Production Time of MJ P1 and P2

[miss kay]

This was a topic request...

So the film will be released November 22, they're going to have like another week or two to promote the film. Then there's the Christmas break, and then awards season so that will mean March.

So from March to November, they have to FILM the movie and then the crew has to EDIT the movie to put it altogether. The cast themselves have to PROMOTE the movie so they'll have to end filming a month or two before the movie is released. There just seems like there's too much for them to film two films in such a small time.

[countryL]

They will start filmming the MJ movies before CF is shown. I think the script and production stuff got started right after they got Francis in being the director. Some time taking off in the main cast for them to promote CF before its shown. Other stuff can be filmmed while there gone.Also a end of the year break for the cast,and then finish up.

[weheldtheworld]

This really isn't like, a thing that needs to be worried about.
It's in the actors' contracts that they're locked in for the last two and they've worked it out with the other productions that want them.
JL has to do X-Men still.
It's going to be fine.

[Tash]

I'm quite happy that there's a lot of time for pre-production things this time around, we all know that Catching Fire was a bit of a rush to get started, at least with Mockingjay they will have a bit more time on their side. They'd no doubt film back to back too, so I'd imagine Part 2 getting lots of time in post-production which makes me happy too as I think that might have a few of the bigger action moments. Plus Danny Strong is working on the script (although only Part 1 has been mentioned which is odd, one would think he'd be writing both) right now, so we should end up with a good product there too.

[Abel Toy]

Plus Danny Strong is working on the script (although only Part 1 has been mentioned which is odd, one would think he'd be writing both) right now, so we should end up with a good product there too.

Yeah, that was really odd. The recent article only talked about him writing part 2.

While, when he talked about it, he said he did a proposal for Mockingjay part 1 AND part 2 and got the job.

I hope he's writing the two parts, because if not that's definitely weird.

[Tash]

Perhaps they have only mentioned Part 1 as it was what he was working on at that time? It might be one of those things we don't hear about for a long time, like the news that Simon Beaufoy dropped out when Gary Ross dropped out.

[Satsuma]

I assumed from the start that the comment from Francis Lawrence was about Danny Strong already having started to write working on the Part 1 script at the time the interview was conducted, but that he hadn't started writing the Part 2 script yet.  Not that he didn't have a contract to write the Part 2 script.   

Although I will agree that it is a bit odd that they worded it that way, because I'd think that they'd want to film both parts in one go.  FYI, for people who aren't familiar with the movie industry, they do not film movies in exact chronological order at all.  So it's not that they'd have to wait until all of Part 1 is filmed before they start filming scenes from Part 2.  So you'd think they'd want both scripts to be done by the time filming starts.  I do wonder, though, since Danny's resume is mostly political movies based on RL events, if they are planning on bringing in someone to help him with the end of the film, IF they decide to expand the "Peeta and I grow back together" part? 

[Anchee]

I wondered about the same thing myself. Maybe they're just waiting to see what Danny Strong comes up with and then they'll see if they need to get someone else on it too

[Tash]

I wondered about the same thing myself. Maybe they're just waiting to see what Danny Strong comes up with and then they'll see if they need to get someone else on it too

That's an interesting theory, sort of a "let's play to Danny's strengths, then get someone to refine the characters" move.

[Wormow]

This really isn't like, a thing that needs to be worried about.
It's in the actors' contracts that they're locked in for the last two and they've worked it out with the other productions that want them.
JL has to do X-Men still.
It's going to be fine.

But realistically it'll be a a rushed production.

They won't film until 2014, too many interruptions this year. They'll be busy October-November and most of the cast are doing other stuff before that.

The earliest they can film is February, but if Jennifer is a major contender again (which is possible with the new DOR films) than she might not be free until March. Filming back to back will take AT LEAST five to six months. Breaking Dawn took a lot longer then that. Not counting the post production time for Francis to piece the film together. The latest they can film is September-October.

