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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Film Shoot How Long?

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futurereduser

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When Filming a "Hollywood" Movie How long does it usually take for principle photography without visual effects like how many pages script per day.Thanks.
 
This varies quite a bit depending on number of set ups, size of crew, location, complexity of shots, etc. Big budget films could shoot a couple pages a day, whereas run and gun guerilla filmmakers might get more--or much less, if they are disorganized. Shoots can go from 20 or 30 days to 6 months or more. I don't know of any useful daily average and I don't think pages are the best indicator, although this is often used to time the movie. If I may ask, why are you asking?
 
I was on an indie that was only 12 days. Only 4 locations all were close and most were outdoors. You determine your shoot length when you breakdown the script and schedule.
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! That Helps me Understand Better. thinkbug on Just a slight(And i mean slight) Chance if i got to making a Film i would like to know how many days the Actors are Needed per Minute(s) of film So i could get an idea how much they would get Paid so i could Estimate budget.
 
I worked a Varicam indie that shot in 9 days. Very frantic and next to no time to lighting setups, but this guy was a Roger Corman type, and he actually pulls off shoots like this several times a year.
 
Often times (when NOT a "Hollywood" film) the budget can dicate how long you can afford to shoot, what shots you can pull off, and what actors you can sign on. That's what I am dealing with right now for a feature I am making this October. I suggest picking up one of the many books written about filmmaking, producing and budgeting. They will help shed some light.
 
thinkbug said:
Tom, I've been involved in those whirlwind shoots as well. Lots of fun but very stressful!
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haha, yeah. on that 9-day shoot I was a dolly grip, boom op, gaffer, extra, talent chauffeur, and i even found myself driving a Porsche in a stunt sequence... lol, you gotta love it. loads of fun.
 
I generally agree that budget usually dictates most shooting schedules, but you also have to factor in the speed of the director (some work faster then others), and the experience of the crew. Both of which can also have an effect on how long something takes to shoot.
 
Very Useful info

Very Useful info

Thanks for your Replies.Wow Jarhead only a Week. Man that's fast Shooting.
 
thinkbug said:
I suggest picking up one of the many books written about filmmaking, producing and budgeting. They will help shed some light.
Click to expand...

One that I recommend is Eve Light Honthaner's The Complete Film Production Handbook: 3rd Edition. It's got just about every form you could ever need, whether you're working with or without union talent and crew.
 
I think Jarhead took a lot longer than a week:

"Filming began on the soundstages of Universal Studios; principal photography would end almost exactly five months later in the desert of Glamis, California.

“One of the great ironies of the movie,” notes Mendes, “was that the filming of it lasted five months…which is exactly the length of time the soldiers in Tony’s story were in the desert together.”

Here's maybe the fastest shoot:

"An Indian director has claimed that he set a world record by shooting a 74-minute feature in just 2 hours and 14 minutes. The film, Atbhutam (Wonder), describes a right-to-die battle between the wife of a brain-dead man and his parents similar to the one that involved the husband of Terri Schiavo and her parents last year. Although three cameras were used in the filming, only one was running for each scene. "We'd planned things, including the lighting, in such minute details, that within a couple of minutes of canning one shot, the lighting for the next scene was switched on and the floor was made ready," S. Kumar, the film's director of photography, told Reuters. The filmmakers have applied for recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records."

The original Little Shop of Horrors (1960) is generally thought to be the fastest feature shoot ever -- reputed to be two days.
 
"Eyes Wide Shut" was shot in over 15 months, including an unbroken period of 46 weeks! It was entered into The Guinness Book of World Records as "The Longest Constant Movie Shoot".
 
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