Robert Rodriguez Launches Video-making Contest to Catapult the Careers of Aspiring Filmmakers
Mexican-American director Robert Rodriguez is on a mission to discover raw talent -- and we're not talking about the raw carnage that comes from his cult favorite, vampire-inspired films and recently launched TV series, From Dusk Til Dawn.
According to Variety, Rodriguez will partner with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew soda in a video-making contest known as Green Label Studios: Open Call.
Not only is there a hefty prize up for grabs -- an award of $250,000, but there's a once in a lifetime chance to have the opportunity to score Rodriguez and producer Roberto Orci as mentors. Take that film school, the proud winner might be saying!
Reportedly Rodriguez said in an interview, that "Mountain Dew will work to promote 'Matador,' a drama series from Orci and partner Alex Kurtzman set to debut on the recently launched El Rey Network in July."
Rodriguez is killing two birds with one stone -- he's discovering and giving talented filmmakers an opportunity of a lifetime to get noticed for their work on a grander scale. And from a business perspective, he's got his business savvy tactics right on point as he gains some promotional assistance for his new cable network, El Rey.
"To secure some of its initial advertiser support, El Rey Network has liberally offered Rodriguez's creative services. Rodriguez and his creative team will create 30- to 90-second video vignettes for General Motors that play off themes from original programs on El Rey," Variety adds. "Heineken USA's Dos Equis beer will be woven into 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series,' in which the storyline will feature scenes at a bar. The network will also create specific content for Heineken that can run on its air."
"I really want to do right by the partners and give them something extra that can help their brands as well," Rodriguez said. "I'm totally excited about working with these companies that come early on and put their money where their mouth is."
Aspiring filmmakers' content will need to submit their work to Green-label.com by April 25, after which it will be judged. Ten finalists will be culled from the initial entries.
Those contestants will travel to New York to meet with an expert panel of filmmakers and content creators and will be required to fulfill an assignment: Each will receive $10,000 to create a new video. Rodriguez and Orci will pick the grand prize winner.
Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn:The Series is based on his 1996 vampire film that has a cult-like following, aired on March 11 on his new cable network, El Rey.
The exciting new series, which features Wilmer Valderama, Eiza Gonzalez, Zane Holtz, Don Johnson and D.J. Cotrona, among others, will mark the first piece of original programming from the network that Rodriguez created to appeal to young Latino Americans.
From Dusk Til Dawn, the movie, starred George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo and Juliette Lewis, the plot is about "two criminals and their hostages who unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!