As long as it takes.

You hear people saying, ‘It takes so long to make a movie.’

Does it?

It’s actually: ‘It takes as long as it takes.’

It’s fine if civilians say it, but watch if you’re saying it.

To say it is not to understand what it is to make a movie. Movie is an abbreviation for moving picture. To take a picture you need a subject – you the actor – and you need light and a camera. To get the lighting to reflect what you want to say in the scene takes time. Then the moving camera part comes in and that takes time. The blocking, the acting, stunts, etc.

It takes time.

As an actor learn what it takes to make a movie.

You need your time to be ready and so do all the other departments. Each taking their place, their space and their time. Collectively.

Once you accept and assimilate the process then you free yourself to do your acting. If you don’t it’s like putting a square peg in a round hole. You can misspend your energy being frustrated at waiting.

When you, the individual, join the collective making the movie, a lot of that frustration goes away.

You become part of the time it takes.