--- product_id: 1867883 title: "Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player" brand: "robert rodriguez" price: "€ 30.46" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1867883-rebel-without-a-crew-or-how-a-23-year-old store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player **Brand:** robert rodriguez **Price:** € 30.46 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by robert rodriguez - **How much does it cost?** € 30.46 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1867883-rebel-without-a-crew-or-how-a-23-year-old) ## Best For - robert rodriguez enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted robert rodriguez brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Named One of The Hollywood Reporter’ s “100 Greatest Film Books of All Time” Famed independent screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez ( Sin City, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids, Machete) discloses all the unique strategies and original techniques he used to make his remarkable debut film El Mariachi on a shoestring budget. This is both one man's remarkable story and an essential guide for anyone who has a celluloid story to tell and the dreams and determination to see it through. Part production diary, part how-to manual, Rodriguez unveils how he was able to make his influential first film on only a $7,000 budget. Also included is the appendix, "The Ten Minute Film Course,” a tell-all on how to save thousands of dollars on film school and teach yourself the ropes of film production, directing, and screenwriting. A perfect gift for the aspiring filmmaker. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Dimensions | 5.28 x 0.79 x 7.95 inches | | Edition | Illustrated | | Isbn 10 | 0452271878 | | Isbn 13 | 978-0452271876 | | Item Weight | 9 ounces | | Language | English | | Print Length | 285 pages | | Publication Date | September 1, 1996 | | Publisher | Plume | ## Images ![Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/718vRJgthVL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Now THIS is how you make a book about movies *by on Reviewed in the United States February 26, 2014* Rodriguez, much like many independent filmmakers, entered the cinema world with a movie that cost not even a skirmish of a typical Hollywood blockbuster. To make the movie, Rodriguez used his own money (a piddling $7,000) by participating in a experimental clinical drug testing and even veto some of the seemingly inexpensive movie tools (slate) to keep the costs down. The result was "El Mariachi", the movie that launched his career and showed that with a little creativity, anyone could make it in the business.No matter what your opinion on the movie is (which is very good, in my opinion), you cannot deny that "Rebel Without a Crew" is a fantastic read. Rodriguez depicts the making of the film and then its subsequent celebration at film festivals in chronological order, breaking them down into dates like a diary. In the process, he shows what he did to keep the costs down and used a variety of techniques to make a movie look like a million bucks, such as using a ladder instead of crane for crane shots, a wheelchair for a dolly a la Godard or using a sound effects track on a VHS camera. It's also important to note that Rodriguez shot this whole film with only one camera and not a single crew member on the set. He was also 23 years old, two years younger than Orson Welles was when he made "Citizen Kane". This is a rags-to-riches story straight out of "Cinderella" and yet it's true. The book is so gripping that it would make an excellent movie. That's how good it is.This book is extremely entertaining, but it's also very informative and refreshingly without prejudice towards Hollywood. When reading this book, you get a complete understanding of what it takes to get not only your movie made but also sold, distributed and promoted. Rodriguez gets to meet or contact with many of premier directors at that time, most notably Jonathan Demme, Richard Linklater and, of course, his future war buddy Quentin Tarantino. As the movie becomes more successful, Rodriguez achieves critical recognition, winning numerous awards and successfully entering the mainstream with films like "Desperado" and, after the book's release, "The Faculty" and "From Dusk Til' Dawn". In the end, Rodriguez had done the near impossible: he became an independent filmmaker that succeeded in Hollywood without losing his roots.The icing in the cake, however, is the astonishing "Ten-Minute Film School", one of the book's final appendixes that details how you could make a movie without the need of a million dollars or even ten THOUSAND dollars. Rodriguez argues that using your smarts to overcome financial barriers, rather than being expensive, can turn a bad little movie into a great little movie. In the end, he offers encouragement for aspiring directors to keep their passions strong and following them will lead you to enormous fulfillment. Amen to that, hombre."Rebel Without a Crew" is one of the best books about making movies ever conceived, a tonic to the costly film schools and programs that promise you many and deliver little. At the same time, it's also a great underdog story of how a certain nobody used his brains and wit to achieve the impossible and become a success story - all for a mere seven grand. Engrossing, insightful and endlessly engaging, "Rebel Without a Crew" belongs in every movie lover's collection. Don't even think of making movies without buying this book first.Strongest recommendation to buy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Better than business school and film school combined *by on Reviewed in the United States November 14, 2013* This is the book that compelled me to start publishing books. I just did a presentation at USC a few weeks ago on my fourth book, a multi-collaborator version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I had a slide showing Robert Rodriguez so I could pay homage to the man who kicked out the stop.The Introduction and first Appendix (10 Minute Film School) have been read and reread so many times the pages in those sections are falling out. I bought a hardcover version so I can have a more permanent copy of what I deem the most valuable book on productivity known to man. I have a few other books that are up there, but this one takes the cake.Here's the biggest draw for me...In the introduction Robert explains how he got the idea to make a trilogy of movies as a training method for learning how to produce feature films. How he got to this point (by hijacking his dad's VCR and using his award-winning short films to kick down the door to film school) is also explained. But the key here was learning by doing, and not learning by simulating how to do. There is a massive distinction, one so big that it literally will change your life.As I mentioned, I make books, not films. But by way of making books, I learned how to manage projects and produce contracts and research, write, design, edit, price, market, and otherwise MAKE books. I don't believe many of my books are worth reading, but as Robert says, everyone has bad movies in them, and they have to get them out of their system before greatness is possible. So failure be damned, do the work and let the chips fall where they may. You can't make the world love your stuff, but if you don't learn the process you'll never get enough exposure to give the world the chance to even see you at all.In sum: creativity and productivity are two sides of the same coin. Or as Robert says, "If you want to learn the guitar, you don't take a couple of guitar classes and expect to do anything innovative. You practice in your garage until your fingers bleed."Thank you Robert. I owe you a beer and a plate of puerco pibil. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Inspiration for film makers *by on Reviewed in the United States October 21, 2008* As has been mentioned, this is a memoir about how Robert Rodriguez made his film "El Mariachi". I just finished it and was thoroughly fascinated by it. This is not a technical manual (although there is plenty of technical knowledge and "pearls of wisdom" to be gleaned from it) so much as it is a motivational book. It is also a book about seeing a project through to its completion, regardless of the obstacles that may come up. It is written in a day to day format and tells how he came up with the concept, the unusual methods of funding that he came up with to make the film, the obstacles that he had to overcome, and how he pulled off a feature length film for $7000 that was eventually bought by a major Hollywood studio.If you are tired of technical books, I highly recommend Rebel Without a Crew. But first, I recommend renting "El Mariachi" and watching it. Its a good action movie, better than some of his later films such as "Desperado" and "From Dusk Till Dawn". As Rodriguez discusses some of the shots, you will be able to visualize these scenes and see why he had to film them the way he did. I found it to be an entertaining and educational read.As I mentioned, this is not a technical manual. It is not written in a "how to" format, so to speak. But he does go into detail about how and why he shot many scenes the way he did, how he came up with props and locations, how he cast roles, paced the movie, and how he sold it. I believe that any aspiring indie filmmaker will find ideas that he can apply to his own film making. ## Frequently Bought Together - Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player - Making Movies - In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, 2nd Edition --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1867883-rebel-without-a-crew-or-how-a-23-year-old](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1867883-rebel-without-a-crew-or-how-a-23-year-old) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-08-31*