How to make a love movie.
A love movie is a shared challenge between a man and a woman that must be ironized in less than two hours, three for Titanic. A love story that convinces the audience, and hypnotizes them, with its argumentative structure to a few who prefer the circle of romance, the renegades who deny otherwise, do not respond to the fact that love movies are at most, movies made to empathize with couples, from those seeking love, others who watch with interest, and even some who reject it but see in movies an idea of romantic love that attracts at first sight.
Billy rested on Julie's legs, paying attention only to the soft sound; Julie's humming was enough for Billy to hear and for others not to hear.
-What's that song? - Billy asked.
-AC/DC, - said Julie.
-You're crazy, - Billy replied, amused to think the song was something more romantic and endearing than that rock song, pure rock, speakers in the air. Sometimes Julie always surprised him with ideas that were beyond his imagination, from some strange foods, street restaurants, street stalls, and vintage shops, they had done everything, even the clothing was second-hand, in a clothing store in France. At an economical price, they washed it with boiling water before using it.
-I'm educating you; you should know about the good music you're missing. Tomorrow it'll be Bob Marley, - said Julie, tracing Billy's eyebrows with her finger, giving him a shiver; the small movement brought a smile to Julie's face.
They continued in peace; Billy decided to read his thick book on medieval history. He found three gigantic tomes on medieval history collected in a dusty corner; they were books that caught his attention the most because of the images, in the form of an encyclopedia, the size was a bit larger than a pocketbook; he dedicated himself to a thorough investigation of the Middle Ages, reading with Julie, in cafes or before going to bed.
-We're here, - said Julie, seeing the train stop; the location gave a desire that they would have 45 minutes to perform a scene, with two people who were bordering on demanding, it was a complete challenge.
-Take 1. Scene 3, - said Richard.
The recording begins; they both look at each other with a certain intensity; Billy evokes Julie's thoughts, topless; he doesn't know why he did it, but his eyes applied a look that pleased the cameras.
[Two exclamation points]
The system message didn't distract him, but it did make him lose his thoughts like a raft adrift, Julie's eyes raised an eyebrow at the lack of dialogue, but Richard loved the scene, and made a brief movement to focus on Billy.
-I have a pretty crazy thought. If I don't ask you this, it'll be one of those things that haunt me forever, - said Billy/Jessi.
-What? - said Julie, she was inhibited by Billy's gaze, it was a hungry look.
He simply moved a bit closer, closer, Julie tried to move back but only managed to lean closer to the chair.
-I want to keep talking to you. I mean, I have no idea what your situation is, but I feel some kind of... connection, - said Billy/Jessi.
-I do too, - replied Celine.
-So, how about this? Okay, well... I want you to get off in Vienna with me. We can take a look around the city, - added Billy/Jessi.
-So what would we do? - said Celine.
-I don't know. All I know is that tomorrow morning, I'll be taking a flight on Austria Airlines at nine-thirty, and I can't afford a hotel, and we'll probably be wandering around all night. If I turn out to be a psychopath, you can run away at any time and catch the next train back, right? - said Billy, gesturing with his hands, lightening the matter, that a girl he just met would run away with him, following the script perfectly.
She continues to think, Julie/Celine tries to look at distress. Billy tries to get more into character, imagining that if Celine doesn't accept, he'll feel very depressed, very sad, and very lonely.
-Think of it this way, life moves on, you get married, this. Move ten, twenty years. Your marriage just doesn't have the same energy anymore. You start blaming your husband. You think of all the guys you've met and all the ones you never pursued and how things could have been different if you had gone out with one of them. Well, I'm one of them. You can consider this traveling back in time, to see what you're missing. Look, this is a big favor for both you and your future husband: it's an opportunity to check that you haven't missed anything. That I'm as boring and demotivated as he is, hopefully, more so, - said Jessie.
Following the dialogue.
-I'm not sure I've understood the whole story, but let me grab my bag, - replied Julie.
-Cut, - said the director, the small team of assistants raised their thumbs in agreement, everything perfectly.
-We'll redo the shot, this time, from Julie's side. I want you to add some improvised shots at the end of the speech; we'll see if it's worth adding some more suspense, - said the director.
