Cinema Quote by John Hurt
“If you've got a great crew it's intense, but its quite short. 'The Elephant Man' was longer than most, for an independent film. That was a 14 week film. But it was because of the intrinsic difficulties. We had to invent a different way of filming, because the makeup was so long. A working day for me with a full makeup on was nineteen hours. So obviously you couldn't do that twice running.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Elephant Man Documentary, 1980
He describes the intense, short‑term nature of independent film production and the physical toll of makeup, highlighting creative problem‑solving.
In simple terms: Independent film is intense, short, and physically demanding.
Key Takeaway
Adapt and innovate under tight constraints.
Themes
creativity
endurance
independent cinema
Mood
reflective
pragmatic
Type
industry
inspirational
When to use this quote
- low‑budget filmmaking
- makeup artistry
- tight schedules
- team collaboration
Key Concepts
film production
artistic challenge
Questions to Reflect On
- How can productions protect crew health while staying creative?
- What strategies improve efficiency without sacrificing well‑being?
A Different Perspective
It may downplay safety concerns for crew.
![“Elephant Man [movie] was much more difficult physically. This had a couple of days. It was quite tricky. I had my leg strapped up behind me and I am a little older now. It was all marvelous, though. He [Bong Joon-ho] is one of the most fabulous directors in the world.” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/946/john-hurt-1669_behinds_elephant-man-movie-was-much-more-difficu_3006821.jpg)
![“It's amazing how quickly human beings adapt, isn't it? It was such a great crew, and David [Lynch] was wonderful to work with [on 'The Elephant Man']. It was a very thrilling time, actually.” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ca/john-hurt-1669_crew_it-s-amazing-how-quickly-human-beings-ad_699795.jpg)
![“I got used to [ Lars Von Trier] doing the narration for 'Dogville' and 'Manderley.' And I said to him I do these narrations for you but you never put me in a film! So he called my bluff and put me in 'Melancholia' and I was thrilled about that.” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ccf/john-hurt-1669_bluffs_i-got-used-to-lars-von-trier-doing-the-n_55595.jpg)
