As Michael pushed open the door to the editing room, he was hit by a sour, pungent smell mixed with various food odours. Instinctively, he pinched his nose, almost retreating, but seeing Jessica Felton engrossed in her work, he steeled himself and stepped inside.
The space behind the door had nearly turned into a garbage dump.
Leftover takeout boxes, crumpled tissues, discarded packaging, and empty soda bottles were all piled up haphazardly, fermenting into a stinking mess.
Michael looked at Jessica Felton again.
Gone was the image of the Latina goddess. Her brown hair was greasy and clumped together, looking like it could fry an egg. Her white tight-fitting T-shirt was stained with unidentifiable substances, almost becoming a rainbow. The denim shorts on her long legs seemed stiff and rigid as a board...
"Don't make a sound!" Jessica Felton, hearing movement behind her, didn't even turn around. "Put the stuff down and leave immediately."
Michael realized she mistook him for a delivery person.
"Jessie!" Michael hurried a few steps closer, the smell of hair oil nearly knocking him out. He quickly took a step back and asked, "Hasn't this place been cleaned?"
Recognizing Michael's voice, Jessica glanced at him before returning to her splicing machine. "Too noisy. I chased away anyone who came to clean."
Michael looked at her T-shirt and asked, "How many days has it been since you washed your clothes?"
He remembered this was the outfit she wore on the first day.
Unfazed, Jessica continued working. "I've worn all my clothes. The other day, I found the cleanest set among the dirty ones..."
Michael nodded. What could he say to an employee so dedicated to her work? He slowly said, "It's my fault. I should have assigned you a full-time assistant."
"Save it until I finish this segment," Jessica replied, killing the conversation.
Michael stayed silent, instinctively distancing himself from the editor. He resolved to hire a full-time housekeeper for her, if only for the sake of his nose.
After ten painful minutes, Jessica finally finished her work.
Michael watched her stretch, her swollen chest covered in grime, shaking his head again. Once she got into her work, she completely neglected herself...
He walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window. Fresh air rushed in, dispelling the foul odour and instantly lifting his spirits.
Breathing deeply, Michael turned and said, "Jessie, take a break. I'll have someone clean up."
"No need," Jessica replied, "I'll have a drink and keep going."
Michael stood guard by the window, a crucial source of fresh air. "Listen to me. Take a two-hour break, then shower."
He pointed at Jessica's T-shirt.
Reluctantly, Jessica glanced at herself and nodded slowly.
Michael made a call, and soon, someone arrived to clean the room. It didn't take long for him to understand what had happened.
From the moment Jessica Felton entered the editing room, she hadn't stepped out. Meals were delivered to her, and she used the adjacent rest area for restroom and sleep. She discarded dirty clothes without thinking of washing them. When she ran out of clean clothes, she simply picked the cleanest among the dirty ones.
It wasn't that no one had suggested cleaning; they had, but Jessica dismissed them impatiently. Besides, Michael had instructed them not to disturb her work.
Eventually, things turned out like this.
However, Jessica Felton's work was remarkable.
While the room was being cleaned, Michael reviewed the edited footage. The progress was astonishing; the rough cut was nearly complete.
The nearly two-and-a-half-hour rough cut had a clear story arc.
Unfortunately, James Wong wasn't around.
The director had yet to deeply engage in post-production. After wrapping up "The Purge," he took only a few days off before diving into early planning for "Final Destination" with his close friend Glen Morgan.
"Final Destination" still needed script revisions.
Outstanding employees deserve special treatment.
Michael arranged for a 24-hour housekeeper to care for Jessica Felton, ensuring the editing room wouldn't become a dump again. He would frequently visit, and while others might tolerate it, he couldn't.
"You're like two different people when you're working and when you're not."
Looking at Jessica Felton in her fresh clothes, Michael shook his head. "I can't tell which one is the real you."
Jessica shrugged, unconcerned. "When you immerse yourself in something you love, it's easy to neglect everything else. Many gaming enthusiasts can play for months, only pausing to eat and sleep."
Michael nodded, "Still, it's good to pay some attention to other aspects of life."
Despite being busy with work, constantly learning, and rarely sleeping before midnight, he had yet to turn to Jessica.
Maybe he wasn't dedicated enough?
Jessica's response was to pull up her chair and sit back at her workstation.
Michael, unwilling to smell a partner drenched in sour sweat again, said, "At this rate, you'll never find a boyfriend."
"What do I need a man for?" Jessica dismissed. "Can I splice him? Editing is way more fun. Why bother with a man?"
Michael finally understood. This was someone who had dedicated her life to the infinite world of editing.
So, he changed the topic immediately. "You're working fast. The rough cut is almost done."
"You've seen it?" Jessica, hearing about editing, instantly got serious. "I plan to start fine-tuning the day after tomorrow. Any suggestions?"
Michael said directly, "Make the narrative tighter and the editing pace quicker. The opening isn't great. Re-edit it."
Jessica asked, "How?"
"Start with a newsreel-style introduction to the entire background story," Michael said, having thought of this while watching the rough cut. "Set the era at the very beginning."
Jessica closed her eyes, seemingly editing the scenes in her mind. After a while, she said, "Won't that be too straightforward? The story would be laid bare from the start."
Michael shook his finger. "That's precisely the effect I want. The film should be simple and easy to understand."
Jessica, having an academic background, had a hint of academic style. But she wasn't rigid; she quickly grasped Michael's intent. "I was overthinking. This is just an entertainment film."
Michael agreed. "Exactly." He added, "The black character has too few scenes. Give him more screen time."
The black character was crucial. During filming, he discussed this with James Wong, ensuring the black character was a strong presence.
"Okay," Jessica said, "I'll make the adjustments."
As she started working, she said, "For action scenes, I plan to use more shortcuts and fast-paced editing to heighten the audience's emotions."
Michael didn't object. "Try editing one scene that way first."
Jessica had been studying shortcuts the last time he visited her apartment.
But he wouldn't use it recklessly. Fast-paced editing worked best in pure action films, like Michael Bay's movies.
The rough cut was quickly finished, and the fine-tuning began. The post-production teams started working closely together, and the sound team found several existing tracks that matched the film's atmosphere. Michael arranged to secure the rights.
This cost very little; a few thousand dollars sufficed in this era.
James Wong also joined the post-production team, putting aside other work.
Michael, Jessica, and James Wong disagreed a bit about the film's vision, which allowed the editing to proceed smoothly without the producer imposing his will.
Almost two months of work saw "The Purge" reaching 90% completion in post-production from mid-June to early August.
The remaining work involved titles and credits, which wasn't urgent.
Michael scheduled the screening session, revisited numerous distribution companies, and personally delivered invitations.