Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2.6 million ($4.9 million in 2021 dollars) against a budget of $7,000 ($13,153 in 2021 dollars). The film spawned two sequels known collectively as the Mexico Trilogy: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.