A Study on 'El Mariachi' Movie: Lessons for Project Management
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1 What are we going to talk about and why ? 2 23 year old guy $ 7,225 (aprx 3.25 L) 14 days execution & after work ROI > 28000 % in 2 years Project ????? Small Mexican border town. International fame Many project offers $ 2,040,920 (aprx 9.1 cr) From poverty to riches A study on ‘El Mariachi’ movie: By Team 3: Lessons for Project Saurabh Kumar Chaubey (56) Srikanth Gali (60) Management Vinay Prabhakar (67) Success 3 4 Why El-Mariachi or any movie production is a project They have a clear goal and purpose They have a team of people with defined goals All of the team needed to work together to achieve the goal. There is a definite time constraint in terms of when the goal needed to be achieved 5 Attributes of film industry Film industry deals with intangible product development Shaped to directly address a deadline oriented business need Require significant investments for large movies up to $100 million. It is built against a specification open to change It rely on specialized production protocols and technologies Require the collaboration and integration of teams having specialized skills like Actors, technician, makeup artists It require careful analysis, design, execution, and integration It should be delivered with much attention to audience 6 Hollywood production system 7 Hollywood movie organization - crew Director: storytelling, creative decisions, looking after acting Assistant Director: shooting schedule, logistics of the production. Several types of AD - different responsibilities. casting director: finds actors through actors audition location manager: finds and manages film locations. Pictures are shot in the controllable environment of a studio sound stage. production manager: production budget and production schedule director of photography: cinematographer supervises the photography of the entire film director of audiography: supervises the audiography of the entire film 8 More Crew…. production sound mixer sound designer Composer production designer art director costume designer makeup and hair designer The storyboard artist creates visual images to help the director The choreographer 9 ROI Name of The Movie Budget Revenue ROI Lord of The rings $111 million $1.1 billion 1008% There’s Something About $31 million $370 million 1094% Mary The Hangover $36 million $467 million 1197% My Big Fat Greek Wedding $6 million $369 million 6050% E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial $25 million $793 million 3072% 3 Idiots $7.81 million $75.6 million 867.80% Ready $8.92 million $40.14 million 350% Enthiran $35 million $77 million 120% El Mariachi $7,225 $2.04 million 28148% Source: International movie database, wikepedia and hollywood box office 10 El Mariachi Mexican-American action film released in 1992 written, produced, directed, edited and cinematography done by a 23 year old Robert Rodriguez Spanish movie shot in the northern Mexican border town of Acuna across from Del Rio, Texas Most of the actors in the movie were his friends and relations who worked for free except the heroine and the movie was shot only in 14 days. Budget Box office Return on collection Investment $ 7,225 $ 2,040,920 28,148 % 11 Way forward He wanted to sell the movie it in the local Mexican video market Dropped a trailer at Hollywood talent agency, International Creative Management(ICM). Robert Newman, director of special projects at ICM, was impressed with his work. Columbia Pictures under John Singleton have signed Rodriguez for worldwide distribution rights of El Mariachi Also signed 2 films as sequels to El Mariachi later released as ‘Desperado’ in 1995 and ‘Once upon a Time in Mexico’ in 2003. 12 Robert Rodriguez journey to El Mariachi In his early childhood, Robert Rodriguez developed a passion for movies watching them at San Antonio revival Olmos Theatre with his mother. Not good at studies in school From Ray Harryhausen books, found he needed at least a 16 mm camera to make movies He started making Claymation movies and little action comedy movies starring his few or all of his 9 siblings. scholarship to join the University of Texas at Austin but he didn’t get a seat in film department because of his low GPA 3 short movies “David and his Sisters”, Waterlogged” and “Austin Stories” won few awards including National Third Coast Film and Video Festival based in Austin “Bedhead” made for $ 800 starring his siblings had won him several first places among the fourteen film festivals 13 Money and the script work of “El Mariachi” Drug test on his body at the drugs testing organization, Pharmco Research Hospital Hotline Done before for 4 times for financial reasons A speed healing drug test - 1 week - cutting biopsy out of his back arms leaving scars on his body antidepressant drug test for 9 days for $ 1000 and to Camcorder. 