First Step

Los Angeles 1973.

Reynold Mansion, Practice room.

"Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing

Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision

Always had high, high hopes

(High, high hopes)

Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Didn't know how but I always had a feeling

I was gonna be that one in a million

Always had high, high hopes."

Five people jam session was ongoing, Liam on Guitar and vocal, sarah on bass, Tommy on percussion and drum. Second guitar was rita and Max on ukelele and backup vocal.

Rita and Max were fellow classmates, just like Sarah and Tommy.

All of this started during first music class, Liam trained for three years with piano and guitar Liam stood out, Spured by this Tommy and Sarah picked up bass and drums and Rita and Max hearing our jamming session after school soon followed up and we made a small time band.

My house with practice room became our gathering place. It started as a time pass and fun. 

"That was fun." Sarah said, setting down her bass

"Liam any name for our band yet."

Tommy asked,wiping sweat off his brow.

"No, Nothing's coming to my mind."

I admitted, strumming a random chord.

"Anyone have any ideas."

Rita looked around expectantly.

"Tommy and Sarah in a instant bluerted out The Dinos Dudes and The Jelly Beans."

"Which was unanimously met with direct rejection."

"After going back and forth for half an hour we were left with Funky Monkeys and The Giggle Gang."

While we were arguing, there was a knock on the door. It was my mom. "Liam, come out for a while. I need you to meet someone. he will arrive in half an hour"

"Just a minute, mom," I replied. "Guys, it's a pack. It seems an important guest of my mom has arrived. We'll meet up tomorrow at the hideout."

"Sure, Liam, but make sure to choose the name of our band," Tommy reminded me as everyone sorted out their things and left.

By the time I saw everyone off the my mom's guest was waiting in living room.

"Who is it mom?."

"Liam be on best behaviour, He is my friend, His name is Steven Spielberg, He is one of the up an coming directors of Universal pictures."

"Steven Spielberg." said Liam with exasperated expression on his face.

"Why does he want to see me ?."

"I don't know honey."

We went to living room where a young spielberg in his mid twenties was sitting on the sofa drinking water.

Liam was star strucked for a second then quickly recovered as they approached Steven.

"Steven this is my child liam." my mom introduced me.

"Hello there little Liam, I am steven Spielberg a film director." he said with a warm smile.

"Hello sir I am Liam Reynold." I managed to say, bewildered at my current situation.

Seeing the difficult situation my mom stepped in like a lioness.

"Steven spill it out, What do you want with my child?, if it's a role in movie, I will decline on his behalf right away."

"Relax Marie it's not a role, Let me show you something." While saying that he opened his suitcase and removed a file.

"Marie during my visit to a friend in UCLA, My friend showed me a script apparently your son wrote this script Two years ago."

Liam showed a look of realisation as to why steven spielberg was meeting him. At the same time he marveled at the destiny.

Liam did not chase money and fame these early days as a kid but he was not completely idle, during those seven years he learned many instrument and music composition from his mother.

He also used his mothers job location very well, as a kid of UCLA music professor he got the pass to enter and exit UCLA with ease, during those seven years he was like a sponge absorbing knowlegde.

He was in UCLA more time than elementary school. He sat in those film production classes like an bored extra kid learning everything secretly. Then engaged more with students and professors in UCLA.

He started writing scripts at age of eight but most were shit childish originals. He secretly added four more scripts without showing it his mom who spoilt him and thought they were the same bad childish scripts and registered them in between 1970 to 1971. One of the four scripts was for a movie that made steven spielberg. 

"Marie it's the script about sharks called jaws. I want to adapt that script into a Feature Film." 

"Steven are you serious ?." my mom asked, taken aback.

"Marie have you read the script ?." Steven countered.

"No, I usually do not pay much attention to the things liam and his friends do, as long it's not bad or illegal. I did register the childish scripts liam made; they were not really good." she admitted.

"Then you better have a look at the script." Steven insisted.

Marie took the file and started reading leaving me and steven alone.

