STILL A TROUBLEMAKER

Yesterday I mentioned some casting news about the new film Sin City from director Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez calls his production company Troublemaker Studios, and he has always been a bit of a vanguard, making his films in his own complex (why do I want to say it's an old castle or something ... I may be making that up) in Texas, and doing just about everything (usually including editing and camerawork and often even scoring) on his own. You can almost always be sure that a Rodriguez film is actually going to be damn close to the film he intended to make.

According to today's Variety, Rodriguez has decided to cause a little more trouble. He has resigned from the Directors Guild of America because he wants Frank Miller -- the graphic novel writer responsible for the source material of Sin City -- to co-direct the film, and the DGA doesn't seem to want to grant the necessary waiver to allow this to happen. The DGA has very specific rules about there being only one credited director on a film at a time, but Variety quotes Rodriguez saying, "I didn't want Frank to be treated as just a writer, because he is the only one who has actually been to Sin City. I am making such a literal interpretation of his book that I'd have felt weird taking directing credit without him."

In fact, Rodriguez also says that he plans to have Quentin Tarantino direct small sections of the film as well. And it turns out, this isn't the first time Rodriguez has turned in his DGA card. Apparently, because of the same issue, he had to resign membership in order to participate in Trantino's omnibus Four Rooms.

Variety also says that Rodriguez charactirizes this divorce as friendly, and it seems to me he's planning on a reconciliation when this is over. Apparently he feels that the Guild makes "it very hard to do something that is exciting and different, which is exactly how I sold this project from the beginning."

All of this just leaves me with one question: what's the fucking point? If someone can resign and rejoin whenever it's advantageous, isn't there a problem with bylaws? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why one-film/one-director makes sense, especially from a labor standpoint, and the DGA is first and foremost a labor union, but this is a little bit ridiculous. The rules are specifically there to protect the members. If a member wants to do something for artistic reasons, why wouldn't a waiver be created in that instance? I don't have a problem with Rodriguez doing this; I have a problem with that fact that it needs to be done for him to make the movie he wants to make the way he wants to make it. It's one thing if a studio or producer tries to force a co-director on a filmmaker, but when final cut is something very few directors get anyway, and often studios are often reediting and reshooting without director approval thereby changing the movie anyway, isn't that a bit of a bigger problem than co-directors?

I'm just saying ....

Comments

[greg.org]

You think RR lives in a castle because he kinda does; the NYTimes article timed to the release of Spy Kids 2 showed a kind of suburban dreamhouse-turned-castle with a recording studio grotto or something.

As for the co-director thing, that's a bigger problem than just the DGA; Katia Lund was co-director of City of God, but the Academy doesn't recognize the credit, either. Alex Bellos wrote about her predicament--and the co-credit problem--in the Guardian last month.

[cal godot]

This is simply yet another semi-clever publicity stunt by Robert "Big Mouth" Rodirguez.

The fact is that if Rodriguez "didn't want Frank to be treated as just a writer," then that's his call as director/producer/owner of the property.

If he wants QT to direct segments, that's called "second unit."

Additionally, Rodriguez makes his films in Texas. Texas is a "right to work" state. He does this to avoid most of the union & guild issues he'd likely run into in LA (which can be quite bothersome).

In other words, he likely has plenty of workarounds for this. His idea to share director's credit is simply a stunt (though with so many talented people helping him maybe he can finally make a decent film).

The fact of this matter is that such rules as "sole director credit" protect less powerful filmmakers from producers (or high-profile actors) who demand shared credit. It also makes it difficult for a director to be arbitrarily fired from a project, as the producer then has to ask the guild for a waiver to credit the new director. Shared credits do happen, but they are rightfully scrutinized to see if the shared credit is the only alternative. Rodriguez had other options (Miller and QT directing "some portions" of the film simply does not rise to the amount of work necessary to get a shared credit waiver.)

People like Rodriguez like to complain about the guilds and unions, but they also like the advantages of the membership. They are typicaly selfish people, who want everything their way and wish to make no sacrifices for others, in particular those less fortunate. I've got no respect for the guy: his "bad boy" image is a ruse to fool impressionable adolescent males (and those adults seemingly frozen in that state), which seem to be the only fans he has.

[Alex Wolf]

Robert Rodriguez.....God I love this guy! While other Directors are worrying about pissing off a Studio or Producer, Rodriguez is one of the only "moviemaker" whose says, "It's my way or the Highway". And God I applaude him for that! While some of us (non Union) Directors'/Producers'/Editors'/Sound & Production Design people are hard at work trying to make a film on $10,000.00 dollars (Canadian) you've got the director of "Runaway Jury" blowing 30 to 40 takes with Dustin Hoffman on a rainy afternoon which turned out unusable. A mere 25 to 30 thousand dollars worth.....what primadonas.

Keep breaking down the barriers Robert.....it's refreshing.

Alex Wolf

[Ed Rafalko]

Texas in NOT a 'right to work' state. Texas is an 'employment at will' state- meaning that any employer can and will terminate any employee for any reason at any time.

Rodriguez is an independent spirit who has strong interests and strong energies, a strong enough intellect to devise a plan of action and then cajones enough to actually carry it out.

I think the DGA needs him and people like him far more than people like him need the DGA.

[Ray R. Casas]

Hi Robert: I have a script that I would
like you to review. I don't know if this
website is the correct place for this request
but I have been trying to research where I
can send this script to you. I'm not a writer
but a dreamer. I know this sounds odd, but
please just read my script. I know your a
busy person with alot of goals to meet. If
you could just give me minute of your time
it would be great. I will only release this
script to you. Please respond. You can
reach me at 512-970-4951, I'm in Austin, Tx
My wife and I run a small law office in
east austin and we both think this script
could be a hit movie for you.

[joe baker]

Still not back from Camerabodia.
Self exile from Hollowood I guess.
Thanks to Megawat Prod. I'm livin in synopsis-city. Tryin to remake the land mine docu-drama I wrote you about so long ago. Howdie to Frank and QT...