B Movie Catastrophes: 20+ Actors and film crew share the secrets behind the making of a "bad movie"

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 27, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

Sneak a peek into the behind the scenes world of these doomed-from-the-start film shoots, where you'll find small budgets and big egos. 

Film sets are not really fun to be on, unlike the way they're so often portrayed in media. If you're an A-list actor, you're going to have an amazing time. But for everyone else, you're going to be stressed out and crying by hour three. You need to have a thick skin and a tolerance for big personalities, and then you'll have to get used to working incredibly long hours in all sorts of conditions. It's not for the faint of heart. And as these film crew members and actors shared, even when they have the best intentions, sometimes movies just don't work out. Everyone knows the movie is going to flop, but they're still working on it anyway…

If you're looking for more behind the scenes hilarity, check out these flight attendants who shared some of the most entitled people they've ever had the misfortune of meeting. 

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  • 01
    Organism - 'Yelling and insults are thrown about when those in charge are having a bad day.' 'I still get paid no matter what, right?' 296 198 0
    via Jakob Owens
  • 02
    Font - r/AskReddit Posted by u/Explosivo87 [Serious] People who work in the film industry; what is a set like when everyone there knows you're making a terrible movie?
    via u/Explosivo87
  • 03
    Font - I just don't understand how some movies get made. I'm not really talking about B movies here because I understand why they happen. But feel free to respond if you worked on a B movie. B movies more than likely come from indie startup companies trying their best to get their foot in the door. I'm talking about movies made by the big name production companies. Just really curious of the mindset of a set of a bad movie. Thanks.
    via u/Explosivo87
  • 04
    Font - I'm a camera operator. It entirely depends on the mind set of the director and producer. In the entertainment industry, you're working on people's personal art in a lot of ways which can make those who created it take criticism personally. Much yelling and insults are thrown about when those in charge are having a bad day. That can make for a REALLY s y day if you're the one they're taking it out on. Those who say no one cares and it's all for a paycheck don't work closely with the creato
    via r/AskReddit
  • 05
    Font - red_sharpie My partner is a camera op and we used to lament to one another about our sy days. Then I visited him on set. The yelling, inappropriate insults and just bad workplace demeanour made me appreciate my c by, formalized workplace a whole lot more. At least there's some etiquette. I gained a whole lot more respect for my husband that day - dude is so tolerant and just lets it slide off his back. I could never do that. I'd probably just cry in the bathroom a lot.
    via u/red_sharpie
  • 06
    Font - Minybenjy At the moment I am working as a camera assistant on adverts tv and film. The most common problem I come across is, that the camera man knows that a shot the director wants looks like s. But unfortunately, the camera man is not really allowed much input. The shot keeps on looking like co and the director blames the cameraman saying he is doing it wrong when really the shot would never work in the first place. spent many a shooting day on one shot that is scraped on edit.
    via u/Minybenjy
  • 07
    Font - o shifty1032231 I recently worked as 1st Assistant Director for a short film and it was literally the director thinking that this script was all great but it had sty dialogue and a terrible story that was unoriginal. The producer had the same train of thought and cared for little pre production which made my job harder. Basically I had to convince the director and producer to get this one shot outside before sunset which they thought they could get later on. Afterwards the DP thanked me a
    via u/shifty1032231
  • 08
    Font - Also I work as a Camera Assistant and I've seen this problem with the DP and Director first hand.
    via u/shifty1032231
  • 09
    Font - dayofthedead204 I was an extra in a few movies (mostly TV and one Hollywood movie)- none of them an award winner. Mostly everyone is there for the paycheck and catering - we hardly care about the subject matter.
    via u/dayofthedead204
  • 10
    Font - Love Truffle This was my take away when working on projects that were looking like they would fail more and more every day. "I still get paid no matter what, right?" All I cared about as it wasn't my creation.
    via u/LoveTruffle
  • 11
    Font - LAteNutz I saw a documentary that interviewed crew from the first Star Wars movie. A lot of them thought what they were going was laughable and ridiculous. They thought the movie didn't have a chance in the theaters. I can only imagine their attitude on set. When the movie came out the discouraged crew members were quite humbled, proud that they worked on the movie, and felt sorry for not working harder for Mr. Lucas. Is there a movie you've worked on where you had similar feelings but wh
    via u/LAteNutz
  • 12
    Font - editorial As a trailer editor that works in feature film marketing, I never work on a terrible movie. They're all.... great. Yeah.
    via u/editorial
  • 13
