when you're. in your early 20s six months feels like. six years right so when you read it now. and go oh my god from inception to. making it penniless by myself to toast. of the town it's like that it was. unbelievable I couldn't wait to shout. from the roof rooftops to all the other. filmmakers like me who thought they. couldn't get in how I did it exactly I. wrote a book about it and I read it now. and you go, "Oh my god, this is an. impossible story." I keep laughing. during the audio book going, "Okay, what. you're reading right now never happened.

before and it never happened again. It. was like lightning in a bottle." And you. would see every time I thought something. wasn't going my way and I was really. bummed about it. Within. weeks, an upshot beyond. And it really. taught you that you just got to follow. your instinct. If you have an idea, go. even if you know no one else has ever. done this before and you'll end up. someplace different. I want to ask you. about that because I know you end up. doing the same thing a lot. Yeah. Where. it's not manifesting so much in that. You're just kind of following your nose. You're doing something that just sounds.

ridiculous. They even when I try to tell. one of my teachers what I was going to. go do that summer, I said, "I'm going to. go try and make a movie." He goes, "Oh, yeah. Who's going to be your director of. photography?" And I said, "I didn't want. to tell him. I'm the whole crew." And I. said, "I I'm I'm the DP." "Oh, the. actors are going to hate you. You're. going to be there setting up your lights. all the time." I like, "Okay, I'm not. even going to tell them. on the rest of. the crew. It was just because I had read. this advice that meant to be good. advice, but it sounded really. depressing. It was someone had written, "If you want to write screenplays, write.

three full screenplays, throw them away. Your fourth screenplay will be it." I. never written a screenplay. It's very. hard to write a screenplay. It's hard to. write. It's like three huge meals that. you're just going to dump. Why not? Okay, write the script, throw it away, but while you're throwing it away, why. not also shoot it and direct it? light. at yourself, do the sound yourself so. that you're training yourself on each. one. So I thought, where can I do this. where I can get paid to do that? Like my. own film school where I get paid to. learn. So I discovered that there were.

these straight to Spanish movies that. are action movies. You go to the You've. seen the HBS around here. There used to. be a video section to rent movies and. there was a Spanish section. The Spanish. section had movies like they were just. action movies. They had a soap star. They were made for 30 grand, 40 grand. shot on video, no action, but it had a. title that looked kind of like a US. title, like peros raios dos, like. written like lethal weapon 2. And you. would rent it, it'd be like just crap, people in an apartment talking. It. wasn't. And so I I looked at the back of. those and I thought, we can make a.

better one probably for like $5,000. because I had made a short film called. Bedhead by myself with a windup camera. It was eight minutes and it cost $800. So I thought, multiply it times 10, I. could shoot an 80-minute movie for. $8,000. But with dialogue and. everything, I bet I could get it for. under eight, probably more like five or. six. Let's go shoot a movie, write it, shoot it. I'll be the whole crew. So, I. learn all the jobs and then we'll sell. it to the Spanish home video market. No. one will know it's me because it's.

Robert Rodriguez, a bunch of Robert. Rodriguez's. I'll make three of those. because I was so young. I was winning a. lot of film festivals with short films. But I thought, if someone sees one of my. short films that's winning all these. awards, they're not going to hire me to. do a short film. They're going to hire. me to do a feature. And I've never. practiced that. I need practice. So, I'm. going to practice three films, take the. best scenes from them, have a demo reel. with the money I make from them. I don't. know how much I can sell it for, so I. got to make it really cheap. Let's just. do the first one, then we'll know. Then. I'll take that money and make my first. American independent film, and that'll.

be more serious. Because I threw it away. like that. I just thought, well, let me. just make something fun. Action movie, I. guess I could do action. I started as a. cartoonist, so it was more comedic than. anything else. I said, well, an action. movie, let's make it fun. Let's make it. about a guy with a guitar case full of. weapons. Kind of like Road Warrior, who. goes from town to town with a guitar. case full of weapons, but I can't afford. Road Warrior on the first one. So, how. about I just do a uh a Genesis story? So, I took out these cards and I go, okay, maybe he was a guitar player. In. fact, that'll be a funny title because I.

have this comedic sense. I thought, I'm. going to make a movie that's got so much. action and it's actually shot on film, but I'll call it basically The Guitar. Player, which promises no action. whatsoever. put it on the shelf and if. someone happens to be so desperate to. watch it, they'll be surprised. You. know, that was like my joke to myself, but I just want to practice. So, I did. this method where I just got the cards. and I go, "Got because I'm used to. making short films." Guy with a guitar. case walks into a bar looking for. work. They refuse. They don't hire. people. We use a synthesizer now. He.

leaves. A guy with a guitar case full of. weapons walks in after. Shoots the place. up. says he's going after the guy who. owns it because he did them wrong. So, I. put those two cards down and I went, "Okay, that's how a short film would. start." But [ __ ] this is a feature. So, let me put it's going to need like three. scenes before. This is how fast you. write the script. I wrote that script. because it was again, I'm throwing it. away. I'm just going to make something. that I want to see because no one else. is going to see it. You're getting paid. to practice. I'm If I can sell it, I'll. be paid to practice. So, then I thought,

okay, we got to figure out who this guy. is. Okay, how about he's a control. player who's coming into town? But wait, who's the guy that shoots the play? Let's start with him in jail. I read a. story about a guy in Mexico who was. running his drug business from his from. his jail cell and he used it as. protection. He could walk out at any. time. Someone puts a hit on him in jail. He shoots them up, tells the bad guy, "I'm coming after you now. I'm coming to. your town. I'm going to shoot up your. town." He passes the mariachi on the. road. The mariachi is a mariachi. The. guy who just wants to be a musician. We. get to know who he is. And then he walks.

in the bar. And then the guy comes and. shoots the place up. Well, now he's got. to leave and go to another place. So now. he's got to go meet the girl. Oh, now. this is going to Oh, and because it's a. it's a it's a, you know, movie about a. guitar player, he's got to have some. kind of tragic past because Road Warrior. had a tragic past. Mad Max, he lost his. wife and kid. Oh my gosh, he has to die. because that's going to be every movie. is going to be like a sad song in his. song book. So, it kind of just wrote. that fast. I went and I shot it. Did you. do it like that with the index cards? Index cards. I do this on a table. I do. this for everything. I tell people I I.

do this talk where I I by the end of the. talk I say I keep these in my in my bag. It always makes me smile because I know. I've made a million dollars with this. before. And that's a tiny little This is. a tiny one you carry anywhere. I gave. this to my kids one Christmas. For. people that are just listening, it's. closed together with rubber bands. Rubber bands. I gave this with in a in a. cool little leather bag for my kids one. Christmas. I thought they would say, "What's this shit?" They loved it. I. said, "You can change your life with. this thing." Because a lot of times, you. know, you go to therapy not for answers.

You go for questions. We have the. answers inside us. Usually, we ask. ourselves terrible questions. The. therapist ask you questions like why do. you why did that make you feel? Why did. you do that? And what's up? What's going. on? If we do our own questions like. what's next? What goes before this? Your. mind comes up with the answer if you ask. the right question. So, I've used this. for like we usually ask unempowering. questions. You know, the words we use in. ourselves are so important, but so are. the questions like, "Why am I such a. loser?" Well, I can give you 10 answers.

right now. But if I change it to, "What. three things could I come up with to. start this week that would not just. change my life, but everyone around me?". You don't come up with three, you come. up with like 15. Just keep coming out. And as you look at them, you go, "These. kind of go together and are actionable. I can actually start this right now." I. mean, you can literally change your. life. business ideas, um, movie ideas, stories, just with a deck of cards. By. the time I build up and show all the. examples of it at the end of the talk, I.

hold up one of these with a rubber bands. to the crowd and I say, "Who wants to. change your life, everybody's hands go. up, I toss one out, they catch it." In. fact, I remember my nephew about seven. years ago caught one. It's funny because. he's on Broadway now. It's just like let. you map out your life. Uh, another. friend of mine, DJ Katrone, he's an. actor. He caught one and he said, "Wow, that talk you gave was so empowering. How you wrote it. I went home and I. picked up an old script I hadn't picked. up in a while." And I just cut off the. phone for three days and I finished it.

And I said, "You finished a script in. three days?" I like the feedback loop. that happens when you inspire somebody. Well, I'm going to try that because I. got a bunch of halfbaked ideas that I've. never gone and done that with. That's. You did it in three days? Yeah. If you. shut the phone off, you can do it in. three days. And now he has that movie's. out. It's coming out. It's called Fight. or Flight with Josh Hartnett. He wrote. Wow. Yeah. After hearing the talk, he. went and picked up this old thing that. he thought and I get this a lot when. I've talked to people. It's really. inspiring to them to hear other people. That's why I'll ask you questions about. it, too. Where did you develop this.

approach? Like, is this something you. completely invented yourself just and to. map out life on index cards? Writers uh. will often put index cards up to just. kind of block out a scene. It's a very. it's it's a it's a visual way to see. your story. Like when you lay it out and. you go, "Oh, this works. I'm missing a. section here." But again, like this is. asking you, "What could I put there?". You'll come up with a bunch of ideas and. it's almost gives you like an overview. But I started it when I was a. cartoonist. I had a daily cartoon strip. So I would draw on different cards,

different drawings, and every day I had. to come up with a comedic idea and a. drawing and a story. And it was tough. You'd have to draw it out. And you would. sometimes make two drawings that you. really liked and go, "Oh, this kind of. is the setup. One, two, three, pay off. of the joke here." And they come up with. it like that. So, I kind of use it for. everything. It's kind of a more vis I'm. a more visual kind of person. So, it. helps you visually see something that's. normally like written words and stuff. So, it started off concepts and ideas.

with cartoons and then worked into. writing. But I I haven't seen too many. people apply it the way you're you're. explaining it like you could actually. use that to fix your life. Oh, fix your. life completely because it's another. question. It's just questions you're. asking yourself. And the amazing thing. is once you start doing stories, that's. why I like doing a lot of original. franchises. Probably like made the most. original franchises of filming because I. don't usually direct other people's. stuff because you realize you're. creating this story. like I just made. this guy's destiny happen and I can give.

him a good outcome or a bad outcome. It's in my control. And you realize you. can do that with your own life. So. you're writing the story of your own. life of who you're going to become, who. you're going to be. And as a parallel. and you realize you've got that power. and when you realize you got that power, you can you can make literally anything. happen. And it's uh I you realize art. and life should be the same. You know, so many people I was telling the story. to somebody and they said, "Wow, you're.

really positive and that kind of makes a. lot of sense." You know, I have a. project that's pretty much all together. Almost the pieces are there, but I guess. I'm just not ready. It's going to be on. your tombstone. Here lies so and so. He. was never ready. You can't wait to go do. it. Like with life, you don't know. what's going to happen. You wanted to. work out today. What happened? Bunch of. [ __ ] right? Got in the way. Your tires. flat. Fires went up. you just got fired. You can't You're not ready for life. You're like this, right? But for some. reason, people artists think that they.

need to be ready to create art. It's. like, no, you got to jump in and just. start. You just need to start. You're. not going to really feel ready till. you're almost done with a project. I. didn't feel ready to make that $7,000. movie till the last few days when I was. like, "Okay, now I wrap my head around. it." I had to figure it out day by day. Yeah. The procrastination really. cripples people. Yeah. Or thinking that. they need to know more. and you don't. realize the answers you get that you. need are not going to be figured out. sitting at a desk going to be on the. floor. Well, I think it's kind of a fear. of incompetence and failure, especially. if you're undertaking something like.

starting a film. Like some people just. for whatever reason they they don't have. the confidence to just potentially fail. and just just try it. Just get moving. Just get you know Hemingway my friend. Ari on his laptop he has this quote top. of his keyboard uh first draft of. everything is [ __ ] Yeah. And it's. Hemingway like god what a great [ __ ]. it's like such an important thing to. know because he knows the process. Yes. If you trust the process, you don't have. to worry. And if you question, well, I. don't know if you're an artist. That's.

what an artist should think, but don't. let that [ __ ] you. I call it fear. forward. Like, you should have some fear. going into something. Like, I might. screw up, but that's good. That means. you're not wasting your time. I think. it's really important for people to hear. someone like you who's accomplished so. much say it that way cuz they can. internalize it and go, "Okay, this is. what it is. I just have to do something. I just actually get moving. I just can't. sit around waiting for the perfect time. cuz it won't happen. It's not going to. happen. And there's that thing like you. have to, you know, I always give people. copies of the War of Art, Presfield's.

book. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. It's a great. book. But it's all about that. That book. is if you're trying to figure it out. That book's the guide book. Read that. book. It's a short little book. Super. easy to read. And it gives you the tools. to put in your head like, "Oh, this is. resistance." Like this procrastination. This is this weird fear of doing it. Yeah. Because it's not like the thing. you're doing is painful, which is really. crazy. Like writing out cool plot lines. and this is that's got to be fun. It's. really fun. Fun. Now, the making of it.

might be very painful, but it's a very. short amount of pain versus a long-term. pain of you not living your dream. That's the longest. That's the longest. time you can spend. That's the longest. time in pain. There's um you just rip. the band-aid off and jump in. I mean, I'm sure there's a a bunch of people out. there that are in the middle of that. right now and they're trying to figure. out we have to keep reminding ourselves. because we know and we got to remind. ourselves. Sometimes we forget and we. don't apply it to other areas of life. I'll talk about that. That's when I. really found success was find when I.

took these ideas and moved it to another. area. But like I tried to figure this. out when I was I was doing that other. method, the wrong method when I was. cartooning because I would it would be. so hard to come up with a cartoon strip. each day. But I needed the money and I. had a daily cartoon strip here at UT. We. had the biggest comics page in the. country. It was really everybody wanted. to be the next Burke Bread. He'd come. out of there. He did Bloom County. He. was a UT student. His college art was. like national stuff. So we all wanted to. be him. So I would go like there's got.

to be an easier process than sitting. here and working it out. I want to come. home and develop a process where I sit. on my couch and I just picture it first. I picture the comic. I picture the. jokes. I picture the drawing. Then I got. to just go draw it, right? M I'd be. there 2 hours, 3 hours, my deadines's. coming up. [ __ ] it's not working. So I. have to go [ __ ] start drawing again, then be like, okay, this kind of goes. with that one that oh, oh, here it is. And I realized something really profound. back at, you know, 19. And it's really. carried into mariachi, which is when you. pick up the pen or the keyboard or the.

camera and you. start, it starts doing itself. You realize it's not you. It's coming. through you. because there's a creative spirit. assigned to us that needs hands and it's. not going to reward you if you're doing. that because it can do that. But as soon. as you pick it up, it takes over. So I. it realize, oh, I just have to be a. conduit or a pipe. And if I just start, I'm going to be like, whoa. And and you. got to keep your ego out of it because.

you go, wow, how did I do that? I wonder. if I could do it again. You just shut. you just shut it right back up because. you think it's you and it's not you. And. I know this works because I taught it to. my kids when they were younger. I. thought I got to teach it to my kids. And since they hadn't learned any bad. habits, they went, "Oh, we so we didn't. have to do anything. We just have to. start writing and it's going to come out. and go, yeah." And they went, they wrote. all this amazing stuff. And I was like, "They don't have to be reversed, you. know, reversed." But that that was a. very powerful thing. And I saw when I.

did another $7,000 movie recently. I had. a TV series based on Rebel Without a. Crew where I I got independent. filmmakers. So, it only made short films. and I gave him two weeks. You got to do. like Mariachi. You can bring one person. to be either a cameraman or your sound. guy, but you got to do the whole movie. yourself. Write it, direct it, edit it, and be shot in two weeks. That's how. long it took me to shoot Mariachi. And. they're all, oh, we don't know how we're. going to do it. By the week they started. shooting, they're already go talking. about their next three films. Like, they. changed their idea of what was. impossible just dropped out. So, I was.

really curious to do mine. I was doing. one based on my medical experiments I. did to pay for Mariachi, which is. another story. And I brought my son I. brought my son, Racer, because I knew he. hadn't been working with me on the. movies for a while. I'm going to make. him my second guy. He's going to be my. coowriter, my co-lighter, and he's going. to be doing the sound. And I didn't show. him how to use the sound equipment till. we're filming because we're documenting. it. We made a documentary about it and. people really loved about how we made. this movie today for. $5,000. and he was fumbling around and. and we're going and I thought they're g.

he's gonna hate this. You know, he's got. his own interest. He doesn't want to. work on a movie, but I need him. And so. he comes to me at the end of the day. with his brother and goes, "Dad, the actor didn't show up. The set. didn't m the location didn't match the. script at all. Everything was falling. apart. We asked you how are we going to. finish the day?" And you said, "Well, I. don't know. We'll see what happens." And. and we thought, "Oh my god, is this the. movie that finally, you know, he can't. figure out?" But by the end of the day, we figured it out. And their eyes were. all wide. Oh, they don't realize that's.

the creative process. And that's every. day in life and in work. Life you don't. you don't know. You're going to figure. it out as you go. Art should be the same. way. And by the end of the two week. shoot, they're interviewing him. He's. all waxing philosophical about the. creative process. Like he's been doing. it for years. He goes, he goes, "I never. knew how my dad did mariachi." And then. now I know cuz I just did this project. He didn't know either. He just started. and he figured it out day by day. Most. people never start. I mean, he. succinctly encapsulated everything I. tried to say in my book, which was you.

just got to go. And identity is key. Identity is the main thing. All these. people who are out there, I got to tell. them this. If you are listening and. there's something you're not getting in. your life that you really want, it's not. it's not a matter of desire. You have. the desire. There's a there's a missing. element that I talked about in the book. and I'd forgotten myself. You know, we. forget our own good advice. Over the. years, people would say, "Hey, in your. book, it says this." And I'd go, "I. wrote that. I was so smart back then. What What happened? I got to go reread.

my own book." But it was this thing. where I told people because they would. come up to me a lot because I was making. films really early on and say, "I'm an. aspiring filmmaker." You might hear. that. I'm aspiring comic. You know, I'm. an aspiring filmmaker. I go, stop. aspiring. You're calling yourself an. aspiring filmmaker. That's now your. identity. You're always going to be. aspiring. Just say you're a filmmaker. M. take one of these cards and make a a. business card. Even if you have to handw. write it, who you are. I'm a director. I. I wrote I did one. I had it printed up. Director, cinematographer, editor,

composer. I that's who I am. Now, you're. going to have to conform to that. And. you're going to start making films. That's I started making these films even. for Spanish video. And so, you have to. think at first. And I've forgotten that. lesson. So, and I wanted to use your gym. because, you know, I like to work out. now. I never did. You started as a. cartoonist. I'm surprised. I I was. always an artist. I was really tall, you. know, for school. Yeah. I started I was. an illustrator when I was a kid. I. wanted to do comic book illustration. Yeah. That was my thing. Yeah. Yeah.