Either way it's going to be pretty rushed for P1. Maybe they should just film it as one part.

[miss kay]

Maybe we can call trust that people who make movies for a living know how to lay out a timeline for creating a good film.  Just sayin'

[Wormow]

Maybe we can call trust that people who make movies for a living know how to lay out a timeline for creating a good film.  Just sayin'

Which is why Gary dropped out and the almost tight production that was suppose to end in December. Lol >.>

[Ivana2804]

But realistically it'll be a a rushed production.

They won't film until 2014, too many interruptions this year. They'll be busy October-November and most of the cast are doing other stuff before that.

The earliest they can film is February, but if Jennifer is a major contender again (which is possible with the new DOR films) than she might not be free until March. Filming back to back will take AT LEAST five to six months.

She has a minor role in the Abscam movie, and the next David O'Russell movie she's supposed to star in certainly won't be finished let alone released till January 2014, so she can't be nominated in 2014 for that. I'm not saying she won't be nominated for something in 2014, but I don't think it's going to be a DOR movie.

[Satsuma]

Either way it's going to be pretty rushed for P1. Maybe they should just film it as one part.

Wowow, if you're referring to how they're going to film the MJ movies, back to back or in one part, I thought they WILL actually be filming the two parts as one movie, even though they will be released as two separate movies.  If you're trying to make a case for just making and releasing one movie, that ship has already sailed and has disappeared over the horizon.  Danny Strong already finished the Part 1 script and is working on Part 2. 

It seems your mind is made up, that the schedule is "rushed" and will negatively impact the quality of the movie.  But for others who might be concerned about this , let me make some points.

Gary Ross dropping out because he didn't think his directing style would be able to keep up with the schedule, doesn't mean that Francis Lawrence can't keep up with the schedule.  Indeed, I'm sure that his ability to jump into Catching Fire on relatively short notice, played a part in why he was retained for the MJ movies.  Unlike Ross, Lawrence is not a scriptwriter, and seems to have no problem "farming out" much of his work, and so have people working with him; Trish Summerville has candidly spoken about essentially subcontracting out a lot of the design work to other designers, or even using already-made designs such as the Alexander McQueen dress Effie wore in her Capitol Portrait.  (Though I'm sure Judianna Makovsky had help, too, I don't recall her doing any designer name-dropping in her interviews.) This style of more collaborative work, means more can be accomplished in a shorter time, because more people are working on something at any one time. 

To address some other points: While the CF filming did wind up being stretched beyond December, but I'm sure that Lionsgate had advance notice that X-men would start filming in April, and that they had TIME to do this. 

As for awards shows, actors CAN work around them.  Jennifer Lawrence went to New Jersey to film some scenes, right in the middle of award season.  Also, on any given awards show, even the Oscars, there are always actors who accept their award in abstentia, or via some kind of video link, because they're busy filming. 

While I'm sure Jennifer will be much in demand now that she's an Oscar-winning actress, I trust that she is too much of a professional to let herself get overloaded with work to the point where it affects the quality of it.  Even if she wasn't, the contract she signed for the MJ movies mean she HAS to show up for filming, even if it conflicts with any new projects she takes on.  This is the same situation as with X-men, she HAD to honor the contract that if she's told to show up to film X-men, that takes precedence over any other work she's doing. 

[Tash]

Some interesting news today with Russ Bowen tweeting about Mockingjay filming in July this year. For my mind I am not sure this means they will film both Parts back to back, it seems like a short time to fit both in before promotional work on Catching Fire and so far we have only heard that Danny Strong has only turned in the script for Part 1, though he could finish Part 2's script before July as well. There could always be the option for some kind of break though, perhaps they film from July to October or aroundabouts and then pick up filming again in early 2014?

If they do film in July though I am happy about the amount of post production time left for all of the editing and CGI, Catching Fire will be intensive but they will need to up the ante again with MJ as there is some serious action going on.