Biggest fear Quote by Judd Apatow
“All my cuts are always about three hours, at the start, mainly because any scene in the movie that's 90 seconds, I probably shot a five-minute version of. If you just extrapolate that through the whole movie, I have a very long version of every scene, usually because, if there's one funny joke, I'll shoot five because I don't know if the one I like is going to work. I'll get back-ups because my biggest fear is to be in previews, testing the movie, and a joke doesn't work, but I have no way to fix it because I have no other line.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Hollywood Reporter, 2015
He over‑shoots scenes to ensure he has multiple takes and jokes, fearing a single version might fail in testing.
In simple terms: He films many versions of each scene to avoid being caught without a backup joke.
Key Takeaway
Film many takes, keep options open.
Themes
film production
comedy
risk management
Mood
anxious
determined
pragmatic
Type
advice
process
industry.
When to use this quote
- movie editing
- stand‑up comedy
- TV pilot
- live performance
- scriptwriting
Key Concepts
over‑shooting
testing
backup material
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide when enough material is enough?
- What balance should be struck between preparation and spontaneity?
A Different Perspective
Too many takes can waste budget and time, and may dilute original humor.
![“My dad was a big fan of comedy. He wanted to be a stand-up. He loved Lenny [Bruce]. He also loved Lord Buckley and jazz and stuff. He was a hipster. My parents were kind of beatnik-y, you know, for Salt Lake City. But my humor, I think, came from wanting to disarm people before they hit me.” quote by Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b6a/judd-apatow-1471_beatnik_my-dad-was-a-big-fan-of-comedy-he-wanted_87831.jpg)
![“It's so funny, all the similarities that we have [with David Copperfield] of being obsessed young people and finding a way to be around the people doing what we want to do.” quote by Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/80c/judd-apatow-1471_comedy_it-s-so-funny-all-the-similarities-that_91660.jpg)
