Hi. I was hoping that someone might post something like this, as it gives me a chance to address the subject of 'the length of time it takes to make a feature length movie'. I'm not singling you out David (or may I call you Camp), but this is a frequently asked question that really needs answering. And, thanks for contributing to the message board - keep posting Camp David.
If you are blessed with money, making a movie from pre-production to release should take no longer than 12 months. However, the script could have taken any length of time to prepare - add another 12 months for the development of the script. If it comes from a novel, add the appropriate amount of time it takes to write a novel (I don't know, I haven't written a novel).
If you are making a low-budget movie it might take you years of preparation. I know of filmmakers who are still trying to get short films into production, many years on from writing the initial treatment.
Now, bypassing micro-budget movies we move onto no-budget movies (movies with a budget of less than £100,000). Actually, Diary of a Bad Lad does not belong to this grouping. It belongs more in the Clerks, El Mariachi, Brothers McMullen (etc, etc) arena where you add up the budget after completion - because you didn't have a budget to start with, you just kept sticking a bit of petty cash in every so often and half way through found someone to invest a few grand for a few expensive effects.
Producing something of this type usually takes an extraordinary amount of time. Check out Peter (Lord of the Rings) Jacksons Bad Taste, or Sam (Spiderman) Raimi's The Evil Dead. Both also took long periods to develop, get off the ground and produce. Why? Imagine trying to keep many people interested when they are off for auditions for the latest big tv series.
ADDITION: Note that both Bad Taste and The Evil Dead had far larger budgets than DOABL.
Diary of a Bad Lad has been created in the same amount of time it would have took me to graduate from the National Film + Television School with a diploma and a final year short film. Coincidentally I got an interview for the NFTS and got rejected right before I started on Diary of a Bad Lad (recently I got chatting to the - now - head of the NFTS and former Palace Pictures mogul Nik Powell and he told me that even getting an interview down there isn't that common an occurence so I shouldn't be too bothered). The point is that this has been a fantastic experience for me both professionally and from a personal point of view - I've got to work with actors, special effects technicians, probably the best prosthetics artist in the country etc etc. Without doing this, I'd be another short filmmaker, and short films are a completely different beast I promise you. Before I had lots of confidence bordering on arrogance - this is something that's been replaced by knowledge, ability and a bit more confidence. In short, if someone offered me another movie to work on, I'd have no fear in signing up.
So I really don't care how long it's taken - though if you had spoken to me 18 months ago I'd be lamenting about how slow it was going. It's taken as long as it's taken. An example. What are we waiting for now? We are waiting for the musician/sound engineer to score, clean-up and foley the entire 92 minute film. Perhaps we should rush him? Perhaps, but would the work be any better for it? And don't forget he's doing it for nothing but a share in the movie. And it's been the same for everyone.
It's fucking hard to make something from nothing. If it wasn't everyone in the world would be doing this. None of us were under any illusions that it would take less than a while to complete. And if anything it shows how much our heart is where it should be. Rather than a bunch of shmoozers in a coffee shop whinging on about how the local arts organisation hasn't allowed us to bend over for them this year.
Of course I'd never make something like this again. What would be the point? I've done it now. My own personal challenge has been met. The next step is to produce something with a real budget, over a six to eight week shooting schedule - no deferments.
