"I did this film for less money than it costs to stay in this hotel. We shot it in 20 days. We couldn't screw up takes for fun because we didn't have enough film"
About this Quote
The line about 20 days isn’t just trivia, it’s a pressure gauge. Indie schedules don’t leave room for mood, ego, or leisurely “finding it.” They force a particular kind of acting and directing: decisive, practical, occasionally ruthless. Cain’s phrasing - “couldn’t screw up takes for fun” - is doing double duty. It flatters the crew’s professionalism while quietly mocking bigger-budget sets where waste can masquerade as artistry.
Then comes the most revealing detail: “we didn’t have enough film.” This plants the quote in a specific technological moment, before digital made endless takes cheap. Film stock is a literal meter running. Every reset has a price tag. The subtext is almost moral: constraints don’t just limit you, they discipline you. They create stakes inside the process, so performances can feel less like curated perfection and more like captured necessity.
Cain, a recognizable TV-era face, also signals something about status. You don’t take a bargain-rate film because you’re desperate for Ritz-level comfort; you do it because you believe in the project or the people. He’s selling credibility: not the sheen of Hollywood, but the grit of getting it done.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cain, Dean. (2026, January 17). I did this film for less money than it costs to stay in this hotel. We shot it in 20 days. We couldn't screw up takes for fun because we didn't have enough film. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-did-this-film-for-less-money-than-it-costs-to-67471/
Chicago Style
Cain, Dean. "I did this film for less money than it costs to stay in this hotel. We shot it in 20 days. We couldn't screw up takes for fun because we didn't have enough film." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-did-this-film-for-less-money-than-it-costs-to-67471/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I did this film for less money than it costs to stay in this hotel. We shot it in 20 days. We couldn't screw up takes for fun because we didn't have enough film." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-did-this-film-for-less-money-than-it-costs-to-67471/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

