Life on the set

Last night, a heavy rain fell.

Lyman slept lightly, the raindrops struck the windowpane with a staccato rhythm, occasionally accompanied by the rumble of thunder. Once awakened, he found it difficult to return to sleep.

He turned his head to glance at Eva.

She slept so soundly, her arm draped across his waist, hair scattered without a trace of elegance.

Perhaps she was too exhausted. He didn't know when the commotion outside had ceased, but he eventually fell back asleep.

In the past few days, he had been learning how to excel as a producer.

At the very least, he could assist René and ensure the smooth operation of the crew.

Apart from the matters on the set, he also had to attend to Eva Greene.

Hmm, it seemed like they were mutually enjoying this arrangement.

She was also part of the cast, playing a cameo as Doctor Lawrence's lover.

Her role was incredibly simple, perhaps just one or two scenes in the entire film.

After finishing her scenes, she didn't leave; instead, she stayed to help him handle various trivial tasks.

At night, if both of them still had energy and enthusiasm, they would engage in intimate moments.

This, however, led to significant physical and emotional exhaustion.

And as for the girl, maybe she had tapped into her inner warrior after some development, activating a bold attribute within her. She faced those matters without shyness, even quite eagerly. It felt as though she had finally indulged in something forbidden and tasted the essence of desire. Could that inexplicable sensation be relinquished?

This phenomenon seemed to be common among couples who had recently started exploring such things. Yet, every time, Eva wanted to take charge, to become the master, the dragon rider. This was something Lyman could not endure.

The consequence of his inability to bear it was either avoiding the battle altogether or going all out, suppressing...

"Hurry up, everyone down, quickly!"

The crew rented a regular hotel, and as always, René's voice echoed down the hallway, urging them.

Beside him stood Leigh Whannell, also learning how to be a proficient producer.

"Morning."

"Morning."

Members of the filming crew emerged from their rooms in pairs and threes, nodding greetings.

Before long, Lyman also got up, pulling Eva into the car with him.

René stood by the car, his eyes scanning the lineup of several cars and confirming that everyone was present. With a wave of his arm, he opened the door and took a seat in the passenger seat of Lyman's car.

"We can go now."

The time was now 6 o'clock in the morning in Los Angeles. The sky still bore traces of lingering clouds, heavy and overcast, giving a sense that rain might still fall.

Fortunately, "Saw" was primarily an indoor production, so the weather wouldn't have much impact.

Today's scenes were to be shot with the opening performances of Jason Stanton and Hugo Weaving. Without any involvement from J.K. Simmons, they could have had a day off, but he had followed along regardless.

In a short while, the car entered Warner Bros. Studios.

Once parked, Lyman and René organized the crew to unload the equipment.

Soon after, the crew members who lived at home also arrived. Soundstage 3 quickly came alive with activity.

After around an hour of bustling around, the preliminary preparations were nearly complete.

Prop artists started reconfiguring the set, and under the guidance of cinematographer James, the lighting team achieved the desired filming effects.

In the basement, they set up a restroom scene.

Production manager Richard squatted on the ground, carefully inspecting the prop leg shackles that would be used in the upcoming shots. His large hands swept over the rubberized metallic finish, ensuring they were smooth and free of any sharp edges that could harm the actors.

If an actor got injured because of these props, the representatives from Alliance Insurance would certainly be there to cause trouble.

If things got really troublesome, he, as the one responsible for the inspection, would have a tough time dealing with it.

James, wearing a simple long shirt and jeans, a hat on his head, sat behind the director's monitor, discussing shot angles with the cameraman.

Before long, the actors took their positions.

Jason clearly had some light makeup around his eye sockets, his complexion looking weary. That feeling of not having slept well. Of course, for the sake of better performance, he had indeed stayed up half the night. His pupils still had traces of bloodshot. With the shackles on his feet, as the shooting hadn't started yet, he held a water bottle, taking a sip to moisten his throat.

Hugo didn't go that route. He was only wearing a white coat over formal attire. There was a sense of coldness about him, which greatly contrasted with the expected image of a doctor. The stylistic juxtaposition was quite eerie.

"Action!" Around nine in the morning, with everything ready, James immediately picked up a megaphone and loudly shouted. Could you faintly hear the excitement in his voice?

The set quickly fell silent, everyone's gaze fixed on James's monitor.

The director of photography held a camera near the bathtub against the wall, capturing Jason's figure through the slightly murky water. Hmm, the bald head looked even more striking underwater.

As ripples formed in the water, splashes scattered around. Jason suddenly sat up, erupting into a violent fit of coughing...

This scene was, of course, the opening shot of the movie, where the character Jigsaw himself, afflicted with cancer and a distorted mind, conveys his philosophy to the world, urging them to cherish life.

Therefore, when Adam woke up and saw the unfamiliar scene before him, he felt bewildered and fearful. Especially with his ankles shackled, his anxiety intensified.

Perhaps due to his movements, Lawrence also woke up from his stupor.

Observing everything around him, he managed to maintain a degree of composure. According to his character's design, he was a thoughtful individual.

"Click."

As the shot concluded, James reviewed the footage and furrowed his brow.

"Dim the lights a bit and place a board over there to block some light."

After making slight adjustments, a few minutes later, they began shooting again.

However, something still felt off.

The actors' performances were quite fitting, and the scene and lighting didn't present any problems. But when the two aspects merged, there was a sense of abruptness, as if the visuals and characters were slightly out of harmony.

What could be the issue?

Adhering to the principle of asking when uncertain, he turned his gaze toward Lyman beside him.

The implication couldn't have been clearer.

Lyman sighed inwardly, realizing he lacked experience.

He wondered what he was even doing here. Wasn't he just a namesake? How did he end up assisting with the crew's logistics and now solving filming issues?

"See, isn't something off?" James remarked. Lyman also looked at the recently captured footage through the monitor.

Under the subdued lighting, the image remained clear. However, due to the fact that everything around was static while Jason Stanton's awakening was a "motion," a subtle contrast needed to be created.

At this moment, evidently, the "motion" aspect was insufficient, resulting in a picture that appeared stable and lifeless. It lacked vitality.

After pondering for a moment, Lyman suggested, "Let's add another action. When the camera is rolling, have it sway along with Adam as he sits up and then falls back down—a movement that increases the tension in the scene. This way, it will capture the audience's attention more effectively on this character."

James's eyes brightened as he listened, and he immediately signaled the camera crew to redo the shot.