“Did you make the day?” That’s the first question financiers and production execs will ask after a first day — or, really, any day — of shooting. “Making the day” means completing all the scenes on the call sheet so that the production isn’t falling behind, something that can led to dropped scenes, budget overruns and more.

But beyond the “making the day” question lies a deeper one: how is a production making the day? Rushed scenes, abandoned coverage and quickly made decisions can result in an on-time shooting schedule but diminished artistic results. That’s why this behind-the-scenes video of David Lynch, from, I think, Twin Peaks: The Return bonus DVD extras, is a must watch for any young director. Here’s one of cinema’s greatest directors, and the exigencies of production — suddenly learning, for example, that one day player is only available for two days — as well as the scheduling decisions of the A.D. department means that he’s leaving each day frustrated. “We never get any extra shots, we never get to experiment, we never get to, you know, go dreamy or anything,” Lynch says. “We barely fucking make our days!”

The lesson for a young director here is that when even David Lynch can reasonably expect more shooting time, or a more flexible shooting schedule, it’s worth thinking of ways of preserving that dreamtime in the face of inevitable production curveballs.

(HT: Depressed Bergman)

David Lynch loses his cool when he is informed by his crew that he has to complete a scene within 2 days.pic.twitter.com/KSeWz9ux3D

— DepressedBergman (@DannyDrinksWine) July 13, 2024