Working full time - 50/60 hours per week - it should take you
6 weeks. It might take you less time and it could take more.

As you know from reading answers here from just about all
of us the answer is going to be "It depends". And "there is
no SHOULD" Editing a movie takes as long as it takes. One
week, one month, nine months.

Are you trying to budget post production? Are you paying
by the week? By the hour?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

The person loaning me the camera is also loaning me their film editing software. But my intentions were to find an editor willing to work for free, like the rest of the crew. But if I can find no one willing to do that, I am prepared to pay someone to do it.

quote:

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Originally posted by Bababooey

I'm planning on shooting a 90 minute film. In terms of hours, and/or days, how long should this take?

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As said, "it depends." I've worked on features that have been shot in ten days. Most are shot within 90 or so days. Some really big movies can go four to six months. That's all just the physical production stage.

Typically, all of these movies are being edited DURING production so that within a week or so after production wraps, there is some kind of "Editor's" rough cut. Then, per DGA rules, a DGA Director gets ten weeks to cut his version. Then, depending upon release schedules and budgets and such, the movie will go through two or three more edits before picture is "locked." Once picture is locked, final work on the soundtrack can really happen, though, like everything else, all of the dialogue and foley work has been working concurrently with every new version as scenes are cut and "finalized." Also, music is being written or obtained for the score/soundtrack along the way. And, again, when the picture is locked, the original score can be finalized.

Getting people to work for free isn't a huge problem particularly if you live near a University that has a film program. You may not have QUALITY help, but anyone volunteering is generally coming on with enthusiasm. So, while you may get enough shots in the can to cut a movie based on the script, just understand that with an inexperienced crew, you'll be compromising more often than not. Just be ready for that.

There are a couple of really good books that can help you schedule and budget your movie.

I recommend this one to help you with the nuts & bolts:
http://www.amazon.com/Film-Scheduling-Long-Shoot-Movie/dp/0943728398/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265950016&sr=1-1

And this one (by me) to help you understand all that needs to be done all day and on a per-shot basis: http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Want-Set-Hollywood/dp/0823099539/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211895862&sr=8-1

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com