"So liam are you willing to let me adapt this script ?." Steven asked, looking directly at me.

"Uncle Steven, This is going to be difficult." I began, thinking of the challenges ahead.

"Why ?." Steven pressed.

"Copyright of all my script belong to the studio we created, I can make the decision alone, but still I have to ask my friends on their opinion."

"Studio?."

"Light & Magic Club is the name of our studio, I had mom register the company with her being a temporary guardian till we grow up." I explained.

"Another reason this is difficult is that most of my scripts are made with me having an important role in the production, Jaws for example I made the music for this movie then a model shark and after doing all that I made the script based on orchestrial music."

"I don't believe any studio would take a 13 year old kid as a music director for a feature film without owning the copyright."

Steven Spielberg was gobsmacked at the reasons while hiding his surprise he said

"That certainly is very hard, Music director maybe if you show the skill but the copyright issue will be big."

"Model Shark and orchestrial music, do you still have the model shark and tape of the music ?." he asked.

"Yes, We have the model in our hideout and master tape of the record is there as well." I confirmed.

"Let's discuss all the issues and how do we solve them." Steven suggested, and our discussion went on for half and hour.

Marie who read the whole script carefully left her seat and came behind liam and pinch and pulled his ears.

"Liam Reynolds, Where did you learn this bad language, Is this how I raised you, Where did I go wrong ?."

While having a guilty look, I told her and Steven all about my adventures in UCLA film production department classes.

"Liam, what else are you hiding ?." asked Marie

"Marie calm down, Have you been to their studio before ?." Steven interjected.

"Light & Magic Club, No why ?, I remember registering the company as a reward for winning the piano competition and gave them the warehouse at the backyard as a secret base for kids." she explained.

"It was just as shell company with our backyard and mansion as the address."

While having a guilty look liam said."Mom and Uncle Steven let me take you to tour our hideout, Mom just don't be mad ?."

"Liam, What have you done to the warehouse ?." Marie asked, while having a angry and panicked expression.

"Mom, relax we are not children anymore, we have not done anything bad." I reassured her.

While walking to the backyard hideout, I roughly told them to be careful inside as their are lot of sensitive equipment inside.

Liam took out he keys to the warehouse and opened the door and said.

"Welcome to LIght & Magic Club Studio." He gave a jovial smile and stepped aside to make way for both adults.

Stepping inside both Steven and Marie were gobsmacked, what they experienced was nothing short of magical, Inside and outside were like a different world. 

"Marie, are you seeing what I am right now , How on earth did you kids make this place ?." Steven exclaimed.

"This is our warehouse ?." Marie echoed in disbelief.

What they saw was huge set with different sections, One section was like a stage walls of this warehouse was full of paintings and models on the walls and in certain section there were computer and cameras there were even robots that steven has not seen, Clothes and manequinns and miniature models and section full of records and jukebox and sound system.

Warehouse ceilling was painted with starry sky and walls were painted as forest and floor was painted as dirt road. Stage set was eleveated like a theater broadway, One section was full of electronic equipment and various unknown things were place in one corner.

"Let me introduce you various section of our studio." He first led them to the stage.

"This is the stage where we experiment our cameras acting singing and many more stuff. This stage was made by me and my friend tommy, Tommy's dream is to became a set designer and model maker."

"These painting on the walls and painted walls were made by Rita. She is genius painter most of our matte painting in our short films are painted by her. Her dream is to be a top matte painter in hollywood."

"Those clothes on mannequin were all designed and hand made by Sarah. She wants to became a fashion and costume designer."

"Those sound systems are all work of max, His dream is to be a sound engineer."

liam after introducing other's handy work led them to electronic section and turned around and opened his arms and said with utter confidence.

"Those computer and cameras are my handiwork , My dream is to became a hollywood icon, be it as a actor, music composer or a movie director, I want to shake hollywood down to it's core." 

Looking at me both my mother and steven spielberg ever dumbfounded then looked at each other and broke out in loud laughter.