Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙 ✦ Luke Simmons had graduated two years before Evan with excellent grades.
But Hollywood did not lack talented people.
In the two years since leaving USC, Luke had only managed to bounce through a few productions on other classmates’ recommendations, mostly as a director’s assistant.
He had agreed to meet because Horowitz told him Evan was willing to make him assistant director.
That was a rare opportunity, one that would let him play a meaningful role in an actual feature.
When Luke pushed open the cafe door, he found Evan and sat across from him.
He knew the younger student by reputation, though they had never really spoken.
Evan looked up from the papers in front of him.
Luke wore a loose suit with no tie, and his shoes were half-worn.
Horowitz had not exaggerated.
The older graduate was not doing especially well.
“Luke?
I’m Evan,” he said.
“Professor Horowitz probably told you the basics, so I’ll be direct.
You can work as assistant director, but I also need someone to act as production coordinator.
You’d be doing both.
The pay won’t be high.
My budget is limited.
Is that a problem?” Evan spoke first.
He did not have time to circle the subject.
“No problem,” Luke said.
“I can start anytime.
Do you want to see my resume?” He took a sheet from his bag and placed it on the table.
Evan skimmed it.
Most of the entries were crew jobs, errands, assistant work, and low-level production experience, but that was exactly the point.
Luke had seen how a full film came together.
“I trust your ability,” Evan said.
“More than that, I trust Professor Horowitz.
He spoke highly of you.
If you have any questions, ask them now.
Once we start, we’re going to be busy.” He looked at Luke sincerely.
It was the truth.
Too many things were waiting.
Once the production began moving, there would be no time to sit down and explain every decision slowly.
“Evan, I know a little about you,” Luke said.
“Excellent grades, obsessive work ethic, good at more than one thing.
I need you to understand something too.
I’m not joining your project for the miserable weekly pay.
“I can double as production coordinator.
I can run errands.
I can do grunt work.
But you need to guarantee that this film will actually be finished.
I also need to be deeply involved in production, even postproduction if possible.” Evan thought about it.
None of that was a problem.
“Okay.
Here are the company materials and the script package.
Read them today and give me your phone number.
We start tomorrow.” He handed the folder to Luke.
The man needed to understand the project quickly and step into the work at once.
With his experience, he should be able to handle production coordination, which would take a lot of administrative weight off Evan’s shoulders.
The production coordinator was one of those roles that mattered enormously while attracting very little glory.
It was the person who handled a thousand ordinary problems before they turned into disasters.
Ideally, it was someone who had seen a crew operate and knew how messy the work could get.
Proud people often hated that kind of job.
Luke, fortunately, wasn’t too proud to do it.
The next day, Luke arrived at Evan’s apartment exactly when he said he would.
“Sorry, Luke.
It’s a mess,” Evan said, handing him a bottle of water and tossing videotapes and dirty clothes off the sofa.
“I don’t have much money, and I need to save what I can, so renting an office isn’t happening yet.
This will have to do.” “It’s fine,” Luke said.
“Finding production money at all makes you one of the lucky ones.
Looks like you have most of the crew lined up.
What do you need me to do?” “You read the script?” “I did.” “Then you know the shape of it.
There should not be any major changes.
Since you have been around other productions, you should recognize most of what’s on this equipment list.” Evan handed him a printed sheet and returned to his seat, where storyboards were spread out in front of him.
“Take it to a few rental houses and get prices.
Find the cheapest reliable company you can.” The list had been assembled from materials he had been gathering whenever he had time.
Equipment rentals mattered.
The wrong price could tear through a budget.
Evan had to save money wherever he could.
“All right,” Luke said.
“Give me your phone number.
I’ll call when I have something.” He took the list, shook his head slightly, and went downstairs to start calling rental companies.
Luke had read the script the day before, and it was not the kind of story mainstream Hollywood usually wanted.
That had discouraged him a little.
The movie opened with the protagonist being killed.
Then she kept being killed.
Add a time loop, a mystery, and a dark horror-comedy tone, and the whole thing looked like a cult-film gamble aimed at younger viewers.
Then again, what else could this budget support?
Trying to make a mainstream studio-style film with this little money would be pure delusion.
Luke did not have much faith in the project, but he could not afford to walk away from a chance to be deeply involved in a feature.
Evan did not know what Luke was thinking, and at the moment he did not care.
He was trying to draw storyboards, plan camera positions, and coordinate with Jimmy about actors and crew all at the same time.
Eventually, he dropped the pencil and ran a hand through his hair.
He was going downstairs to buy cigarettes.
The pressure had been building for days, and he was tempted to pick up an old habit from his previous life.
He knew it was not healthy, but nicotine had a way of settling his nerves and holding exhaustion at bay.
“Hey.
You look awful,” a voice said behind him as he locked the door.
“You look even more run-down than usual.
Are you smoking weed?
Trust me, kid, that is not a good habit.” It was his neighbor.
“No.
