AMD closely collaborated with Troublemaker Studios to produce the striking visual effects for the action epic “Machete”. Directed and conceived by Robert Rodriguez (director of “Predators”, “Sin City”, and “Shorts”), and featuring an all-star cast including Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba, “Machete” centers on a former Mexican ex-Federale named Machete, who after being setup, embarks on a quest to seek revenge and clear his name.
From start to finish, Troublemaker Studios made use of a unique combination of AMD’s graphics and computing technologies to bring the film to life, pioneering new special effects techniques while cutting down on production time and cost. AMD FirePro™ V8800 professional graphics accelerators and six-core AMD Opteron™ processor-based workstations were employed to produce the film on a compressed schedule. A team of ten artists with a post-production period of only six months accomplished more than 500 final shots with AMD’s platform technology, a personal best for Rodriguez and his Troublemaker Studios team.
“I’ve had the idea for ‘Machete’ since meeting Danny Trejo while filming ‘Desperado’ in 1993, and it’s only now after years of refining that idea combined with the advancements in AMD technology, that I’ve been able to bring my creative vision to life in the way I truly envisaged it,” said Robert Rodriguez, co-owner, Troublemaker Studios. “The incredible developments in AMD platform technology continue to fuel my creativity, driving me to push it to its limits. In fact, I’ve made plans to incorporate AMD’s Fusion Render technology into the production of my next film ‘Spy Kids 4’.”
"AMD has always been a company that has measured the success of its technology based on what people achieve with it. This is part of a culture that focuses on the user experience," said Charlie Boswell, director, Digital Media and Entertainment, AMD. "Robert Rodriguez and his Troublemaker Studios team have been creating incredible entertainment on AMD technology since 'Spy Kids II' with 'Machete' and 'Predators' being their latest releases. I consider Robert the most technical guerilla filmmaker on the planet, and he continues to harness the power of AMD technology to fuel his passion and realize his creative vision."
"He is, in fact, the poster boy for the innovative AMD customer. He has demonstrated he can compete directly with the major studios, delivering stunning quality at a fraction of their production time and inflated budgets. Every AMD employee should take pride that our technology is giving voice to independent filmmakers, artists, or anyone with a creative vision or dream. Viva Machete!"