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plan features and network management. details. It's fun, right? Cuz it cuz. it's just it's not you, you know? You. start drawing and then suddenly how when. did you learn that as a I don't think I. knew that. I think I was doing that but. I didn't know it. And until I started. reading about it, like the the concept. of the muse, the concept right like that. you you just have to sit down and do the. work and it comes to you. Yeah. Well, started when I was 19 doing the comic, but then it kept getting repeated. But. you realized it at 19. I realized at 19. that was that it wasn't you. It felt.

like something else, but then it really. hit me later on. Um, and I'll get to. that one. It's. uh it it really hit me later on where I. kind of put it all together around 2001. 2002 when I was doing a movie where I. was again kind of going back to the way. I did Mariachi. I was on a big movie. though I was the the writer, the. director, the producer, the. cinematographer, the editor, the. composer. I was doing all these things. Plus, I was doing the production design. now and I was taking on more jobs to. make it more like a handmade film, more.

like a lot of factory movies were being. made. I said I want people to this to. feel different. I think they'll they'll. get a feeling from it they don't get. from, you know, a McDonald's process. You know, they're still good, but, you. know, there's something about a. home-cooked meal. And I didn't even know how to read or. write music. And I was writing music for. 100 piece orchestra. And I was like, how. figuring it out by notes going, there's. only 12 notes. You go even less than a. scale. So, you hit three notes, four. notes. That's not a bad that's a bad. note. Okay, that's pleasing to the ear.

And I was just writing a note by note. because it is a kids movie. So, I. figured it should sound like a kid wrote. it and I'm like a kid. It should sound. like that. And I was writing pretty. complex stuff, not knowing what I was. doing. I go, "How is this even possible. that I'm doing all these jobs I wasn't. trained in?" So, I went on Amazon and I. looked up any book that had the word. creative or creativity in it. I just. ordered it. I didn't know what section. it came from. They just arrived. And I'm. thumbming through them and one of them. was really speaking about the creative. process, how it worked. And I was like, "Wow, wow, that's how it is. That's how.

it is." And then it said gels and. mediums and I was like, "Oh, this is a. book particularly about painting, but it. applies to all the other things I'm. doing." That's when I realized that it's. all linked. Yeah. That creativity is 90%. of any of those endeavors. 90% of it is. just being creative. The technical part, like write, reading or writing music, and there's a lot of great musicians who. don't read or write music. They're. fantastic. The technical part, you can. fudge that, like how how to shoot the. movie. You can you can fudge a lot of.

the technical stuff. 90% is creative. And if if you know how to be creative, you can literally jump from job to job. and do it really well because you're. coming with your own experience, your. own point of view. It's why I teach my. actors to paint on the set because. they've never painted before and they're. already being creative by acting. But in. between takes, we'll go paint a portrait. of their character where I take a photo. of them in character and have them paint. a background. I said, "Just pick up the. paint. You can use these three methods. Any color you want. The paintbrush is.

going to know where to go. Even though. you've never painted before, it's going. to know where to go. And they do it. And. I put a stencil of a line drawing of. their face over it. I'll show you some. You're not going to believe it. Josh. Brolan was way into it. Lady Gaga did. one. Bruce Willis did one. And it's just. like magic how it comes together. And. it's to teach them that you don't have. to know. You know, we always think I. need to know this. I need to know that. What about the other side? Half of half. of the battle is knowing. What about the. other half? Not knowing I think is the. more beautiful and where the magic is. because you don't need to know what's. going to happen. You just need to show.

up. You just need to pick up the pen. You need to do the keyboard. Yeah. Because it just starts coming through. you and they see it and it helps them go. back to the set and solve any creative. problem because it was much harder in. the faint room figuring out gels and. mediums and all this stuff. They go back. to the set and they can solve any. problem instantly. And and you'd think. that they're already in a creative mode. by acting, but it fires off a whole. other part of your brain to go do. something else creative at the same. time. Remember the set, Josh goes, "Is. it okay? I'm still thinking about the. painting." I go, "I think so. I think.

it's all right. Let's see. Let's. see you." It was so funny. That's a like. a Miiamatu Masashi quote from the book. of Five Rings, right? Once you know the. way broadly, you could see it in all. things. Yeah. you start see and so. that's where I started piecing together. that it was something because I I really. wanted to look it up because it would. feel like when I would go to write the. music I don't have to write very many. notes before it feels like I'm being. pulled by the hand like I didn't make.

that I didn't make that and I didn't do. that and I didn't do that what is it say. that and a lot of comedians say that too. well if you ask any all the disciplines. like I go I ask Jimmy Vaughn how how did. you play that Like that solo was. amazing. Did you have that worked out? It's kind of like tuning a radio. You. know, if you get it just right, you. can't even believe what's coming. through. Yeah. You know, you always hear. everyone's version of that. And so I. called it something. I thought, I'm. going to call it the creative spirit. Like there's a creative spirit. Imagine.

the creative spirit that's assigned to. you. And if you're someone who's just. like, I don't think I can do I don't. think I can do this or that. And they. don't and they don't pick up the pen. They don't they don't actually start. how frustrated that is just hovering. over hovering over, oh my god, were you. just p it's not you. It's not you. You. just let me through. And it's crazy that. that concept has been around forever. This concept of the muse, but yet still. I never heard it like that where it's. like takes it still feels like you have. to do a lot. You just go, I still need. to be a pipe. Yeah. A clean pipe, a.

conduit so more stuff comes through. And. that means take your ego out of it and. just just do the work. Just show up and. start. Yeah. Presfield literally thinks. that it's like like an angel or like. some sort of a divine presence that. presents you I I think I think there's. something to it, man. And it's it sounds. so kooky, but if something is super. successful for amazing people and. they're all telling you the same thing. like why do you have to nah man I'm not.

stupid. I'm not going to believe in the. concept that whatever the [ __ ] it is. There's something that happens when. you're creative where you feel like an. antenna. You feel like you're just take. these ideas are coming to you. They're. entering into your mind. It's not. physical effort. It's not like you're. picking up bricks and stacking them on. the wall. Like something is happening to. you. Yeah. You're tapped. into uh I had a friend of mine, Tim. Ferrris, was over at my house and I was. telling him about some kind, you know, it's very creative house really because. it's that's where I do a lot of my.

creative work and a lot of creatives. like coming to this place and see you. have to come check it out. You can see. the fettettas I have. Oh, you have. original fettas. Okay, we'll get we'll. get to that. We'll get to that. Oh my. god. But um it's just totally totally. You have to tell me what your favorite. for that is. Totally creative place and. I like people to come there. But it's. it's just inspiring to be in an. environment where everything around you. is is about creativity because then you. get in that headsp space and you're able. to do more because you realize it's not. you. It's just coming through you and. you just got to and you just have to.

witness it and it just takes a lot of. the load off of you. A lot of people can. start easier if they know, oh, it. doesn't have to be me. Like my kids. that, oh, it's not I don't have to do. it. I just have to actually pick up the. pen. Yeah. It's it's very freeing. Yeah. It's uh it's something that. everyone should learn with anything in. life, anything that you're doing in life. is just to take action and trust this. process that happens. Yeah. But you you. have to do things. You can't just sit. and wonder. And it's that. procrastination, the anxiety about. starting that's like crippling for. people. It keeps them from getting off.

the ground. And they're doing that to. themselves. You're literally doing this. to yourself. So when you say, "Well, I. don't know if I can." You just chopped. off your leg right at the at the. beginning of the race. Right. Right. Right. You go, "Well, I tried it once. before and you just cut the other one. off." I mean, you're literally doing. you're you're own worst enemy. I had. this one gal in fear of failure. This is. the. bas one one gal one of the talks. She. said, "Okay, you're real positive, but. what do I tell myself when I just spent.

a year and a half doing something and it. didn't work out?" I said, "Well, that's. very negative way to ask that. Can you. rephrase the question first? Then I'll. then I'll attempt." And she went, "I. learned a good lesson the hard way." No, that still sucks. If you're focused on. the failure, if you followed your. instinct and it didn't work. out, it doesn't mean you're wrong. Sometimes the only way across the river. is to slip on the first two rocks. It's. the only way. And if you just stay. there, you're not going to go. So you. have to embrace the failure because if. you're going on instinct, I mean, you're. doing it literally on instinct. Not like. someone said, "Hey, go over there.

There's a money-making scheme. Go do. that." Literally, you had the instinct. And my best example was Four Rooms, a. movie I did with Quinton. Um because if. you study the ashes of your failure, you'll find a key to your next success. That was the movie where there was four. different stories playing. simultaneously. Four different movies. Four different stories. And I love short. stories cuz I had made a bunch of short. films. I thought, "Oh, I want to do. that." So when Quinton asks, and I asked. the audience, I like asking the. audience, "How would you answer this?". Quinton goes, "Hey, I'm going to make a. movie called Four Rooms. Four different. directors. You got to use the bellhop.

It's New Year's Eve. You're in a hotel. You can't leave your hotel room. You. want to do it." Hand goes up. Now, just. on instinct, now I ask the audience, was. I wrong to just go by instinct or should. I study it a little bit? Nobody really. knows the answer. What would you say? Would you study you? Are you more. serious? You're more in Are you more. instinctual? 100%. Yeah, I'm primarily. instinctual. It figured because that's. why you're here right now because we're. not that smart. I'm not that smart. I I. couldn't have figured this [ __ ] out. It's because I was just had an instinct. to go that way when everyone else was.

going that way. And you're going to. stumble. You're going to fall, but. you're going to stumble upon. You're. going to stumble upon ideas no one. thought of because you're going the way. that's not picked clean already. Right. Right. So, I just like four rooms. I. said, "Yeah." Now, if I had just studied. a little bit, I would have seen that. anthologies like that never work. Like. even when it's. Scorsesei, you know, Woody Allen and. Copa, they did one. Nobody goes to see. because they don't know how to wrap. their head around what is three movies, anthology, doesn't work. If I had. studied first, should I have changed my. answer? Nobody knows how to answer. Well, I'm going to go on Instinct. I'm.

going to say I say Instinct anyway. Movie Bombs doesn't do well at all. Now, I could be really upset about that and. go like, "Wow, I got to be really. careful now going forward. I have to. tiptoe around as an artist." Well, that's that's not the state of mind I. was when I won Sundance. I was throwing. stuff out. Can I offer a counter to. that? Sure. It only bombed financially. Okay. No, no. I'm I'm not done with the. story. Artist is a very good movie. There's a lot of great stuff in it. But. it goes even better than that. My whole. thing is examine the ashes of your. failure. And I don't find one I find two.

keys in there to my biggest movies. directly from that experience. So my. instinct was right. But again, sometimes. the only way across the river is. slipping on the first two rocks. I was. on the set had to be New Year. So I. dressed everybody up in tuxedos. And. Antonio had just done Desperado. The. next week he came and appeared in there. The little boy from Desperado. He had a. little brother. So I hired him. And then. I just found the best little actress. who's a half Asian girl, Asian-American. So I cast an Asian mom. So it would look. like they were a family. So I'm seeing. Antonio and Tamil Tama all dressed up to.

Denise. I'm going, "Wow, they look like. a really cool international spy couple. What if they were spies?" And the two. little kids that can barely tie their. shoes don't know it. they get captured. and the kids have to go see them. So, by. kids, there's five of those now. The. other key to success that I got on that. set was I love doing short films. That's. why I signed up for it. It didn't. work. But I'm going to try it again. Not. four stories, three stories, like a. three-act structure. Not four directors, but the same director. I'm going to try.

Why on earth would I try it again? Except that I had just done one and I. figured out there might be a different. approach. That's Sin City. So, Sin City. and Spy Kids directly came from that. thing you would call a failure if you if. you focused on the failure. Wow. So, go. back and look, tell everybody, go back. and look at something that you had a. real instinct for that you did and it. didn't work and sift through the ashes. of it and you're going to find either. that you've already had the success from. it and you didn't realize it, which you.

really need is a boost of confidence in. your instinct or you you will find. something that will be the key to your. success. Well, that's also the the. magical part of the creative process is. that it's not always going to work. And. that's actually good. That means when it. does work, it'll be even more rewarding. Yeah. I mean, Mariachi didn't work. This. episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. It's the end of tax season, and I know. by now you all are probably sick of. numbers, but there's one more expense we. need to talk about, and that's how much.

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all sorts of specialties so you can find. the right fit for you. Your well-being. is worth it. Visit. betterhelp.com/jre to get 10% off your. first month. That's betterhelp. hp.com/jre. I failed at that. I was. going to sell that to the Spanish home. on video. This what blew me away about. rereading the book. I went, "Oh my god, I was so bummed. I finished making that. movie." And you you see in the book. clearly I'm a penniles clueless. filmmaker making this movie I think by. myself. I think it's going to work. I.

don't know a borrowed camera. I didn't. even know how to use it. I call a place. in Dallas that rents this equipment. I. go I got an Aries 16s, you know, on the. phone. It has two motor looking things. One has one number and one's got many. Oh, that's a variable speed motor. It. means you Oh, can I do slow motion with. it? You know, I was literally learned. like that. And then I went and shot the. whole movie. And I had to shoot the. whole movie in two weeks and I couldn't. develop the film till I got back. So I. shot blind, not knowing if that camera. was even working. Is it true that you. invented the walk away with the.

explosion behind you? Yeah, that was. actually Yeah. Yeah. If you look at all. the compilations, it starts with. Desperado. Wow. Because it was an. accident. I didn't think you This is. what happened. And so in. Desperado, in the script, it says he. throws some grenades over the side of. this building to blow up the bad guys. And him and and and Salma walk away. It. was just supposed to see some body parts. fly. It was just a grenade. You know, it. was supposed to be a nuclear explosion. Just some body parts, some shrapnel, and. some smoke. But it's two stories up. And. we get there, we're shooting so fast. I.

went to my poor effects guy who was. just, you know, so busy just having done. a big shootout. And I went, "Man, do I. know you don't have body parts because. we didn't ask for it, but do you have. anything we can just throw? It's so high. up. Is there anything you can launch up. there? And he goes, "No, no, I don't. have anything." So, I need something to. come up because I wanted some [ __ ] to. fly up behind him. He goes, "I give you. fireball." I said, "Fiber like what? It'll go up uh 60 feet." But it's. propane, so it's going to burn off like. that. How fast does it burn off? Like. that. So, okay, I'll shoot slow motion. Okay, we shoot slow motion. I tell the.

actors, just keep walking. Don't turn. around because it's supposed to be. pretty big and it might be really high. I don't want you to sing your eyebrows. Just walk fast. Walk fast and. determined, but I'm going to shoot. It's. going to feel funny, but when I shoot it. in slow motion, it'll look like you're. just walking normal speed and it'll slow. down the explosion. Well, it looks. fantastic. I remember when I show Yeah, it looks See, they're just walking. They. don't know. Look at Tonio's just like, look at her. She's just like so calm. But if you play that, if you sped that. up and played it normal motion, it goes. by like that. It's crazy because that. that scene has been copied so many.

times. It became an action like staple. Look. So, they even used it for Fear. Factor. Now that I'm thinking about it, we used it for one of the ads for Fear. Factor is me walking away and they blew. some [ __ ] up behind me because it's just. like it's this cool attitude and working. with the music. I thought it was the. dumbest [ __ ] ever because it was a TV. show dicks. It wasn't kind of silly, but. it's it was just an accident. Again, the. accidents that you stumble upon. There. you go. All right. That's where it came from.

So, uh that came out in August of 200 um. of 1995. Just six months later, Dust Till Dawn. came out and I made that. I I enjoyed it. so much. I [ __ ] loved that movie. Oh, thanks. I love that movie. I showed this. explosion shot, you know, the movie to. Jim Cameron. He was watching it. I was. waiting for his for cuz, you know, he he. was doing like movies like Terminator 2, blowing the [ __ ] out of everything. So, I was wondering if he'd like my little. rinky dinking thing and his hand went up. in the air when he saw that moment. So, I thought, "Okay, I'm doing that. I'm. going to do that." Dust till Dawn. Dust. till Dawn. I had it where the actors. come out doing the dialogue though and.

the explosion just keeps going and. they're walking away while having a. conversation. So, so within two move. within six months you saw two versions. of that. So people just started doing. you see it in Man and Fire. You see I. mean you see like whole compilations of. it but it's an that's got to be weird. for you. Like you're like [ __ ] that's. mine. No no because it wasn't mine again. it came it came if I if I had engineered. it yeah I'd be really smart but again. like I said I'm not that smart. sometimes pretty cool that it's become. like a part of like action films. Yeah.

Dust Till Dawn is so first of all, who. knew Quinton Tarantito would play such a. good [ __ ] psychopath? Who knew? What's so fun is um he's in Desperado. now. I met him on the film festival. circuit. So in 1992, we were both had. movies with guys in black in violent. movies. In fact, I met him at the. Toronto Film Festival for Reservoir. Dogs. had mariachi because they put us. on a panel together to discuss violence. in the movies in the 90s even though it. was only 92 and so we met there became.

friends and he said I'm my next movies. in pulp fiction and I just thought this. crazy guy he's so funny and I said I'm. going to write him into desperado it was. before he did pulp fiction or any of. that so by the time desperado came out. pulp fiction was a phenomenon then. people cheer when he walks on stage on. set but when we were doing that four. rooms here's another thing that came. from four rooms if I hadn't done four. rooms it'd be no dust till dawn. when we're doing um Four Rooms, he takes. me into a room and he starts reading me. and I got on it's on the internet. I put. it out him reading me the first scene of.

