French hours

n. a work day which begins at noon; a precisely timed work day, usually without breaks. Subjects: English, Business, Employment, Entertainment

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Citations: 1956 Gene Moskowitz @ Paris, France New York Times (Nov. 11) “Production Views Along the Seine” p. 145: [Billy Wilder] also likes the French hours—noon to 7:30 P.M. “In Hollywood, with the five-day week and early hours, one can make fifty silly errors before one begins to work.” 1986 William Hall Los Angeles Times (California) (Mar. 9) “‘A Man And A Woman’ Redux: Trying To Rekindle The Ashes” p. 3: Up at 6 to get ready for the day’s shoot (civilized French hours of noon to 8 p.m.), in bed some time after 1 a.m. 1986 Carol Burton Terry Melville, Newsday (N.Y.) (Oct. 26) “Off Camera” p. 66: He works two days a week, commuting from Palm Springs to Toronto, where the Grosso-Jacobson series is produced. “We work French hours up there,” he said. “You go to work in the afternoon and work through eight hours.” 2003 Johanna Schneller Globe and Mail (Toronto, Can.) (Apr. 4) “How many directors can you fit in a Phone Booth?” p. R1: We would get there at 6 a.m. and roll by 6:45. We did “French hours.” You don’t break for lunch, you just keep passing food all day. Colin’s confession at the end, that’s the ninth day of shooting—it’s the first take and the only take. He was exhausted and you can see it. 2004 [Ross] Strategize (July 21) “French Hours”: During Phone Booth, no lunch breaks were taken because all of the staff agreed not to take lunch breaks (food was simply available for crew to grab and eat when they could) versus normal movies where there a very specifically set times or hour metrics that determine exactly when each meal must occur and the entire production stops while the crew eats. In short, French Hours mean moving more quickly and more efficiently while still retaining the same quality.

Posted 26 Jul 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend