Kazir was very clear about his abilities and limitations.
He was not the kind of genius who was exceptionally talented and could create miracles out of thin air.
However, perhaps due to fate, he was lucky enough to be reborn, and in this life, his only capital was the memories of the future in his mind.
He knew in his heart, as clear as a mirror, which movies would make a fortune in the future.
It would be truly foolish to ignore such a 'golden finger' advantage and rack his brains to come up with original scripts.
Take Se7en, for example. He was determined to film it as close to the original movie in his memory as possible, even planning to use the original cast for casting. After all, this was his first project, and he had to proceed steadily, allowing no room for error. Only by ensuring foolproof execution could he lay a solid foundation for his future career.
He actually knew very well in his heart that what he was doing was 'cheating'.
But then he thought, how many successes in this world are completely above board and without any reference?
Take Bill Gates, for example; didn't he also 'borrow' inspiration from Apple and Xerox back then to gradually build Microsoft into a tech giant? In his previous life, Microsoft's market value was over three trillion, so who would still dwell on that little bit of borrowing from the past?
Of course, Kazir was not someone who always played it safe and dared not take risks. If something unexpected really happened, he would also dare to go all out. After Se7en was filmed, everything would naturally have an answer. Whether it was a success or a failure would be revealed then.
"How about it, pretty shocking, right?"
The art director proudly showed Kazir the results of the team's several weeks of hard work, his tone full of pride and anticipation.
"Indeed..."
Kazir looked at the props in front of him and couldn't help but secretly gasp—these props were so realistic that at first glance, he almost thought there was a real corpse in front of him.
'If an ordinary person suddenly saw this dummy, they would probably scream.'
'As expected of professionals, this craftsmanship is truly authentic, and the details are simply impeccable.'
He had filmed many B-grade horror movies before and had seen all kinds of props like fake blood and fake corpses, so he was already immune to them.
Therefore, this 'corpse' in front of him was just that to him; he didn't find it particularly scary.
'At least I don't find it scary; maybe I've seen too much.'
Today was January 24, 1995, with only one week left until February.
To ensure a smooth start to filming, they had been preparing for several months, and all the preliminary work was done—the script had been polished repeatedly and finally finalized; the sets were meticulously built, striving to restore realistic scenes; the location scouting was also meticulous, ensuring that each location met the filming requirements; the casting was even more crucial, and after layers of selection, suitable actors were finally determined. It could be said that everything was ready, just waiting for the east wind.
Before filming began, the crew had to implement all the details; otherwise, various problems would arise during the filming process, which would be a pure waste of time and money.
Although unexpected situations are inevitable during filming, making full preparations in advance can always avoid many problems and make the filming process smoother.
Take filming a thriller, for example; the director might suddenly ask for more blood to create a more terrifying atmosphere. This kind of thing must be prepared in advance, otherwise, there will be a scramble when the time comes.
Therefore, every step must be taken seriously, without the slightest carelessness.
'To be honest, my work here was actually finished a long time ago. The script has been finalized, so there's no real need for me, the screenwriter, to stay on set.'
But Kazir just wanted to see with his own eyes how the classic Se7en was made, and even if he could only get the lowest salary, he insisted on joining the crew, just to experience the charm of filmmaking up close.
Fortunately, he received eight thousand dollars in the first two months, so it wasn't a complete waste of effort, at least he didn't feel so much pressure.
He looked around the set and suddenly saw David Fincher enthusiastically discussing lighting with the cinematographer.
The studio they were currently in had been cleverly transformed into the interior of a police station.
It's not easy to build such a set; it not only costs a lot but also requires a lot of manpower and time. Unfortunately, it has to be dismantled after filming, which is a pity to think about, all that effort just going to waste.
Kazir stood quietly in a corner, silently watching everything happening on the set, like an outsider, and also like a devout learner.
At this moment, Morgan Freeman, after finishing his makeup, slowly walked out of the makeup trailer. His makeup was very realistic and completely conformed to the character's image, making people feel as if they saw that steady and experienced detective at first glance.
"Is everything ready?" David Fincher looked around, carefully checking every detail. He asked the cameraman, confirming that the equipment was operating normally; then he personally adjusted the lighting, ensuring perfect light effects; finally, he looked at the monitor, confirming that the picture quality was fine, and then nodded with satisfaction, "Alright, begin."
"Scene 82, lights, camera, action!"
With David Fincher's command, filming officially began.
"Found on the wall behind the refrigerator." Detective Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman) handed a photo to the Captain (played by Ronald Lee Ermey) with a serious expression.
"'The way to hell is paved with good intentions'?" The Captain looked at the words on the photo, his brows slightly furrowed.
"A line from Milton's Paradise Lost." Detective Somerset looked at Detective Mills (played by Brad Pitt), with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes.
"I'm lost." Detective Mills shook his head blankly.
"It means this is just the beginning." Detective William Somerset took out two more photos, on which words were written in blood, looking particularly shocking.
"Captain, Se7en—gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, envy." Detective Somerset's voice was low and serious.
—Ring, ring, ring.
Suddenly, the phone next to the Captain rang without warning.
The entire studio instantly fell silent, as if time had frozen at that moment. David Fincher's face twitched, clearly startled by the sudden phone ring.
'How could it ring? Wasn't it a prop? What exactly is going on?' Kazir was also stunned; he had completely not expected such an unexpected situation.
But the filming continued; no one called cut. Although the phone rang very abruptly, the actors professionally answered it, as if the call was part of the plot.
"Hold on." The Captain impatiently picked up the phone and said grumpily, "This damn isn't my desk!"
"Cut! Ronald, good acting, add this scene in."
David Fincher was quite satisfied with Ronald Lee Ermey's improvisation and simply treated the accident as part of the play, deciding to keep this content.
'Ronald Lee Ermey's reaction was amazing, simply a natural performance, too authentic.' Kazir thought... The first day of filming went smoothly, with three scenes filmed in total, and the overall effect was quite good.
Kazir saw the prop intern apologizing to David Fincher, presumably, he had carelessly placed a real phone there, which led to the accident.
"It's fine... just be more careful next time."
David Fincher waved his hand and didn't dwell on the matter too much. After all, small accidents are inevitable during filming, as long as they don't affect the overall filming progress and effect.
He turned to instruct the assistant director and cinematographer about tomorrow's location, arranging everything clearly, taking every detail into consideration.
"Kazir, let's go."
"Okay, drive safe."
Kazir's work was done, and he could leave early, after all, he was just a helper and didn't have many important tasks in the crew.
He got into the newly repaired old car—an Audi 200 sedan. The car looked old, but he had no immediate plans to replace it, as he wasn't well-off at the moment.
Being poor, he wasn't particular about these things; as long as it could drive, it was fine. For him, a car was just a means of transportation, and there was no need to pursue such a high-class one.
Driving past a bar, having just received his salary, perhaps influenced by the original owner's memories, a sudden urge to go in for a drink surged in his heart.
"But not one of those deafening disco bars; I can't stand that noisy environment. I still prefer a quiet place, with some jazz music playing, that's how one can relax."
Thinking this, he steadily parked his car at the entrance of a seemingly suitable bar, pushed open the door, and slowly walked in.