In Hollywood, success is not just about experience but also a model that can be continuously operated. The success of "The Purge" allowed many of the preliminary preparations to be carried over to "Final Destination."
For instance, the crew still chose Warner Studios as their base. However, the scale of the two films differed significantly. In addition to the small soundstage previously used, the "Final Destination" crew rented a large soundstage and part of an office building within the studio for their workspace.
With a publicly disclosed budget of $15 million and an actual budget of $20 million, Michael no longer faced the financial constraints he had during the production of "The Purge."
"The initial paperwork, Glen and I have almost finished it," said James Wan, glancing at his close friend in the office. "Most of the filming team members have previous collaboration experience so that the adjustment period won't be as challenging as the last film. If there are no major issues, I plan to start filming in April."
Michael nodded lightly, "I'm having someone prepare the distribution plan based on your filming schedule."
The project materials had already been handed over to Embassy Pictures, and Garcia was leading the team in drafting a detailed marketing and distribution plan.
James Wan continued, "With adequate funding, I should be able to complete filming by July at the latest." He then asked, "Has the release date been set?"
"The distribution company provided two options," Michael replied. "One is Halloween, which is a bit tight. The other is December. 'Scream' achieved great success in December."
"I lean towards December as well. This film's post-production is quite complex, with many special effects to complete," Michael stated.
"I also think December is better," agreed James Wan.
Michael advised, "James, try to solve as much as possible during filming rather than leaving it for post-production."
James Wan acknowledged, "I understand." After a brief thought, he added, "For the special effects team, I recommend Digital Domain. They charge less, and I worked with them on 'The X-Files.'"
Michael neither agreed nor disagreed, "I'll talk to Digital Domain."
At this time, many Hollywood special effects companies were as numerous as cattle, with many medium and large studios having their own independent special effects companies or departments. Even Pixar was involved in special effects of live-action films. There were many special effects companies to choose from.
Michael then asked, "Glen, is there any major change in the script?"
"No," Glen Morgan, a silent and introverted person, replied.
Michael emphasized, "James, you've proven yourself to be an excellent horror director. I won't interfere with the crew's normal filming, but I must make one thing clear: this film must have a simple and clear story while being gripping!"
To be honest, he was worried that James Wan, after the success of "The Purge," might get carried away in his next film and add too many obscure elements.
Such directors were joint in Hollywood and had ruined many film projects, sometimes even bankrupting production companies.
James Wan smiled, "Don't worry, it will be a simple story." After thinking for a moment, he added, "Even the intricate death scenes will involve everyday life scenarios, such as using water, electricity, driving, crossing the street, boiling water, pouring wine, and even how a rag is placed."
Glen Morgan, usually silent, added, "Our concept is that any oversight in everyday life could be fatal."
Michael approved of this concept, "Placing the horror of death in the daily lives of the general public will certainly have a strong scare effect, making people shiver in their daily lives."
In this film, the concept of Death chasing was abstract, but the specific implementation was very down-to-earth.
James Wan continued, "We often see on TV news that some people survive tornadoes, floods, or collapsing buildings without a scratch, while others die mysteriously in shallow ditches with knee-high water. The contrast between the resilience and fragility of life is the inspiration for 'Final Destination.'"
Michael smiled, "James, I completely agree with something you once said: the greatest horror comes from the unknown." Then he shifted the topic, "But we must also consider the market and audience. 'Final Destination' will certainly be an R-rated film, and the death scenes should be as explicit as possible within R-rated limits."
"I understand," James Wan replied without hesitation.
The success of "The Purge" had made him realize the importance of catering to market demands.
To him, the script for "The Purge" seemed like a standard flop, given its ridiculous concept and the fact that Michael Davenport, a rookie, wrote it. But it had not only succeeded but also been a huge success...
Though James Wan had moved to the US during his teenage years, he retained some of the humility typical of Eastern cultures. The success of "The Purge" made him deeply aware that he was far inferior to Michael Davenport in understanding the market.
If he could outperform Michael Davenport in directing, then Michael could outdo him in market understanding.
In the office, it was mostly Michael and James Wan discussing, with Glen Morgan saying very little.
After discussing the preparations, the conversation turned to casting. Michael asked, "Do you have any thoughts on the actors?"
James Wan had little say in choosing the lead roles but offered his advice as a director, "The main characters are high school students. Besides basic acting skills, they should look as good as possible."
Then he thought of a crucial question, "We won't cast Arab actors for the main roles, right?"
After all, the filming funds came from Arabs.
"No," Michael shook his head directly. "There will be no ethnic restrictions this time."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Besides the lead roles, I will use some minority actors for the main roles."
Previous research showed that the proportion of African-American and Latino cinema audiences had steadily increased.
Especially with the future Black Lives Matter movement, the mere association could bring millions to the box office.
Movies were ultimately influenced by social changes.
With Michael fully involved in the production, preparations for "Final Destination" accelerated. In just a few days, many key positions were filled.
This project had a budget several times that of "The Purge," and the crew was significantly larger.
Besides being the producer, Michael was also the production manager. With two projects' finances involved, Mary continued to handle them. Other positions like assistant producers, location managers, location scouts, production coordinators, and technical consultants were all filled through external recruitment.
Hollywood was the world's most mature film factory. With enough funds, finding talent was never an issue.
This place never lacked film professionals.
In its early stages, Seashore Entertainment's business model was no different from mainstream Hollywood film companies, primarily relying on external hires.
In the future, when the company has more projects, it might even hire producers to manage a crew fully.
While filling these positions, Michael also secured the special effects team. After three days of negotiations with Digital Domain, he outsourced the special effects and post-production to the company founded by James Cameron for $1.5 million.
Though Digital Domain had fully participated in the special effects for "Titanic," they weren't in a great position. James Cameron was not a prolific director, and Digital Domain couldn't rely solely on him. The competition in ordinary business was fierce, and even leading companies like Industrial Light & Magic had an average profit margin of less than five percent in the special effects industry.
Digital Domain had several smaller teams under its large special effects team, whose charges were only average within the industry.
From the early preparation stages, the special effects team had to be fully involved until post-production ended.
For post-production, Michael also moved forward, hiring Shirley Walker's music team for $180,000. This team included twelve people: composers, arrangers, editors, recorders, equipment handlers, copyright managers, and editors.
This was considered a low-cost music team in the industry.
For the crucial post-production editor, Michael's first choice remained Jessica Felton.