บท 224: Showing off
After spending over two hours loading all the filming equipment onto the truck and sealing the set, Lyman informed everyone about a dinner gathering at a certain hotel.
A wrap party, to be precise. Besides, Lyman had some intentions to further establish connections.
About two-thirds of these behind-the-scenes personnel were from EuropaCorp. Having collaborated on so many projects together, both sides were well-acquainted. Lyman's idea was to solidify relationships with these individuals. Even if they didn't collaborate with EuropaCorp, he wanted to have some sway.
After all, a well-coordinated production team often had more value than individuals with superior skills.
The actors had all returned to their hotels after the film was wrapped.
Lyman still needed to visit EuropaCorp to discuss matters related to the film copies and also register the usage rights for the set there.
By evening, after the dinner gathering, everyone went their separate ways.
Over the next week or so, after doing an initial fine-cut of the film, Lyman entrusted René and Thomas with the rest of the tasks. Meanwhile, Lyman purchased a plane ticket and flew to Los Angeles.
The reason? "Saw" needed his supervision as well.
...
In the post-production editing room at Warner Bros. Studios, James Wan showed immense enthusiasm upon Lyman's arrival.
The film had already been shot in early September. Over these days, he had been busy with editing.
With an experienced person here, he could offer some insights.
Soon, James and Leigh inserted the rough cut into the player.
On the bright screen, Jason Statham looked at Hugo Weaving with helplessness, pleading not to be killed.
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't saw off his own leg. Instead, he picked up a handgun from the ground and shot himself in the shoulder.
Collapsing after being hit, Hugo loudly declared that he had followed the instructions. Only then did the door to the basement open smoothly.
Dragging his body, he crawled with all his might.
In a short while, Jason regained consciousness. At the critical moment, Hugo had spared his life, not taking it.
But seeing that he was about to escape, Jason broke down again.
He cried out loudly not to abandon him.
Hugo made a promise, assuring that once he was out, he would immediately find the police to rescue him.
In a short time, the small underground bathroom contained only Jason, who was shackled to a pipe, and a corpse on the floor.
Suddenly, he seemed to see the most horrifying thing in the world. That corpse crawled up from the pool of blood.
Shaking his head, in his most despairing gaze, he closed the door again... This passage was cut quite skillfully. The pacing was brisk, the shot transitions were meticulous, and the alternating perspectives created a sense of urgency.
In theory, this should be the movie's climax.
However, the result was that J.K. Simmons, who played Jigsaw, had just made his appearance. He didn't say a word, and when he closed the door, it was done too efficiently. The shot abruptly changed, the camera angle inexplicably shifted to a medium shot, and then... it was gone?
"This is the complete film, right?" Lyman looked at the now dark screen with a touch of frustration.
"Well, how is it?" James asked with anticipation.
"What do you think of the final segment?"
"An open ending, to give the audience some room for imagination."
"But you've built up so much before this, isn't it for this last character twist? The plot has reached this point, shouldn't the tone be heightened a bit more? It might seem uncoordinated, and the audience might not like it."
"Is it not good?" James asked weakly.
"Of course not."
Subsequently, Lyman watched the film again.
Upon the second viewing, he continuously pointed out minor issues. "At 9 minutes and 3 seconds, the dialogue could be more concise, not everything needs to be analyzed; leave some suspense for the audience... At 30 minutes and 58 seconds, this shot is too redundant, making the scene too dull, lacking tightness... And at the end there, your use of color tones is good, but you need to add a bit more close-up shots of Jigsaw. When closing the door, focus the perspective on Jigsaw..."
After that, the group watched the rough cut repeatedly, working tirelessly from early morning until after 5 pm. They even had lunch in the editing room.
Finally, they screened the original footage once again.
Even Leigh, this pseudo-producer, could feel that the film's pacing had improved considerably.
As for Director James, he probably didn't want to make any more changes. After spending more than half a month on post-production, he wanted to incorporate all of his filming ideas.
However, in reality, he wasn't oblivious to film appreciation. He keenly sensed that these subtle changes indeed added more color to the movie and enhanced the visual experience.
"Thank you for your help." After watching the edited film, James genuinely expressed his gratitude. Now he understood why films directed by others always managed to achieve good results. The acuity in editing was truly something else.
"No, no, no. This film is still your work as a director. My role is nothing much."
Though everyone loves hearing compliments, James' effort couldn't be easily dismissed.
This "Saw" was originally his idea. Many of the shots' transitions were imaginative, particularly the shaping of the horror atmosphere. There were indeed many merits. His role was to add some finishing touches.
"Have you found someone to compose the music?" Lyman tapped his head with his fingers and suddenly asked. In the future, this film would receive high praise, and the fantastic background music was a significant bonus.
"Yes, I've commissioned someone to work on it, but I haven't found anything that fits perfectly yet." James exhaled lightly as he spoke.
"In this aspect, keep a close eye on it."
On this matter, Lyman couldn't be of much help. After all, every director's aesthetic preferences were different. Moreover, he wasn't knowledgeable about music. He usually outsourced the music production to Hans Zimmer's team, relying on their intuition for selection. If the provided pieces sounded suitable, they would generally suffice.
After finishing the editing, Lyman made a call to Sherry Lansing, the CEO of Paramount Pictures, to inform her that they could start preparing for the film's early promotion.
Sherry's level of importance for this project was limited. She was more focused on Lyman himself. Upon hearing this, she assured him that she would have someone arrange the necessary tasks.
Preliminary plans were to release the film in October. The exact date would be decided in a meeting.
After hanging up the phone, there was nothing left for him to do here.
Thinking about the arrangement he had agreed upon with Warner Bros., Lyman was eager to finalize it.
His visit this time brought him quite a few tasks.
Besides "Saw", the project for "Million Dollar Baby" could also establish a rough shooting schedule after he completed "Effervescent".
Thus, after leaving Warner Bros. Studios, the next day, he quickly arranged a meeting with Warner Bros...
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