Tightening the edit

The film set of "Saw".

"Lyman, you're finally here," James Wan seemed exceptionally delighted.

Just like...

A person suddenly falling into the water and grabbing onto a strong arm as a lifeline.

But Lyman wasn't in such a good mood. Anyone hastily flying in from France to Los Angeles would feel the same way.

This guy had called suddenly last night, saying there was an issue.

Sigh, so tiresome. He had agreed not to worry about the film set, yet here he was.

This was the situation: during this period, after the project was approved, James had been busy gathering the crew.

Dealing with production staff and the filming team was relatively straightforward; after all, Paramount Pictures and Europa Pictures had plenty of experienced candidates for these roles.

Scouting locations and renting filming equipment were also manageable. These processes could be swiftly sped up with a bit of time.

However, the only trouble spot was the cast, where James was at a loss.

Although all major talent agencies could provide numerous exceptional actor candidates, the issue was that James wasn't familiar with them. Despite several rounds of auditions, he hadn't managed to assemble the entire cast.

Seeing that the initial preparations for the production were nearly complete, he couldn't afford to delay the shooting schedule due to this. So, he thought of Lyman.

Lyman directed many films and was acquainted with many actors. He believed that Lyman could provide some suggestions.

With this idea in mind, after carefully determining the time difference between the two locations, James waited until around 8 PM before making the call.

"Lyman, we're short on actors for the film set. Can you come and help me?"

Don't be ridiculous. That was Lyman's initial thought, but he still rushed over.

For no other reason than that he wanted to support someone, even if it was a bit of trouble and with teary eyes.

...

"Are you saying that you haven't even confirmed a lead actor?"

James nodded, looking like he deserved a good beating. "You know, the actors have to fit together. Right now, I haven't even confirmed the lead, let alone the supporting actors with more substantial roles."

Lyman was also a director, so he naturally understood this. But the problem was that he always had a clear direction in mind when casting. Unlike this guy, who said everything just didn't seem right. It was really maddening.

In a film, nearly all the plot, other characters, and conflicts revolved around the lead actors.

So, whether the styles and auras of these lead actors matched was crucial, as it determined the hierarchical relationship between them and the supporting roles.

Supporting actors could interact with them on the same level, but they shouldn't overshadow them.

If, after the film ended, the audience had a more profound impression of a supporting character than the lead actor and they were more memorable, it only showed that the director had bad casting judgment or the film itself was a dud.

Of course, there was another possibility, that they were backed by powerful investors, so the quality of their acting didn't matter.

"This is the first time I'm directing and producing independently. I lack experience, and I've never had a chance to deal with this before. My vision is too narrow. You've directed so many films and must know a lot of actors. I'm troubling you with this."

James positioned himself in an extremely humble manner, after all, he was feeling very embarrassed himself.

It felt like having one's boasts slapped back in their face.

Saying he was just a figurehead was just an excuse; the reality was that he was overwhelmed.

But there was no choice; this was his first time as a newcomer, and Lyman understood that.

Moreover, he couldn't just turn a blind eye after investing money; he had to pay attention to what was happening.

Lyman lowered his head, pondering for a moment before asking, "So, what's your plan?"

James hastily replied, "The two main characters trapped in the room, Adam and Lawrence. The former seems friendly but cunning, while the latter is calm and intelligent. There's also a detective and also a sadistic killer named Jigsaw. All the minor roles have been cast." He added that at the end.

Fortunately, there were only four characters. Besides, James had a clear image of their personalities, so it didn't seem too troublesome.

Lyman took a sip of water, calming his emotions. He picked up the shooting schedule and said, "I can help you with this."

He paused for a moment and looked at James again. "However, if I join in, you'll need to make some changes."

"What changes?" James asked.

"Can you blur out the excessively gory scenes?"

"Could you clarify?"

"There are quite a few explicit scenes in "Saw", but the problem is that your approach to filming is too explicit. You want to vividly and realistically depict every wound, to the point that it's nauseating. It's truly repulsive."

There are various ways to depict the degree of gore, and James was taking the most direct approach.

This guy was an extremely bold director. People who had cooperated with him before might say he had a shy personality, but deep down and within his heart, he was like a resident devil.

He had a strong visual sense for blood, brutality, torture, and fear.

When this filmmaking concept was presented in a film, without any restraints, it often became even sharper in its portrayal.

Examples include "Dead Silence", "Insidious", "The Conjuring"...

Specifically, it was a reflection of the eerie elements that resided deep within his heart.

"That won't work."

James exploded upon hearing that. He kept emphasizing, "I want the sharpness and realism of those scenes. It's a... it's a way of expression, it can convey the ideas the film wants to deliver..."

Lyman waved his hand, interrupting him, "Since I'm getting involved, I will definitely impose restrictions in this area. You don't want this film to be labeled as NC-17 as soon as it's released, do you?"

"I..." James opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

He was a clever person, and he had already mastered the art of compromising, a necessary skill for a director. Moreover, what Lyman said made sense. If this film was categorized as NC-17 by the approval board due to excessive gore, "Saw", which was already a niche film, would further limit its audience.

If that happened and the investment went south, wouldn't his filmmaking career be doomed right from the start?

No, he couldn't let his thoughts run wild.

Gritting his teeth, James spoke in a low voice, "Alright, I agree. I will try to control the use of close-up shots as much as possible."

Lyman didn't say anything; he just nodded slightly.

Appropriate large-scale shots indeed added to the viewing pleasure of specific audiences, but in everything, there was a limit.

In his view, James' earlier works had been a bit excessive. It wasn't until "Dead Silence" that he started to change his approach.

However, since he had already decided to join the production, it was better to correct this from the beginning.

If he didn't need him, Lyman wouldn't have said anything. Let him shoot however he wanted. During editing, they could still exercise control. If needed, they could even shoot additional scenes. After all, "Saw" didn't involve complex character development or intricate plotlines, so the filming process should be relatively straightforward.

But now that things had progressed to this point, there was no use in saying more. Lyman had always been a forceful figure, especially when it came to filmmaking.