[Chapter 165: Overnight Stay]
Final Destination had been filmed with great attention to detail, resulting in a total of 6,225 meters of film footage. After the initial cut, about 1,600 meters remained.
To increase engagement, Link decided to edit all the footage himself.
The second rough cut took him 12 days to complete. Sometimes he worked late into the night, spending every available moment in the studio, with meals and sleep being the only breaks he allowed himself.
Once the rough cut was done, he called in other editors and production assistants to find any continuity errors.
The final edit took another three days.
With that, Link had the editing work for Final Destination largely finished. Next came the post-production phase, which included digitization, sound design, audio effect editing, visual effects rendering, and composing the score and theme song.
Some computer-generated effects still needed to be added -- like the cabin explosion and the Grim Reaper's shadow -- and due to the current limitations of CGI technology, the work was a bit tricky. It would likely require a few more weeks to complete.
The production department estimated that post-production would take an additional four to five weeks.
---
"Finally done! Now I can take a break," he said, stretching comfortably at his desk, the sound of his joints cracking echoing in the office.
"You really should take a break. You look like a bum off the street," joked Lily, pointing at his unkempt hair and wrinkled clothes.
"Come on, what homeless guy has a beautiful assistant like you?" Link prepared to give Lily a hug, but pulled back midway.
"What's the matter? Having a change of heart? Not planning to be a rogue anymore?" Lily looked a bit disappointed.
"Not at all. I just haven't showered today. I don't want to stink you out," he replied honestly.
"Like anyone would care about that."
With a playful grin, Lily stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, blushing slightly.
Link gazed at her delicate, fair face, the sparkle of mischief in her eyes, and the underlying warmth and intelligence radiating from her. He couldn't help but lean down and kiss her softly, pulling her tight into his embrace.
---
That night, Link stayed over at the Rex apartments. The moon shone brightly, painting the night in silver, and he couldn't help but admire how beautiful it appeared.
Lily, who stood at 5'7" and weighed 128 pounds, had a figure that struck a perfect balance -- not too thin, not too heavy. Compared to Monica and Jennifer, she was lighter yet possessed a charm that drew him in.
Being a mother hadn't dulled her charm, but rather added a layer of complexity to their evening together, making it feel a bit illicit yet thrilling.
---
"Link, you should really get to work," Lily nudged him awake in the early morning.
"What work?" he mumbled, glancing at the clock that read just after 5 AM. "At this hour? What do you mean?"
"Can you please just go to the office? I haven't told Cici about our relationship yet, and it wouldn't be good for her to see you here in the morning."
"Don't worry. Cici calls me 'godfather' -- she's already accepted our relationship in her heart. It won't be a big deal."
"I'm still a little worried. Cici's five now; she's starting to understand things. I wouldn't want our situation to affect her mental health. Maybe wait until I talk to her next time you can come stay overnight. I promise I won't let you leave early."
Lily clung to his arm, shaking it gently.
"Alright!" Link sighed, not wanting to make things difficult for Lily or disrupt Cici's growth. He yawned and got dressed.
"Link, am I a hassle?" Lily held onto his shoulder, pressing against his back.
"Never. You're my woman and the closest person to me in this world. Let me take care of you and Cici. From now on, the three of us are a family," he assured, tilting her chin to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.
Lily looked up into his eyes, biting her lip as she nodded.
That moment turned into a good thirty minutes of silence.
Link tiptoed out of the apartment around 6 AM to avoid waking Cici.
---
Once back at the company, Link didn't take a break. He headed to the film production studio to dive right into the post-production of Final Destination.
He aimed to be involved in every part of the process, both to learn and to increase his engagement in the project. At the same time, he could offer valuable insights to the post-production team, like suggestions for the soundtrack.
The original film score included a few songs from country music legend John Denver, but since he was still alive and hadn't died in a plane crash, they couldn't use those tracks.
Link proposed using songs from Buddy Holly, a renowned rock star who had tragically died in a similar accident at the age of 22. His hits like That'll Be the Day, Peggy Sue, and Oh, Boy would fit perfectly.
However, composer James Horner, after viewing the film, suggested using a short clip of a John Denver song for background music since its feel aligned with the film.
Link didn't object.
James, now 40, had been composing scores for many films in Hollywood since the early '80s and was among the industry's most respected composers, with future projects like Braveheart, Titanic, and Avatar under his belt.
But Link recalled that James might have also been a casualty of a plane crash. He hoped that after watching Final Destination, James would develop a fear of flying, reducing his own future flights.
---
Once Final Destination wrapped, the media reported extensively on it, not only promoting Link's third film completion but also circulating some scandalous rumors.
These included allegations of Link bullying young actors on set, which led some to seek therapy afterward. There were also whispers about Link's romantic liaisons with Sofia and Angelina Jolie, suggesting he treated the film set more as a dating ground than a professional environment, raising doubts about his directing skills and the quality of his new film.
Among the news pieces, one received considerable attention. The article highlighted Link's statement from the previous year during a promotional interview for Paranormal Activity on TNT, where he declared that he wouldn't rely on gimmicks for his next film's marketing.
His earlier films had been described by the media as exploits of hype. Now, with Link promising a different approach for his latest movie, everyone was curious whether it would continue to perform well at the box office.
...
After reading the article, Link approached his publicity head, Jon Gordon, requesting an arrangement for some press pieces to promote the news. The articles would split into two perspectives: one side arguing that without sensational marketing, his film was bound to fail, while the other suggested that given his previous successes, the third film would perform just as well.
With the media actively covering the story, Guess Pictures' promotional budget would significantly benefit from the attention.
As for whether this move was underhanded, Link dismissed it. Since the media had kicked off the buzz, he would just ride the wave to heat up interest in the film without engaging in overt self-promotion.
*****
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