Kill Bill. Uh this was in, you know, eight years before he made the movie. Um. and then he said, "My very first script. I wrote and I didn't get paid [ __ ] for, like 1,500 bucks, was Dust Till Dawn. And now because of the sex the success. of Pulp Fiction, they want to make all. my old stuff and these producers have. it. I didn't get paid dick. So, I'll do. a rewrite and you and I will go in. together. You should be the director. because it takes place in Mexico and. you're Mexican. So, I was like, "All. right." That's the second time he writed.

me a scene in 2001. There was there's. one video where he's even younger in uh. four rooms reading me a second version. of it. So, over the years he would read, we had an office next to each other when. I was writing Desperado and he was. writing Pulp Fiction. So, he'd read out. scenes. There he is. And I would read. out, you know, show him scenes from. Desperado. [ __ ] and we just became. friends there. He was originally going. to make Pulp Fiction for Tristar and. then they passed on it because they. thought it's weird, it's long and he. went did it for me. Did he want to be.

the serial killer? I asked him to. because I knew he he liked acting and I. and I just knew him as a person. Like a. lot of times I'll cast somebody just by. meeting them. I'm going to cast you and. because you realize you can there's. something about them that captures you. that's going to just be magnified when. you put it 50 feet on screen. That's. I've discovered a lot of talent that. way. That's how I found Salma. I just. knew she was going to be it. Um, but he. was so so great. I thought this is a. really fun character. I bet he could he. likes act. I can get a performance out.

of him and he'll come in with a take on. it. So I said, I'll do Dust Dawn. Uh, would you be interested in playing. Richie? He goes, I'd love to play. Richie. Okay. Well, so he was the first. person we cast and he's fantastic in it. He's really great. He's really scary. Got all into character. He was. terrified. Kind of had this really cool. haircut. I showed him a picture of uh. Bert Reynolds in Deliverance. Said, "Dude, you got the haircut of. Deliverance. It was really cool." He's. like, "Oh, wow." You know, he just. really slipped into it. It was always in. character and he was always intense on. on the set. It was really fun to see him.

get very believable. He really enjoyed. that performance. I said, "Dude, you're. so good in this movie. Anyone talks. [ __ ] they're just talking [ __ ] It's. [ __ ] through gritted teeth. Don't. listen to anybody. You're really great. in this movie. The test of time." You. can't listen. Anybody's talking [ __ ]. about Quinton in that movie, shut up. Oh, he nailed it. He he scared the [ __ ]. out of me. Well, when you get a lot of. success, people would tend to, you know, makes you a target, you know, of course. So, they would they would say stuff. about him and and being in, well, he. shouldn't be acting in his movies, you. know, just [ __ ] like this. Like, dude, this will shut him up. And if it.

doesn't, it's just [ __ ] that because. you're really great in the movie. Yeah. You just have to tune out the noise. Yeah. How do you how do you how do you. get past the noise? I just tune it out. I'm busy. Stay busy. Yeah. I don't read. anything about me. That's the big one. Don't read it. That's Don't engage. Like. sometimes people send me things. I'm. like, "Don't send me that, man. I don't. want to read it. I'm not going to read. it anyway." Send it to you. Yeah. Friends, they don't know any better or. my sister might send me something. Yeah. It's just I just leave me out of it. I. got some really good advice early on. I. like to share this people. I share this.

with my actors because they get a lot of. [ __ ] sometimes. Um, I was afraid to even do like a. bigger movie because I was flying under. the radar with, you know, Mariachi and. Desperado and then Spielberg sees. Desperado wants to do Zoro with Antonio. and me directing, right? So I go, "Cool, working with Spielberg." And it's like, "Oh [ __ ] I'm working with Spielberg.". You probably remember this time because. we're about the same age. Remember the. 80s and 90s, people would just throw. [ __ ] on him all the time. All the time. Like there's no respect for this guy. They were so jealous. Press, public,

everything. He was just like, he. couldn't catch a break. and he was. making like the coolest movie. Ah, that. movie sucks. Ah, Jurassic Park sucks. And this unbelievable. So, I thought, "Oh [ __ ] it's cuz he's got his head way. up. Maybe I should fly under the radar. and not go make if I can make a movie. with him, what chance do I have?" I went. back and rewatched, you know, like. Temple of Doom, which people that's not. as good as Raiders. I watch it and go, if I can make a movie that's an eighth. of that, I'd be lucky. So, I called them. and said, "But they make Close. Encounters." I I know. Jeez, that's. [ __ ] incredible. Great movies. But. that but do you get that much success? And after and and then people kind of.

resent, right? It comes with the. territory. Yeah. But how do you get by. past it? I was curious for him. So I I I. said, "Hey man, I just saw Temple of. Doom. I don't know how I'm going to make. this movie for you." He goes, "Oh, don't. worry about that. Just make a great. movie." So then I go to him and I say, "Um, I'm afraid that if I make a movie. at the bigger level, I'm just going to. be a target like him. I mean, he's the. best filmmaker and he's getting the [ __ ]. kicked out of him." I said, "How do you. do it? How do you do it? Do you just you. get rocks thrown at you all day.

long? He goes, "Oh, Robert, you just. don't blink." I was like, "Wow." It's. not like a Clint Eastwood line. I go, "Wow, that's how he did it all this. time. It's just like just don't blink. Commit to making a body of work." I try. to tell filmmakers sometimes that they. have a success for the first one, they. get really afraid of the second one. because they think, "Oh [ __ ] now I. might fail." Right? The fail the fear of. failure cripples a lot of people. If you. commit to just making a body of work, a. body of work like he did, he just made. any movie he wanted. Some hit, some.

don't. Some overperform, some. underperform. A movie like Mariachi that. was not supposed to go anywhere way. overperforms and you can't tell what's. going to be the one. So, just commit to. a body work. And now, no one gives them. any [ __ ] Now, I think it's also. important to recognize that the people. that are tossing [ __ ] your way, they're. doing it to distract themselves from the. fact that they're not contributing. anything. It's almost always the case of. that. That's what the critic is. The. critic would not be a critic if they had. something to contribute. So, they see. other people that are taking that chance.

and going out there and they're they're. acting on their instincts and they're. putting something together and they try. to attack all those things as being. garbage because really they're not. contributing. Yeah. And so they're and. they may very well. Very easy to attack. and they may very well want to but they. hurt. Most of them. Yeah. Well, the same. instincts that make them want to attack. successful people are the same things. that hold them back from being creative. Talk about closing that pipe. Yeah. I. mean, doing it to yourself. Doing it to.

yourself and by by doing that to other. people. If they would just commit to a. body of work. Don't blink, right? And. just keep making [ __ ] Don't get. somewhere. That's great advice. Commit. to a body of work. Body of work. Like. look at someone I mentioned this and a. friend of mine, businessman called me. and said, "Wow, I really that really. spoke to me. You know, I tend to look at. all the different businesses I've. created that failed instead of looking. at the whole body of work and I fixate. on the ones that didn't work. And it's. like you never know what's going to work. or not. Don't that's not your concern. Just go make [ __ ] Follow your instinct.

because again, maybe maybe that one that. didn't work is your four rooms and you. got and you got you get two other great. ideas out of it. I've forgotten that. Dustel Dawn came out of that as well. So. that's the that's the third one out of. that four rooms. That thing gave and. gave and gave. Hustle Dawn was so fun. because it was two different movies. It. was like this that's why it couldn't get. made. So when he first wrote it, he. couldn't get made because people Okay, so this is what happened. The effects. company hires him and um they they said. we want a a movie that'll showcase our.

effects in this vampire bar. It's about. two brothers that go to vampire bar. Start Quinton starts riding. He starts. riding Quinton style where he gets way. into the brothers. So much into the. brothers that it turns into like a. desperate hours type movie for half the. movie. He he waits half the movie to get. to the bar. So now for for financeers. it's now like a mixed bag. It's like two. movies in one, right? But it was a. negative then. It was like this movie is. all wrong. It's like suddenly they're. it's one thing and then suddenly it. turns into a vampire bar. This we can't.

make this. But then Pulp Fiction comes. out and now everybody wants to make it. Oh, it's two movies in one. It's great. You know, whole different perspective. change. Well, a little success will do. for you. Four rooms. Oh, four rooms. Oh. yes, four rooms. Four times the fun, you. know. So you never know. So I told. Quinton, "Let's make it right now. because we made it to our next movie. right after Four Rooms." So Desperado, Four Rooms at So Desperado came out in. August 1995, Four Rooms in December. Dust Till Dawn was in January. That's. how fast those came out. We're working. that fast back then. Wow. So I said,

"Let's make this right now because. you're starting to steal from the. script." That's Ezekiel speech that um. Sam Jackson says in Pulp Fiction, that's. from the original Dustal Dawn script. Really? He just took it. He was he was. pulling stuff out of it cuz it was just. like not going to get made an old car. So I said before there's before it gets. picked clean. Let's go make this thing. and we'll shoot it now. We'll go shoot. it right now. And it was so fun. It was. so fun. I love that movie. It was so. fun. Che is so great. You know, we did a. table read and we have a table read with. your actors. You only have your main.

actors there. So sometimes you'll assign. other parts to other people who are. there. So it was like cheat, why don't. you go ahead and take you play the main. guy at the end, but go ahead and read. for the for the Oh, no. He he he made. the the guy who gives the speech in. front. He was playing that character. Read for the border guard and for the. guy who comes at the end, Carlos, who I. was going to get like, you know, Eric. Estrada or something. So he starts. reading and he does each one you know. comedian and he does everything in a. different voice. And we're like by the. end I was like wow he should play all. three characters. And so I asked Quinton. and Quinn goes hey what if we get Che to.

play all three guys. I was thinking the. same thing. So I go and tell Chee is. just freaking hilarious. And he go hey. man you're going to play all three. characters. Do I get paid three times? But this is why I love having comedians. on the set, you know, because we're out. there shooting that desert scene, you. know, at the end when the che comes and. the whole place is burned down. It's 125. degrees in the shade. We're in Barstow. in a dry lake bed. So freaking hot. We're all just like not moving. So I'm. going to have to go get something. We're.

all just Chicha is like this in a suit. with a hat. He goes, "Hey, Robert. Can I. This is going to be a while. Can I go to. my trailer?" I was like, "Oh man, by the. time you go, this guy's going to be back. and we'll have to start. We should just. stay right here." Okay, I'll go into my. mental trailer. Okay, high school. drinks, air conditioning. This light. lines up the whole set. Okay, this guy's. going to be in every movie. I do. He's. been in 10 movies of mine cuz just that. attitude. You like that attitude of. somebody who can find levity and torture. because sometimes movies can be.

torturous sometimes. So, having people. like that that are really on your team. that can really lighten up a set is just. the best. You've done so many different. kinds of movies. It's so interesting. because you never got, you know, Quinton. essentially does these wild chaotic. action movies that just blow you away. You do everything like you're doing like. kids movies, animated movies you did. Yeah, there's a similarity to them. I'm. still that cartoonist. So what they all. have is they're all comedic. Like even. the action movies are kind of just fun.

I mean, think of Desperado. It's like a. James Bond movie. He's got a guitar case. that fires missiles. He's got this one. that's got weapons. It's like spy kids. is very much the same thing. It's just. some are for big kids and some are for. little kids. Even Sin City. Yeah, even. Sin City is very playful. The Sin City. one was so dark. I remember the the. first book, the one that Marv that. Mickey work plays. It was so dark. I was. going like, "Oh my god, it's going to be. dark. I have to add some levity to. this." And Mickey will bring humor to it. and it's the funniest episode. It's. really funny. But he's in the book. It's. It's just like, "Oh my god, he's just.

killing everybody." But you're really. with him because of the way he betrayed. you. We didn't change very much. We just. added, you know, some humor to it. And. that the gallows humor really, you know, really helps. Yeah. Like when the yellow. guy gets shot in the dick. Oh, that's. Yeah, that's the that was a good one. Yeah, that's a really good use of color. That, by the way, was one of the [ __ ]. creepiest characters ever in a film. And. it looks like that in the drawing and I. just wanted to My whole idea was because. I'm so respectful of someone's artwork. You read Sinc City and you realize that.

art is half of it. If anyone else in. Hollywood were to make that into a. movie, they would just make it like a. gritty crime thriller and take out the. whole visual element, which is that. stark black and white where people's. eyes glow in the dark and it has all. these layers of unreality. And I went to. Frank Miller. I said, I want to just. make this move. I want this is like the. coolest movie never made. And he. actually wrote it because he had been in. Hollywood writing a couple of. screenplays and he got [ __ ] on and. screwed around the whole Hollywood.

thing. Jamie, can you show me the scene. with Mickey Ror and the yellow guy? Oh, this Bruce Willis and the other guy, excuse me, Bruce Willis. Just I just want to like while you're. talking about this, I want to look at. it. And uh yeah, so he he went and made. this comic. He said, "Fuck Hollywood. I'm going to go make a comic that could. never be made into a movie because it's. so dark, so sexy, and so every and I'd. call him up, man, let's make a great. movie.". God, it was so interesting. Oh, Bruce.

love this. Well, I got to tell you this. funny story. This is the fastest I think. any Hollywood movie's ever gotten made. Um I Yeah, I'll show you the process. It's kind of like this cards thing. You're you're going to it's going to. blow your mind. What is it now? It's. April. Okay. So, imagine this is if this is. 200 If this is 2004, April. Last year I had two movies out in. the summer was Spy Kids 3D. It was the. number one movie. Couple months later, Once Upon a Time Mexico, another number.

one movie, but also both of them ended a. trilogy that I had started. So, I was. looking for my next thing and I was I. opened up my Sin Cities again. I was. like, "Oh [ __ ] I know how to do this.". Now, I just did a whole movie on green. screen, which was really new back then. for Spike Kids 3D because I wanted it in. 3D. It was the first digital 3D movie. Because when you're in Austin, you just. innovate a lot. You know, George Lucas. tell me that it's a it's a good thing. you're in Austin. That's why I'm in. Marin County. When you live outside of. that box, you think outside of that box. automatically. you're just stumble upon. innovations. So I thought I'm going to.

go take this process and utilize it to. make Sin City. So I did a test, a little. test of it. I went, "Oh [ __ ] this is. going to work." So it was October when I. got the idea. I filmed it. I contact. Frank Miller, met him in New York. I. showed him my laptop. It looks like his. art, but then it starts moving and it's. actor and he's like, "Wow." And he gets. all into it, right? It's November. And. he goes, "Um, oh no, but then we have to. write a script and the studio is going. to have notes." No, that's not how it. works. I got my own studio. I'll write. the script. It's going to be.

unremarkable. I'm going to copy it right. out of your book and I'm going to edit. it down. I'm going to edit three of the. stories together. I'll write it this. month. We'll show it to you in December. And then in January, we'll get a couple. of actor friends. We're going to shoot. the opening scene as a test. You don't. give me the rights yet because I. understand this is your baby. You've. never given up the rights. I know what. it's like for an artist to make. something. Let me take all the risk. I'll go ahead and write the script. We'll shoot the opening scene. You I'm. going to fly you down so you can watch. Brought Josh Harnett, Marley Shelton. That opening scene in Sin City. That was. our test. 10-hour shoot day. And uh.

Marley Shelton comes up to me and says, "Why why did I hire this guy to kill. me?" I don't know. Let's go ask Frank. He should know. It's not in the book, but I'm curious myself. So Frank. answered her question and said, "I want. to do this movie." Let's wait. We had a. whole process. I'm going to shoot the. opening. I'm gonna cut it together. I'm. going to put in the effects. I'm going. to put in the music. I'm going to put in. fake titles. then we're going to watch. it. And if you like what you see, then. we do the rights and we make the movie. If you don't like it and you're still on. the fence about it, just keep it as a.

short film. Keep keep the gift. So, we. committed to the process. We make the. opening sequence. He loves it. He wants. to do it. I take it to Bruce Willis. first, which was cool about doing it. that way, which is unheard of. When I. went to his uh his agent, his agent was. like, "Wait," he leans forward very. dramatically. "You brought actors down.". Oh, because because I told him, "This is. Frank Miller. He's one of our greatest. artists. He wrote in Hollywood and he. got screwed around." And the guy goes, "Welcome to Hollywood." You know, like.

that. I'm like, "Yeah, whatever." I just. respect the artist. So, I just thought, "Hey, you'll be a partner. You're going. to co-direct this with me and we're. going to make this. We're going to take. all I'm going to take all the risk. You're going to come down. We shot this. opening, which I have. I want to show it. to Bruce so he can see the book, but. then he can see how it gets translated. And the guy gets very dramatic. He goes, "Wait, you brought the actors down. You. shot this. You did the effects for it. and you didn't have the rights." And I. leaned in. I went, "Welcome to Texas.". All his little monkeys spit out water. Frank was dying. It was super annoying.

They said, "Okay, you" Then he saw it. He went, "Okay, you can go meet with. Frank. You can go meet with Bruce." So I. show it to Bruce and he's watching it. He looks at the book and he looks at the. thing and he. goes, "Damn, this is really great." And. then fake titles come up. His name's in. the titles. And I go, "Look, you have to. be in the movie. Your name's in the. titles." And he's like, "I'm in." So he. was in and we were shooting the. finished. We're shooting the actual. movie by March. Wow. So April, we're. already done with we're filming the the. second story by April. It was out the. next year. I mean, that's as fast as the.

movie's ever gone into production. All. these actors jumped on right away once. we had Bruce. and he loved he loved. doing this film noir type thing and. we're doing something very experimental. which is green screen. Nobody knew what. green screen back then was. And what I. told him was well it's kind of like. theater but instead of being in front of. a black curtain you're in front of a. green curtain. You'll still have some. props. You might have a steering wheel. like Clive just there just had a. steering wheel. You might have uh but. just mainly you and the actors and. everything else goes away and I'll fill. in the the later. So what's cool is.

their performances are so focused on. each other because there's no other. stimulus around that you got these great. performances. We only built the bar. Hey. Frank, we'll build the bar so that you. have we have a place to hang out with. and uh you know do our story meetings, but everything else will just be on the. same you're going to come see the screen. when you come visit my studio. The whole. movie was shot in an area le smaller. than this room by the time you bring. your lights in where the actors actually. had the the playground. It's. unbelievable. Wow. That's incredible.

And it was so inspiring, too. That movie. was so because when I left the theater, I remember thinking, I've never seen. anything like that before. Was like the. comic was that way. It was so different. It just like when someone does something. that really just steps up and and and. enters into like kind of just a new area. of art because that's what it felt like. It felt like a real legitimate comic. book art movie. And this is before 300. Yeah. 300. 300 kind of took that as well. and they went I called and said, "How do. you do that movie?" I said, "I just put. out a DVD. Go I put all the I put all.

the secrets on there and they went and. they shot the same way. It was such a. good movie and it was it was so fun. because it was also a Frank Miller. movie. The thing about the Yeah. Right. Same thing. The thing about those kind. of films where someone like does. something new, it's like when you see. something new and I felt this way about. Pulp Fiction, too. You're like, "Wow, [ __ ] you leave the theater like. everything's different, you know? Like. the world's different." like that got. made like this like I now I know and the. thing about people today like young. people today that don't know like how.

revolutionary Pulp Fiction was when it. came out. When it came when it came out. it was like such a different kind of. feeling that you got after you saw the. movie. It was there was so many what the. [ __ ] scenes that you left that theater. like Jesus Christ. It's like the world. was different. The world was different. Quinn Tarantino changed the world with. Pulp Fiction. That's how profound it. was. Yeah. And I'm not exaggerating. It. changed what was possible in film after. that. No, I I was I was there during it. I remember the studios were just like.

we don't understand why this movie's big. hit. We don't we don't have anything. like this coming out except except your. movie Desperado maybe because Quinton. was in. I said I was like yeah we we got. our pulse on the on what people want. It's like we don't we don't know. So, I. got to tell you early, uh, two things. First of all, George Lucas told me that. He's like, um, I showed him the Sin City. thing because we'd both been early. adopters of digital and DPS, directors. of photography didn't want to even look. at digital. They were like, "Fuck that.".

