Rebel Without A Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School

Robert and son Racer cover the history and origin of Red 11. Robert breaks down how he approaches low-budget screenwriting, walks through his script for El Mariachi, and teaches the audience how to start their own screenplays by using his notecard method.

Robert teaches the audience how to get their own projects started on the right foot. He goes through his casting process for Red 11, preproduction and equipment considerations, and how to structure the first few days on set in order to maximize creativity and get the most out of a small budget.

Robert breaks down three of the scenes shot for Red 11 in the first week of production. He teaches how to work around actors' limited availability, maximize coverage with limited takes, and shoot and edit scenes to pull off impressive effects on a low budget (a nightmare blood draw, a character with telekinetic powers, and a syringe in the eyeball - all without sending anyone to the emergency room!).

Taking a break from the shoot to dive into editing Red 11, Robert walks through some of his favorite editing tricks. Using specific scene examples, Robert teaches how to get into the edit quickly, shares his own techniques for identifying the best takes on set, and shows how to create impossible stunts and locations purely through editing and sound to increase the production value of any project.

On the last day of production the main villain of Red 11 is finally revealed; Robert looks back at how equipment, creativity, and freedom have changed since the days of El Mariachi; and, after 14 days of shooting, Robert and Racer wrap Red 11 and reflect on the experience of getting their project done no matter what.

Halfway through production on Red 11, Robert and Racer move into more complex scenes. Robert shows how he safely choreographs and shoots a fight scene, how to use low budget lighting techniques to shoot a night scene with sunlight, and how to prioritize the valuable time on set to focus on what matters most.