Troublemaker Studios

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

This is filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellán's production company. It was first formed as Los Hooligans Productions before changing its name to Troublemaker Studios in 2000. In 2019, the company changed its name to Double R Productions following Elizabeth Avellán's departure from the company, though Troublemaker remains in use on occasion, possibly in productions where Elizabeth Avellán is involved.

1st Logo (Spy Kids variant) (March 30, 2001)


Visuals: The camera zooms to the left on a black background. There is a boy named Pepino wearing a red shirt with a black dot and a red and blue cap. He plays the Spy Kids theme on his acoustic guitar while he sits down on the letter "U". The screen then zooms out to reveal the company's logo, which is seen in the middle of the screen. The logo shines.

Trivia: The company's mascot Pepino represents a young Robert Rodriguez, with his adventurous imagination.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Seen only on Spy Kids.

2nd Logo (Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams variant) (August 7, 2002, 2003)


Visuals: Pepino suddenly zooms toward the viewer and rides down the "T" and the goes to the "U" with the letters representing a rollercoaster. The camera zooms out to reveal the text from before as it shines. Then, the word "STUDIOS" disappears as Pepino leaves the logo. The text lowers itself and "TROUBLEMAKER" fades to a silver version on a gate, segueing to the opening scene of the film.

Trivia: After the logo segues into the film, Pepino appears in the theme park scene of Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Just kids screaming.

Availability: Seen only on Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams. The very end of it can also be seen very briefly on the trailer for Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.

3rd Logo (July 25, 2003-June 10, 2005)


Visuals: The screen zooms down to Pepino sitting in a blue chair in a black/blue systemized room. He then puts on some 3D glasses (in some cases, sunglasses) and pushes the button on the chair, angering it as he gives a thumbs up gesture. He starts riding and flying, revealing the text in the same font as the previous logos. When Pepino flies to the name, the letters zoom together with him close to the camera and when the "o" from "studios" zooms, it segues into the opening of the movie.

Variants:

  • On The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, Pepino wears Sharkboy 3D glasses while the chair turns into a shark and the background is a metal wall. Also, the letters zoom faster and the "o" from studios segues into the blackness.
  • At the end of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, the logo is small and still on a black background.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The opening theme of the movie accompanied by mechanical and whoosh sounds.

Availability: Seen on Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

4th Logo (September 12, 2003-mid-2010s?)


Visuals: On a black background, there is a huge explosion. The company's name zooms out to face the camera, which is superimposed over the explosion. At the end, the logo burns up.

Variants:

  • Starting in 2010, the logo has an enhanced and high-definition look. Later in the logo's run, "STUDIOS" was changed to a black color, with Machete having it during the prologue.
  • On Machete Kills, the logo reads "QUICK DRAW PRODUCTIONS".

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: Just the sound effect of an explosion.

Audio Variant: At the end of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, the ending theme of the movie is heard along with the explosion sounds.

Availability:

  • The original version debuted on Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
  • It can also be seen on Sin City, the two Grindhouse movies Planet Terror and Death Proof, and at the end of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl and before episode 0, "The Blinkers", of Shorts.
  • The enhanced version debuted on Predators.

5th Logo (Shorts variant) (August 21, 2009)


Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with Pepino using a black box. This morphs into rocket wings in his back, making him a rocket boy. After a few moments, the camera zooms away, revealing the company logo. He flies towards the logo, which shines like the first two logos.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The opening theme of the movie accompanied by various sound effects.

Availability: Only seen on Shorts, after "The Blinkers". The previous logo is seen before said episode.

6th Logo (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World game variant) (August 9, 2011)

Visuals: Over a black background is the company logo (which is a bit lighted in the center) with Pepino's head above.

Technique: A still, digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen only on Spy Kids: All the Time in the World for Nintendo DS.

7th Logo (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World movie variant) (August 19, 2011)


Visuals: The screen zooms towards the "D" on a black background as Pepino holds a clock. He gets rid of a lot of junk and gets a drill, making it a time machine. It time machine then expands to cover him up as the hands move closer and start spinning. It then goes back into his hands as they becomes a propeller, while the camera zooms away, revealing the company's logo (now more simple, with the gradients removed and the word "STUDIOS" in a different font). Pepino then flies around and off the screen. Unlike the previous logos, the logo in this one doesn't shine.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The sounds corresponding to the animation.

Availability: Seen only on Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.

8th Logo (30 Years variant) (September 22, 2023)


Visuals: On a black background, the camera quickly pans over to Pepino sitting on the "T" in "TROUBLEMAKER", in a similar pose as the Spy Kids variant. He then does his classic eye move as he pulls out a guitar. The "T" then flies backwards as another Pepino drumming with a different guitar appears while sitting on top of the "A", which also flies into place. The "L" flies in front of the camera as we see the very bottom of the letter, with another Pepino sitting upside down on it, playing another guitar. Right afterwards, the "O" in "STUDIOS" flies in for a brief close-up of yet another Pepino strumming a note on the guitar. The letters all fly backwards with all the Pepinos on them, as the rest of the letters start flying in to form the Troublemaker Studios logo. Lastly, the "U" in "TROUBLEMAKER" flies in front of the camera with a Pepino sitting on top of it, playing a more varied set of notes. As the letters finish zooming out, all the Pepinos stay where they are, with the one on the "T" in "TROUBLEMAKER" turning his head to face the camera. All of the Pepinos except for the one on the "L" make a drumroll with their guitars as the logo slowly zooms in, while "30 Years" fades in below the fully-formed Troublemaker Studios logo, in the Chalkduster font. They all stop before the logo then fades out.

Technique: CGI by Christopher Olivia.

Audio: A whoosh at the very start, then all the different Pepinos start playing music based on the "Spy Kids Theme" composed by Robert Rodriguez, with one of the Pepinos drumming along using their guitar. Some more instruments join in around the last note, before all the Pepinos do their drumroll.

Availability: This is a variant to celebrate the company's 30th anniversary, tailor-made for Spy Kids: Armageddon.

Troublemaker Studios
Double R Productions
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.