Due to the need to control the length of the advertisement and the absence of heavy set work, along with a limited number of shots, Lyman took only three days to capture the footage and edit a 4-and-a-half-minute short film.
After adding suitable background music, Lyman had mostly completed the task entrusted to him by Dior. The only remaining step was to have Eva re-record the voiceover for the advertising copy.
Compared to film production, these tasks were relatively straightforward, making Lyman feel quite relaxed.
Sitting in the studio's lounge, sipping coffee, he waited for Thomas to finish his work and add subtitles to complete the project.
Before long, Lyman didn't see Thomas arriving, but instead, Zack walked in, somewhat apprehensive, and sat down across from him.
"Do you need something?" Lyman inquired curiously.
During the past few days of filming, Zack had been acting as the assistant director on set, and their relationship had become quite familiar due to their collaboration.
"Lyman, does your film company need additional personnel?"
Seemingly having summoned the courage, Zack spoke firmly.
"What do you mean?" Lyman had a vague idea in mind.
After all, which director didn't dream of directing their own film? Moreover, Zack had received formal training.
Furthermore, his venture into the advertising field and the formation of an advertising production team were not only because he lacked opportunities but also because he wanted to hone his skills and find a suitable opportunity to enter the film industry.
During his time collaborating with Lyman, he had seen a glimmer of hope.
He was quite intelligent and understood that taking this step without someone's mentorship wouldn't be easy.
A typical example was Michael Bay, who also began his career in advertising and spent many years shooting commercials before finally securing the opportunity to direct a film, thanks to his uncle being an executive director at Warner Bros.
At 38 years old, Zack had been shooting commercials for over a decade, earning a decent income, but he didn't want to continue down that path forever.
Seeing a potential opportunity arise, he couldn't pass up the chance to try.
He lowered his tone and said, "If your company needs additional personnel, can I join? Oh, and my studio members are also quite talented."
Lyman had frequently interacted with the team Zack had brought along these past few days. They possessed excellent experience in various aspects of filmmaking. Hearing this, Lyman was naturally pleased.
After all, Firefly Film needed personnel in various departments.
"You and your team are welcome to join," Lyman said, firmly shaking Zack's hand, fearing he might change his mind.
However, Zack had his own agenda and, seeing that Lyman was approachable, he retrieved a script from his briefcase.
Michael Bay's success didn't really affect Zack, but it did inspire him. Witnessing someone from the same industry achieve success naturally ignited Zack's ambition. At the same time, it motivated him to plan to shoot his first full-length film.
Before this, although his primary job had always been shooting advertisements, he had experimented with making some short films.
He felt quite confident and wanted to use this script to test the waters.
For Lyman, Zack wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
Furthermore, this guy was unlike most aspiring directors, such as when James Wan, for his first attempt at making a film, simply arrived with a script. In contrast, this guy had brought along a complete production report and a rough budget estimate. It seemed that his decision wasn't a result of sudden impulse or a heat-of-the-moment choice; he had been adequately prepared.
This fact pleased Lyman. Regardless of the project's quality, this level of dedication was commendable.
For a mature film project, it was essential to have not just ideas but also a complete and detailed shooting outline as an aid. From what Lyman could see, Zack had significant experience in production. After all, you couldn't just shoot advertisements aimlessly for so many years.
The film's title on the script was "Dawn of the Dead", and the story was quite straightforward. It told the tale of a once peaceful society that had turned into a living hell due to an inexplicable plague. Those infected with the virus had become a form of the undead, inexplicably attacking humans and feasting on their flesh. What was even more horrifying was that if survivors came into close contact with these undead, they too would become infected, joining their ranks.
The setting wasn't bad, but Lyman felt that the subsequent plot was rather cheesy. At least, that's how Lyman perceived it. It had all those typical elements that he found tiresome:
A noble white male, the leader of the survivor group, portrayed as intelligent, calm, caring, brave, and sincere, never backing down in the face of danger.
The female lead, witnessing dwindling resources at their shelter, decided to consult with the leader to lead everyone on a journey through a city infested with the undead to reach an island free from them.
And then there were the supporting characters, all caught up in the intrigues of survival, but miraculously, through the influence of the noble protagonist, they managed to unite and cooperate.
Lyman couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of melancholy after reading it. If it weren't for his belief that Zack might be able to salvage it, Lyman would have given him a piece of his mind. With a script like this, it was practically a waste of paper. It squandered such a promising backdrop and resorted to the usual mainstream values found in Hollywood.
The whole script was a mix of bickering, graphic violence, a charismatic lead group, and countless absurd behaviors of the supporting cast. Disregarding the setting, it was essentially a commercial mishmash of action elements disguised as a zombie movie, designed to showcase how cool the protagonist group could be in the face of danger.
The most crucial point was that this setting seemed awfully familiar.
"Are you remaking a movie?" Lyman inquired.
"Yeah," Zack smiled shyly.
It seemed that he wasn't very confident. His plan was to remake a classic film as a stepping stone. Lyman had to admit it was a clever idea. Having prior experience with a successful film and a personal understanding of it would undoubtedly reduce the difficulty of shooting. It was perfect for testing the waters.
However, there was an obvious downside to this approach—it wouldn't garner much favor. Why? Because when there's a predecessor, no matter how you shoot it, you'll inevitably be compared to it. Even if you add new elements, the evaluation will likely fall short. Moreover, remakes often didn't sit well with audiences, and if not executed perfectly, they could be accused of tarnishing the original work. Just like when adapting novels into films, it was always hardest to please the original fans. In Zack's case, with "Dawn of the Dead" already destined for comparisons, it felt like an uphill battle that might not end well.