They already spent all their time. learning film, which by sticking your. head in the sand and not seeing where. the times are going to the detriment. Now, the cameras are designed and they. they don't look as good as they could. look. But, they weren't a part of the. conversation where I was shooting my own. movies. I wasn't gonna let some DP who. didn't want to get in digital keep me. from. making, you know, Sin City. So, I just. shot it myself. I figured it out myself. So, I showed it to Lucas. He was like, "This movie will show people what. digital is capable of." Finally, more. than the Star Wars movies I'm doing. because it's just so avanguard and so.

crazy looking. But, I only made it for. me. I I really wanted to see it made. I. didn't I literally didn't think it would. be successful on its theatrical run. In. fact, we didn't even test screen it. They're like, "Can we do a test screen?". No. Why? What for? Everybody's going to. say it's black and white. Why is it. black and white? Why are there three. stories? That's all wrong. It's voice. over. It's all voice over. That's all. wrong. We know it's that way. Why would. we go hear people tell us that that's. not what movie is supposed to be? Let's. just put it out. I figure it won't do. well theatrically because you you see. the first trailer and go, "Okay, black.

and white. It's not for me." It's very. counterintuitive, which is most of the. things I do. Just like always go a. different way. But they'll find it on. video later and that's that's good. enough for me. But then it was a big hit. theatrically. Now, let me tell you about. Pulp Fiction. Because groundbreaking. doesn't look groundbreaking to you or. anyone around you necessarily when. you're doing. it. I've forgotten about this, but I. journal and I I ran across an old. journal and I brought it up to Quinton. when I interviewed him from my. director's chair. I have a show called. the director's chair where I interviewed. writer directors. He his was so big we.

did two episodes. We talked about all. his movies and I said, "Do you remember. this time I found in my diary right down. to the hour we went out to dinner?" I. mean, he was so into Pulp Fiction ever. since I met him. My next movie is gonna. be Pulp Fiction. I I visited the set. He. was into it. He's into it. He finished. the movie and I said, "Hey, how did. because I live here in Austin. I get to. hang out with him except when I go to. LA. How did you how did your movie come. out?" He goes, "Yeah, it's not it's not. the one." It's like still feels like a. movie Quinton would make. I be like, "What? What do you mean?" He's like,

"It's just doesn't feel like a real. movie. Feels like another movie Quinton. would make." And I was trying to be the. supportive friend because I knew how. much he'd put in. Well, it should be. different. and he was like, "Man, I just. wouldn't wouldn't have it." It's like. 2:00 in the morning. I was dropping him. off at home after we'd been out. And so. I went back to Austin and he had had a. screening for his all his director. friends that I couldn't be at because I. lived in Austin. So I called one of them. said, "How was the screening?" He was a. little bummed about. He goes, "Nah, this. isn't the one for him." And I was like, "Really?" Yeah, it's it's just too Yeah, it's just not it. And I asked him this.

and he goes, "You're right." You know, he'd forgotten about that moment. He. goes, "Fact, yeah, people didn't get. it." And in fact, and he didn't get it. either. He wasn't sure if it was it. In. fact, one filmmaker even said, "I want. to sit you down and tell you all the. things that are wrong with this. movie, but I'll wait till you get back. from. Ken." He goes to Ken, he wins Ken. And. the friend left him a message. What the. hell do I know? I've only made one. movie. Everyone's mind was changed. So. he he was surprised by it, too. So. that's I just want people to hear that.

because you're making something. groundbreaking. It's not like you're. going, I'm making something. groundbreaking. You don't know that it's. going to do that. Sometimes things. overperform. And that's why if you just. commit to a body of work, you're not. going to know which one's going to be. your pulp fiction, which one's going to. be your four rooms, you know, and if you. just do that, because I saw a lot of. people get hurt, you know, like John. Carpenter made the thing. He thought he. made a great movie. Thought he made an. amazing movie. Bombs. Critics called it pornography at. the time. If you remember, like this the. the makeup effects of it. Audiences.

didn't go. It came out the same weekend. unfortunately as ET. Right. Why did they. call it pornography? Just because it was. just so self-indulgent and gross and. nasty. I mean they they really like. reamed him to the point. So the special. effects Yeah. The special effects are. really crazy. Yeah. Yeah. If you don't. remember the time it was really like. that. There was repulsion towards this. movie. Wow. I know you don't think that. now because 10 years later it took 10. years. No it was not. It was not. Wow. 10 years.

later, it was suddenly considered a. classic. Now, if he had committed to a. body of work, he would have just let. that roll off his shoulders and just. don't blink. But it really [ __ ] you up. if you think I made a I my instincts. must be off. I thought I made a great. movie. It's a great [ __ ] movie, but. if no one else is saying that. So, I. asked Quinton who George Lucas had the. same thing. He showed famously Star Wars. to all his director friends and they're. all like, "Poor George just wasted all. his time on this movie." And Spielberg. was the only one who was like, "Uh, it's.

naive. It'll do good." And so I asked. Quinton, "I was there anybody in that. director's group?" And he goes, "Yes, there was one, Katherine Begalo. She was. the one who was championed and said, "This is something new and different.". No one else was saying that. But that's. pretty amazing, right? That's super. amazing. It's really And I would have. forgotten it if I had not written it. down. So there's a lot of films that. slip through the cracks. Yeah. for. whatever reason or they don't get. received. You know what I saw recently. that I [ __ ] loved? The monkey. Did.

you see the monkey? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's It's a Stephen King book that or. maybe it might have been a short story. It was a short story in one of his. adapted skeleton crew. It's [ __ ] fun, man. I watched with my youngest daughter. loves horror movies. We watch a lot of. horror movies together and uh we were, you know, looking for something the. other night and we were like, "All. right, let's take a chance on this." had. no idea what it was. Watch the trailer. I'm like, "Are you in?" She's like, "Okay, this is good." So, it's [ __ ]. chaos. It's such a chaotic,

insane, hyper violent movie and but. funny and just, you know, kind of scary. It was really good, man. It was f It was. like a classic. What I really love about. the early Stephen King work, like his. early work was like that's a here's one. that fell through the cracks like and I. was there at Sony when we were doing. mariachi despa when this movie came out. I remember the marketing team said we. have a really great movie. Unfortunately, no one's going to see it. because of the title. So what is it.

called? Shaw Shank Redemption. Oh my. god. And it bombed. What? Oh Shashank. Redemption bombed. What? It was a bomb. How nobody went to see it. It's called. Shaw Shank Redemption. And what the hell. is it? guys in prison. Nobody went to. see it. And this is Sony marketing. They. just couldn't get anybody to go see it. Wow. But you've history gets rewritten. Now again, you can be Frank Daraban and. be like really down. But fortunately, he. didn't have to wait 10 years. As soon as. it got to video, it became a phenomenon. on video. And now it's considered if you.

go on IMDb, it's always neck andneck. with The Godfather is the best movie of. all time. Wow. That is a movie nobody. saw. So again, look, don't blink. Commit. to a body of work. You may make a. classic. like it might be the thing and. you're not going to hear about that for. 10 years. Just keep going. Don't let it. don't let it make you question your. instincts cuz your instincts I would. have never guessed Shaw Shank was a. failure. There's a lot of movies that. are like incredible. That was a time. when people could um really get a second. life on video. Now, now it's different.

with this opening night to see the. audience to view their film. Darbon and. Gladzer went to the Curama Dome and. found no one there. The Cama. Oh my god. Oh my god. I know. Imagine just like I. don't know. I thought I thought you know. as an artist you're going to be going I. I must be wrong. I must have just don't. have the That's clearly a fault of the. marketing. No, it's also just I'm. blaming them. Yeah. I think I mean cuz. if anyone showed up they would have gone.

and screamed it to everybody else. Sometimes it's just it's just the way it. goes. It's just it's supposed to go that. way. Now, now I'm gonna give you an. alternate one that there's a movie. called Body Parts with a guy named Jeff. Fe. I loved that movie Body Parts by. Eric Red. He did the Hitcher. He did You. would never hear about it because the. timing of it and Jeff Fe was a big J Fe. fan. I remember in the early 90s I I. kept going. I was at my mother-in-law's. and across the street was a dollar. theater showing Body Parts. I go every. night for seven at 7 p.m. I go for a. dollar and it was at the second run and.

watch it just to hear how an audience. responds to it. And he was just great in. it. I just felt a connection to this. guy. I go, I wish I was making movies. cuz I would work with this guy. He's. really a cool actor. What is this about? It's it's about a guy who gets in a car. accident, loses his arm, and he's given. the arm of a killer just to kind of just. replace him. But it suddenly he starts. doing things with Oh, I remember. Okay. So, anyway, that's the same dude that. was Lawnmower Man. Yeah, he he was in. Lawnmower Man, too. Yes. So another. season this should have been something. that you know was it for him but this.

week it came out they had just caught. Jeffrey Dmer like the week before so. they pulled back on the marketing. completely so no one saw it and so he. didn't get that boost his career but but. the silver lining the ash the key in the. ashes was me I saw it every night so. when I went to do grind house he retired. from acting he was in Afghanistan I. asked for him to send a tape guy was. working doing work out there. Send me I. don't I don't remember some kind of you. know like helping people and stuff. Um.

he sends me a tape and so I hire him I. hire him to be in it and because he was. in that movie in fact I'd already hired. Michael Bean and I went oh [ __ ] Jeff. sent me a thing. God Jeff's great too. I'll just make them brothers. So they. play brothers in Grinhouse because he. did that movie. He got lost that show. Lost. He got he just his whole career. came back. So we were talking about it. I just recently was telling him, "Man, it just came out on 4K. You got to come. see. You probably never seen it." He. goes, "I never seen the finished movie.". And I said, "You're great in it." I was.

showing him some scenes. It was blowing. his mind. He goes, "Yeah, this movie. didn't do well. I remember now. Why?". Cuz the Jeffrey Dmer thing just I went, "That's just how it's supposed to go.". But I saw it and that's why I hired you. and that's how you got that second. career later on because I was there. every night because it was in the dollar. theater so quick. I wouldn't have been. able to afford it any other way. So. that's how weird [ __ ] happens, right? It's like so cool. It makes you see that. you don't it's it's just sometimes. that's just how the balls roll, you. know. It's just all interconnected. somehow. Yeah. Somehow it's. interconnected. You have to trust the.

process. You just have to trust the. process. I had someone in the audience. uh recently I was talking about brass. knuckle films and and and getting. everybody all stirred up about it and uh. one gal goes, "You're all positive, but. do you have any. doubts?" I was like, "Well, I've never. been asked that question before." So. whenever I don't have an answer, I'll. ask them first. You know, what do you. guys think? What do you guys think? How. would you answer? How would you answer. that? Stay as you. Do you have doubts? You have do you have any human doubts? Everyone has doubts. Okay. So, it's what. you do with them. Do you let your doubts.

overwhelm you or do you take them into. consideration? Like, are these doubts. valid? Right? Like I And what do I have. to do to make sure that these that these. fears don't manifest themselves as. reality? I have to do extra work. Do I. have to work harder? I have to be more. objective, right? You know, you have to. you have to take into consideration that. anything you're going to do that's going. to be exciting also carries the. possibility of risk. And the risk of. failure is a thing that keeps a lot of. people from acting. So, if you're going. to commit to a body of work and not.

blink, you got to be welcome. You don't. have to worry about that. There's a. jiu-jitsu expression. Well, a lot of. people use it in MMA as well. You don't. lose, you learn. Yeah. So, if you know. that's the process, this is my answer. I. said, "No, I don't have any doubts.". Because I like to be counterintuitive. Yeah. Your process is long. The the the. the thing is long. It's a it's not a a. sprint. You're not running to a. telephone pole. You're running to the. other side of the world, right? Yeah. So, I tell her, "No, I don't have any.

doubts." Just to be counterintuitive. And I say, "Why?" Because if you. understand the process, why should you. have a doubt? You might fail, but it. might be four rooms. You might if you. have an instinct to go there or you. don't know how you're going to do it. What's what's half the battle? Not. knowing. That's the magic is I don't. have to know. I'm going to figure it out. when I'm almost done. You know, all. those things come together. Risk averse. early and it becomes a pattern. And it's. very hard to break out of. And I always. tell them, find something that you can. have success in. Find something that you. enjoy doing. It doesn't have to be a.

career. It could be a game that you. enjoy playing. It could be anything. Painting, writing. It could be a thing. that you because you love it. You'll. probably will have success at it. Yes. Yes, because I'm sure you were drawing. too, you know, in school. I would be. drawing all day in school. I'd make. these flip cartoon books in the sides of. the dictionaries, paper dictionaries, flip cartoon movies. They get the. dictionary biggest and fattest. I'd make. these very elaborate stick figure. animations and everyone in class loved. him and I'd be like, I'm going to be.

broke. I used to I can't pay attention. to class. I used to do cartoons of the. teachers in high school. Yeah. And. everybody loved them. Yeah. passed him. around the class and I got in trouble a. bunch of times for it. And one time I. had this uh science teacher, Mr. Holman. And Mr. Holman was very odd, very. eccentric guy. And so I drew a cartoon. of him uh behind his screen. So he had a. screen that he pulled down where he. could show like films and then when he. pulls the screen up, he had no idea that. on the chalkboard I had written, I had.

drawn this cartoon of him. and the whole. [ __ ] class starts laughing. The power. of the pen you had back then. Yeah. It. was like my first introduction to being. a a comedian. It's It was It's very. satisfying. But But did you think you. were going to make a career out of that? No, of course not. You think I was. thinking, "Oh my god, I'm going to be so. broke. I can't understand what they're. talking about. I'm way behind and I'm. not the best artist." So, it's not like. I'm gonna like I'm some protetéé or. something. So, I'm [ __ ] But that's. ended up being my career was just doing.

that stuff because you love it so much. So I ask people if you want to find what. your passion is, what what is that thing. that you run off to do on the weekend, right? I was always going to making. movies and I was doing that. When once. you're done punching the clock all week, what is it that you go run to? That's. probably your passion. Put more effort. into that and you'll you'll actually. find success doing it. When you put. stuff together, suddenly opportunities. are going to fall in your lap. And if. that's not it, at least you'll have. learned that you could follow this. process to get good at something or get. really deeply involved in something and. you could apply that to other things. It.

might be a new thing you get excited. about. So this is what I applied it to. because I'd forgotten this lesson, which. was just say you're this person. Stop. aspiring, right? Our words we use are so. powerful. If you say, well, you know, I'm might not I'm probably not going to. be successful. Well, that's your lot in. life. You just you just did that to. yourself. Self-defining. So I I had a a. friend of. mine. I mean like I I always hated. working out. I didn't follow any sports. Didn't know sports in high school. They.

go, "We need you. It's a small school. We need you on the team. You look at. tall and everything. You play. basketball. I don't know how to play any. of these things. I hate working out.". There's a line in the faculty that I. gave to Elijah Wood because that was my. line to teachers when they'd make me. want to run and go, I don't think a. person should run unless he's being. chased and they would leave me alone. But I hated it. And so then I became a. filmmaker. Oh, when I was a cartoonist, my back kept going out. 19, I'm like. have a have a cane and my back would be. out for like a month because I would sit. Oh wow. kitchen table drawing. I was so. tall that it was just it would throw my.

back. I would just disc would go out and. then when I started film making every. year would just go out like clockworks. I'm operating the camera. I'm operating. the steady cam. And when when I was. doing you know spy kids too I think with. a Ricardo Montban had a bad back that he. got surgery and it [ __ ] him up and he. was in a wheelchair. He was paralyzed. So he's in a wheelchair and I'm with a. walker because my back went out and he. goes, "Robert, I'm 84 years old. What's. your excuse? You got to work out, Robert." He was always in shape. Ricardo, that chest in SP in in Star.

