#3.45.1 – Crunch Time

First published on March 13th, 2012 as #1.226
  
This week’s look back at the making of Gravity continues with some reflections on the time when the team is built, the engine is running, and the deliveries pile up. 
The thing I was wrong about was my statement that the release date rarely changes; these days it’s all too common and I was beginning to suspect privately that Gravity would get pushed. That changed little for us, we were still working to deliver the majority of the film by late spring.
 
#226 - Crunch Time
#226 - back
sent from:London, UK. destination: London, UK

One of the small blessings of working on films, big Hollywood films that is, is that there’s a definite release date that rarely, if ever, changes. It means that at some point a decision needs to be made, stuff needs to flow through the system and get shat out the other end. What an unfortunate analogy. Because, however, no one can ever say no to a client, we keep noodling every detail, gilding that lily, until the last possible moment, and then it’s down to a lot of people making a big heroic effort to try and execute the work in time. This is called CRUNCH TIME, and it has arrived for me and my talented team. I feel a bit like Kirk in Wrath of Khan when the Enterprise crew has to tackle the crisis without quite being ready for it. The hours are long, sleep is fitful and interrupted. Sitting in a dark meeting room I grabbed (or was grabbed by) a couple of moments’ sleep. I wonder; what could I have done differently yesterday, last week, last month, to have avoided this? Any of stress in the crew has me fretting inside like a mother hen. But, let’s be honest, the work is never done, it could always be improved. Let us be grateful that it is eventually wrenched from our tired hands.

One thought on “#3.45.1 – Crunch Time

  1. The fact that this postcard was first posted in March but we didn't actually wrap until October just makes me remember how long the crunch period on this film was! It also reminds me of watching the summer Olympics at my desk because I didn't have time to buy tickets and having to cut short holiday in August because there was still too much work left to do for the amount of people left at the end of the show.
    It's been a year now since we wrapped and the film seems to be doing well so I guess the sacrifice was worth it?

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