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Dolby Creator Talks

Robert Rodriguez (and Family) on the Making of Hypnotic

May 16, 2023

Independent filmmaking legend Robert Rodriguez joins us this week, along with his composer and son Rebel Rodriguez, to discuss their mind-bending new action-thriller, “Hypnotic,” starring Ben Affleck. We discuss how they finally completed this film after years of Covid-related delays, why the director still prefers Austin over Hollywood (as his production hub), and how he’s made filmmaking a truly family affair. In addition to Rebel's score, the film benefited from the creative input of Robert's daughter, Rhiannon Rodriguez, who contributed to the storyboards. Racer Max Rodriguez and Rocket Rodriguez, Robert's other sons, brought their respective expertise to the table as well — Racer Max as the a co-writer and producer, and Rocket as an editor.

Now they’re the age where I was when I was doing ‘[El] Mariachi’ and ‘Desperado’ and all that. And I was like, wow, I was on fire back then, with all these ideas. No wonder these guys are [too]. If I need help with ‘Hypnotic,’ I need myself from 20 years ago to come help me finish this thing. And I got them, I got a whole bunch of them! <laughs> So they come with all these great ideas and it's like, wow, divide and conquer. Let's just take over this thing. They're becoming essential to my process, for sure.

Robert Rodriguez, Director/Producer/Co-Writer/Co-Cinematographer/Editor, “Hypnotic”

Be sure to check out Hypnotic, now in theaters. Please subscribe to The Dolby Institute Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the video for this episode. About Dolby: Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Through our innovative research and engineering, we develop breakthroughs that we share with the world through collaborations that span artists, businesses, and consumers worldwide. These breakthroughs deliver incredibly vivid experiences in the cinema, at home, at work, and on the go — experiences so lifelike that people feel as if they’ve been transported into a cinematic story or a pulsing sphere of music, a distant conference room or an action-packed game. In both entertainment and communications, through audio and imaging, we give everyone the power to see, hear, and feel the spectacular. Learn more about the Dolby Institute and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

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