16 Chp 16 : Create It Yourself?
Few weeks passed since that day. Drew was sick for 3 days and Spielberg decided to have a holiday for it.
Al didn't go home in these 3 days, also most of the crews did the same, so he asked Robert to accompany him.
"Bob, do you want to go to the arcade?"
All crew was gathered here in the hotel hall for having pleasant chat or just enjoying the afternoon tea.
Al has a good relation with Robert McNaughton so he called him by his nickname.
Seeing Al who asked him to go to the arcade, he didn't reject it. He has nothing to do for the day anyway.
"Wait, kids!!" Not again, Al thought but who he saw screaming this time is the one and only, Steven Spielberg.
"It's not safe for kids to play alone, let me accompany you two!" he said, sounded a bit.....excited?
"But didn't you said you have things to do this evening?"
"I have canceled it, now let's go!" So Spielberg took their hands and rushed to the arcade next to the department shop near the filming location.
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'Damn this old man.' Currently, Al, Bob, and Steven were playing Space Invaders. While Bob couldn't keep up and always dying, Al and Steven are having a lifetime contest.
"Just give up old man and go back playing pong!" Usually, he said Fortnite, but there was no game called that this time.
"Hahaha, I play this game before you are born kid, nobody better than me!!" Steven said excitedly
'Damn! Space Invaders only out in 1978, how the hell he played before I was born!' Al thought
In the end, Al still lost against Spielberg. Well at first they want to play the newest arcade game Donkey Kong but suddenly Steven asked them to play Space Invaders.
Since this arcade is out in 1978, it became an outdated game so they didn't have to wait in line.
In his previous life, Al also an avid gamer. Aside became a moviemaker, he also wanted to become a game designer but too bad he can only choose one and treat games as hobbies.
'Well, what if I made WoW, Dota 2, or any other games. That's a cash cow for me' he thought.
After they finished playing, they went to eat in some classic American restaurant that you used to see in American movies.
They talked about games and Spielberg seems very happy when he discussing games with Al and Bob. Now we knew why he was so excited when they want to go to the arcade before.
Steven Spielberg is fkin hardcore gamer!!
After a few talks about games, Bob said "I see you carrying that note everywhere Al."
Al always carried this small notebook to record his knowledge in moviemaking or if he had any idea to write stories.
In fact, in these months of shooting. He always asked Spielberg about movie-making things and Spielberg happily answered all his questions.
When he didn't have any shot, Spielberg always asked him to become assistant director for a while.
"What are you writing now Al?" Steven asked.
"Well last week when I see Drew playing with Harvey, I got an idea for making it into a script. This will be my first movie, well short movie you can call it and I plan to shoot this as an experimental film."
"Can I see it, Al?" Steven asked, Al then gave his notebook and said, "Here, but the story is not fully complete. I will finish it this night."
<Dance of an Angel> Steven read it aloud in his heart. Steven continues to read the script and finally takes a look at Al, 'Monster! This kid is no longer a genius but a monster!'
This script is so well written, good narrative story, and characterization of the role have three-phase, happy, despair, and heartwarming.
He saw this script only has 2 roles, a little girl and a dog.
"Do you want to let Drew film this?" Spielberg asked.
"If she and her mother accept, but I won't do it now. I'm still inexperienced and maybe wait until Drew becomes 9 or 10 years old. How about the script Steven?"
"Kid! If you are on this level when you are 11, I bet you put every screenwriter to shame if they knew it."
Heard that, Al was overjoyed, "Well actually Steve, I'm planning to create my own script. Kids like me have fewer opportunities to become the main lead in Hollywood so what if I made my own script and starred in it. But to do that, I need your help, Steve."
Al didn't have any impression of 80s movies with children as the main role. So he decided to create it and gave it to Steven and he will star in it.
"When this script will be done?" Steven asked.
"I think the fastest will be next month Steve, and also, can I invest in this movie Steve?"
"Of course you can Al, this is your script, but let me see the script first. If not good, I can throw them to garbage hahaha."
"Damn, why are you so evil old man!" and three of them laughed.
The night is getting darker and the three of them went back to the hotel.
The script Al which going to write is <Sixth Sense>
This movie has made a worldwide box office of $290 million in the North America box office and $670 million worldwide.
Al won't know how much will this box office if the movies came out 20 years earlier, but it's not bad to try right?
After Drew has recovered, the shooting continues. Although the filming has been delayed 3 days but after having a holiday, the crew seemed enthusiastic to get this job done.
With December comes, the filming also has completed.
"With this, I announced that the E.T. has complete!!" When Steven said that, all crew cheered.
They experienced so much in these 4 months of shooting, for Al this was his first movie, and to join one of the classics of the classic film was really exciting for him. Everyone in the crew won't know how exploding this box office will be.
Although the shooting has finished, Al still needed to take a few shots on the green screen. It will be taken in one of Universal's studio.
Not only that, there is still some post-production that could take as long as the filming is. The shooting of E.T. took about 4 months, so the post-production and editing could take almost as long as that or even more.
Al also got an invitation from Spielberg to see the editing process. As you know Hollywood is a producer-centric operation.
Only a few directors can get their final-cut from their producer, that's why Spielberg always becomes a producer in his own movie, to ensure his right and get the final cut of his film. Such control-freak old man, Al said in his heart jokingly.
The crews are saying farewell to each other, which included Al and Drew, which….. they were hugging each other currently.
"Come on Drew don't cry, we can always meet each other, our house is still in Los Angeles."
"But I won't see you for a long time!!"
"I'll call you or we can still try writing to each other" Saw her hesitation, he became suspicious "You can't write can't you?" Al said while smiling.
"I CAN you dummy! I, I can only write a little BUT I will ask mom to teach it I promise!!"
"Okay I believe you Drewie, let's go, your mom must be waiting for you." Drew maybe act more mature than her peers but this mischievous girl is still a little girl who was naïve and sometimes acted stupid, that's why he likes this girl very much.
His four little sister plus Drew each have their own personalities, and he won't know what trouble these girls would cause to him someday.
As for <Sixth Sense> he already gave the script to Steven and he really praised it. So the problem is only to search for directors. Al has made a deal with Spielberg to cooperate and this deal included:
1. He must be the main lead
2. The investment between Amblin Entertainment and Al's production house (unnamed) and some studios to invest and distribution and the percentage will be discussed further.
The preparation will begin in January and the shooting will be held after E.T. screened.
So after they shook hands, Al went home.
Days passed since the deal and he got a surprising call
To Be Continued.....
