Before shooting began, Lyman had once discussed this work in detail with James.
After all, he was also a director who had outlined numerous scripts, understanding the elements required for script structure.
For this reason, he had offered many improvement suggestions, mainly focusing on two aspects.
The first was style; the second was character development.
The former was quite simple, advising him not to go "overboard" during filming to avoid impacting the rating.
The latter was a bit more complex.
To be precise, when James and Leigh began creating the story, they were constrained by limited funds and doubted their own inexperienced hands. They intended to save money, opting for a low-cost production, with easier scenes and less challenging roles. As a result, the setting was single-minded, and character development was somewhat hasty, with numerous logical inconsistencies.
For example, the police in the story discovered clues about a serial killer but failed to inform their colleagues. Instead, they took only two subordinates and conducted an on-site investigation.
Or when the police arrived in the basement, Jigsaw turned on the mechanism to kill the two of them, but the two were still hesitant to shoot
Another example was Jigsaw wearing just a bulletproof vest and being absolutely certain that getting shot wouldn't kill him, attempting to stage a scene of his own death...
These kinds of plot holes were abundant, which James hadn't considered.
From his perspective, all supporting roles were meant to serve the main plot, and he didn't want to delve too deeply into their storylines. Thus, it had turned out this way.
If Lyman hadn't invested in this work, he wouldn't have bothered considering these issues. But now, his name would be in the end credits of the movie; posters and promotions would carry news of his production involvement. In other words, he was responsible for this work's quality and the final product.
This was a rather peculiar situation, especially since he disliked illogical character actions and confused portrayals the most.
Setting aside whatever purpose there might be for adding humanistic elements, at the very least, it shouldn't make people want to complain or find it strange after watching.
Was that really asking for too much?
So, he had deeply discussed this aspect with James.
At the beginning, James didn't know his filming budget would be in the millions. Without hesitation, he agreed to make changes.
After all, he had been wanting to elevate the quality for a long time.
This seemingly mild-mannered young man had an unspeakable ferocity within. In his past life, he hadn't had the conditions, but hadn't he seen screenwriters personally stepping onto the stage as actors? Couldn't that have looked crude?
Now he had the resources, the supplies, and the ammunition. What was there to worry about? Let his creativity break through the sky.
Indeed, this work was quite different from the one in his past life.
He deleted the subplot involving the police entirely, focusing solely on the sadistic torture methods in the basement.
Could it be seen as an alternative version of "The Maze Runner"?
Oh no, perhaps it should be called "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" instead.
Here, a group of people who disrespected life, captured by Jigsaw, would undergo a test of life or death, and no one could make it out intact.
They wandered through the basement, seeking a chance to escape with their lives.
Under extreme torture mechanisms, they would come to understand the essence of life and realize that staying alive was more important than anything else. This was the lesson Jigsaw wanted to convey to the world through action.
If sequels were to be filmed in the future, they would also follow this pattern.
The selling point lay in those novel and brutal murder mechanisms, as well as the performances of the victims.
Well, Lyman had already figured out how to shoot the movie sequels, but the reality was that the first installment hadn't been completed smoothly yet.
...
On the set, after Hugo's brilliant performance, this part naturally passed without a hitch.
James even gestured his satisfaction.
"He's truly remarkable."
Standing on the side of the set, as an actress, Eva Green couldn't help but exclaim sincerely.
"You just need to put in some effort and ponder over the character more. You have a foundation in this regard." Lyman encouraged her with a smile.
The onlookers were all just giving their opinions without bearing any burden. Among those present, Jason felt dumbfounded. Normally, they had played their scenes as adversaries countless times, and he hadn't thought much of it then, thinking he could keep up. However, at this moment, when he witnessed the other person's explosive acting talent, he began to doubt whether he could truly match up?
He had contemplated this scene many times, but upon seeing the other's performance, he started to wonder whether he could really rise to the occasion.
The pressure was immense.
Let's not forget, he was also the lead actor.
They needed to complement each other for the scenes to appear cohesive.
If one was too outstanding and the other relatively mediocre, the discordant feeling would disrupt the audience's immersion when projected onto the big screen.
This was also why in the future, when internet celebrities forcefully integrated into the entertainment industry, it often gave off a strange vibe due to the mismatch between fame and acting skill.
Of course, Jason wasn't at that extreme. After all, he had been acting for so many years, and his experience was substantial.
But objectively speaking, he had never been known for his acting prowess.
His strong suit had always been action roles, relying on his smooth martial arts to compensate for any acting shortcomings.
At this moment, he felt his heart pounding, and his mind started to blur.
Yet, as soon as the camera's lens pointed at him, he immediately slipped into character.
His eyes widened, and he roared out in agonizing screams.
His lips twitched, and he gasped for air in big gulps...
Oh, it was hard on the eyes.
Like a crazed baboon.
That's what Lyman thought on the side, and James behind the monitor saw it even more clearly.
However, he didn't call a stop immediately, but rather waited until he finished the scene.
He was certainly not satisfied, but it was evident that this guy was a bit too nervous and couldn't relax. Not to mention breaking through, he was even worse off than before.
Fortunately, this allowed him to release some of his emotions and accumulate more experience.
"Cut!"
Finally, the scene was over, and James ended the shoot.
Frowning, he massaged his temples.
Without comparison, it wasn't too bad, but once there was a comparison, it was simply too stark. That abrupt feeling... it was unbearable to watch.
"Let's do it again."
He gave the command.
The crew members got busy again.
Jason returned to his position in a daze and took a couple of big sips of water.
He knew he hadn't performed well just now.
Ten minutes later, everything was ready once more.
Everyone tended to their tasks. Jason positioned himself again.
"Action."
"Ah..." the sound of agonizing screams echoed once more.
James massaged his temples again.
What the hell was going on?
Was he really getting worse with each take?
"Take a break for now."
He had no choice but to figure something out.