San Jose: animation

The day began with the usual work, and for everyone, the atmosphere was charged with happiness. In short, every person present had that invincible feeling. Each one of them was basking in joy as they watched the company achieve consecutive successes. Triumph was a catalyst for the future projects looming on the horizon.

-Welcome, boss,- one of the members of Lux Toons greeted with a certain happiness, a mix of awe and reverence.

-Anna, congratulations on the musician's success. You and Guillermo created a fantastic story, your animations were captivating,- Billy responded to Anna Szymanska, who had found her stride in projects that turned joyful circumstances into profound moments. She was an expert at taking a concept and turning it into a moral tale, with a style that was beginning to resemble watercolor. She had quickly become one of the most valued animators for Billy.

-You were fundamental in the whole creation process. You wrote most of the script and helped bring to life the settings I couldn't visualize,- Anna replied, her eyes filled with pride and admiration, never doubting Billy's ability to create something as precise as a surgeon's stitch. He always gave just enough to take the next right step.

-I heard you have a new project on your hands,- Billy remarked.

-Well, we're working on Cowboy Bebop, though I've run out of clear ideas for now. I think I can add some shine to my animation in certain parts that need a 3D touch, but soon I'll be joining the Narnia project, as they want me to contribute my skills. I do have a project. Joe Murray, Craig McCracken, Shem Cohen, and Butch Hartman are developing the series Frankensteins: Spy of the Supernatural,- Anna explained.

Billy followed Anna, listening intently to the fresh ideas being brought in. Now, even when other companies offer them jobs, people prefer Lux Animation because it has become the cradle of original ideas. Many who had come from Disney knew how hard it was to get noticed for series work. The Frankensteins spy series was aimed at kids aged 7 to 15, dealing with the hidden and the strange, and how order is maintained by keeping everything under wraps—a bit of a cliché, but the comedic brilliance of the creators was what would bring it to life. Now the sketches, drawings, and storyboards had a certain polished style, one that Billy himself had chosen, surprising everyone with how refined it was.

-They're now handling both a main story and side stories, more work than before,- Billy commented.

-We've worked to give the cartoon structure so that the main story is easy to follow and keeps the kids more connected, allowing them to piece the story together themselves. But we haven't forgotten the importance of creative freedom, so it doesn't become too complex,- Shem Cohen, a brilliant animator, responded. In previous projects, he had created characters as effortlessly as pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

-It's a great series. Produce 25 episodes, enough to be satisfactory. However, I'd like the villain to be something more than an ordinary human or a mild-mannered person. Perhaps a taboo figure or some entity—something with more depth,- Billy suggested.

-We'll do what we can,- Craig responded, knowing they were on the right track. Their responsibility now was to sustain the series while juggling their projects, which were many.

-Do that and more. I have faith in the series you're creating. Send the package to Anna when it's ready,- Billy added, making his exit, carrying just two large scripts to his desk, filled with various ideas from the animators. Of course, he still had to continue with the story that kept swirling in his mind—the 55th chapter of Hunter x Hunter and the 133rd chapter of One Piece, the arrival of the Straw Hats at the Grand Line. These were benchmarks for the kinds of stories that were now gaining fans from every corner.

For One Piece, he had incorporated numerous subplots involving Trafalgar Law, Kid, and Jimbei, who would become central figures in the saga. With many powerful secondary characters and great masters lurking in the shadows, he had created a true love for animation. Now the franchise boasted at least 150 characters, while for Hunter x Hunter, he had similarly brought about improved drawing quality, with more characters contributing to the story and adding layers to each character's dimensionality at a breakneck pace.

***

Monica was delighted, wearing a dreamy expression on her face as she arrived in San Jose that morning. After people completed a short film about the production she was working on, she felt more relaxed and took some time to enjoy food and drinks. Perhaps it was a dream she needed to recapture, a respite from the workload of constantly preparing for a role she didn't feel ready for, but gave her all nonetheless. In her free time, she focused on perfecting her speech. The way she spoke was critical.

-Darling, I'm at our apartment,- she texted with a long sigh. Her life had taken an unexpected turn in the last five months.

She picked up the script for Life is Beautiful. It still bore the notes her acting coach, hired by Jim Waiit, had scribbled in the margins. He was incredibly strict about depth and understanding the character. He adhered to the traditional method, requiring her to integrate the role into her routine. Playing a woman from half a century ago came with layers of complexity.

Her phone rang.

-Winona, how wonderful to hear from you. I'm afraid I'm in San Jose and will be here until the weekend, as Billy is filming some scenes in San Francisco until next Monday,- Monica said.

-I had planned for us to go to a party together! Now I have to go alone!- Winona replied, disappointed.

-What about Drew? She's always up for these kinds of events,- Monica said, knowing the young blonde's reputation as one of Hollywood's party magnets—a lifestyle that was both peculiar and profitable.

-I want to go, but she always ends up disappearing with some guy or a friend I didn't even know she had,- Winona replied, somewhat begrudgingly.

-Come to San Jose. We'll drink wine with Anne; she's a good friend and I'm sure you'll like her. And Billy will be working all weekend… probably won't rest until April 15th, with all the deadlines approaching,- Monica said, preferring San Jose over L.A. This city was 100% Billy's—filled with restaurants, hotels, sports teams, and shops. It was said, as a joke but not far from the truth, that every hundred meters there was something of Billy's. He had the city in the palm of his hand, driving its economic growth through the companies he was steadily fortifying.

-I don't want to travel.-

-Come on, it's easy… you fly in, and you can help me run my lines for the upcoming roles. Plus, we'll visit the many restaurants Billy owns. All of them are delicious, including some Italian spots I've personally tested and approved. Say yes!- Monica pleaded. Winona hesitated but finally agreed. The flight wouldn't take more than two hours, and she wouldn't need much in terms of clothes for such a quick trip.

-Alright, but pick me up at the airport, and I expect a surprise,- Winona relented, giving in to Monica's persuasive words. The plan to visit San Jose seemed better than a party… with award season over, it was better to lay low for a while.

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