I don’t touch that stuff,” Evan said.
“I was thinking regular cigarettes might take the edge off.
I was about to go downstairs and buy a couple of packs.” He paused, then decided to try his luck.
“Do you have plans today, Ms.
Watts?
Want to get coffee?” “At your place?” she asked.
“Are you sure you actually have coffee and not just a drawer full of condoms?” Then she shrugged.
“Fine.
I’m not doing anything.
I may be going home in a few days anyway.
Maybe Hollywood isn’t for me.
Maybe I should go back and keep doing commercials and television.” Evan gave a small shrug.
She had clearly misunderstood the invitation, but she had not turned him down.
If anything, she sounded amused.
He unlocked the door again and let her in.
“Sorry.
It’s messy.
I’ve been too busy to care about cleaning.” As he spoke, he gathered dirty clothes from the sofa and floor and carried them to the washing machine in the bathroom.
“Oh my God,” Watts said.
“Your apartment looks like it has been robbed by the same people fifty times.
Too busy doing what?
I barely see you leave.
You’re supposed to be at school, not locking yourself in here all day.
Where do you keep the trash bags?” She found a bag and began collecting the wreckage of his week: burger wrappers, pizza boxes, drink bottles, and the other small disasters scattered around the room.
“I’m graduating soon,” Evan said.
“I wrote a script, and I’ve been preparing to shoot it.
I even managed to secure financing.” He watched her work and added, “Thanks for helping clean up.
I didn’t expect you to volunteer for disaster cleanup.
Most people would’ve walked right back out.” “Should I take that as a compliment?” Watts looked up at him.
“You think I’m beautiful?” She swept the living room, pushed the trash into the bag, and set it outside the door.
“Here is a lesson, kid.
Next time you want to invite a girl home, clean the apartment first.
No girl wants to sleep with a filthy guy, no matter how good-looking he is.” Was she beautiful?
Obviously.
Blonde hair, long legs, a narrow waist, a refined face, a slim body with curves where they mattered.
More than that, she had a presence Evan remembered clearly.
In his previous life, he had once threaded King Kong through a projector with her face filling the screen.
“Of course you’re beautiful,” he said.
“You can tell you work to keep yourself in shape.
Up close, you’re honestly kind of stunning.” He caught himself and nodded toward the kitchen.
“Sorry.
Coffee.” By the time he brought two cups to the coffee table, Watts had used one of his old T-shirts to wipe the area down.
Only then did she seem willing to sit on the sofa.
“All right,” she said.
“I didn’t expect you to actually have coffee.
You said you wrote a script.
Can I read it?
I’ve at least worked as an extra.” Evan watched her take a sip and lick a trace of coffee from her lip.
Tempting.
Very tempting.
He looked away before he stared too openly and picked up the script.
“Here.
Tell me how it feels as an audience member.” Watts took the pages and read slowly, pausing every so often to drink her coffee.
Evan let her read.
There was no point rushing the reaction.
“Okay,” she said at last, tilting her head as she thought it through.
“My feeling?
This is clearly for young people.
Students, maybe.
Middle-aged audiences probably are not lining up for this kind of horror movie.
“The story might be a little thin, and maybe a little familiar.
Sorry, I’m not exactly an expert.
But I can see why it works for you.
At least it doesn’t look expensive.” Evan tapped the script with one finger.
“Are you interested in the lead?
You saw the description.
Blonde.
Beautiful.
You qualify.” Watts became serious immediately.
“What do I have to give you?” she asked.
“You know what I mean.
If I want the lead.” She had seen the opportunity by the middle of the script.
A starring role was sitting right in front of her, close enough to touch.
Evan considered his answer.
“This role doesn’t require awards-caliber dramatic range,” he said.
“You saw that.
It needs presence.
It needs a woman the camera wants to follow.
I can tell you up front that the pay is low.
Very low.
Twenty thousand at most.
My budget is tight.” “That’s fine.
I can have my agent come by tomorrow to handle the contract.
You should understand that I need a lead role.” She held his gaze.
“Anything else?
Do you want to audition my ‘acting’?
I know how this town works.
If I want something, I know I have to give something up.” Evan had known the script would be hard for her to ignore.
Opportunity had a pull of its own, especially for actors.
Beautiful people from all over the world came to Hollywood waiting for one door to open.
Most of them never got more than a glimpse.
“No real audition needed,” he said.
“This movie needs appearance and screen presence more than anything.
A beautiful woman being killed and broken down again and again is what gives the hook its teeth.” “Did you invite me in here just for coffee, boy?” Watts set the script down and lifted her cup, licking at the rim with deliberate slowness.
Then she hooked a finger in Evan’s belt and began pulling him toward the bedroom.
“Trust me.
My ‘acting’ is excellent.
You won’t be disappointed.” “Maybe your acting will surprise me,” Evan murmured, following her.
He had no objection to what was happening.
His neighbor fit his taste perfectly.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS TheBacklot Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter drew you further into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.