After vetoing Paul Greengrass's proposal to use better cameras, Simon explained his reasoning. Seeing that Paul still looked slightly disappointed, Simon added, "Paul, the core filming equipment and image quality cannot be changed. However, when it comes to auxiliary equipment like lighting, you can go all out. Unlike Paranormal Activity, I won't impose strict budget limits on The Blair Witch Project. Of course, keep it under $3 million, because $3 million is a threshold, both for the unions and for audience perception."
The ultra-low-budget gimmick had already been used once with Paranormal Activity. This time, to attract audiences, the film's quality would be the key, which meant sufficient investment was necessary.
Paul Greengrass perked up a bit and tentatively asked, "Simon, can I hire a better cinematographer? I mean, even though the first-person perspective requires the actors to handle the cameras themselves, a good cinematographer can still provide excellent guidance."
"No problem," Simon agreed readily, then added, "But remember, keep it under $3 million."
"I promise."
At this point, A-girl had finished setting up the iRec provided by Paul Greengrass. She closed the automatic curtains in the study, dimming the room, and a projection screen slowly descended on the east wall.
With Simon's nod, A-girl operated a laptop, and soon a sample clip appeared on the screen.
Paul Greengrass had shot a lot of footage. Under his guidance, A-girl played only the key segments, mainly focusing on the locations for some crucial scenes in the film.
After watching, Simon was very satisfied.
Compared to the original, the team had put much more thought into the locations alone. With the abundant resources of Daenerys Entertainment, they had covered every detail to the greatest extent possible.
For example, the season.
The reason they chose southern states over northern ones was to account for seasonal elements.
If they had chosen the north, while there were evergreen coniferous forests, snowfall during the filming period would have been a disaster for the movie.
As for California, close to Los Angeles and with its Mediterranean climate, it seemed ideal, but it lacked the desolate, cold atmosphere that winter should bring.
The southern states, with their subtropical climate, struck the perfect balance.
They weren't as vibrant as Los Angeles, nor as barren as the north, and they avoided the extreme winter weather.
If these factors weren't considered, or if they had cut corners for convenience, the result would have been mediocre.
Having spent two lifetimes in the film industry, Simon deeply understood one thing: the quality of a movie wasn't absolutely tied to the filmmakers' skills but rather to how much effort they put in. If creators invested enough energy and pushed themselves to their limits, the quality of their work wouldn't be too bad.
After watching the iRec footage and discussing it further, the curtains were reopened, and the office brightened again.
Simon flipped through a memo in his hand and said to everyone, "Now, let's talk about some details in the script."
The memo contained notes Simon had made while reviewing the initial draft of The Blair Witch Project script provided by the team. He glanced at it and said, "First, about the sacrificial array set up by the witch. If it's shown to the audience without any reference, relying solely on the characters' dialogue, it won't be clear enough. By the way, didn't you say you collected a lot of witch-related materials?"
Everyone nodded. The young, fair-haired, and somewhat delicate screenwriter, Annika Sutter, pulled a thick folder from her bag and tried to hand it to Simon.
Simon waved it off and said, "I don't need to see it. What I mean is, you can use these materials to create a prop, like a Witch Handbook. When the group discovers the sacrificial array in the forest, they can pull it out and compare it. This would give the audience a more realistic feel and enhance the sense of authenticity."
In the new script, the protagonists find a sacrificial array made of stones, wood, and bones in the forest, which becomes a major turning point in the film.
The array is designed to curse anyone who steps into it, causing them to suffer misfortune and die within three days.
The story begins with five young adults embarking on an adventure to explore the witch legend, more for fun than believing they'd actually encounter a witch. Thus, two of the boys and Jessica, the tomboy played by Katharine Moennig, step into the array and take photos as souvenirs.
The characters played by Amy Acker and Rachel McAdams don't step into the array, leading to different outcomes.
As the creator of the story, Simon's suggestion was clearly effective. After a brief discussion, everyone agreed.
Next, Simon continued, "Also, about the deaths. Jessica dies first after falling into a trap filled with wooden spikes. This twist isn't sufficiently foreshadowed. I see in the script that an old man from the town warns the explorers about traps left by hunters, but such an important turning point needs more tangible props to set it up, like a rusty bear trap."
Obviously, no one would object to this.
