[F.S.T.T.S] [002]

[Chapter 2: An Epic In The Making (II)]

Last time on Chapter 001 of [From Shadows To The Spotlight] —

Sam looked out across the set, trying to process everything Mike had just told him. Alex's rise from practically nothing to becoming such a renowned name in the industry, and with this film being his directorial debut, it felt like something out of a movie itself.

The mist was starting to thin as the sun climbed higher, casting light on the sprawling setup that stretched across the hillside.

"You know," Sam said thoughtfully, "it's amazing that someone like him—someone who started out hauling gear and sleeping on the set to save traveling money—could get this far. The stories people have told me about him since I joined [MONARCH]… he sounds like he just lives and breathes for this."

Now Continuity —

Mike nodded with a touch of admiration in his eyes. "That's exactly it. Back in the day, when everyone else used to hit the bar or go back home after a long, hard day of work. Alex would just find a quiet corner in a nearby library and crack open a book on special effects or editing."

"If there were none nearby, then he would just sit with some of the older hands and listen to their stories, trying to learn from their experience. When they called 'wrap,' that wasn't the end of the day for him—it was just another chance to learn."

Sam let out a low whistle as he replied, "And here I am, thinking I'm working hard by putting in a few extra hours. But studying after a full day of work? Practically living on the set? That's another level of dedication."

"Yeah, he'd sleep wherever he could find space close to the set," Mike chuckled. "I remember one time... Alex was working on a horror film—I think it was either Poltergeist or The Saw—and usually when everyone would leave for the night, Alex would stick around. He would use of the make-up kits lying around to practice his make-up skills on himself."

"I remember once he forgot to wash off the make-up after a night of practice and greeted one of the production assistants, the woman nearly fainted from the shock." He said this while chuckling and slapping his knee.

Sam chuckled as well, as they shared a laugh. "That sounds just like something he would do."

"You know, the boss kind of reminds me of James Cameron, but just with a much, much better control of his temper." Sam chuckled as he made the comment. James' terrible temper was infamous and well known among Hollywood insiders.

"Maybe.. if James could not only direct but also write scripts, design sets and props, create special effects, choreograph stunts, edit, and cut the shot film to the level of being nominated for an Oscar, then yes, Alex could be said to be like James." Mike replied nonchalantly in a sassy tone.

"Damn.. is he a one-man crew or something? How'd he even get so good? I've heard that he's quite young." Sam was just blown away, and it also made him painfully aware of his lack of general knowledge regarding the Hollywood industry as well as of his own boss.

A prideful grin spread across Mike's face, as if he were talking about his own brother or son. "I heard that the boss actually got his first legit gig starting as a set coordinator, just like you. Though he didn't have a penny to his name, No film school, either—everything he knows, he learned on the job, working his way up the ladder from the age of fourteen."

Seeing the shocked look on Sam's face, Mike couldn't help but grin as he continued the story. "It's true, Alex never got to experience studying at a cushy film school. Instead, he was busy getting his hands dirty. He would always be the first one on set, the last one off—back then, he'd never complain about the kind of work he was assigned and always accepted it with a straight face."

"I even heard people say that he worked the first few months just for food and accommodation with very little pay, all just so he could get the experience."

"The boss was like a sponge; he absorbed everything, and now look at him in charge of directing such a massive production. It's kind of insane to think he started that way."

"Wait, a second, I must've heard wrong, you said he started at fourteen?!" Sam blinked, incredulous. "But that can't be right." Sam was so bewildered that he questioned if his ears had heard wrong.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention," Mike laughed. "The boss lied about his age, telling people he was older than he actually was.. It was a different time when the regulations were more lax, and even then, he was pretty darn tall for his age. So, I guess they just bought his story." He explained with a shrug.

"And as I said before, he was so desperate to get a chance to work on a real film crew that he took on any work he could get, even if it meant scrubbing floors or hauling props around."

"For a few months, he was practically working as an unpaid intern, just hanging around sets, learning whatever he could."

"Rumor has it, he got his first real gig a few months later on the set of 'Star Wars' back in '79, and to everyone's surprise, he actually managed to impress George Lucas himself with his creative ideas on practical effects for the film's lightsabers and outer space shots."

"Wait, he's responsible for the special effects of Star Wars?! And he impressed Mr. Lucas?!" Sam was rendered mute after that, as Star Wars was one of his favorite movies of all time.

"Impress him?" Mike asked with scoff as he smirked and then said, "Lucas had even thought about taking him under his wing at first. But after spending time together while shooting Star Wars, he realized that Alex was a visionary and didn't want the boss to limit himself to just sci-fi and special effects."

"So he recommended him to a few studios he knew and even the other director friends of his, like Mr. Spielberg, to help him get jobs on better and bigger film crews, and well, the rest is history."

Sam's eyes practically sparkled. "He worked directly under George Lucas?"

"More like alongside, but yeah, Lucas saw something in him all right," Mike said, with a twinkle in his eye. "When Alex was still green, Lucas kind of took him under his wing, more or less."

"At first, he was just picking Alex's brain now and then—'What do you think about this setup?' or 'How would you shoot this?' Nothing too serious at first. But then, before long, Lucas was showing him all the little things. The man even told him once, 'Alex, you don't need a film school degree. Just keep working like this, and I guarantee you'll make it.'"

Sam looked both thrilled and astonished. "George Lucas said that to him?"

Mike laughed, pleased with Sam's enthusiasm. "He did, and Alex took it to heart. However, it is unlikely that you will hear it directly from the boss, as he possesses a humble demeanor.. The media doesn't really pay much attention to him, and neither do the fans."

