Late September 2004, an email came through asking if I was interested in interviewing the writer, director and producer for a new indie horror flick called Saw. Being a horror fan and having just seen the trailer, I agreed. A few days later, at a small coffee house on McDowell in Downtown Phoenix, I would meet the three men that started it all; then first-time writer (and star) Leigh Whannell, first-time director James Wan and producer Gregg Hoffman. Since Saw’s release on October 29, 2004, audiences have been asked the question, “How far would you go to save your own life?” Every year since then, the week prior to Halloween has seen a Saw release, asking fans to answer that question over and over again. At Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights last week I realized how far this franchise had come, as Jigsaw (the psychotic looking doll with the white and red face which is the alter ego of the serial killer in the film) had become the mascot of one of the largest Halloween events in the country. Jigsaw is so recognizable, no one in attendance would question who the character on the signage around the park was.

An even more frightening haunted maze based on the series of films immersed patrons into Jigsaw’s sick and twisted world which forces morally wayward people into playing macabre games for their own survival. Jigsaw’s victims are always faced with impossible choices, and each must struggle to win back his/her life, or else die trying. The following Q&A was conducted years ago, while the success of Saw was simply a wish from a group of unknown filmmakers. Film crews have changed over the years, but the original holds a place in my horror filled heart.

Did you guys always want to do a horror film?
Whannell: We just wanted to make a film. It just so happened that we were pitching ideas, they always seemed to be thrillers and horror. It wasn’t like we decided on it, it just seemed to work out that way. Plus it’s a great thing to do as a low budget first film, because you can achieve results with a low budget.

How did you come up with the twisted scenarios and games played in the film?
Whannell: The point was to not take it from anything we had seen. The whole point was to have something fresh and original. The whole film came from us plumbing our imaginations for the most original stuff we could find within the confines of the genre.

How did you get the picture financed, and how did you end up with Gregg’s company producing the film? 
Wan: When we finished the script, we sent it to a couple of agents in LA. They loved it and wanted to meet with us. Leigh and I felt if we were going to fly all the way to L.A. to meet up with these guys, we wanted to show them that were not just writers, but filmmakers as well. We decided to pool the money we had at the time, and shoot a scene, out of the script and use that scene to try to shop and sell us as the potential guys for the project. We decided to use the jaw-trap scene Shawnee Smith played in the future, except it was Leigh in the role.
 Hoffman: It (the pre-filmed clip) made the decision really, really easy because you had the script and you could see what exactly was in James’ head. It took a lot of the questions of using a first time director out of the equation.

Are there any plans to sell the demonic looking clown doll that appears in the movie? 
Hoffman: A lot of movies where they have merchandising programs born in the studios 18 months ahead of the market. This is a grass roots movie that was born out of nowhere and turned into something because of itself. Eventually there probably will be (some merchandising), but it won’t coincide with the movie’s release.

Saw is all about the idea of “How far you would go to save your own life.” How far would you guys go to save your own lives?

Whannell: I’d kill James for sure, that wouldn’t be a problem. Even if it was not a life saving situation. Wan: I don’t know what I would do. I hope I never find out. That’s the thing about it. You don’t know what you would do.

Hoffman: If my kids were being threatened, I don’t know… It all depends on what the stakes are.

 Saw VI Trailer: Oct 23rd

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