Trek 2, that's his chest. God, I know. And he was in his late 60s or his. mid60s. They fused his spine. Is that. what they did? Yeah, they did something. and [ __ ] up. God damn it. So, um, every time I hear a story like that, I'm. like, I wish I could talk to that guy. before he did that. I know. and he went to a good place, but they. just hit something wrong. They [ __ ]. him up. It happens to so many people. Yeah. So, I go, "Okay, I don't want that. to happen to me, but I don't I don't. know how to work out." So, the next. year, I worked with Stallone/ Stallone. I got to get in shape because my back. keeps going out and I don't like to.

work. He goes, "Get thee a trainer.". Anyone you ever seen in Hollywood got in. shape? They had a trainer. What about. you? Oh, I need a trainer. You need a. trainer. Well, then if you need a. trainer, Mr. Rocky, what chance do us. mortal men have? So, I hired a trainer. and guess what happened? Hated it. Hated. it. I'd hide from the guy. He'd come to. my house, I'd pay him not to show up. I'd hate it. I'd hide. I'd hide. I'd be. I'd call in sick. And then when he did. when he did get me, I'd be like halfass. in the workouts, you know, cuz I hated. it. And then um one year it was just.

torture. I knew I had to do it. But so. this was my my point is that sometimes. it's not a lack of desire. So when. people really want to become something, they're not getting it. It's not because. they have to change their minds. the. there's something that goes with it. Desire. You I have plenty of desire. I. was paying this guy. I wanted to get in. shape. I didn't want my back going out. anymore. I had the desire. I was missing. another key element that I figured out. And it's a lesson I already knew, which. was stopp aspiring. But I forgot it. So. this woman, friend of mine from Mexico, shows up. She says, a production.

manager. I have to stop smoking. My. doctor said, I have to stop smoking or. I'm going to die. I've been smoking. since I was 8 years old. Oh boy. I said, well, you're going to go back to smoking. because you just told me that's your. identity. You've been doing it since you. were eight. So right now you're a smoker. who's not smoking. Eventually you're. going to conform to your identity. You. have to change your identity. You have. to say, "I'm a non-smoker. I'm a. non-smoker." Because what does a. non-smoker do? Hate smoke. They get sick. of the smell of smoke. She was like, "Okay, I'll try it." I don't know what. happened to her, but I thought that.

voice is killing. She truly talks like. that. So then I go, "Wait a minute. [ __ ] I used to I used to apply it to. filming, but that's all I was back. there. Where where else in my life can I. do a 180?" And it's got to be a 180. because if it's just a matter of. degrees, it's [ __ ] Yeah, it's much. easier if it's just opposite day. So I. went, "Oh my god, working out. I hate. working out." Of course I hate working. out because I tell my trainer and. everyone who will listen how much I hate. it. I'm an athlete. Oo, I'm an athlete. The last thing I would ever call myself,

Mr. Cartoon Guy. Wow. I'm an athlete by. the next. day. What does an athlete do? Loves to. work out. Makes time to work out. Ess. And it's got to be opposite day. It's. much easier. I'm going to go lay on the. couch today and just kind of No, I'm. going to go work out or there's a donut. Not going to cut it in half and eat. half. That's [ __ ] Does degrees [ __ ]. you up. Opposite day. There's a donut. No, I'm going to reach for an apple. Not. only was I able to work out, this is 14. years ago. I didn't need a trainer again. ever. I would just be like making myself.

do it because I'm an athlete. That's how. powerful the mind is. So I was saying if. someone says ah I want to go do this. thing on the weekend and you might have. the desire but you got to get the. identity too. You've got to say you are. that and it sounds a little awkward like. I asked somebody Lex Freedman I I said. do you consider yourself a creative. person and he went well you know that's. a good impression. I said you're. stuttering there man you're stuttering. you're stuttering. He goes I I know I. know I said no no no you got to say and.

are you technical? He goes, "Yeah, okay. You're technical and creative." That was. the first thing that stuck in my ear. It's also what Jim Cameron is. It's also. what, you know, George Lucas is. technical and creative. When I first had. a my first job, my dad had a friend who. owned a Photoshop and he said, "Go work. for my friend Mario for your summer job. when I was 16. Went to work for Mario. processing film for photos." And he gave. me a camera and film and said, "Go home. and take pictures with this because I. need you to know how to use that camera. so you can help me sell the cameras.". So, I went home and I'm from a family of. nine kids. I mean 10 kids, nine.

siblings, taking all these pictures of. them doing cool stuff. Go back. He looks. at the pictures and he goes, "Whoa, these are really creative. You're. creative. You got to now learn how to be. technical because most creative people. always need technicians and technicians. always need creative people." Now, it's. against your It's just a gift you have. They can never really be creative. They'll just be technical. But because. you have creativity, if you apply. yourself, it's against your nature. But. if you apply yourself and learn the. technical part, you'll be technical and. creative and you'll be impossible.

You'll be unstoppable. And I was like, whoa, unstoppable at 16. He goes, here. go. I know sometimes, and I'm going to. ask you about who did that for you. Who. was because if you look. at all the different turning points in. your life, there was probably somebody. who sent you in a direction. It comes. through them. Because if I were to go. back and ask that guy, hey, that advice. you gave me, he'd be like, what? But I I. don't remember seeing that. Kind of just. came through him at the time. Right. Right. So he he pointed me that way and.

that's why I went and made a march by. myself. I didn't want to take anybody. because I wanted to learn. I didn't know. how to use that camera. But but if you. go ask somebody to do it for you, your I. need list, if you make a list of all the. things you need before you can make your. dream happen. The longer that list is, the less that's going to happen. You got. to reduce it down to nothing. Me, my. hands, my bootstraps, this camera. I'm. going to figure it out on the day. be. technical and creative. So I told X, "Now you got to own it. When I say, are.

you creative?" You go, "Yeah, I'm. creative and I'm technical and I don't. blink and I'm going to create a body of. work." And he's like walks out of there. supercharged. You know, Lex needs a guy. like you in his life all the time. He's. too self-deprecating. He's such a. brilliant guy and and it's nice to be. self-deprecating is kind of a joke, but. little bit but the words you use in. yourself are very important. He beats. himself up. The words you use and you're. doing that to yourself. Yeah. The guy. throwing cabbage at you on stage. Look close. It's [ __ ] It's you. You're doing that to yourself. You're.

the one who's like, you do that to. yourself with your words. He'll make. like Twitter posts about how down he is. and I want to go over to his house and. [ __ ] shake him like a baby. Yeah, dude. You're going to you're down. You. stay down. I have this theory called. baseline. I talk to some of my kids and. we just laugh about it now. I go, "Okay, when [ __ ] [ __ ] up, when shit's not. going right, don't be down about it. Don't feel like you're in a slump cuz. now you just stuck yourself in a grave. and it's going to be hard to climb out, right? When [ __ ] isn't going right, oh, the tires flat. Oh, I got fired. I call. that baseline. You're at baseline.

Anything above baseline. Like this right. now, we're here having this great talk. This is way above baseline. Yeah, I'm on. the Joe Rogan show, you know? So, way. above bas celebrate that [ __ ] because. it's not always there. Don't say that. you're going to go down. You're just. going to go to baseline. It's much. easier to accept and then you're not in. a negative position. You're just kind of. at a normal. I'm at a normal and I'll. really appreciate when anything above. baseline happens. My daughter and I are. about to go play an arena show. She's. going to sing. I'm going to play with my. band. I told her way above baseline. We're going to get a nice hotel. We're.

going to really celebrate this because. this [ __ ] doesn't always happen. And. when everything's going really, really. wrong. Baseline. Only when things are. really down you call yourself low. And. you don't want to do that. Otherwise, you'll stay there for a much longer. time. M if you're just a baseline, that's just life. Oh yeah, I tried to go. make that movie and it didn't work. Baseline such advice. It's it's really. it's mindset. It's all mind. It's all. stuff you're doing to yourself. Yes. And. these are things I like to pass on to. people because when they come back and. give it back to me, I don't know if.

you'd give your kids advice, Liz. You. learn it because you learn so much. You've got the best job in the world. You're learning all day. I bet you don't. know if that it's going to stick with. them. I was shocked how much stuff not. only sticks, but they come back and they. feed it back to me and go, "Oh, dad, it's just like just like you taught me.". And I go, "They also learn by watching. you do it." So, oh, yeah. They've seen. you move through the world, but you're. the dad and you're making all these. films. You're doing all this. You're. you're involved. You're you're you have. action. There's a lot of action. You're. constantly in motion. You're doing. things. You're creating things. That's.

inspiring to them. They like absorb. that. If you're down on yourself all the. time, Oh, yeah. You know, that's they. go, "Okay, that's life." and I got to. look for I'm that's going to happen to. me, you know. Or you can reject that and. be the opposite. Like I have a friend. and his family was alcoholics. He's. never had a drop a drink in in his life. and he's like super disciplined because. of that. I'll tell you my secret. I've never done. drugs. None. None. Nothing. Yeah. You. don't even drink coffee. You were saying. I don't even drink coffee. You would.

tell that story because it's so. hilarious. Oh, a friend of mine, what. was his name? He was working at the Sony. when I first got there for. um Mariachi and I was like this kid and. the other people my age were assistants. and he was. like falling asleep at his desk and I'm. like why why are you falling asleep and. he goes I'm trying to get off coffee. I. was like oh my god I'm never going to. get on coffee. And I want those guys. getting their hooks in me. And then over. the years you see like Starbucks showing. up and everybody like zombies going in. there having to get their coffee went as. I drink something all marketing all it's.

it's it's made to be addictive like. nicotine and all that and then your. buddy can't create that and I already I. already stay up for days as it is you. know so I don't want to anything like. that. Do you really? I can stay up I. just I just did this uh what's your. favorite workout music? Mine clan. I. just did I just did a I love classic. stuff like Van Halen and I did a music. video for Wolf Gang Van Halen and uh we. shot it in two days and I was up two. days cutting it cuz I just wanted to see. what was going to happen next. Two days. I could not two days I was just like I.

want to see what happens next. You don't. even notice my shoulder is getting all. [ __ ] up and I'm like what's wrong with. my shoulder? Did I pull a muscle and. doing some shrugs or something? I was. like I went back to sit in that chair. I. was like oh cuz I've been sitting like. this for two days sitting just doing. this. That's insane. But it's it's. really cool. It's great. Don't you hit a. point of diminishing returns where it's. like you're so tired that you really. would be better off. It's different with. editing. Editing is a weird I I was. thinking that as I was doing it. I go, I. wish I could do this with writing where. I could just write for two days.

straight, but you words will knock me. out, put me to sleep after a while. Editing is just visual stimulus and. you're so excited going, "Okay, one more. hour. One more hour." And you just can't. stop. You just can't stop because now. you're you're seeing it. It came out so. cool. It's going to drop 38 hours later. It's going to drop like next week. It. rips your head off. It's a great workout. song for sure. But it's just really. entertaining. Kids talented. He uh does. all the instruments himself on his. albums. Yeah. He plays every instrument. He plays the drums, the bass, the. guitar, sings, writes the songs. Uh when. he goes on tour, he takes this really. great band with him because he can't.

play all the parts. But the albums, his. third album he's working on is um all. plays all the instruments. Wow. Super. talented. Really, really fun. But I like. working with people who just do more. than than other people. They just. they're just at that level and it's so. inspiring and inspires you stuff. Yeah, definitely fuel. That's why I always. tell people if you can surround yourself. with other people that are really. getting after it in life, it will 100%. motivate you completely. In a different. way instead of having that. procrastination feeling, you'll get up.

excited. You have to. And it's like, you. know, your parents tell you be careful. who your peers are when you're younger. because it means one thing. Oh, yeah. But later even more. Like when I started. going to the film festival and there's. Quinton and then I meet Jim Cameron and. then you meet like George Lucas. It's. like you can't hang with these guys if. you're not accomplishing something, right? So then when they say, "Hey, what. are you up to?" Well, I'm down in Texas. and I got my own studio and I'm. pioneering digital film making and green. screen technology and I want to make the. first digital 3D movie. And they go, "Oh, okay. Cool. So you can hang out.". I'm like, "Oh, okay. I'm gonna hang out. here for a while. God, I got to be doing.

something." That's a great oneline. I. was like, but still compared to what. they're doing, you know, when I first. met Jim, still exciting. When I first. met Jim Cameron, that's why you you. don't want to be around people who where. you're the best. You're better, you. know? You want to be the one that. they're swinging higher than you. Yes. Yes. So surround yourself with those. people and do something so that they let. you hang with them. But you want to. learn like here's to Jim Cameron for. instance, when I met him, I really. wanted to impress the hell out of him. So I said, I'm about to go do Desperado. and I can't afford a steady cam. operator. So I took a three-day. three-day steady cam course and I'm.

going to operate it myself on the movie. I'm gonna operate the steady cam, that. big beast of a camera. And he. went, I bought a steady cam, but not to. operate it. I'm going to take it apart. and design a better one. So, I was like, that's completely who he is. Us mere. mortals are like trying to operate the. thing. He's designing whole new systems. And if you think that's very consistent. with who he is, that's the person you. want to hang out with. Not someone the. guy had said, "Oh, me too. I'm doing the. same thing." Didn't he go to the bottom. of the Mariana Trench or some [ __ ] in.

summary that he designed? It's only. Yeah, it's on his desk. It's like this. big on his desk. This green machine. And. I was looking at it going. like, "Weren't you afraid? I mean, I've. got kids and wife. You got kids and a. wife. Weren't you afraid of going down. that deep and something happening?" He's. like, "No." I said, "Why not?". Oh, I designed the escape. vehicle. So, if any other bozo had done. it, I'd be afraid because he did it. Had.

all the confidence in the world. Talk. about seven. No doubt. No doubt. So. insane. Is that hilarious? That's great, though. That's him, though. It's like, yeah, if someone else had designed the. escape vehicle, I'd be afraid. But no, I. did it. So, he had no no pause at all. He designed it. Crazy. So, that's kind. of confidence that that's the people you. want to hang out with. That's a. legitimate genius. It changes your. perception of life. And by osmosis you. pick up I call it this proximity. phenomenon like when you're just near I. took a painting class with uh Sebastian.

Krueger painter in Germany. I saw this. class that he gives for a week. I went. I'm going to go do that class. Not to. learn how to paint so much. I know I'll. be a better director by learning paint. because it's that another way into. creativity. Again, you just want to get. better at creativity. So just do as many. jobs as you want as you can that you're. interested in because if you just do one. job, you barely know that job. You have. to do all these other ones to kind of. inform it. Yes. So, I went out there. He. doesn't teach you anything. He just. paints. I'll show you the examples. before and after just by I thought for. sure. I I did a pre-painting before.

going out there. It looks like crap. I I. don't know what brushes he's using and. the kinds of paints. It's a different. method. I he must have some trick. I go. and he's painting this amazing MC Jagger. photoreal in front of us and we all can. paint alongside him. I What paint are. you using? It's regular paint. What. brushes are you using? Regular brushes. How come I can't do that? I go back and. suddenly it's a different painting. I'm. going to try one more. It's more. photoreal. When I show it to you, it's. going to blow you away. It looks like I. dropped the brush. I was like, "Holy. shit." It's because I finally given.

myself permission to do it. Because you. you have the ability, but you're. blocking it because you go, "I don't. know. I don't know. There's something I. don't know." So again, you're just. chopping off your own leg. And by being. around somebody who's doing it at that. level, suddenly you can do it, too. It's. like breaking the Mfield. Like as soon. as I made mariachi, no one had ever done. anything like that. Suddenly there's 10, 12, 13 movies made, you know, very low. budget because they go, "Oh, it's. possible now. Suddenly you can do it, too." And when it's in the room, when. you're right near it, it's just a. phenomenon that you can just glean off.

of them without them teaching you. anything. Just by being around and. seeing how they move through the world. and seeing them accomplish and that. they're regular people that are just. accomplishing at a high level, it just. blows your mind. And that's really. important in standup comedy. I was. conversation last night in the green. room. We were talking about this uh area. of the country that's falling apart and. I was like comedy is top down man. You. you have to have a bunch of assassins. all working together in the same. location. They all feed off each other. and then all the people coming up below.

They see that they see these young these. young guys that are coming up. They see. these people working really hard and. constantly creating and hustling doing. all these different sets and constantly. working on new material and they get. inspired by and then you see these guys. get Netflix specials and do and it's all. happening at the club. So this club that. we're doing in Austin is all about that. process. Like we have specifically. designed it to have two open mic nights, Sunday and Monday. So new people, no. experience get up there. People from all. across the country moving here so they. can be a part of the process. But.

there's like a real path to success that. you could see because guys like Ron. White are there. Guys like Shane Gillis. are there. Tony Hinchcliffe and and. these young guys, Derek Poston, all. these young guys that are coming up that. are like really exciting, you know? It's. like it's really fun. There's like a a. vibe of creativity that everybody feeds. off of. I love what you've built. You've. come here. You've only been here like. four years and you've already like built. this whole community. Well, it kind of. built itself, man. It's it's the same. thing we were talking about before with.

instincts. I first of all, I had the. instinct to escape LA. I was like, this. I this is not going to change. This is. going to get worse. I got to get the. [ __ ] out of here. And uh Ron had already. been here. Ron was here in 2018. And um. once my family was interested in doing. it, it was pretty easy cuz I I'm I'm one. of those guys like I just can just pick. up stakes and go. I'm like, well, okay, life is different now. Let's live in. Texas. Like I want that. I like change. I like I like not having any [ __ ].

idea what's going to happen. I'm excited. by that. And so then once we got out. here and then Ron's like, "We got to. open up a club." Okay, we got to open up. a club. And so then I started looking. for locations and luckily the Ritz was. available. Wow. That's right. We we had. we did we I'd been under contract for. this one world theater that was owned by. that one. That fell apart. There's a lot. of is right down there with all the. perfect spot. When the Ritz was. available, it was like, "Oh my god, this. is it." And then we walked in and it was.

still the Alamo, so it was like set up. for a movie theater with like the angled. slope seating. And then we had to change. everything, but I'm like, "This is it.". And then I started bringing in other. comics to help me. I'm like, "What would. you do?" And Louis CK came and he was. like, "I think you should make the stage. smaller. Make the stage smaller. I think. you should make the ceiling lower. Make. the ceiling lower." Like, so we were. able to do whatever we wanted to do and. design the club from scratch just for. comics. And once everybody knew that it. was happening, people just started.

moving here, man. You build it, they. will come. It really was like that. But. it was it was like the universe wanted. it to happen. And I say that it sounds. so self-important, but No, no, it's like. I believe that it's just you you're. stumbling upon so many things had to. happen in this order for it to happen. this way. And then you had to have. someone who's like me who's accustomed. to just going by instinct. Yeah. And. I've always done that. I always my whole. life I'm like [ __ ] it. Let's do this.

