next shot

March 13.

Northern California Military Base, North-West Los Angeles.

The days were long and tiring, but Billy's pace was fantastic. Ronald Emmerich praised Billy's work; he was always ready when needed. He was undoubtedly a professional. Even when tired, he delivered great performances and, with a bit of practice, could give fantastic performances. Billy arrived at 9:00 am after exercising. It seemed today was the last scene they needed him for.

At the door of the stars, they'd had a few rounds yesterday, but due to fatigue after nine straight hours, they decided to pause everything to finish as quickly as possible.

-It was a good decision; this young man is undoubtedly a great actor, Ronald, -- said Grace Clanet. -- I was somewhat surprised when he opted for hiring a total newbie, even underage. He's left me satisfied with his performance. -

Grace Clanet is a producer at Columbia (Sony Pictures). Though not widely known, she's recognized for her precision in film production, handling schedules, locations, and production and post-production studios like clockwork. She has been in the industry for 23 years and has failed only twice.

-It's surprising that you rejected the designated James Spader and chose a rookie, - continued Grace.

-Well, when I saw him, I had this feeling, it was like an epiphany in my mind. Think about it, Grace; he's not even half my age, and his performance is impeccable. There's no one in his generation with such skills. If he keeps improving, we'll be seeing an Antony Hawkings, an Al Pacino. I don't know, but based on the acting I see, I'm confident in my vision, provided he doesn't slack off, - said Ronald Emmerich.

- lost case? - asked Grace Clanet.

-A lost case, - said Ronald Emmerich. What makes Hollywood? What makes an actor stand out? It doesn't need much more than patience and consistency—the patience to live a balanced life or be intelligent. PR is a significant part of acting.

Billy would improve and continue to do so. Over eight days of work, he had eight points of admiration, nine points of appreciation, and 34 points of excitement. Though the science of winning is not exact, he understood that many of these gains were due to his acting efforts.

Billy Carson walked in sportswear, feeling good about the decisions made; things were falling into place from the long wait to get into Hollywood and the prior studio work he did. He had a steady point count per month, gaining between 400 and 700 points. Eventually, that count rose to 900 points, and he could enhance his acting skills as much as he wanted.

He took a deep breath as he entered the studio where he'd performed in recent days. Tickets had been purchased, and in four days, he'd be at the national park in Yuma, where they'd shoot scenes about the pyramids. Today's trip to the military base took two hours by car and an old abandoned military base. Scenes from the previous days were repeated.

-Status -

[Billy Carson:

Drawing: 31,212

Literature: 30,530

Acting: 30,603

Points: 500]

However, the main problems arise as people start getting accustomed to his acting skills, which causes him to lose a higher count of points. Therefore, Billy's challenge has been to continue performing earnestly to keep gaining points consistently from those impressed by his work in the acting studio, in addition to the points collected from the comics. What matters most are the admiration points.

-It's pretty hot, - a cameraman remarked.

-Billy, you need to get ready for the final scene. We'll start recording in less than 10 minutes. No pressure, kid, but time is short, -said Nigel.

-No problem, - Billy said, smiling.

Nigel tried to say something but stopped; it's better to keep trusting. - the assistant thought.

Scene 35, take 6.

The silo floor was filled with sophisticated machinery of various kinds; it was a highly technological operations center. At the center of this metallic landscape of computers, cables, sensors, and steel platforms was the giant ring. It seemed to be the central component of an endless and dazzling machine.

-What the hell is that? - asked Daniel/Billy.

-Your Stargate, - said Catherine.

A broad ramp ascended from the ground to the platform and the central opening of the ring. Now that it was clean and polished, there was no doubt it was made of metal. It resembled opal and was semi-transparent, dispersing the surrounding light in various colors at the same time.

-Did you find this in Egypt? - Daniel asked.

-Take him down and see if he can identify that 'seventh symbol, ´ - —and as O'Neill made to obey, West added— - Not you, Colonel. We need to talk. -

Catherine led Daniel and a dozen curious onlookers down a narrow spiral staircase to the 'phone booth,' where the technicians, who were constantly keeping an eye, were notably surprised to see the sudden intrusion of that group of tourists into their quiet workspace.

Billy was fully immersed in his role in the upcoming scenes. The transition is very smooth, and Ronald Emmerich isn't someone who calls cut very often. He even allows certain liberties in acting, as long as he finds it suitable.

