Chapter 89

Seeking recommendations.

The morning sun shone through the bright window, casting a golden glow on the drawn curtains. Mo Fei came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth, standing in front of the dressing mirror. He examined himself carefully; apart from slightly red eyes, there were no significant traces left from his drunkenness the previous night.

Shaking his head in front of the mirror, Mo Fei found that his headache had suddenly disappeared. He returned to the bathroom, spat out the foam in his mouth, and stood there in a daze for a while. Perhaps the wild fun of the previous night had really helped him relax.

Having experienced the shooting of "Fruit Candy," he gradually discovered some patterns of his headaches. They were most likely to occur when he was under great work pressure and his nerves were taut. When he was completely relaxed, the indescribable pain would also disappear.

If he could always live in a relaxed state, Mo Fei believed that the aftereffects of this strange experience would heal on their own.

But this was clearly impossible in a highly competitive society, unless he had no desires and cared nothing about his future life.

But how many people in this world could truly achieve that?

After finishing his morning routine, he called for a takeout meal and went downstairs to the living room. Since the entire crew was on a day off today to rest and prepare for the upcoming shooting, the studio was quiet, with no one around.

Taking out the plan from a file on a desk, Mo Fei found a chair and sat down, reviewing it once again. With the shooting about to begin, he had to treat every task with great care, trying to find any possible oversights in the plan.

For the entire day, Mo Fei stayed at home, maintaining a relatively quiet state in terms of hearing, vision, and spirit.

The next morning, he drove to the small city of Venice. Entering the office at the warehouse entrance, he first informed Paul Wilson, who was already waiting there, that the project's codename had been officially changed to "Saw."

"Saw?"

The news quickly spread to the set. James Franco, who was getting makeup done, asked Seth Rogen beside him, "Why such a name?"

Seth Rogen reminded him, "Isn't the guy in the script nicknamed Jigsaw?"

With Mo Fei's arrival, the set became busy. Near the constructed basement toilet set, Helena Espola was doing the final checks on the set design. At the designated camera positions, Philippe Lacheur was adjusting the camera, while his assistant was testing with a handheld camera. David Robie used a boom to lift the main background light, constantly exchanging opinions with Mo Fei to determine the best position for the light.

Inside the set, Beck Calebert squatted on the ground, checking the prop shackles, his large hands continuously brushing over the rubber props to ensure they were smooth and wouldn't hurt the actors' ankles.

Mo Fei coordinated all the work, receiving updates from each department.

There were also many people outside the set. Although today's shooting only involved James Franco and Seth Rogen, most of the main actors had come over.

Bill Rosi had also arrived. Mo Fei was listed as a super potential client, and he wouldn't miss the start of a new project. Additionally, he had to accompany two other potential clients.

Carey Mulligan, wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, stood with her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Mo Fei.

Beside her, the shorter Lily blinked curiously, also watching the set.

"David, move the main background light three feet to the left, and place it at a 45-degree angle to the bathtub," Mo Fei's voice echoed across the set. "Don't turn on all the fluorescent lights; I want a flickering effect when the lights are turned on."

"Philippe, use the handheld camera for the first shot, and pay attention to the shaking."

"Helen, have you tested the glass on the set? Can it be broken, okay?"

"Jack, Jack, is the actor's makeup done? How much longer?"

Watching Mo Fei command the entire crew in an orderly manner, Bill Rosi nodded slightly. Compared to the novice he was during the last shoot, Mo Fei had matured very quickly, exuding confidence like a successful director.

He had also been involved in a lot of the pre-production work. The most significant impression Mo Fei gave him was how fast he was improving.

Bill Rosi had signed more than one director, but most of the previous ones had disappeared after shooting one film, never getting a second chance.

This guy, however, had achieved nearly five times the production cost in North American box office for his first film. While Miramax's distribution capabilities were key, the commercial elements he successfully integrated into the film could not be ignored.

As a broker working at CAA, Bill Rosi had a deep understanding of the Hollywood circle and knew how new directors could gain attention, realize their value, and boost the status of their agents.

One way was to win major awards. Considering Mo Fei's age and the resources at his disposal, Bill Rosi knew these were distant goals for the future.

The other way was commercial success, which, in simpler terms, meant box office performance.

In Bill Rosi's view, nothing was more practical than box office numbers. Film art, after all, was abstract, and no one would invest in purely artistic films. Even if they did, these art films were still tied to commercial interests. Films were products of money and power.

In this era, if a director's low-budget film could achieve high box office numbers, it would certainly accelerate their career development. Bill Rosi had also read the script. Although a script in Hollywood could not fully represent the final film, it could still reveal some issues. "Saw" far exceeded "Fruit Candy" in both plot and appeal. Mo Fei's progress was evident, and Bill Rosi believed he would do even better than "Fruit Candy."

"See that, little one?" Carey Mulligan pointed to Mo Fei and said to Lily beside her, "Mo Fei is definitely the best director."

Lily, only twelve years old, had seen a lot due to her background. She shook her head in disagreement, "I live in Beverly Hills, and I've never heard of him. He's just a director of B-movies."

"You little brat, what do you know?" Carey Mulligan turned around and glared at Lily, but her doll-like face wasn't intimidating at all. She raised a finger and said firmly, "Wait ten years, and you'll see. Mo Fei will definitely be the top director in Hollywood."

"Pfft," Lily responded with disdain.

On the set, James Franco and Seth Rogen had already taken their positions, and the shooting was about to begin. Carey Mulligan quickly shut her mouth, even holding her breath, as if afraid to disturb Mo Fei's shooting.

...

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