I'm like that's what I do. And so when. this came up I'm like okay well you're. not gonna stop doing what you do now. Don't be a [ __ ] This is what you do. You're gonna throw a bunch of money at. this thing. Let's make this happen and. tell everybody you're doing it and and. call all your friends in LA and call all. your friends in New York and come on. down, man. We're making this happen. Wow. Wow. I tell people that after. Mariachi, it's like I I never thought I. could get into the industry because I. didn't live in LA and you need contacts. and all that. So I just, you know, again, I made a practice film. But then. when it got bought and it was getting.

released and in one Sundance, my. practice film, I thought, I don't have. to move to LA. They bet they won't even. know I'm not there. Between that. airplane flight and FedEx, they I'll. just stay here in Austin. So for the. past, you know, 35 years, people are. like, why do you live in Austin? I don't. understand. It's like now they're all. moving here. But it's because you could. just think outside of the box here. So. yeah, and I would tell people filmmakers. who all thought they needed to move to. LA, stay where you are. build up your. community around you. We built this. amazing community of filmmakers here. All they made here were westerns before.

that. Wow. Suddenly I was making Spy. Kids, Sin City, you know, these crazy. movies that really changed the ripple. effects to the whole community is huge. because you're changing the the. workforce. Yes. And so you just by doing. that thing and it's like it isn't like. an instinct. It's like it's pre-planned. It's like it's pre-laid out. Yeah. I. tell my artist when you come to my. house, you're going to feel it. you'll. feel like these. connections. And I go, I think we. realize we're not that smart. You know, we're not smart enough to predict all. that stuff. I think we've lived this. life many times before and we forget a.

lot of it. So, we have a barely. impersonate impression of what we're. supposed to do. But it's because we did. it a thousand times and we forgot it. each time. Like a dream when you wake up. from a dream because true because, you. know, you wake up from a dream and and. you go, I was a filmmaker in that dream. and I had five kids. You know, that's. what it's going to be like when when our. life is over. You'll wake up and it'll. be like your your past lifetime just. goes away and then you go start again. and only now you're a fish or something. But uh but I thought this had this. thought. Wow, what if I wake up and I.

can barely remember the. dream and that's and that's it because. it feels like sometimes you feel like. you can predict the future but not like. you can predict it. You recognize it. once it happens like oh yeah this is. this is right but how did I know to go. this way? I didn't on purpose like you. said. I didn't set all the all the. things that needed to fall into place. are too too coincidental. What is that. about? So that's why even more just just. follow your instinct. Follow your. instinct. Even if it sounds bonkers, follow it. And if it fails, keep going.

because that might be your four rooms or. something. Just keep going. That really. is an important piece of advice, too, to. if you're outside of a hive of. like-minded thinking, you could when. you're outside of that, you can think on. your own. Go another way. Yeah. You I. mean, it's like high school. You go back. to that, you know, someone famously. leaves high school and goes off to. college and goes off and sees the world. They come back to their old hometown and. they find their old friends still. driving the same streets. That's LA. Yeah. They're still doing the same [ __ ]. the same way and you just went off the.

reservation and. discover their opinions are only based. on what's popular. It's like you were. talking about pulp fiction like before. they're like, "What the [ __ ] is this?". And then they're like, "Oh my god, now. we got to make something like this. Let's make Dustal Dawn." Like that's. what it is. like they don't their. opinions are [ __ ] It's like it's. all just based on they lick their finger. and they find out which way the wind's. blowing and that's how they think and. that's how they are politically. That's. how they are socially. That's how they. It's like they're nonsense people and. you got to get away from that. Get away. and just create your own thing. And the.

problem with comics is that we got all. we all got trapped in the velvet prison. of television. Right. Right. So. television's the velvet prison. The real. art form is what we do on stage. That's. what everybody really loves. What do you. mean by being on television? You mean. like sitcoms? Okay. Okay. Cuz right now. it seems like it's come back the other. way. So many comics have such great like. Netflix specials are massive. Oh yeah. Where it's basically them doing stand up. but they've got a huge audience. Exactly. Well, what happened was the. internet came along and a bunch of.

unconventional people became very famous. on the internet without the help of. Hollywood. people that the Tim Dillons. of the world that don't fit into this. television box, but when you get them on. the internet and they can get Buck Wild, like, oh my god. Then they have this. massive following. The Theo Vans, all. these different people that have this. very unconventional approach that for. whatever reason wouldn't fit in in. certain they couldn't host the Tonight. Show, right? But, you know, once they. get on their own and now they develop. these like there's more arena acts now.

for standup comedy than ever before in. the history of comedy. Wow. Yeah. That's. amazing. Yeah. But I mean, not even. close. I mean, the the only arena act in. the like the 1980s was Andrew Dice Clay. So, first it was Steve Martin, then it. was Andrew Dice, and Steve Martin kind. of decided that the popularity of it all. was so confusing to him that everything. that he said was funny and it didn't. make any sense. didn't feel and he. stopped doing comedy, stopped doing. standup, which which you have he had a. very different kind of standup anyway. He did played the banjo and he sang.

songs and so Dice comes along and Dice. Clay is selling out arena. It's like the. first comedian ever to do that and then. later in the 2000s it was Dane Cook. because Dane Cook figured out how to use. MySpace and developed this gigantic. following online. Same kind of thing. And so then when by the time the. pandemic hit, I was like, "We don't need. to be in LA, right? We're not going to. be on TV. The only reason why we're in. LA is the comedy store." And the comedy. store is closed for the next [ __ ]. year and a half because these idiots.

that are running the city and we came to. Texas and once we were out here, I was. like, "Oh, this is so much better.". Because now instead of being around. these Hollywood people that don't really. have opinions, they just go which. whatever way the breeze is going. Now. you're hanging out with regular folks. Yeah. Like regular people. People that. are cops and firemen and auto repair. guys and you're just humans. So all the. people I interact with are just normal.

humans. That's what I always loved about. living here. This is like there weren't. any filmmakers here. So much better. It's infinitely better. Nicer. Everyone's waiting. You get you get a. lot more done. And I was crank sometimes. I'd have two movies out a year. I would. be making stuff so fast cuz I just had a. studio and we're just like let's just. make more stuff. There also has to be. something cool feeling about like doing. it on your own away from the high. Way. better. Way better. That's why it's like. I try to create original franchises. because if you go direct one of the. James Bonds, you're one of the James. Bond director. But if you create your. own franchise like a spike, it feels so.

much better. When that successful and. someone says, "Wow, I really that. movie." Go, oh, I did that voice. Flman, help us save us. That's you. Oh my god. God, I grew up with, you know, it's. like, oh yeah, it's a homemade movie, you know, so it's much more gratifying. and yeah, you did the right thing by by. moving out. One movie that seemed like. it could be a franchise is Alita. Oh, yeah. We want to do another one for. sure. Part of a graphic novel series. Yes. You got to come to my studio. That. whole city I want to go. That city is. still in my parking lot. Really? 20 foot.

ceilings, seven streets. It's like the. largest standing set in the country, if. not the world. Can I come Friday? Can I. go Friday? All right. Come Friday, you're not going to believe what's here. We're in. And you're going to go like, "Okay, cuz I'm putting you in a movie.". Okay. Cuz talking about what you just. said about how people are different. here. I just started a a new label. Um. like the label I gave myself. I'm an. athlete. When you create a label, Yes. that's a business thing, too. It gives. what it label is is a filter. So, I'm. doing an action slate. So, that already. you get a bunch of ideas because it's.

just action. Um an action slate of four. pictures. It's called Brass Knuckle. Films. and you're going to be in the. first one because I'm I'm gonna direct. the first one. I've already got one it. is. I'll show you. It's a great part for. you. Um you're gonna come to the studio. and I'll tell you about it. Okay. But. Breast Knuckle Films is cool because. it's the first time that it's an. investable film slate. So fans can. invest in a movie. They get perks and. stuff, but it's not crowdsourcing or. crowdfunding. Like you can get killed in. the movie if you put in a certain amount. of investment. But that's what's cool.

about it, I just want the audience to. win because audience is an afterthought. Like you say, you go to the studios and. and the people in Hollywood and you go, they barely even watch movies. And then. you come meet the real audience and. they're so into it. They're so behind. it. It's like, where's your cut of it? Studios only show up to an audience at. the end when they want you to go get. your friends to come spend money on. their overpriced movies. So, I'm going. to do this thing where even at $250 the. lowest level, you put into this thing, any of the four movies, one of which I'm.

going to direct for sure, producing all. of them, they're troublemaker to keep. the cost down so they go to profit. sooner. Any one of these movies success, you you share in that success all the. way through sequels. And for even the. 250 bucks, anyone who puts money in, you. get to have that proximity effect. because we're we have a whole group. together. That's such a great idea. Everybody gets to pitch their action. movie idea and I'm committed to making. at least one of the movies on the slate. from a fan investor's idea. So, not only. will you be an investor, but you be a. creator. So, we're almost already topped.

out. We're we're going to hit our we. still have 20 days left and it's going. to surge again. We we're we're going to. raise like 1.5 million in development. funds and we're Yeah, we're almost at a. million already. 22 days left. So, I'm. telling everybody who's listening, come. in at the lowest level. Just be part of. our community because people who come. here get proximity. And the lowest level. is five bucks. 250 bucks. 250. 250. bucks. But, you know, you make that back. on success of any of the movies. That's.

awesome. And it just hedges your bets. And it's just action because there's. always an appetite for action. Like if. you ask Netflix right now, what kind of. movies do they need? They'll say action, action, action. We don't have enough. action. Sure. and internationally. That's So, we're going to make the thing. that people always buy and they're also. really fun to make and you're going to. be perfect in it. I want to bring you. back to Frisetta. Oh, yeah. Because this. is the thing that I I wanted to pitch. this to Quinton and maybe I could pitch. this to you. Somebody needs to make a. real Conan the Barbarian. A real Conan.

the Barbarian. That's like the Roberty. Howard books. Yeah. The real Conan the. Barbarian because the the Arnold ones. are great. They're fun. And Mimoa I. think is the best Conan of all time. because he was that the guy what was his. name in uh Game of Thrones? I don't. remember but yeah character. Huh. Yeah. In he he's the most realistic of all. Conan. That's what Conan's supposed to. look like. Yeah. He didn't look like a. bodybuilder. He looked like a [ __ ].

super fit assassin. Yeah. Just a a. mountain. of but the books books are awesome. They're [ __ ] awesome. And it's right. up your alley. It's about It's about the. barbarian is actually the one who's got. code and who has morality and all the. big wigs are the ones that are like. [ __ ] crooked and [ __ ] you know? It's. just so classic. And the barbarians. gone. That guy was from Texas. The guy. Roberty Howard from Texas outside of. Dallas. In fact, where where I have a. house where I made all these movies,

it's in the land that he looked over and. saw and said that's Samria. That's where. Kona is from. So I always felt this. connection. I wanted to do Kona. So, I. almost did a Conan movie. Um, I even. roped Jim Cameron into wanting to do it. really where we're gonna do kind of like. what we did with Alita. I said, "Dude, let's do a Conan movie and we'll make it. look like the paintings." Technology. wasn't there yet. And I ended up doing. Sin City instead. I had already written. uh it was going to be three movies. So, he does different occupations. This is. kind of built like a James Bond series,

you know, where you follow him on his. different so it starts with him as a. thief and the second movie is him as a. buccaneer mercenary and the third one is. when he becomes king. So the actor can. grow with the role, you know, the way. you you know like you took Daniel Craig. and started Casino Royale and by the end. he's No Time to Die. You got to get an. actor who who does the whole journey. So. I had a whole trilogy uh marked out. I. know it's Netflix had it. I went and. pitched it to them and they then they. let the light rights lapse like they had.

too much uh sometimes it's too much. baggage for a character. Dude, let me. call them right. Let me get on the phone. with Ted Sandos right now. Let's go make. it. We're ready to Yeah. Hey Jamie, can. you pull up Frisetta uh Conan the. Usurper? It's probably uh a painting called. Chain. Is that the one with the chains. or which one is that? Or is it the one. where he's a bunch of the he named them. different than the books because of the. copyright issue. So like so whatever's. on the but you'll find the cover of it. but the painting itself might be have a. different name. Just if you just pull up.

Fetta Conan because he did a bunch of. them. So you'll love this. When I first. Yes. Here we go. Chained the barbarian. The one when he's standing over the. bodies with the sword pointed to the. ground. That's called the barbarian. Yes. That's the one. I remember seeing. that when I was a kid cuz I was always. into graphic novels and I was always. into comic books and I saw that when I. was a kid at a comic book store. I was. probably like 11 years old and I was. like, "Holy [ __ ] that is the coolest.

[ __ ] thing I've ever seen in my. life." And it's still commentated today. He has this very triangular way of. composing that tells a story. The. posters still look like this. That. [ __ ] Look at the one with a snake. Again, if you see that triangular. design, your head your eyes go. immediately to the snake and then down. to him and it's like it tells a whole. story. I have a theory theory of why his. his art is the way it is. Now, you know, I knew him. Did I tell you, you know? Okay. So, when I first you get to. Hollywood, right? So, I'm just this kid. who's an artist. You get to Hollywood,

first thing you want to do is work with. all your heroes. So, Dust Dawn, I said, I want to work with Frisetta because he. used to do some movie posters like the. gauntlet with Clint Eastwood. that. gauntlet when he did for look up the. gauntlet Clint Eastwood for Zetta. Um and so I called him and he said, "Yeah, I'll do it." In fact, when I. showed him the movie, he goes, "Where'd. you find this gal?" And I said, "Uh, yeah, that was for Zetta." Yeah, he did. that. So, I wanted to get that for Dust. Till Dawn, right? So, he said, "Where'd. you find this gal?" And I wish I had a. gal like that to paint. What? She's.

based on all your paintings. All the. girl that's always in your paintings. I. made Salma dressed like that because. it's a Fresetta come to life. He goes, "Oh, that's all you need on the poster.". And I go, "Well, you got to draw the. other actors." So, when you come to the. house, you'll see the painting he did. It was the year he got his first stroke. So, it took him by the time he I got the. painting, we'd already made posters. We. thought, "Okay, it's not going to come.". And then it showed up at the last. minute, but we gave it away at comic. book stores, you know, but it's really. cool. But at the bottom of the painting, there's the some of the actors. He even. paint Harvey Catel. He just like the. other actors, Quinton. And then instead. of vampires, he just did his monkey.

dudes he always does. And it's really. cool. It's really cool. But I got to. know him and I got to go visit his. studio because we kind of again that. similar mindset. and I didn't realize he had all his. originals. I see that little monkey. dudes on the bottom. Wow. He had all his. originals in his next to his house in. his museum. Like all those that you were. just looking at, they were all there. I. didn't realize as an illustrative artist. sometimes you don't own your own. material. He made it a point to own his. own originals. M. So like the ones you.

just were salivating over, those were in. my house. I wish I knew you seven years. ago. His kids, oh my god, his kids are. so impassionate about the art. Even his. granddaughter Sarah Rosetta. She has. Frisetta girls. This is They're so. always, you know, bringing up his legacy. and keeping it alive. So cool. But um I. really wanted to go do like a Conan type. movie or John Carter. I wanted to do one. based on Fire and Ice, which is the only.

one he had actually it was an animated. film. Thought, well, maybe if Conan's. been used too much, let's do Fire and. Ice as a movie because he worked on that. as an animated film. Let's just make his. I just want his paintings to move. Like. I had Frank Miller's art move. I want. for Zetta's paintings to move because. he's he was transporting us to another. world that we all recognized. If you. could make. that Conan look like that. Yeah. Go back. to that photo again, Jamie. That with. the sword. It's called the the. barbarian. you um it's you could say that Conan's.

been done too many. No, the one with the. sword. Yeah, that one. Yeah. They've. never seen it like that. Yeah. But the. thing is it's like And look, that's not. a guy that's just like been in a gym. He's he looks like a he's been swinging. a sword and cutting off with technology. You can do that. So that's why I'd. gotten Jim interested. It's like make. him look like that. Yeah. It's like a. madeup even anatomy in a way. You know, the books were so [ __ ] good, man. Even though Conan's been done a bunch of. times, it hasn't done the right way. Yeah. No, it hasn't been done like the.

books and it's so ripe like you and. because it was done that way first, like. with with Arnold in it, people just. figured, oh, we'll just hire a. bodybuilder to be, you know, a barbarian. type creature character from then on. But to do it really like that, he's more. like a James Bond character, you know, he goes from movie to movie. Yes. It's. really And he's really [ __ ] smart. Yes. And he's just uh No, but I got to. meet Frisetta. So you keep that up for a. second. So I went to his we talked about. his paintings and how he did it and I.

got a theory on how he did this. But. when I went and saw the originals like. holy [ __ ] you got all the originals. How. did you make the And he really loved to. live life. Like you go play golf. baseball. He'd get an assignment and. he'd wait till the last minute and go. and paint it. So what happens when you. wait till the last minute? You have to. just open up the pipe and let it. through. Right. Yeah. I guess that's why. we all know this place, you know. collectively dream, you know, Jim. Cameron would come over to my house, you. know, um, Del Toro, George Miller, John.

Favro, to see these originals in person. When you see them in person, it blows. your mind. It feels like you're being. transported, I think, because he did. them at the last minute. They just came. from the universe because that's why. people relate to them. People would just. buy these paperbacks for the art. Yes. These this Conan was created in the 30s. These books came out in the 60s, right? They didn't become a big hit till these. books came out because of the art. Exactly. And then when you read the. stories, the stories were really great. But they got him for the art 100%. And. he was showing me his his his layout of. paintings and he went two days, one day,

3 days. Wow. 4 days. Two days. I was like, "Holy." Just locked in. Just. locked in. And it's just coming out. because he had to. And his wife would. say, "Yeah, his pain was still wet when. I was taking it to get shipped because. he would wait till the last minute, but. these masterpieces would come out and I. just was really inspired by him." So. when he passed away, you know, his kids. said, "What should we do with the art?". said, "Well, let's make a movie based on. the art." Cuz who's got this now? So, different, they've sold some of them, but the kids, like if you go to Frank. Jun, Frank Jr. still has uh the museum.

up there, he still has a lot of the. masterworks. The kid, each kid has some. of the masterworks and um and they're. all great and and keeping his legacy. going. And I want to make a movie about. it just to get his name back up, you. know, or below. We were all inspired by. him. Oh, so what was so cool was how did. he find out about those books? I think. it was just an assignment and he would. barely read the book. He would just be. like ah he would just do his own thing. So they they start putting the books out. more mass publishing in the 1960s. So he.

does these illustrations. He does the. paintings. They flying off the shelves. Flying off the shelves because of the. paintings. Because of the paintings. Wow. And those paintings and those books. no matter even the best art book. today when you see the original cannot. they cannot capture what the original. has. You'll be blown away. You got to. see. I've got like 14 different. fisettas. You got to come see. You're. going to You're going to especially as. an illustrator, you're going to freak. out. We have one all the We have one of. the prints of Go back to those uh. images. One, the one that we have,

Jamie, with the him with the giant. gorilla. Yeah, we have one of those. where he's fighting the gorilla. He's on. its back. He's got a red cape. I'm going. to Yeah, that's called Manape. Manape. That's just pan over to the left. And. it's on the left side. I saw it. There. it is. That's it. We have that. That was. in my house. Oh, okay. Okay. So, the. real one. The real one. Okay. So, here's. what happened. Oh my god. We have that. out by the pool table. The kids said, "Hey, look how [ __ ] cool that is.". The kids said, "Um, can you take our. paintings for us and show them to. influential people because hurricane. season's coming." They lived in Florida.

and we don't want anything to happen. They're insured, but [ __ ] they could. be gone. We Oh my god. Can you take it? I like, [ __ ] yeah, I'll take them to my. house. So, for a year and a half, I had. these not the the barbarian one you were. just the one with the sword standing. I. had that one in my house. Oh my god. So. I would have everyone who came to South. by Southwest or was just in town, they'd. come to my house, I'd make them pizza. and we would just stare and drool over. the Frisettas. Those inspired me so much. as a kid to be an illustrator. Yeah. Those the the the Frisetta paintings and.

some of the drawings from the the. graphic novels that people had made of. these inspired me so much as a kid. It. just it was dream imagery like you knew. what dream is fantasy you know it would. just it would feel like we dreamt this. too and recognized it. Yes. And every. young kid wanted oh I wish I was con. Yeah. You know skinny little kid and. you're going like is that what I want to. be when I grow up? No. I hate when. you're 11 god I wish I was that I wish I. had that kind of power and strength. Yeah. And so I don't know if you read. these books but they were based on this.

comics. They were based on the books. they would just translate the books. Um. there was a comics code. So the Conan, the barbarian comic had to follow the. code. But then there's a black and white. magazine called Savage Sword of Conan. Oh, I read those. They didn't have to. follow the code, right? That's why. people would get killed and they would. just and Roy Thomas would just like take. the book and put the book in several. chapters. Yeah, they were brutal. They're really great. Yeah, that's what. so I grew up with that drawing out of. that, learning how to draw anatomy from. the Conan books. The Marvel comics were. fun, but they were This was still under.

