"Fifteen days." Edward glanced at his phone.
It had been fifteen days since filming for Dead Silence began. Completing the entire shoot for the movie within such a timeframe was undoubtedly fast, but the real challenge of creating a film was only just beginning.
Editing.
"Ah, editing," Edward muttered, patting his face.
Editing was an incredibly time-intensive process. It required the director to sift through hours of footage, meticulously selecting the best parts and condensing the raw material into a polished final version of the film.
If a movie's uncut footage added up to three or four hours—or even more—the director's job was to trim it down into a cohesive version for the audience. Beyond that, the film still needed music, sound effects, and voiceovers added.
The significance of editing in filmmaking couldn't be overstated. Different editing choices could result in entirely different versions of a film. A prime example of this was the two versions of Justice League: the theatrical release and the director's cut.
Fortunately, Edward had fewer concerns in this regard. He was the sole investor in Dead Silence. He held complete control over the direction, script, and overall production. Since he was also the "boss," he had the final say on how to edit the movie.
"All I need to do is follow the original version of Dead Silence for the edits. Of course, I'll also need to incorporate the newly added scare scenes," Edward mused, rubbing his temples. Thanks to his familiarity with the original plot of Dead Silence, editing became significantly easier for him.
Post-production elements such as sound design and music would be handled by specialized teams. Edward's primary responsibility was to deliver the final cut of Dead Silence for public screening.
Still, the editing process left Edward in a prolonged state of indecision. After three intense days of work, he finally completed the edits and handed them off to the company's post-production team.
"Make sure the music and subtitles are finalized as soon as possible," Edward instructed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Over the past three days, he had constantly reworked parts he was dissatisfied with, even contemplating reshoots. This experience made him realize why multiple takes were often kept on file, even when a scene seemed fine.
"Understood, boss." The post-production team members, noticing Edward's dark circles, lowered their voices.
After leaving the company, Edward encountered the family's old butler, Robert, who had been waiting for him with a concerned expression.
"Master Edward, let me take you home to rest," Robert said, hurrying over. Edward waved him off when he saw this. Although his face looked a little listless at the moment, it was mostly an illusion caused by his sudden shift to working late hours—something he wasn't used to.
"Grandpa Robert, has anything happened recently?" Edward asked casually. For the past few weeks, he'd been fully focused on filming, neglecting other matters. It gave him a newfound appreciation for the pressures faced by his father being busy with company affairs and having no time to go home to rest.
The butler shook his head, assuring Edward there were no pressing issues. He then drove Edward home, where he collapsed onto his soft bed and eventually, he could not resist his sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.
When Edward woke up, it was already evening. Stretching, he was greeted by Q, who leapt onto his chest and nuzzled him affectionately.
"Q, good evening," Edward yawned. His companion Pokémon had always slept with him. Despite their years together, Edward had never seen the true form beneath Q's disguise.
Mimikyu, after all, was shrouded in mystery. The League explicitly advised against peeking beneath its ragged costume. Edward chose to heed this warning, as curiosity could often lead to trouble.
Still, he occasionally wondered—if Mimikyu's true form was so terrifying, could revealing it in battle create an unexpected advantage?
Looking at Q, Edward realized that pulling off such a strategy would require immense bravery.
Even after years of bonding, Q refused to show him its true form, let alone reveal it in battle. Forcing the issue might severely damage their relationship.
"Q, how did it feel to star in a movie?" Edward asked, lifting the Pokémon into his arms.
In Dead Silence, Q had portrayed the doll given to Jamie at the start of the movie. While some scenes used a real prop, Q handled the rest. Its performance was surprisingly effective.
Of course, most of the role required minimal action—just tilting its Pikachu-like head at Jamie was enough to create an eerie effect.
Q bounced around happily, clearly pleased with itself.
Edward chuckled and gave it a gentle pat, then sat up from the bed before noticing a document on the bedside table. Picking it up, he saw that it was a joint investment agreement.
The names of League Films, Smeargle Film Production, and Dream Studios were listed as co-investors. Together, they had funded 30% of the film's production costs and would share part of the profits.
The money had already been transferred to Edward's account.
"Joint investments, huh?" Edward frowned slightly. His recent late nights had left him feeling groggy, though the sensation was starting to fade.
"Well, it doesn't really matter." He set the document aside.
He knows what this investment means.
While he was the son of Joseph Stone and backed by the giant Devon Corporation, the film industry was uncharted territory for the company. Now that he has broken into the industry on his own, if he wants to make a name for himself, it required him to build alliances and sharing the profits.
The involvement of League Films ensured wide distribution across all regions, while Smeargle Film Production and Dream Studios, as industry leaders, minimized potential roadblocks in screenings and promotions.
Although these companies wouldn't want to antagonize the Devon Corporation, nor cared much about Edward's directorial debut, they couldn't be ignored entirely.
In the business world, following established norms was often the safer route. Acting recklessly would only lead to setbacks.
(End of Chapter)