4th time, for finance of “El Mariachi”, for $ 3000, for a 1 month study also written the script of “El Mariachi”. Red 11 and some humiliating scenes 14 Project Selection S.NO Project management Film industry jargon phase 1 Project Selection Deciding on the movie 1 Defining project Development 2 Project planning Pre-Production 3 Project execution Production & Post- Production 4 Project delivery Marketing & Distribution 15 •This risk was not there with the El Marichi project because it Technical Risk was a very low budget movie without much use of technology. •Also the success of the project was much dependent on the script and direction than on technology. •Also the techonology revolutions are not so drastic in Hollywood industry so that it would change in days. •As the investment is very less, the exposure to financial risk was also very less. •As Robert has discussed about the project costs with his professors at film school in advance, the chances of running Finacial Risk out of budget was also very less •Also even if the movie doesn't come well, the local spanish video market normal rate of offering for an average movie was more or than equal to the budget of th El Mariachi movie. •Robert has chose the hometown of his friend Carlos, Acuna, the city which they were aware, removing the safety risk to Safety Risk themselves and actors •Although they have used equipment like guns, they have took permission from mayor and have used them under the surveliance of police. •As Robert was a independent film maker and 'El Mariachi' was his debut movie, he had no reputation to put at stake •As Robert had written script well in advance after estimating Quality Risk the assets he possess, the chances of low quality has faded •Also after borrowing camera, he had enough sample videos covering the footage of his wife running to ensure quality 16 Commercial factors • Robert taught that he would need atleast two movies for practice before making a good movie. Hence he was not expecting much ROI on the investment. But he was sure of getting more than 100 Expected ROI % ROI in local spanish video market • The chances of expected ROI getting down was very less because an average movie in the local market can be easily bought at $ 10,000 which was higher than budget of movie • Robert has planned to complete the shooting in 14 days only. He would few days for post production and then wanted to sell video in spanish market. Payback • As Robert has already worked for shooting the behind scenes for a movie in Acuna, he was well period aware of the no of days for the period. • the settlement in the industry was one time immediately after the delivery and hence El Mariachi had very good pay back period. Potential • Robert was not all looking to attract a market share of audience for his movie rather he was looking for Market share practise with minimun ROI. Operational risks 17 • Although all the actors were acting for the first time, Robert didn't want to train them beacause he felt that the trained artists may sound artificial. • Also he made script in such a way that it would be very easy for the new comers to follow without Need of training. training • he didn't share the total script with the team, he only explained scene they are supposed to act at that moment. • Also as the shooting length was only 14 days, • All the actors in the movie except the heroine have Change in accepted to act for free which shows their spirit to team size work in the team. and • Most of the actors were his friends or relations composition • so there are very little chances for change in size and competition Change in • 14 days of shooting was too less to have any such environment changes or service 18 AHP: Skill Time to absence Total Profit Potential Recognitio Alternatives Improvemen Market of risk Score (0.3) n (0.2) t (0.25) (0.05) (0.2) ST(0.2) LT(0.1) Very Very El Mariachi 0.445 Fair Very Good Good Fair Good Good Very Very Short movie 0.305 Fair Poor Good Good Good Good other than 0.205 Good Good Fair Poor Fair Good movie Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent Weightage 0 0.1 0.3 0.6 1 19 Favorable factors Reality factor Capable enough Flexibility Ease of use for the stakeholders Cost Factor 20 21 Robert Rodriguez: A Leader He is a motivating and inspiring leader He is a problem solver, He leads to overcome challenges He behaves with authenticity, fairness, honesty and care and hence was trusted He had close harmony with his every team member 22 Robert Rodriguez: Project Manager Robert was ultimately accountable for the success of the project. Robert Prepared project plan and budget for it.