    Font - GoldandBlue I don't make trailers but I work in marketing also and it is a chore when you know a movie is bad. Our job is to sell you a movie, try selling something you don't care about or know that is poor quality, you tend to fall back on old "tricks" and generic ideas which explains why you see so much of this. On the bright side, you do get rewarded with something that is exciting often. and to be honest even bad films usually have at least something you can latch on to to find motiva
    via u/GoldandBlue
  • 14
    Font - Joe 707 Those who are saying "Lighting a bad performance works exactly the same as lighting a good one" are correct, however...when one is not getting paid or just working for points (a percentage of the film's profits), things aren't quite the same: People start to drop off/out once it's been established that you're working on a bad movie/ with a bad director. Either people will make excuses for why they can't show up or they just flat out disappear.
    via u/Joe707
  • 15
    Font - Also, crew morale is terrible on bad sets. Movie sets are usually a fun place to work. Not the case when you know all your efforts are for nothing. (no money, and no pride in the project). You'll constantly debate with yourself on the merits of leaving the project vs. staying on and finishing your job. Being a director on a project that isn't going well is rough. Everyone is secretly trying to rush you so that the day can end sooner. For instance, the cinematographer might lie to you abou
    via u/Joe707
  • 16
    Font - On projects where everyone is getting paid, even directors / writers seem to be okay with making schlock. I did encounter a writer once who was furious that the director was ruining his work. Every day they would have a big fight on set. I wish someone had recorded it, because it was viral video worthy stuff.
    via u/Joe707
  • 17
    Font - [deleted] Adam Sandler's movie "Jack and Jill" had a budget of over $79 million and grossed $149,673,788. He used the money to party with friends and | around on set but justified it for saying it was for the movie. The movie reviewed as one of the worst movies ever made. So in truth, he made a terrible movie because A) He didn't give a s if it sold. B) It wasn't his money. Many companies will put out these monumental catastrophes knowing the movie will bomb at the box office because they
    via u/deleted
  • 18
    Font - mynockulars I worked for a tv show -- high Nielsen ratings, but dumb show. The crew was there because it was a job (they were a really good crew too). Didn't really care about the script or subject matter. Actors likewise didn't seem care, unless asked in interviews of course. The producers and publicity were always trying to pump everyone up though, and tout awards and such. But no one paid much attention, it was just a job for us. Although I will say, in LA, you always have to watch you
    via u/mynockulars
  • 19
    Font - [deleted] My husband was a character actor for many years in movies. (Yes, you would have seen him) With very few exceptions, everyone is very professional on big movies, because that's what it takes to get that far. Someone is putting up a lot of money to pay all these people and everyone is serious about it. Sure there might be some eye rolling or lighting truck banter about some corny scene or whatever, but most people are just paying attention to their jobs, there is so much to do. Ex
    via u/deleted
  • 20
    Human body - buriedinthyeyes "Hurry up and wait" = adequate summary of most acting and modeling jobs
    via u/buriedinthyeyes
  • 21
    Font - senatorskeletor I've read interviews with actors who say it can be hard to tell on-set that it's a crummy movie. So much of the quality of the movie depends on editing. mixing, and post- production that the people on-set just sort of do their best and hope for the best.
    via u/senatorskeletor
  • 22
    Font - moderatesoul I was in a movie for ScyFy. Going in to it you know it's not Shakespeare. Most people have the same attitude about it and that can make for a looser atmosphere. There is a ton of goofing around and generally not taking anything too seriously. The pressure is less for a movie of that calibre. Because of that there is room to improvise. There is something fun about being in something terrible...sometimes. On the other hand, I have been in a bad TV show for ABC and it was not su
    via u/moderatesoul
  • 23
    Font - 97 nickycthatsme I was just the lead in a feature where the director really had no idea what he was doing. In almost every scene he broke some of the most basic rules of narrative filmmaking. In the very first cut of the movie he broke the 180 degree rule. As the lead, I was in 90+ of 116 pages of the script and was filming 14-16 hours a day doing everything I could to try to make this film the best it could. Every time I caught him breaking a rule, I called him out on it. He didn't HIRE
    via u/nickycthatsme
  • 24
    Font - Luckily for him he hired a great cast (not trying to say anything about myself, just the rest of the team). We, as the cast, became the crew. Every night, I helped hammer out the schedule for the next day, figure out what props we need, what scenes we didn't get or need to reshoot, etc. It was a headache after you've just filmed for 14 hours and am doing something that should have been done months ago. All in all, we had hope that it'll turn out alright. None of us really saw much of a fu
    via u/nickycthatsme
  • 25
    Font - Anonnymush At the end of the day, a film is just a product, like a foodstuff. And while there's a market for Wagu beef, there's also a market for marshmallow fluff, and it's not nobler to make one than the other.
    via u/Anonnymush

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