It was one of the exercises; Billy performed a scene with Julie, following the script perfectly, and they performed another scene, this time, playing with the art of improvisation.
-Give me a few seconds, - said Julie, thinking about the scene and how to improve it; she felt that Billy was a great actor, not just a passing one, he was a great actor, a rich kid with a director uncle and most likely a producer father, but it didn't take away from his acting talent.
-Is everything okay, Julie? - Billy asked.
-Nothing, I'm just refreshing my work, - said Julie. Billy was a method artist, but he also followed many steps from the English school, playing with his posture, and idealizing the character in his way, adding details imitated from others, not necessarily part of the method. Billy not only worked hard but also had a system that helped; it was almost double the work, but it was worth it, as he developed such skill.
Contrary to her work with Mili, who sought competition, Julie retreated and immersed herself in projecting the role she wanted to play. Once challenged, Julie was depressed.
Julie came with a determined look after ten minutes; the performance promised. The next scene was repeated due to a graphic error.
-Scene 3. Take 3, - said Richard.
-I have a pretty crazy thought. If I don't ask you this, it'll be one of those things that haunt me forever, - said Billy/Jessi.
-What? - said Julie, responding with equal intensity to Billy's gaze; her large eyes turned slightly reddish.
He simply moved a bit closer, closer, Julie moved closer to him. The change was subtle but noticeable, with evident force, how Julie wanted to integrate herself into Billy's essence, crossing Billy's posture with hers to compact the scene.
-I want to keep talking to you. I mean, I have no idea what your situation is, but I feel some kind of... connection, - said Jessi.
-I do too, - replied Celine.
-So, how about this? Okay, well... I want you to get off in Vienna with me. We can take a look around the city, - added Billy/Jessi.
-So what would we do? - said Celine.
-I don't know. All I know is that tomorrow morning, I'll be taking a flight on Austria Airlines at nine-thirty, and I can't afford a hotel, and we'll probably be wandering around all night. If I turn out to be a psychopath, you can run away at any time and catch the next train back, right? - said Billy, gesturing with his hands, lightening the matter, that a girl he just met would run away with him, following the script perfectly.
She continues to think; Julie/Celine tries to look at distress. Billy tries to get more into the role, imagining that if Celine doesn't accept, he'll feel very depressed, very sad, and very lonely.
-Think of it this way, life moves on, you get married, this. Move ten, twenty years. Your marriage just doesn't have the same energy anymore. You start blaming your husband. You think of all the guys you've met and all the ones you never pursued and how things could have been different if you had gone out with one of them. Well, I'm one of them. You can consider this traveling back in time, to see what you're missing. Look, this is a big favor for both you and your future husband: it's an opportunity to check that you haven't missed anything. That I'm as boring and demotivated as he is, hopefully, more so, - said Jessie.
Julie made a gesture that the camera could only capture. Helpless.
-.You can, although I didn't understand the story, we can do what you're asking for, - replied Julie.
-I'll do my best, - said Jessi, almost wanting to hit himself at the overly cheesy and foolish line.
Julie could only laugh a little.
-Cut, - said Richard.
Billy let out a sigh; he was holding his breath while acting. Julie knew at that moment that Billy's intensity would continue throughout the shoot; it was something she couldn't overlook; it was his method; it was an intensity of immersing himself in the role; he seemed like a lovestruck boy. Very much in love.
-Let's do the last take. We have ten minutes; I hope you follow the words from the last take; you have them, - Richard asked.
-I'll do the best I can, - said Julie, preparing for another acting journey that she knew was pushing her to the limit; it was the first time in her films that she found such a vibe, such power, to attack, in an actor. She had encountered it before, of course, but not against her.
That was stealing the scene. That was what the actors said, that one person dominated the scene, Billy dominated it, directing his character, even though she wouldn't doubt that Richard focused more on him than on her. That doesn't matter! What matters is that she's being overtaken, crossed in her field—thought Julie.
...
We continue with the recurring journey of making more publications, two, in my fanfics, I will continue writing the pace has been fast, we are going on Patreon in chapter 277, although I have drafts up to 282.