Marvel, but it wasn't under the code. because it was considered a magazine. That's what I'm saying. Like the Marvel. comics were fun, but they weren't brutal. enough. They weren't brutal cuz they had. a comics code cuz they're comic size. By. doing a magazine. Yes. They got around. it. See if you can find the Savage sort. of savage sort of cone in number one. There it is. Yeah. Look at the one where. he's where he's nailed to the cross. That's Boris VJO. Oh. Oh, this is a. great story. Another one. He came out. He came out later in the 70s. So, this. is a great preset story. Um, several of.

his paintings when you see them, they're. not very big a lot of times because they. were for paperbacks. So, they didn't. have to be that big. But then there were. some like in the early 70s that were. big. Silver Warrior uh at the Earth's. Core. And I and I asked Fetta. I said, "What what what was this era here?". Because a lot of these were in the 60s. What's the se this these four bigger. ones you didn't what was that for? He. goes, "Oh, they were saying I was washed. up that I was finished." It's cuz Boris. was coming out and they're like, "Oh, he's the new Frisetta." So, I did one, two, three, four beauties. Shut them all. up.

That's so cool. It was so cool. Shut. them all up. Shut them all up. Pull up. Boris Vallejo Conan cuz Boris had a. different style. It was like a little. more it also you could feel sexual or. something but you could you know I I I. love his art but you could almost feel. the model in it. You could almost you. could almost see that there was a model. he was painting from. Well, it was very. cool but it was a different feeling. Fetta was more raw. Very raw. Boris. Valo. It was it was great. He's doing I. mean he's doing the Fetta style. I mean. I mean you know Fetta was the Jimmy.

Paige of art. Everybody wanted to be. him. So, everyone couldn't you couldn't. unsee Fetta's work when you were doing. your own. I mean, this is Manape. Yeah, he's doing Manape again. He's doing. Manape in a different version of it. And, you know, I drew a lot of things. that were like that, like a different. version of Fetta stuff. Everybody did. But yeah, I was more of a FZetta guy. than a Boris Vallejo guy. I I I loved. it. It was great. I was happy that he. was several like the one where he's. crucified to the cross on the bottom. That that one and the one on the far. bottom left is the first issue of Savage.

Sword. That one is really cool because. it had Yeah, I thought that was cool. Yeah. But not it doesn't come close to. you know. No, it's just Fzetta just had. a it was more. I think it's because of that process. It. was just the way he did them. Yes. They. were just they were just m there's some. magic to them. And I'll show you a. couple things that will blow you away. when you see them in person. But the. in-person thing will really floor you. Just how much even the best books cannot. capture the art as it exists. I saw your.

gym. Your gym is awesome. I thought I. had the best gym. You've got a great. gym. But I got one thing you don't got. You got to come see. What? I don't have. mirrors up. You don't have mirrors on. purpose? It's because I just have the. original Drew Strusen painting. Ah. for. first blood Stallone. Oh wow. And. because it's got glass over it, you can. kind of see yourself in it, but I just. stand in front of that and go, I'm not. there yet. I'm not there yet. That's my. inspiration. Good for form. Just say for.

form. It's I can kind of see the form, but that's my mirror when you come. It's. the it's the Stallone painting. And. that's one. See, like that one, but it. doesn't it doesn't capture it a painting. at all. Even this digital copy of it, like look at the original poster of it. that has the writing on it. The way they. printed it was like ass. Look at that. thing. So when you see the original one, you're like, "Oh my god, this is like. fine art." And that and that still. doesn't capture it, but it's closer than. the than the poster. But there's.

something about seeing the actual. physical things, you see the real thing, it's so inspiring. And then when you see. the physique that he has, you're just. like, "Okay, I'm going to work harder.". But that's in my gym. So you got to go. check that out. I've got a photo of. Alexander Carellin out there. That's my. photo to remind me every day what a. [ __ ] I am is Alexander Carellin who was. like the greatest Olympic wrestler to. ever come out of Russia. Uh there's a. photo that show pull up the photo that. we have in the gym. He was a freak. They. called him the science project cuz his. parents were like 5 foot five and he was. like 6'2 300 lb and just built like a.

panther. Look at that. That's him. Oh. jeez. Yeah. That's the picture that. picture up in the gym. That's my. inspiration. Every day. workout because he was just such a. [ __ ] physical freak. And it's just. that particular image that that. intensity. If I'm ever tired, I look at. that image. What's your what's your. workout routine? How often do you get to. work out? I work out every day. Yeah. Basically every day. First thing in the. morning. Occasionally. I feel like I. need a day off. I'll take a day off. But. uh yeah, first thing in the morning,

right? Yeah. That's the thing. Get up, get going, get cobwebs out of your head. Well, it's like you said, like you. decide I'm an athlete. I I I sort of. decide I'm this person who gets up and. gets in the cold plunge first thing in. the morning. I'm this person that does. these two and a half hour workouts and. then gets in the sauna. That's what I. do. I do it every day. I do the thing. This might inspire some people. Like, so. I don't have a trainer, but I'll look at. like I like watching other people see. what they do in their routine, so I. adopt some of that. I saw Josh Brolan.

all freaking in shape for the Deadpool. movie and I was like, "Dude," I texted. him, "What is your workout? Could you. tell me?" He go, "Oh, I'll send it to. you." He sends me a PDF of his whole. workout routine that the, you know, the. trainers had given him. It's intense. It. was like, "Okay, if I do 1/4th of this, I'll have a quarter of his results. I'm. fine with that because I'm kind of this. [ __ ] to do anyway." So, I would be in. and out of there in a half hour. How. long, you know? So, you don't have to. commit all the way. You know, if you if. as long as you're doing something, you're getting up and you're and you're.

working out and you're doing it very. strategically. If you don't have a lot. of time, there's no excuse. You can make. you can make Oh, you can get a lot done. Get a lot done in a short amount of. time. Yeah. Reverse pyramid train or. something. You got three minutes in. between each one. You can get work done. during You certainly can. You try. In. fact, there was a study that just came. out recently that showed that you get. more results from one set to failure. than you do with three sets. Yeah. that. you sometimes I would then just keep. holding the bar after I was done just. like for 10 more seconds. Yeah, there.

was some some study see if you could. find this. It was a very recent study. that was very counterintuitive because a. lot of people think more work better. results, right? But this in this study. they were showing that they got more. strength gains and more muscle. recruitment in one hard set to failure. There's a lot of counterintuitive stuff. I like when I hear stuff like that. I. try it, you know? I just roll it into. the routine and give it a try. Yeah. Because you don't know you don't know. what's going to work for you. There's no. there's no one right way to do anything. So, I try to just get advice and and and.

adopt it. And I had this funny uh. Stallone once. You ever had Stallone on. the show? He's a great interview. My. best interview on the director's chair. is him because it's the most one that. any layman could identify with. That guy. really is Rocky. His story is. unbelievable and he's really funny. And. uh I interviewed him before for the UFC. He called me uh and said if he asked if. an ask actor friend of mine could be in. one of the expendables. He's like my. actor fell through. Can we can you ask. what's his name? You know friend was. yeah I'll ask. So I asked my friend my.

friend goes oh no it's too short notice. you know because it was last minute. replacement. I I need to get in shape. Okay that makes sense. But but it's not. a physical role. You just want I. wouldn't want to be in a Stallone movie. and not be in shape. So I have to get in. shape and I don't have enough time. You. know just gonna shoot in a week. So I go. to Sly and I say, "Hey, Sly." Yeah. He. said, you know, figured Sly would. understand. Yeah. He has to get in. shape. Get in. shape. Get in shape. You don't get in. shape. You stay in shape. Like that.

makes sense. You got to stay in shape. Of Stallone walking around Malibu. looking like he's nine months pregnant. Have you seen that photo? I don't know. if he did that for a movie or probably. for Copland. He gained weight. It wasn't. for Copland. It was recent. It was like. within years. Now he's like 70. There's. no excuses. No excuses. Stay in shape. Stay in shape. Yeah, that dude such a. great interview because I watched the. Rocky movies. You know when was the last. time you saw the Rocky movie? Yeah, here. it is. Study finds higher training. volume increases size, not strength. Oh,

this isn't it. No, this is in May of. 2024. It was very recently. It was about. one set. doing one set to failure shows. uh strength and muscle recruitment. benefits over three sets. Um yeah, so I mean I don't know when the. last time you saw the Rocky Yeah, here. it is. New research says you could build. strength and muscle with single set. training. No, this isn't it either. It. might be December 2024. It might be it.

So just one hard set per exercise. delivers impressive results. Yeah, at. least try that, you know. Yeah, get out. Get in and out. They were saying it. actually works better. So maybe this is. another. thing because I I read it just a couple. of days ago. It doesn't matter. We get. it. It So but that is also very. counterintuitive. Yeah. Because most. people think, oh, it's all about the. amount of time you spend time pressure. Yeah. What I But I do a lot of different. uh exercises in one I I do full body. workouts almost entirely. I very rare ex.

unless one day a week I do heavy leg. stuff where it's just legs, you know, because the leg there's so many muscles. of the legs. I don't, you know, when I. want to make sure that I'm doing that, I. just it takes too much time. Yeah. Cuz. I'm doing leg curls and leg presses and. lunges and it's like I can't do other. stuff, too. Um, but I like working out. by myself. Yeah. Trainer because it's. time to think. Yeah. Time to really. become very meditative. Yeah. And you're. working the body and the but you getting.

ideas and I keep my computer there and I. I write down ideas. Oh, nice. Nice. Uh, did you uh, you know, did you see the I. was watching the Rocky movies again and. I was like, we watched the first one, showed it to my lady, she loved it. So I. said, we got to watch the second one. Watch the second one. The next night we. watched the third one. I finally we got. to the fourth one. I was okay. Oh, I'm. going to write Stallone. Said, "Dude, you are consistently moving that. character through the different eras.". And you need to go back to directing. because he when I worked with him, he'd.

done a bunch of movies in the 90s and he. was telling me why the movies didn't. work. I said, "You got to go back to. directing." No one was at your level, directing yourself, getting career bests. out of your other actors while you're. also not just the star, but the. franchise and being in insane shape back. then, which was way before anyone knew. anything about training. You were. probably in the gym much longer than you. needed to be. And he said, "Very. perceptive, you. know, I like you probably were way. overtraining because then people didn't. know. There were no science to it back. then, right? And getting all that work. done. So, how can you work with another.

director now? They can't have their. respect. You got to go back to directing. because you can't argue with the result. And he was like, can't go back to. directing. Well, we did this movie. together. It was his biggest opening. ever with Spy Kids 3D. Two years later, a year later, he goes, "I'm writing. another Rocky." And that was that new. Rocky. He He hadn't directed in 22. years. Wow. He went back to directing. and writing. did another Rocky, another. Rambo, and then a whole new franchise,

Expendables. Crazy. Like for your career to come back. like that. Did stunts and expendables. and broke his [ __ ] crazy. But because. he went back and that's sometimes, you. know, that's the key to success. Late. 60s. I said, "Yeah, and he was doing his. own stunts. It's harder to go do it all. yourself, but look, you can't argue with. the results. Look at the results you got. back then." And I'm so glad he went back. to it because it inspires me all over. again. So, it's a great, you know, I'm. sure you've done that. someone that. really inspired you and I want to know. who are your heroes that you got to. inspire back in some way and then you're.

just like oh my god it's they inspired. me so that I could be here for them when. they needed to hear that to go on it was. like all part of the universe of that. creativity you know you're the one who. goes whispers in their ear with him. because he's inspired me you know so. many times was I started working with my. kids more it's very counterintuitive. like I don't know if you work with your. kids or whatever plan to work with your. kids but I would say to anybody if you. have an opportunity to work with your. It's take it because when I was like. when I turned 50, I thought I guess I. could keep making movies. It's been good.

to me. I guess I could just make more. I. mean, I was way into it, you know, when. I was younger and my it's been good to. me. But it's I bet there might be. another job I can take that with the. knowledge I have, I could probably make. just as much money or something. I don't. even know what jobs exist. I got this. job when I was 21. So, I I got jobs for. dummies and I started looking through. what all the other jobs were. Oh, I want. that job. I want that job. And then I. get to filmmaker and has a little icon. of a guy with his hands up like this and. it says this is the best job. Just make.

movies with your friends. You sit back, watch the money roll in. But 99% of film. students can't get this job so give it. up. So I went I actually got the best. job. So I stick with it. But that still. wasn't enough desire until I made that. $7,000 movie with my kids and they got. so into it and I realized that's my next. 10 years. I'm going to work with my. kids. I'm going to make them all work on. movies because I it's not about making. movies. It's about life lessons. It. teaches you a huge project that you have. to you don't know how you're going to.

get through even the day, much less the. project. But that's life. It's like I. felt so good afterwards saying, you. know, the process now. If I get hit by a. bus, you guys are going to be fine. because it's just like the movies. The. story of life is just like the stories. we make up. You go get your plan. together, which is kind of like your. script. You attack it. Try to make it as. bulletproof as possible. Go for your. goal. Whether it's building a comedy. club or whatever, watch it all [ __ ]. fall apart and then that's when you roll. up your sleeves, turn chicken [ __ ] to. chicken salad. The finished results way.

better than your original vision. Wash, rinse, repeat. That's life. It's a. microcosm of how life works. So, I made. them work on the movies. And I did this. manifesting thing. My son said, "Well, I'd like to do a VR movie." So, let's. make a company together. We'll call it. DoubleR. You all have double R names. Double R company. Watch. I'm going to. show you this how this works because I. did this with brass knuckle films which. is creating a label double that'll be. our logo and I made t-shirts and little. notepads and they got way into it. because now that we have a company you. have to do stuff to fill the company so.

we'll call a VR company and say you all. need to sell headsets give us some money. to make a movie and we'll make you a. movie. We did one with Michelle. Rodriguez and Norman Reus called The. Limit that had the they made us a big. double R logo in the front. That was. like in March. Later that year, we made. that $7,000 movie that also had the. double R logo. Then I went to Netflix. and they said, "Could you make us a Spy. Kids type thing? That always does well.". So I thought, "Okay." I kind of came up. with in the room. I thought, "Little. kids superheroes who have to save their. superhero parents." That's We Can Be. Heroes. Another double R movie. My kids.

wrote it with me. It's the most watched. and re-watched movie in Netflix history. Nothing can touch it. Kids cannot stop. watching it because as little kids. superheroes, no one's ever done that. before. And my kids were like, "Dad, it. really works this thing." And I was. like, "Shit, better than I thought. I. was just I was just making an example.". But that's that's how it happens, right? Like it feels predestined, but also. you're like, "Let me just show you how. it works." And you go to show someone an. example. And that becomes your bread and. butter. Yeah. And so I just tell people.

if you have an opportunity to work with. your kids, you're mentoring them. They're mentoring you because they're. the age I was when I was making mariachi. and desperado. I got so many great ideas. and you're taking on this big project. that's teaching them about life and. because you're both in the same boat. You both know what it's going to take. and it's family time so you're like. checking all the boxes. And I was. telling this to Sly. I was so excited. back in, you know, 2019 and his wife. Jennifer was like, "You don't work with your daughters.". She hits him, "You don't work with your. daughters." And he's like, I was like,

"Oh [ __ ] maybe I should dial this story. back." I I was so evangelical about it, but might get people in trouble, but. they couldn't hear it. And the next. year, the daughters went on started a. podcast and he would show up every once. in a while to like get braidings up. Now. they have a TV show, second season, family still. They're all working. together. They're all living the best. life. So I tell anybody who listens. because it's something I stumbled upon. because it's very counterintuitive. because you would think, oh, if I work. my my kids, doesn't that look like. privilege or what? So I tell you this,

what happens when we die? Don't you just. give everything that you created over. your life to your kids because they have. your last name. They weren't a part of. it. If you have a chance to work with. them and build it with you, you have. that next level mentorship relationship. Don't just parent because after a while. once they're in their teens, they don't. really need you japettoing over them. Partner with them. Become their mentor, their OB1. And they mentor you back. It. gives them such a boost in confidence. when they teach you some [ __ ] And.

you'll have that next level experience. That way when you pass on you give them. the stuff they'll go yeah I made this. with my dad. That's great advice. So I. tell people especially when you do. something like you do that's well you. know depends on what you have find your. version of you know like not everybody. can necessarily work with but if you. have an opportunity to do it do it. because right but like this thing that. you were saying about jobs for dummies. 99% of people are not going to be able. to do this. Well that's the thing it's. like but yeah but it's possible. It is. possible and part of the 99% not going. to do it because they don't know anybody. who's done it. Right. That's part of the. problem, right? Once you see like, oh,

look how he did this. He just did. I. think I could He told me how he made El. mariachi. I think it can be done. That. wasn't taught in film schools. That was. completely kind 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. But, you know, and. no one had really done that before. Nobody had done that before. It was the. first time. That's why even when I was. doing it, I was. like, I kind of have the idea this can. do it cuz 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 get into business like this. This. must happen all the time where they find. some filmmaker student, they whine and. dine them and then you never hear from. him 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 cuz it was my my my 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. 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. Like if you if you. think you can't do anything, well, look. around you. You got a lot of resources. It's about being resourceful. Well, 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 bar one of the buses. When you see. what we do with a bus, he crashes into. it. Have a bar. Let's ride everything. around that. So, we just have that. And. if I shoot two takes, we double the. 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 re-shoot that. Of course, you get home and you're I'm.

not going to [ __ ] go back to Mexico. and re-shoot anything. I'll just figure. out a way to edit around all the stuff. that didn't come out. Not everything. came out, but um yeah, it was merely. just following your nose and not knowing. if it was going to work. Somebody must. have thought to do this already, but no. one had ever done that before because. it's so counterintuitive. You're told, but that's how movies started. You know, you think back in the old days, Charlie. Chaplan and a guy behind the camera. doing this, they didn't have 200 people. It turned into a business, just like. with comedy, and it turns into a. business to where you think that's the. art form. That's not the art form. That's the business of the art form. The. original art form is you by yourself.