-Stop, - said Billy/Daniel, pointing at the screen. "Here," said Daniel/Billy, drawing two people with a black marker, forming the isolated symbol they hadn't been able to interpret.

-The Earth, - exclaimed Dr. Shore.

-Thalassa, - said Meyers.

-Eureka, - said Billy/Daniel.

-This whole time, it's been right in front of our noses, - Storey said, adding to the perplexity of the people in the room, or at least that was the portrayal they aimed for in some way or another.

The following scenes involved other actors and the typing on a green screen, the feeling of acting with so much screen space caused some surprise, as most of it was a green screen, with a few exceptions.

-Cut, - said the director.

-We'll resume in thirty minutes, - said Ronald   Emmerich.

The following shots were not relevant, and Billy remained engaged in the last take, one that would lead him on a starry journey.

Kurt Russell was as stoic as ever, sipping on coffee while listening to his assistant discuss various matters. Billy mostly chose to ignore the set's environment; there was a certain tension and limited time, and everyone was fatigued from the shooting and repetitive takes.

The military base was bustling, everyone was busy, and some actors were gathered to chat about the film. It seemed Kurt was a method actor. Though it was said that he smiled during the set, alongside Billy, the boundary between character and actor blended in a vivid conflagration.

-Kid, the director decided to cancel the next take. It's two in the afternoon, and we'll take half an hour for lunch, -said Nigel.

-Ah, sure, - said Billy, having forgotten about lunch.

Nigel could only shake his head. "Ronald invites you to lunch with him. The shoot will take a little longer today, so, son, have a satisfying meal," said Nigel.

-I'll follow your lead, Mr. Nigel, - said Billy, to which Nigel nodded. They arrived at a dining area where the entire crew was having lunch. Ronald Emrich, Kurt Russell, and a woman he didn't know were there.

Billy took a seat at the long round table, perhaps nine seats, across from Kurt Russell, with Ronald and Grace at one end.

-You're one of the first to arrive; others will join soon, - said Ronald.

Indeed, a little later, executive producer Joel B. Michaels arrived, along with Oliver Eberli, followed by Viveca Lindfors, who portrays Katherine.

Conversations flowed throughout the meal, but eventually, the questions began, echoing the words of Jim Waitt, -Everything will be used against you, so be prudent. -

-Where did you come from, young man? I know many young actors, but few with your abilities, - asked Grace Clanet.

-I've been involved in theater since I was young, in my school and a few other academies, - said Billy.

-Well, you've done great work. Can I know the name of this academy? - inquired Grace.

-Umm, Academy of Grand Arts and Improvisation, - said Billy. He wasn't lying; it's just that the branch was in San Jose.

-These academies are quite astonishing. In my time, experience was gained through practice, but with the newer ways, acting has started to become more formalized, - mentioned Oliver Eberli, the producer of Stargate.

-You're not wrong. Now, the world has this anticipation with Hollywood," said Kurt Russell, a bit more composed. He was someone who had learned everything about the industry, from television to movies, during his working hours.

-Well, that doesn't change the fact that we see more young actors here and there every day, - added Ronald Emmerich.

-Have you done any performances before? Why not earlier? - inquired Grace.

-I was in school, and my father decided I should finish first, - replied Billy. This time, a bit more personal. Kurt, Ronald, and Oliver were engaged in discussions about the best films, while Grace locked her gaze on Billy.

-Understandable. Jim spoke to you; there's this new film 'Little Women.' We have a great cast, and the shoot begins in July. You'll have to audition by then, but I believe you'll come out triumphant against the other competitors, - said Grace.

-Thank you, Mrs. Grace, for the opportunity, - said Billy.

- Don't worry, young man. We're just doing our job. It's a wheel. If you deliver a great performance here, people will likely start noticing you, - said Grace. Concealing that the relationship she's building will make it hard for Billy to refuse a favor later. The industry moves like a wheel, and the more you know, the more you gain. Here, the more you know, the more you win.

On the other hand, the conversation among the three men was no lie. Even they know that Hollywood is changing. It's easier to say that films have garnered more funds and qualitative leaps, and what was once common—those blockbusters—are now seen more frequently. Worldwide premieres and grand tours. Previously, North America didn't expand its distribution channels much, but since the late '80s, this issue started becoming more recurrent.

...

check out my other series, I'm doing a music series. on the other hand on Patreon, we're up to 182, have a nice day.