"You know, it's funny how the audiences love our studio's works and religiously follow each one of our releases, no matter how big or small, and yet they fail to identify the man behind these movies." He explained with a sigh as he shrugged, but then smiled fondly as he continued.

"But that's perfectly fine with Alex, as he enjoys the peace and quiet his current anonymity offers him. Also, it's not like the guy needs anyone's validation. After all, the success of his work speaks for itself."

Alex Masters was the first man to ever produce, write, and edit a movie that crossed the billion dollar mark in box office, it was a title and honor that belonged solely to him.

"But he won't get that anymore, right? Till now, he was in the shadows because he had never done a solo directorial work before, at least not that I can remember. But now.. with this film.. All that's about to change." Sam said, certain of his assumption, he didn't even think about the chances of this movie failing, because from all the movies Mike told him about, none of them flopped at the box office.

"Yes, it is." Mike agreed, nodding as he laid out his own thoughts on the matter. "Maybe this film has something so special that he just couldn't take a back seat for it and chose to finally step into the spotlight."

His voice grew emotional as he continued. "I'm kind of happy, you know, I've seen the boss struggle and climb his way through when we both worked on the first Star Wars.

"It has been over a decade and a half since since then, and I've seen him grow into this phenomenally versatile artist. But I can never talk about him to the public, as they haven't even heard of his name before or just don't care."

"But now they will." Sam replied with a self-assured smile that was shared between the two.

There was an amicable silence between the two as Sam glanced over as another group of crew members rolled out cases of intricate props, delicately wrapped in cloth.

He couldn't exactly tell what the props were, but something about their craftsmanship hinted at something grand, timeless even. The silence allowed Mike to recover from his emotional outburst. 

"So, what happened between the boss and Mr. Lucas and what did he do exactly after the filming of Star Wars ended?" Sam asked thinking about diverting the topic from missed opportunities.

Mike began speaking again, clearly enjoying himself. "The two were kind of like mentors and apprentices, they never really put a name to it, but they ended up as friends, too. And even now, Lucas credits him for helping him bring a lot of those grand special effects to life."

"From there, he got to work in more movies, learning everything he could from every department—lighting, sound, special effects, editing, choreography, you name it."

"By the time he was your age, he was practically running entire shoots, as the unit production manager and then later as an Assistant Director."

Sam was silent for a moment, digesting the information. "What films has he worked on?"

"Oh, you want the highlights?" Mike smirked, ticking them off on his fingers. "Let's see… he was one of the lead special effects artists on E.T., where he impressed Spielberg with his skills, then he worked as the line producer and set coordinator for Aliens 2—and rumor has it he was the only one who could keep James Cameron from angering half the crew and causing the shot to come to a grinding halt."

Sam laughed in disbelief, the image of his boss corralling the famously intense Cameron almost too surreal to imagine.

"Then there was Predator. Not only was he the lead writer and stunt choreographer, but he actually helped create the look of the Predator itself. And even choreographed the entire fight sequence that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a household name."

Sam's eyes bulged in disbelief as he looked like he was on the verge of fainting. "No way."

"What? That blew your mind? Then you'll love this little-known fact." Mike leaned in conspiratorially. "The man inside the Predator suit? That was actually him."

Sam's jaw dropped, and he could barely hold his notepad steady. "You're kidding."

"Not anymore, I already got three," Mike chuckled as he cracked a dad joke.

Seeing Sam's deadpan face, his grin only widened as he continued explaining. "He was the one wrestling with Arnold on-screen for that iconic final fight."

"The two of them actually hit it off pretty well, as they became gym buddies on set, with the two of them competing in outlandish competitions like who could do more pushups, more pull-ups, the heaviest bench presses and deadlifts and even who had the better looking physique."

Sam began laughing again as he imagined his boss lathering himself in baby oil and doing poses alongside Arnold to be judged by crew members.

Mike chuckled as well. "I know it was childish and stupid, but it helped keep the morale high, especially amongst the female crew members, if you know, you know," he said suggestively with a wink, "and trust me, when you're in the tropics shooting in 40 °C (104 °F) temperature you need the distraction."

"Oh, also, from what I've heard, he and Arnold still have a fast friendship to this day."

Sam looked like he was processing a tidal wave of new information, his mind racing. "What else? What other films?"

Mike thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "Oh, there are plenty. There's Mad Max 2, Top Gun, Back to the Future, The Terminator, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard… he had a hand in all of them, one way or another. Guy was everywhere, picking up every skill in the book."

"But…" Sam paused, looking slightly puzzled. "He's only thirty-five now, right?"

Mike nodded. "Yep. At least that's what we guessed, assuming that he started working at the age of 16. And that's young, especially in director's years, but the man's got the skills and experience most people can only dream of having worked in the industry for over a decade and a half now."

"So why hasn't he directed anything until now? If I remember correctly, even Mr. Cameron made his directional debut when he was 27 with Piranha II: The Spawning." Sam couldn't help but ask the question that had been bugging his all this time.

Mike sighed, glancing off into the distance. "That's the question, isn't it? He's had the skill and the money for quite a few years now, but he's always held off."

"Maybe he was just waiting for the right story, something that felt worthy enough to put his name on as a director. Guess that's what we're here to see. This film… Well, I don't even know the story, but whatever it is, it's got to be something special."

Sam nodded slowly, looking out across the bustling set with a new sense of reverence. "I can't wait to see it."

"Neither can I, kid," Mike murmured, a faint smile on his lips. "Neither can I."

They stood in silence for a moment, watching as the set hummed with life, a silent tribute to the man they both admired, whose work had brought them here, on the verge of witnessing a new chapter in his legendary career.

– To be continued...

{2.4k words}

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