doing it. This is how by myself I. was. It was like, you got one guy here. now, right? Because you have all these. digital cameras. I had one camera and I. had the sound. And I can't do them at. the same time because the camera sounds. like this. really not noisy and it sounds like all. your money is going away. So I had no. slates. I would just run. Guy starts. running. Stop. filming. Cut. Like I would just shoot my.

little pieces like this much after I. would do a whole scene. One take. One. take. One take. One take. Put the camera. down. Get the microphone really close to. them like that. Okay. See all your lines. again. Pick up the glass again. Do all. that stuff again. Wow. Cut it in by. hand. So, so the audio by hand, I try to. sync it to the mouth. So, when they're. not because they're not non-acctors a. lot of times, like repeat what you just. said, wait, so you cut it by hand and it. would match, right? And if it didn't. match, I would cut away to the dog or to.

the knife or the other person. That's. why it's got a really fast cutting. style, which became my cutting style, was just to get them back in sync. because I didn't want it to look like a. low budget rubbery lip thing. But if you. watch it, you see them in sync. Every. time they're on screen, they're in sync. And then as they start to go out of. sync, it cuts and it cuts back. But this. is about being resourceful. But it saved. me a ton of money doing it that way. And. it made it actually interesting to. watch. Makes it more interesting to. watch. Oh. So anyway, so uh originally I.

didn't have any ideas. I was going to. make three of these movies before making. my serious American independent film. But my first movie, I gave it to an. agent in uh Los Angeles and he said, "I. can get you work off this right now." I. was a writer director and I went, "Writer director? I'm not a writer.". Well, I guess I wrote the script. I. guess that makes me a writer. Again, I. didn't know how to own stuff yet. It's. like, you just got to say you're a. writer. I still thought, well, I I'd. even written a movie. I didn't consider. myself a writer. That's that's the [ __ ]. we do to ourselves, right? So, I said, "Okay." So, he sent it around. All these.

studios were flying me up. It's in the. book. It's just crazy how fast it. happened. And they were offering me. these deals because they saw that I went. and did something. That's why you just. got to go make something because people. are sometimes they're so impressed that. you even did anything. Most people never. start. And they went, "Wow." And I. thought, "Well, it's actually a good. calling card now. If you like the. cinematography, I did that. Hire me as a. cameraman. If you like the editing, I. did that. Hire me as an editor." But. they hired me as a writer director. And. I they said, "What movie do you want to. do?" I go, "This all happened so fast. I. didn't I didn't really have a chance to. think about I was going to do three of.

these practice films and then make a. real one." So, but you like Mariachi. Why don't we remake that? And they said. with like Antonio Bender, okay, okay, but audience might not like that the. girl dies. So, we're going to screen. this version that you have now to an. audience. So, I screen it to an. audience. And they liked it the way it. was. So, they said, "We're going to take. this to some film festival." I was like, "No, don't show this movie. It's my. practice movie. Literally, no one's. supposed to see this one." They go, "No, no, you got something really special." I. said, "No, dude. I'm telling you, I can.

do much better than that. Give me. $2,000. I'll go reshoot half of it just. knowing that people are going to see it. now and do completely differently and. they go you got something they're smart. enough Mark there said you got something. really special here we're going to take. it to the festivals and we won. Sundance because I made it for myself. and it was a real lesson in that like if. I was trying to think about what all the. audience was going to want to see I. would have changed so many things but. because I knew no one was going to see. it. It's probably the only movie in. history ever made where people were. guaranteed not to see it just by the. title. I titled it that way so nobody.

would see it. I didn't want anybody to. see it. I wanted to just throw it away. and practice. I figured maybe the third. one one might might be the better one. You know, like that advice, throw three. scripts away and then do a fourth. Well, I'm going to throw three movies away so. that by the fourth I'm I'm so savvy, know how to film and do all these. things. This first practice film is not. going to be it. That's the one that. going to be it. Wow. So, commit to a. body of work. Throw [ __ ] away. Don't put. Don't be precious about it. Just go make. it. Don't blink when people criticize it. and just keep going. Make a body work.

That's it. That's that's the secret. And. that's the secret to life, too. Just. keep just keep trying to make it the. best. That is phenomenal advice. And. coming from a person like you that has. accomplished so much, it's so resonant. That's why I accomplish it by doing. those things, which everybody can do. It's not because I'm I'm not that smart. I'm telling you, not that smart. I just. follow your instinct like you've done. When you follow your instinct, you're. letting the universe do all the talking. And I know this sounds wonky, but I just. call it that because it is from some. other place and you're just an. instrument. You're just a pipe. Yes. The. soul that gets into your body. And you.

realize that when you have kids, I don't. know if you had that experience. As soon. as I had my first kid, I was like, "This. isn't my kid." You can just tell it's. not my kid. I mean, it has physical. characteristics and maybe even. mannerisms in my walk, but there's. another soul in here that's from some. other place. And each one is so different. I have. five kids and I have from nine siblings. They're so they're from different. planets, right? And so you realize that. the soul is on a communication level. with some other thing that our human. bodies are just very primitive to to do.

So when we get a a voice, we can't tell. if it's coming from the universe, if. it's for our own mind, or if it's just. because it all sounds like [ __ ] Morse. code because the brain is so prim. It's. a three pound meat computer. That's why. we can't remember [ __ ] It's like we're. we're limited by the body our soul got. put into just like we'd be limited if we. were put in a fish because they got even. smaller brain, you know, they only go. forward and backwards. That's why a lot. of people say you have to learn how to. get out of your own way because you're.

you're you think I'm so limited. Yeah. But you actually also maybe you don't. and maybe you're cocky which is equally. bad. Yeah. Because that's beginning your. own way in a different way. It's a. false. It's a false where you think I I. can do anything because I'm just so. cool. Where it's like, no, you can do. anything because you're just a pipe. Be. that and then you'll see much more flow. happening. You'll see things just. falling in your lap. Yeah. Don't think. about you at all. Yeah. Get you out of. it. It's not You have to be very humble. It's a very humbling thing. The more.

humble you are, the more [ __ ] happens. Not just for you, but everyone around. you. Being creative. And I figured this. out like one year um there was a book. called the one thing business book. called one thing like do one thing and. just do that. Well, thought, "Okay, that. book's not for me." And I was doing this. talk where they introduced me and they. said, "Robert is a writer, director, editor, composer, it's a long list of. all the jobs I do." And I went up there. like, "Wow, that I get tired just. hearing that list and I keep seeing that. book, the one thing, and I thought at. first I thought that's not me." But I.

realize, you know what? I don't just do. all those things. There's one thing I. really. do that ties all those together. When. you think about it, I do one thing, and. it's I live a creative life. And if you. commit to living a creative life, like. literally applying creativity to. everything you do, your workout in the. morning, how you interact with your. kids, the meal you cook, what you're. going to do that night, a business call. you take, be creative. I love my. business meetings now the most. I make. people pizza. I'm making my chocolate. We talk about creativity and they want. to be in business with you. It's like so.

good because you're adding creativity. It enriches your life and everyone. around you. And that way, anything that. touches creativity, whether it's. painting, drawing, uh, sculpture, music, is available to you because what, 90% of. that job is just being creative. And if. you're doing it all day, you're always. going to be in a flow. If you don't. embrace that and you go about your daily. life and you don't apply creativity, well, when you go home that night to. write your novel or something, you're. going to be blocked because you're not. in a creative flow. But if you just been. applying creativity all day long to.

everything, I'm going to do I'm going to. do this talk creatively. I'm going to. bring some cards. I'm going to go do. this. You know, you're applying. creativity. You're always in a flow. So, when you go back to go do your main job, you're in you've already been doing it. and you're living your best life because. I found I was most successful, happiest, and most fulfilled when I was being. creative. So, why not just do that 24/7? And it's been a lifecher. It's been. doing that like 15 years with. consciousness like consciously say. because people don't like to say they're. creative. Like when I ask like are you. creative? even lexing. Well, yeah. You.

know, like stumbling through. It's like. because people think being an artist. means you have to have the mustache and. the hat. And it's like, no, artists are. regular people and regular people are. flawed. And that's why you relate to. something that they do because it's. flawed. If you made it perfect, they. couldn't relate to it because humans are. flawed. And if you think of it that way, you go, "Well, I can create flawed. stuff. I can do that all day long." And. then that get that gets out of your way. because then somebody who comes to you. and they go, "Really love that part with. the explosion." Oh, well that was an. accident cuz I didn't get what I really. wanted and I had to make this work and. that's was an accident. They like those.

a they they respond to those accidents. in a big way because they're from. another univer. They're they're they're. the part that's magic. The part you. didn't know and the part you couldn't. have predicted, right? And so if you set. up I I purposely make my budgets smaller. and my shooting schedules shorter so. that those more of that stuff happens. because that's the stuff people will. relate to and it gives you complete. creative freedom. like you have a lot of. creative freedom here. Um I'm probably. the director who's worked with the most. outcast, ostracized or people who are.

considered difficult than any other. filmmaker mainly because I'm independent. and I don't have to listen to a studio. if they're like, "Oh, you can't work. with that person." So like Mel Gibson. couldn't get a job back when I hired him. on I was just always a big fan of his. Always look at creativity first and. talent first. [ __ ] controversy not. even distant second it's not even. considered and I get to work with these. amazing people Stephen Seagal Charlie. Sheen Lindseay Lohan and then people who. are considered difficult were like.

Michael Parks I got this from Quinton. Michael Parks was in u Dust Dony's the. sheriff at the beginning the the Texas. Ranger Quinton said man I love this guy. Michael Parks he was going to be the. next James Dean he had a show on TV in. the 70s called then came Bronson but. then he kind of got difficult for people. to work with and so he was relegated to. these. lowbudget grind house films. But check. him out. He's always really great. I. want to put him in Dustle Dawn, but I. hear him. He's my difficult to work. with. You work with him first. And if. he's great to work with, I'll work with.

him. So I said, "All right, sure." So I. work with him. He's a dream. Was. amazing. He was really great. No. [ __ ] Of all the people like that. And then we both kept putting him in. movies. Uh Mickey Ror was considered. couldn't work. Kinky couldn't get a job. I gave him Once Upon a Time, but once I. met him, I was like, "Oh my god, he's. just like Mickey in the old days." You. know, Quinton and I actually wanted him. in Dust Dawn. We both wanted Mickey Ror. in the lead role, but he had retired. from acting. He was just boxing. He. won't even look at the script. So, we're. like, "Oh man, we could hire Mickey Roor. and there's no Mickey Roor now. We're so.

bummed." But then years later, I went. back to him and no one was hiring him. And so, I met with him. I thought, "Okay, I'll meet with him." I like, "Holy [ __ ] he still has that charm and. everything." So, I put him in give him a. small role, Once Upon a Time Mexico. And. I kept riding him more scenes. Uh, he. was broke. I mean, uh, I gave him money. to go buy his own suits because he. always dressed to the nines in his. movies. It's like, look, I'm all out of. time costume designing this thing. I'll. give you some money. Go buy your own. clothes. You You're always going to. dress. He came with these Billy Martin. suits and stuff. I said, I'm going to.

put a bullet hole in the back of one. digitally just so you can keep because. he wanted to keep the clothes so you can. keep the clothes. Thanks, brother. And. then I put him in Sin City and um, it. got relaunched his career. But he was. always a dream to work with. And I would. hear from people later, "Oh, he's been. difficult again." I was like, "Really? Come back again." No, again, 100% of the. time I've never had any difficulty with. even the difficult user size one. So, it. makes you think, and you know that. because you'll have anybody you want on. your show, but it makes me wonder what. environment are you putting them in,

right? That makes them like that because. like somebody was said that about uh. Redgar was amazing. Hard to work with. Really? No, I wasn't at all. But for. some people, I didn't know he had a. reputation. I don't know. But somebody. told me loved him and stuff. Loved him. and stuff. Bladeunner, the Hitcher. Um, Bruce Willis, people would tell me. was difficult to work with. I was like, Bruce, I worked with him four times. Let. me tell you, this is what Bruce is like. when he walks in the set. Hey, what's. going on, man? He means boss. Does that. sound like somebody who's difficult?

That's going to be somebody who's just. so happy. Uh, one time I was doing this. Kobe Bryant Nike commercial. I was going. to be in with Kobe and I was directing. it and I was working out at the gym. where Stallone works out, Gunnar. Peterson's uh gym and Bruce was there. and I was trying to get an actor to do a. cameo in this commercial. I was shooting. that weekend. I was working out because. I was going to be on camera and so then. I go to Bruce and I go, "Hey, what what. are you up to?" And he goes, "Ah, I'm. just looking for a job." And I said,

"Well, are you a basketball fan?" So, I'm shooting a Kobe Bryant commercial. Saturday. What why don't you come by the. set? It's downtown. You play this role. Bring bring a couple of suits because. it's very last minute, but last minute. replacement. Yeah. Yeah, sure. I'd love. to meet him. Okay, good. So, I went back to the Nike people and said, Bruce said he's going to be in it. Well, we'll call his agents. No, don't call. his agents because he probably didn't. tell him. And he said he'll come down. I. think he will because he's cool like. that. Oh, we think we should call him. anyway. So, they call the agents. The. agents go, Bruce Willis is not going to.

be in a Nike commercial. Well, he talked. to Robert. Oh, okay. I guess he is going. to be in a Nike commercial. So, then. we're down there in the set. We're. downtown LA. We're filming Kobe. We're. filming everything else. And it's like. almost time for him to show up. And. they're like, "Are you sure he's going. to come?" He said he would. He said he'd. bring two suits. And now, now I'm. thinking how ridiculous that sounds. But. I told him in the gym and said, "Come. down with a couple of your suits from. your own closet. Like there's no. wardrobe. There's no time to get a. wardrobe fitting and just show up." He. shows up. Shows up, does it say, "I'll. film you out in an hour." Because he.

knows how we work together. Had a great. time. He's great in it. Takes off. brought his two suits. That's amazing. That does not sound like somebody who's. difficult. No, it's the envir. environment that you put these people. Totally the environment you put them in. because I was watching like a dog. whisperer and it's like if you have a. pitbull, some of these guys can be alpha. male pitbull. If you put them in a. situation where aggression is needed, like if you have a chaotic set and. producers are coming down going, "Ah, no, you can't wear that. You can't talk. like that." Of course, you're going to. piss these guys off. But if you put them.

in an environment where they know. there's somebody who's the boss. I mean, they show up. It's my studio. I'm. operating the camera. I'm the DP. I'm. there acting with them. We're shooting. it in record time. Getting them out of. there fast. They're having a. ball. Pipple just wants to follow. He. doesn't want to he doesn't want to. [ __ ] take over the show. And so, everyone's really That's my theory on it. anyway. I think it's just the. environment because they always say, "Oh, if you have a dog that's. misbehaving, it's the owner. It's the. owner in the environment. It's not the. dog." Yes, there's nothing wrong with.

the animal. The animal is fine. The. animal could be very calm and assertive. and even submissive. Well, it's also. these exceptional actors with these. eccentric personalities. They're often. times like if you put them in a bad. environment, you're going to get a. [ __ ] terrible result because it's. part of what they are is like a little. bit of chaos. Well, also just going to. have to protect themselves. Yes. They. have to protect themselves if this if. this environment is [ __ ] up. Think. about the type of guy that told you that. like wait, you filmed this and you. didn't get the rights. Those those are. the guys that are going to drive you up.

a wall. Exactly. Those executives. Yeah. Yeah. I remember. I talked to Mick cuz I'd heard, you. know, he'd been trouble and some maybe. maybe his head got big trouble. So I. said, "Well, what was wrong?" Everything. had to be what Mickey wanted to say, what Mickey wanted to wear, what Mickey. wanted to do. So, okay. Well, maybe. maybe he's gone back to some I'm about. to work with him again. So, he comes, "No, it was a dream again." So, at the. end, I go, "Man, you always bring it, brother. What? you're always bringing it. and it's just it's just so great to see. He goes, "Yeah, it was some people you.

deserve it. Most people don't deserve. it." I was like because he remembers I. gave him his shot back. So I was like, "Okay." He didn't give me any [ __ ]. Maybe he gives other people [ __ ] but he. That's awesome. Listen, brother. I've. really enjoyed this. Really enjoyed. talking to you. A lot of things you I want to see the. studio, but I think a lot of things you. said are really going to help a lot of. people. Yeah. Hopefully. Hopefully, because it's uh it's been helpful to me. to then tell people and then the. feedback loop. They tell me back. something I said, but they morphed it. into something new. Like they've added. their own thing to it. And I go, "That's.

not what I told you." They go, "Oh, we've added to it." No [ __ ] Well, now. now I'm taking your advice that came. from my advice. My kids do that all the. time. They go, "It all comes back to. what you taught us, Dad." I go, "What. was that? What did I tell you that one. time you said, you know, basically like. the glass is half full, half empty?". Okay, but I didn't tell you all this. other stuff. Where'd that come from? Oh, we added to it since I was like, well, [ __ ] that's the cool part. Yeah. My my. son got on a was a Japanese knife maker, you know, in his teens. He just wanted. to get into Japanese. Like, this is a.

guy from another lifetime, you know, different. He obviously knew this was. his path. That's when you know it's a. soul born in there. Didn't get that from. me. Making these Japanese style knives, selling them for like $1,000 a pop. By. the time he was 18, he got on that show. Forging and Fire and won. And I was. like, how did you You didn't even know. how to use most of the equipment they. gave you. you had $10,000. How did you. What was your mindset? He said, "I. imagined I had won already. Somehow I. had won." And so when I'd come up. against a challenge that I wasn't sure.

how I would get. by, I just had to remember what I did to. get by it rather than trying to be. freaked out about it. I was like, "Whoa, that's some freaking samurai shit." So. that I read that this you've obviously. been in another life before to come in. armed with that. I didn't learn that. from me. And it's like, well, it's kind. of like, no, that's nothing like. anything I ever told you. Wow. So, the. feedback loop when you share with. people, I love people coming and telling. me, hey, I was really inspired by your. book and you said this. I'm like, I. don't remember saying that in the book. I think you added to it a lot. It.

triggered something in you and we all. keep compiling our ideas. Yeah. I'm all. interested in everybody else's. perspective because we all have our own. relationship to creativity and the. universe and all that. Yeah. And the. more you interact with things, the more. you contribute. But come be in a brass. knuckle film. That sounds like right up. reality. Let's do Conan or Fetta. something. You got to come see that. Definitely. I I can't wait to see your. You'd be great. I can already tell you. I got a great part for you where you. will knock it out. I will talk. Yeah,

we'll talk. Thank you very much. It was. awesome. I really appreciate it. All. right. Bye, everybody. [Applause]. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music].