Day for Night

Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Day for Night?

Directed by François Truffaut, with Jacqueline Bisset, Valentina Cortese, Dani leading the cast, Day for Night was produced by Les Films du Carrosse with a confirmed budget of $700,000, placing it in the ultra-low-budget category for comedy films.

At $700,000, Day for Night was produced on a lean budget. Lower-budget films benefit from reduced break-even thresholds, with profitability achievable at approximately $1,750,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• The Conformist (1971): Budget $750,000 | Gross $233,493 → ROI: -69% • The General (1926): Budget $750,000 | Gross $1,000,000 → ROI: 33% • Meet the Feebles (1989): Budget $750,000 | Gross $80,000 → ROI: -89% • Kung Fury (2015): Budget $630,019 | Gross N/A • The Night of the Hunter (1955): Budget $795,000 | Gross N/A

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Talent Salaries & Producing Deals Established comedic talent can command $15–20 million per film, with top-tier stars earning even more through producing credits and backend deals. Comedy ensembles multiply this cost across several well-known performers.

▸ Production & Location Filming While comedies generally avoid the VFX costs of action films, location shooting in recognizable cities or exotic locales adds meaningful production expense.

▸ Marketing & P&A (Prints & Advertising) Comedies rely heavily on marketing to build opening-weekend momentum. Studios typically spend 50–100% of the production budget on marketing, with comedy trailers and social media campaigns being particularly expensive.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Jacqueline Bisset, Valentina Cortese, Dani, Alexandra Stewart, Jean-Pierre Aumont Key roles: Jacqueline Bisset as Julie Baker; Valentina Cortese as Séverine; Dani as Liliane, the Trainee Script Girl; Alexandra Stewart as Stacey

DIRECTOR: François Truffaut CINEMATOGRAPHY: Pierre-William Glenn MUSIC: Georges Delerue EDITING: Martine Barraqué, Yann Dedet PRODUCTION: Les Films du Carrosse, Productions et Éditions Cinématographiques Françaises, Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC) FILMED IN: France, Italy

Box Office Performance

Day for Night earned $509 domestically and $849,491 internationally, for a worldwide total of $850,000. International markets drove the majority of revenue (100%), indicating strong global appeal.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Day for Night needed approximately $1,750,000 to break even. The film fell $900,000 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $850,000 Budget: $700,000 Net: $150,000 ROI: 21.4%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Modestly Profitable

Day for Night earned $850,000 against a $700,000 budget (21% ROI). Full profitability was likely achieved through ancillary revenue streams.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Casting

Truffaut used international actors because he felt French cinema did not have the mythological aspect he wanted. He said the film was influenced by The Golden Coach and Singin' in the Rain (both 1952); the latter was his favourite film about filmmaking because it showed everyone involved in a film, not just the director and star.

Jacqueline Bisset was cast in part because she spoke French. "I was so flattered when he [Truffaut] called", said Bisset. "It's wonderful to work with someone who likes working with women".

▸ Production

The film was based on an original idea by Truffaut who said he wanted the picture to do for film what Fahrenheit 451 did for books "to show why it is good to love the cinema". He dedicated the film to Dorothy and Lillian Gish, whom Truffaut called "the first two actresses of the cinema"; he said the film was made in "the spirit of friendship for all the people in the movie business".

▸ Filming & Locations

The film was shot mainly in Nice on an enormous set for a Paris street originally built by an American company and used for Lady L (1965) and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969). Truffaut got the idea while editing Two English Girls (1971).

Author Graham Greene makes a cameo appearance as an insurance company representative, billed as "Henry Graham". On the film's DVD, it was reported that Greene was a great admirer of Truffaut, and had always wanted to meet him, so when the small part came up where he actually talks to the director, he was delighted to have the opportunity. It was reported that Truffaut was disappointed he was not told until later that the actor playing the insurance company representative was Greene, as he would have liked to have made his acquaintance, being an admirer of Greene's work.

Truffaut took a sabbatical after making the film.

[Filming] The film was shot mainly in Nice on an enormous set for a Paris street originally built by an American company and used for Lady L (1965) and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969). Truffaut got the idea while editing Two English Girls (1971).

Author Graham Greene makes a cameo appearance as an insurance company representative, billed as "Henry Graham". On the film's DVD, it was reported that Greene was a great admirer of Truffaut, and had always wanted to meet him, so when the small part came up where he actually talks to the director, he was delighted to have the opportunity. It was reported that Truffaut was disappointed he was not told until later that the actor playing the insurance company representative was Greene, as he would have liked to have made his acquaintance, being an admirer of Greene's work.

Truffaut took a sabbatical after making the film.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Summary: Won 1 Oscar. 13 wins & 7 nominations total

Awards Won: ★ Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (46th Academy Awards)

Nominations: ○ Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay (47th Academy Awards) ○ Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (47th Academy Awards) ○ International Submission to the Academy Awards ○ Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (46th Academy Awards) ○ Academy Award for Best Director (47th Academy Awards)