Ronald drove to Van Nuys High School under a pre-dawn sky.
Last night's dream didn't feel like a dream; it felt like a downloaded memory. The first three minutes of the movie had played in his mind with crystal clarity.
But in the dream, he hadn't been watching Rock 'n' Roll High School in a theater. The screen was small, the audience tiny. And that black box the machine ejected...a VHS tape. He knew what it was now, a new Japanese format.
If the movie had a home video release, it must have been successful.
Unfortunately, the dream cut out after three minutes, Ronald thought, pulling into the school lot. He grabbed the production log and clicked his pen.
Date: Saturday, December 16, 1978
Location: Van Nuys High School, Los Angeles
Call Time: 05:30
He checked his watch, 5:30 exactly.
Winter in Los Angeles was mild and Ronald wore a denim jacket over a white T-shirt, a fanny pack strapped to his waist.
He stashed his pen, pulled out a small notebook, and flipped to the page where he'd noted the sunrise time: 06:48
He checked his watch again. 5:31
He frowned.The directors weren't here.
Ronald walked up to the First Assistant Director. "Hey, do you know where..."
James Cameron/ Jim sprinted over from the equipment truck, cutting him off. "Where is Allen? Where's Joe Dante?"
Allen Arkush was the credited director, but Joe Dante was co-directing, often calling the shots. There were rumors they were more than just colleagues, but on a film set, rumors were as common as gaffer tape.
The First AD shrugged helplessly. He was a yes-man, paralyzed without orders from the top.
Ronald scoffed and opened his mouth to take charge, but Jim grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
"You weren't at the party last night," Jim whispered, his eyes wide. "I saw Allen leave for The Roxy bar with the Ramones. They were partying hard.....Real hard."
Ronald sighed. "So they're going to be late. Hungover, at best."
Jim nodded grimly. He looked every bit the aspiring auteur with his long, center-parted hair and full beard. Unlike the rest of the crew, Jim didn't smoke pot or talk about chakras.
He was intense, focused, and ambitious just like Ronald.
"We have a problem," Jim said, looking at the schedule. "We need the sunrise light."
"I know." Ronald handed the log to Jim and pulled out a sheaf of papers from his bag. "Here."
"What's this?"
"Storyboards....Drawn last night."
Jim flipped through them.They were sketches of the first three scenes Ronald had seen in his dream: the orientation, the football prank, the chemistry demonstration.
"These are good," Jim said, impressed. "Really good. We could shoot straight off these."
"That's the plan, We can't wait for Allen or Joe."
Jim looked at the horizon, where the sky was turning a bruising purple. "We have maybe twenty minutes before the magic hour starts. If we don't prep now, we miss the window."
"Let's go to the DP," Ronald said.
They found Dean Cundey by the camera truck. His crew was assembling the crane.
"Mr. Cundey," Ronald said, cutting to the chase. "The directors are delayed. If we don't start blocking now, we lose the light. Can we start without them?"
Cundey, a bearded man of few words, looked at the two young assistants.
He'd seen Ronald handle the difficult bassist yesterday. He jerked his chin toward his First AC, a redhead named Raymond, indicating he should explain the stakes.
"Magic Hour," Raymond said.
"Twenty minutes before sunrise, twenty after. The sky is a giant soft-box. No direct sun, no harsh shadows. Nature's perfect lighting. Once the sun crests the horizon, the look is gone."
"Exactly," Ronald said. "So we prep now. I'll coordinate the extras. Jim, you grab the three female leads and walk them through the blocking. Mr. Cundey, is the camera ready to roll on my cue?"
Cundey paused, then gave a sharp nod.
"Let's move," Ronald said. He turned to Jim. "Go."
Thirty extras were milling around the quad, real students from Van Nuys High. The scene was the school's "Club Day."
Ronald grabbed a megaphone. "Ladies and gentlemen of Van Nuys High! Listen up! We are shooting the orientation sequence. Who is ready to be in a movie?"
"Yeah!" the students cheered.
"Great. I need focus. You, you, and you..over here. Football team, gather round."
Ronald moved them like chess pieces. "Pretty girls, front row near the Drama Club booth. Guys with glasses, over by the Science Club tables. Football team, your job is simple: you see the freshman, you grab him, you carry him off toward the gym. Go!"
He ran them through the motions.
"Excellent! Now, the Golden Rule: Do not look at the camera. I repeat, ignore the lens. You are talking to each other, laughing, flirting. If you look at the lens, I cut you. If you want your friends to see you on the big screen, keep your eyes on the person next to you. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"Change into costumes. Touch up makeup. It is 5:45. Be back in position at 5:55 sharp. Go!"
As the students scattered, Ronald jogged back to the camera setup. "Has anyone seen Jane? Where's the Script Supervisor?"
"I'm here, Ronnie," a voice called out.
Jane, the Script Supervisor, was balancing the production log and her continuity binder. She looked tired.
Ronald walked over and picked up the slate (clapperboard). He leaned in close, lowering his voice so the nearby school administrator wouldn't hear.
"Jane," he whispered, pointing at the title written on the slate. "We need to change this. Erase Rock 'n' Roll High School."
"What? Why?"
"The school board hates rock music," Ronald murmured. "If they see that title, they might pull our permit. Write High School Life instead, Just to be safe."
Authors Note:-
Support with power stones and collections.
Reviews are welcome.