How Long Does It Take to Film a Movie (and a TV Episode)?

It depends on the budget. In a study of 782 Hollywood studio films, the median shoot ran 106 days from first day to the start of post-production, while one $1m independent feature was shot in 24 days. A TV episode usually takes days: three for one multi-camera comedy, about eight for a one-hour drama. Most actors only work the days their scenes are scheduled, and the casting directors we asked had plenty to say about those days.

What are the stages of making a movie?

Development (script and money), pre-production (hiring, casting, locations), production (the shoot, called principal photography), post-production (editing, sound, effects) and release. Casting happens in pre-production, and you may be called back for ADR or pickups in post.

Data researcher Stephen Follows tracked 782 live-action films from the six big Hollywood studios, released from 2006 to 2016, in his study of studio movie timelines. The median film took 871 days, about two years and four months, from public announcement to release. Pre-production ran a median of 146 days.

How long does it take to shoot a movie?

For a studio film, months. The same study put the median principal photography at 106 days, with horror the shortest genre (81 days) and adventure the longest (133). Those are calendar days from the first shoot day to the start of post, not days spent filming, and Follows notes crews found them longer than their own experience.

Independent films move far faster, because every day costs money. In a separate breakdown of a $1m independent feature, Follows reports the film took 24 days to shoot. No union rule sets how many days a feature shoots; budget, script and locations decide it.

Casting director Rachel Sutton reminded us how much money is spent every minute you stand on set, and director Kate Dennis called a set a machine that costs thousands of dollars a minute.

How long does it take to film a TV episode?

Usually days, not weeks. A DGA Quarterly feature on the network drama Chicago Fire described a typical eight-day shooting schedule with eight days of prep per episode. In a DGA comedy roundtable, director Pamela Fryman said How I Met Your Mother had three shooting days per episode, because that was all the budget allowed.

The director's prep is protected too. The Directors Guild's episodic creative rights summary sets minimum preparation of three days for a half-hour, seven days for a one-hour and 15 days for a two-hour network prime-time program, as of November 2026.

Kate Dennis told us an episodic director's lunch break often goes on dailies or props, and the evening on prepping the next day.

How many days will you be on set as an actor?

Only the days your scenes are scheduled. SAG-AFTRA's television contract hires actors as day performers, three-day performers (television only) or weekly performers, and its 2026 television wage tables set these minimums from 1 July 2026:

Smaller roles are often hired as day performers. Casting director Bonnie Zane said a guest star joins a crew that already has its rhythm, so fit in and do the work. Every rate is on our SAG-AFTRA rates page.

How long is a shoot day?

Long. Casting director Seth Yanklewitz summed it up: long hours, long days, a lot of work. On union jobs, SAG-AFTRA's overtime rules pay day performers time-and-a-half for the ninth and tenth hours and double time after that, counted from first call to dismissal, minus meal breaks.

You also get guaranteed rest. SAG-AFTRA's rest period rules give performers 12 hours from dismissal to the next first call in the studio zone, plus a 56-hour weekly rest, with limited exceptions on location. Break them and production owes a forced call penalty.

Why is there so much waiting, and so little time?

Because lighting, camera and sound setups take far longer than the takes. Casting director Amanda Mitchell said to use that waiting time on early jobs to learn how the whole process works.

Then it moves fast. Risa Bramon Garcia warned that new actors can arrive expecting something magical and find they get one close-up and one medium shot, sometimes opposite a stand-in, because the star is in turnaround and the crew is near overtime. Lisa Zambetti's advice: use your trailer time to know the scene inside out, because once you're on set your focus has to be laser sharp.

How long can child actors be on set?

Much less than adults, and it depends on age. In California, Title 8, section 11760 sets these limits on time at the place of employment, as of November 2026:

Work time can be longer when school isn't in session. Bonnie J Wallace told us that's why a child who looks younger than their age can be more employable. Other states set their own rules, so check where you're shooting. General information only; check the state labour office for your situation.

How long does post-production take?

Often longer than the shoot. On a feature, the Directors Guild's Basic Agreement, Article 7 gives the director at least ten weeks after principal photography for the director's cut, or one day of editing for every two scheduled shoot days if that's longer. Low-budget films get six weeks or one day per shoot day.

TV is quicker. The DGA summary gives the editor four business days after the shoot to assemble a half-hour and six for a one-hour, then the director gets one day (plus up to one more) for a half-hour and four days for a one-hour episode.

Then the film has to be sold. Producer Shaked Berenson told us some films sell before they're made and others only after festivals. In Follows' studio data, post began a median of 301 days before release.

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All rates current from sagaftra.org as of 9 November 2026.