Jason Garris On Shooting Edge’s Post-Injury Promo, Giving It a Different Look & More

Jason Garris discussed shooting Edge’s promo from the June 22nd episode of Raw and more during a new interview with Steel Chair. The promo was shot after Edge’s injury during his match with Randy Orton at WWE Backlash, and saw the WWE Hall of Famer promise revenge on Orton, teasing a return to his Rated-R Superstar days. You can check out the highlights below, along with the promo itself:

On how his friendship with Edge came about: “Edge and I met through a mutual friend that wasn’t developed around any sort of film or TV production. Mainly coffee.”

On Edge’s feud with Randy Orton: “I’ve been watching their story develop and really enjoy “comeback stories.” That being said, I like watching stories that shift character development. I know Edge had been seen as a ‘tamer’ version of himself recently, but with the latest developments, his character has a real chance to take a turn.”

On being able to work with Edge for the promo: “The chance to work with a guy who has as much acting experience as he does was a really fun invite. He and I talked about some of the thinking behind his monologue and then to be able to pitch some visual ideas to him, hear his feedback, and then run with it was a great partnership … After reading his script, I knew that things were going to be moving to a “darker” place. I knew that after an injury, there’s lots of time to sit and “think” (or mainly stew over things that had happened). The visual of his “two persons” really painted a picture that there was “someone else” showing up for this fight. Being alone with your thoughts can take you to some pretty dark and desperate places.”

On having a different look than your typical wrestling promo: “I grew up watching a lot of wrestling and loved the drama that unfolds through their storytelling. I wanted to take a little bit of a risk and let the acting AND the visual production work together in that storytelling. Most of the time, the camera is set, and it’s up to the character to ‘be everything.’ I wanted to see if camera and character could ‘partner up’ … The idea was really to feel almost like breathing. As his intensity picked up, a little more movement, as he recovered, a little less. Same with catching the lighter side of his face vs. the darker side.”

On other ideas he’s like to use if he shoots another WWE promo: “Right now, I think we’ll take it one shoot at a time. Meaning, depending on where he is in character growth and depth, where he’s at in recovery, and how quickly (or slowly) Edge would like to move the story along will determine a lot of how we think through promos in the future – that is, if WWE will still have me. I’ve just been thankful for the experience.”

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My promo from #raw Monday filmed by my wonderfully talented and creative friend @jasongarris who helped capture the Harvey Dent. #cannedham #piñata #shootinblanks

A post shared by Adam “Edge” Copeland (@edgeratedr) on Jun 25, 2020 at 5:32am PDT