Simon didn't waste time and moved on: "Still about the deaths. Whether it's Jessica or the two boys who drown in a whirlpool, the film shouldn't dwell too much on these scenes. This is a found-footage movie. In real life, when someone's companion is in danger, they wouldn't have the presence of mind to keep filming. So, the script's detailed descriptions of these scenes need to be trimmed."
Annika Sutter raised her hand slightly and, after Simon nodded, said, "Mr. Westeros, the deaths of the two boys can be glossed over, but Jessica falling into the trap filled with wooden spikes is very impactful. I think we should keep that."
Simon nodded: "Fine, but don't give it too many close-ups."
Paul Greengrass offered his opinion: "Maybe we can have Bridget drop the camera in shock when she points it at the trap, then cut to the group already recovering Jessica's body."
Jerry Bruckheimer chimed in: "If the shaky footage from the fall looks good, we should include some of it. I've seen some of Paul's handheld-style shots in his films, and that shakiness really amps up the tension."
Paul Greengrass, inspired, added: "Then we'll shoot this scene multiple times. We're bound to get some good material."
Simon smiled and agreed: "In that case, make sure to bring plenty of iRecs. Think Different will provide as many as we need."
Everyone laughed.
Simon quickly moved on to the next topic, glancing at Amy Acker and Rachel McAdams, who had been quietly sitting in the corner like decorative vases. He understood that Lois had brought them along to make an impression on him so they'd be remembered: "There's one more small detail. The scene where Kayla, chosen at the end, walks naked toward the witches at night—I think we should use a body double."
Lois immediately spoke up: "Simon, Rachel is fine with it, and it's just a vague silhouette. It's not really exposing anything."
Rachel McAdams, who had been subtly highlighted by a certain big shot, quickly nodded in agreement, pretending to be shy and lowering her head with a bashful smile.
However, everyone had misunderstood.
Simon shook his head with a smile and said, "That's not what I mean. I'm talking about…" He pulled out a storyboard sketch from the folder in front of him: "Something like this."
Everyone looked over.
The sketch, though rough, clearly depicted a naked woman walking through a forest at night, heading toward a group of witches faintly visible floating around a fire.
This was actually inspired by a scene from The Witch, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, which Simon remembered from his past life. In that film, Anya's character, after her family's demise, walks naked toward a group of witches, symbolizing her descent into darkness.
In the new The Blair Witch Project, Rachel McAdams' character, Kayla, meets a similar fate, disappearing without a trace, leaving it ambiguous whether she became a witch or was sacrificed.
Additionally, the classic eerie image of witches floating in the air from The Witch was also incorporated into this new version of The Blair Witch Project.
After secretly filming Kayla walking toward the witches, Amy Acker's character, Bridget, returns in fear and records the iconic half-face shot from the original The Blair Witch Project. She then meets an unexplained fate, ending the film with her screams. The opening news report also confirms that Bridget was never found.
All five characters vanish, leaving no trace, dead or alive.
At this moment, everyone looked at Simon's storyboard sketch, puzzled.
What was the issue?
Finally, Jerry Bruckheimer tentatively asked, "Simon, do you mean we need to find a… uh, girl with a better figure?"
With Jerry's comment, everyone looked back at the sketch and realized the key point. The woman in the drawing had an impossibly perfect, hourglass figure that could stir even the most stoic of men.
Could it really be about that?
Simon then confirmed their suspicions: "Exactly. I need a girl with a better figure."
After a brief pause, Simon explained: "We can't deny that this is a very eerie yet alluring scene. In fact, many viewers might buy tickets just to see this scene repeatedly, or even purchase the DVD for their collection. There's no shame in that. Blood and sex are eternal themes in commercial films. The Blair Witch Project won't heavily emphasize these elements, but the few instances, like Jessica's death and Kayla's departure, I want them to be executed perfectly."
No one had any objections.
Rachel McAdams, sitting on the periphery, even felt a twinge of insecurity after hearing Simon's explanation. She didn't have that kind of figure. In fact, her body was rather straight and flat, lacking the enticing curves depicted in the sketch.
But seriously, what was this about?
It was always the actors who wanted body doubles, while the production team tried every trick to persuade them to go nude. Now, the actor was willing, but the producer was the one objecting.
And she was just a young girl. Didn't she have any pride?
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