Chapter 92: Leg Sawing

As a director, it's crucial to establish certain habits and rules early in one's career, which become widely known within the crew. One such aspect is how to interact with actors.

On the set of "Saw," this wasn't an issue. The film was Murphy's independent investment, and the most prominent actor, James Franco, had a good personal relationship with him. Others didn't have the authority to critique his directing decisions.

But what about projects with more well-known actors in the future?

To some extent, actors being vain is normal, as most actors admit. That's why Murphy avoided showing them their footage. Once they caught a glimpse, they'd want to see more, scrutinizing shadows or even their own double chin.

Murphy desired genuine performances, while actors often focused on perfect appearances alongside their acting skills. Who would win in the end? To avoid this dilemma, it was best to keep actors away from the monitor unless absolutely necessary.

Since the last shoot, whenever actors like Carey or James Franco asked about their performances, Murphy repeated the same phrase: "Your performance was truly perfect, dear."

As the first day's work ended, Murphy gathered department heads for a brief meeting before the next day's shoot. He had meticulously planned every scene, character, and even minor actions since completing the script. Pre-shoot scouting had explored various possibilities for bringing the script to life.

Before each day's shoot, a briefing meeting ensured everyone was on the same page, even though unforeseen challenges still required on-the-spot solutions. In such moments, the entire crew waited for Murphy's guidance, and he had faced similar situations in previous shoots.

Quick thinking and a solid foundation of skills were essential for improvising during shoots. Technical expertise and a creative mindset were paramount for addressing challenges and ensuring smooth operations on set.

When Murphy had new ideas during shoots, he initially let actors perform scenes in the simplest manner, allowing them to find their positions and assess the effects. As a novice director, filming was also a learning process for Murphy, and actors' creativity sometimes inspired his own.

However, if actors' ideas strayed too far from his vision, Murphy would gently guide them back on track rather than letting them lose sight of the film's direction.

This required careful planning and precise storyboarding to effectively convey the narrative and character motivations. Storyboards were especially useful in such situations.

After a week of continuous shooting, the scenes with James Franco and Seth Rogen alone in the room were coming to a climax. With meticulous preparation, the crew embarked on shooting the intense scenes.

Behind two cameras, Murphy and Philip Russell operated one each, while Russell's assistant set up the boom mic, ready to capture sound at a moment's notice.

On set, James Franco, seemingly possessed, picked up the steel saw from the floor. He removed his shirt and tied Beck Colbert's prosthetic leg around himself, then began sawing frantically.

As the saw cut into the resin surface, bright red liquid gushed out, some splattering onto his face. Despite the pain, James Franco showed no signs of stopping, continuing to saw through the leg. The red fluid pooled on the ground, staining it crimson and splashing around with each vigorous movement of the saw.

It was as if a blood rain had fallen, creating a brutal spectacle.

The two underage girls, Lily and Carey Mulligan, had been escorted away by Bill Ross before filming began. Especially for Carey, Murphy couldn't quite explain why, but he was worried that seeing such scenes might affect her mental health.

However, the busy schedule left him with no time or energy to dwell on such matters.

Above James Franco, a giant boom mic hung silently, recording his agonized cries and the splatter of blood as the saw cut through flesh and muscle.

All these sounds needed to be captured live.

Due to scene and budget constraints, using a crane wasn't feasible, so an intern held up the boom mic on a pole. While it seemed simple, it required a high level of professionalism. From Murphy's perspective, the intern's forehead was covered in sweat.

This intern specialized in live sound recording, which was why he temporarily assumed the role of assistant sound recorder.

Holding the pole might seem straightforward, but it required considerable expertise. Both holding the pole and guiding the microphone cable could affect the quality of live sound recording. Even something as simple as guiding the cable had many nuances. For instance, it needed to be done quickly and smoothly, with no knots or interference from other power cables such as those for lighting.

Moreover, there were many tricks to holding the pole. This intern acted as the sound recorder's ears. If he didn't perform well, it would affect the sound recording.

This job wasn't something anyone could do casually. The microphone needed to be held low enough to capture sound effectively but not so low as to appear in the shot. It required extensive practice. Due to his previous experience in a similar role, this intern could tell at a glance where the microphone's lowest position should be to avoid appearing in the shot.

Raising the microphone too high to avoid appearing in the shot was unprofessional and irresponsible, resulting in unusable recordings.

This physically demanding task also required strong willpower. When Murphy filmed wide shots, the boom pole had to be extended 20 feet, and with actors moving around, even a slightly longer shot would tire out the intern's hands. During this time, the intern's hands couldn't move at all, as even the slightest friction or vibration from his fingers would be picked up by the recording equipment.

Some might argue that with wireless recording technology, Murphy's method was outdated. However, wireless systems couldn't capture ambient sound, and their frequency range was limited, not matchingthe wired microphones on boom poles.

The sound of James Franco's character sawing through the leg undoubtedly enhanced the atmosphere of the film, bringing a more terrifying auditory effect.

After filming this scene, Murphy announced a temporary halt to the shoot. The entire crew, including himself, moved to an empty area in the warehouse to change the needles of tens of thousands of syringes.