CHAPTER 21 – Fake Plastic Trees (2)

She met up with Eric outside.
Her lawyer gave her a thumbs-up and asked for permission to take a picture so Emily “could see.” Eppie gave it, then the two were guided by a PA to the set.

When they finally cleared the row of cables, lights and staff, Eppie saw a scene that once more educated her lack of knowledge about the business she bought and sold. The first person to greet them was a middle-aged man who looked as if his veins were flowing with pure caffeine. Addressing them quickly with a, “You Eppie? Nice. Very nice. Over there. Stand on the yellow X, wait for your scene. Robert will run your lines,” before leaping headfirst back into the chaos.

The coffee shop was a real coffee shop. From the looks of their opening hours, the production had reserved the location for the afternoon, where they were usually closed from 3 PM onwards. What was strange was that the windows were covered with ND film to ward off the Los Angeles sun, and the entire side entrance looked more like a cobweb-strewn cave entrance. Inside, she could see that all the food had been replaced by what looked like props that mimed the real thing.

Inside, she saw the stars of the show. A middle-aged lady with make-up that simulated a heavily “nip and tucked” individual, her husband, a well-to-do businessman, and the background actors acting as patrons and staff, and Dr Morrow, whose jaw could grate parmesan.

The scene where Eppie’s nameless blonde appeared was meant to be the golden hour, a metaphorical symbol, a moment of ephemeral beauty, and the sunset of the episode’s client.

The physical setup was of immense interest to Eppie as well. The 1st Camera was mounted on a track on the floor, handled by a Grip with a title she didn’t know. There were two more rigs, both body-mounted, one for an over-the-shoulder shot of the client’s husband. The script stated that that would be a third shot as well, a bokeh-heavy 100mm tight close-up of her head as Eppie turned toward the husband and returned his smile.

A DA with a name tag, Robert, asked for her lines, and she repeated them without fail.

“Alright, send her in,” he instructed a PA, who guided her into the room.

Instantly, Eppie gained immense respect for the actors.
It was HOT in the cafe.
The lighting, the equipment, the windows with the soft bloom covers, and the ND films to simulate golden hour, none of it was comfortable or particularly bearable.

Yet the actors who gave her affirming nods looked cool as cucumbers, even as the PA guiding her to her spot was streaming with sweat.

“Drop the light by two stops!” The cameraman shouted into his headphones, and a Grip immediately showed up with a mesh cloth to block some of the light. A PA redirected her gaze to the tiny crosses on the floor, indicating the exact position she needed to be in for the cameras to be in perfect focus.

While the lighting crew adjusted, a flurry of camera jargon flooded the atmosphere, ending with a resounding, “Okay, RESET.”

“ATMOSPHERE!” The 1st AD called out.

Before Eppie’s eyes, the cafe came to life.
Without sound, the background actors began their pantomime of a busy, trendy, working coffee shop. They were writing, drinking, eating, talking, typing, working, making coffee, pouring coffee, and taking payment.

The professionalism, the connection to theatre, it all suddenly became apparent to Eppie.

“Background— AND ACTION!”

Eppie entered the cafe, her body shifting from neutral to action, creating a simulacrum of life. Every trait she had thus acquired activated at once. [Physicality], [Script Analysis], [Act Natural], [Hitting the Mark], [Love the Light], buoyed by her [Charisma].

On camera, she glided into place, as natural as the breeze, and placed her order for a “Yuzu iced Latte, almond milk.” Her foot landed on the mark just as the dolly moved to stage right. She felt in her bones the heat of the lighting and the refraction of her face burning onto film. She smiled as she turned, hitting her second mark, a little green tab at the lens hood. At the third mark, she faced the client’s husband. The man stared. She felt a little uncomfortable, but smiled anyway, because she’s a good girl, and good girls were polite when gawked at.

Their gaze lingered for a second too long.

She turned to leave. Without appearing self-conscious, she cleared the cables, the dolly, and a refractor held by a PA, looking directly at the ceiling lest he look up her skirt.

“CUT!” The director’s shout dropped like a gate. “RESET!”

The 1st Camera responded with a “Checking the Gate,” and before Eppie could clear the shot. The Director leapt from the dolly with a “Hey, you!”

Oh shit. Eppie felt her stomach drop. Did I fuck it up?

“Jack Ferroni,” the man introduced himself, then stood in front of her as though inspecting a strange curio. “LAPA, eh? When the hell did they start producing girls like you?”

“Sorry, sir?” Eppie was caught off guard.

“Is this really your first time?”

“Yessir,” Eppie nodded.

The Director looked at her for a few seconds more, then returned her nod. “Good grief. Alright. I guess these things happen. Now, which hand did you put on the door when you entered?”

“Right?” she answered.

“Cruz?”

“Right side,” the Script Supervisor gave them a thumbs up after checking the footage.

“Good girl,” Ferroni was impressed. “Ready for another take?”

“I am, sir,” Eppie replied as a high school student should when speaking to industry seniors.

“Good, I’ll have a reward for you if you manage the shot two more times. For this next one, can you act like there’s nothing in the world that you’re worried about? Your pretty privilege has opened all doors. When Mr Bergerson looks at you, it isn’t as creepy as you might think. You’re used to people staring.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Gotcha,” Eppie nodded. She was certain she was already doing that.

The director returned to his dolly.
The scene was reset.
“ATMOSPHERE—”
“ACTION!”

She walked, she talked, she ordered her coffee, and she smiled, then she left.

“CUT!”

When she finally shed her character to look at Director Ferroni, the man was sitting on his Dolly and staring at her as if she had suddenly sprouted two heads.

“Are you sure this is your first time?”

“It’s my second take so…” Eppie said, a bit more cutely this time to emphasise the point.

“Sure. Know what that is?” Ferroni pointed to the big rig he was using.

“… A camera rig?”

“This?”

“A man on the floor with a mesh?”

The PA on the floor waved.

“Who is this?”