How did Kubrick shoot for so long?

[theyarelegion]

How small were his crews? Did certain crew members do multiple jobs? Basically, my question is: how do filmmakers, like Kubrick, spread their budgets so cleverly to be able to really take their time with the shooting versus the general normal of directors breaking their neck to come in on schedule and budget, often compromising massively to do so. Sorry if this is a very elementary question..!

[picolas]

Sorry if this is a very elementary question..!

not at all. it's insanely complicated.

[Gold Trumpet]

It had everything to do with what was necessary on set for the day. It isn't that he wouldn't hire a number of technicians to help him complete a film, but he wouldn't keep them hanging around when their job was done for the time being. It's a joke, but in one Kubrick biography, when he was making The Shining and the lighting guy was done doing what he had to do on the set, Kubrick sent him off to work on the lighting of his house.

It's also do to how long he would make a film. On Eyes Wide Shut, the billiard room scene with Sydney Pollack and Tom Cruise alone took weeks to film. Since Kubrick could pace himself, he could get certain technical things out of the way and just concentrate on how film the scenes. There he would have some camera people and a few other people on site all the time, but if the person wasn't essential for the day, they were not on set.

So, even though he was clever with number of people on set, it isn't like his cleverness is that useful. Typical films are shooting for more coverage in a given day and so lots of things have to be done tech wise to keep things afloat. Kubrick was able to get away with murder.

[mogwai]

No, the main reason he always shot for so long was that they were constantly renovating his mansion at home. True story.

[Pubrick]

Oops, KarlJan mog's off the wagon again.

[mogwai]

Never homie.

[socketlevel]

I posted something about this in another thread. In the documentary put out on the dvd box set, his brother-in-law who was part of production stated he never went over budget. Small crews and low pay on actors are the two biggest money savers he had. And really what actor wouldn't have worked for Kubrick at 1/10 the cost.

from the behind the scenes stuff i've seen on full metal jacket and the shining it really blew me away how little you need on the set if you've got everything prepared. that's how he could do so many takes, he essentially budgeted so time wasn't the major concern. so much of a movie production is fat. unions have ruined so much of the film making process.