Thread: Hyde and Seek [ Chai & Mr Quixotic ]

RE Hyde and Seek Ariamella Mr Quixotic The Director, like many in the creative fields was a temperamental man, quick to anger, and to speak his mind without a filter. However, the fury directed at the young actress was not solely a result of losing his composure the performance was also partly deliberate and pre-planned. Michael's Father, now retired, had gained relative fame as an investigative reporter, feared for his interview techniques, and his greatest teaching to Michael was that everyone was unique, and you needed to be able to discern which method of communication would be most effective with a particular individual. Some required respect and deference to be shown, and to be allowed to believe they were in control, some needed to be cajoled and encouraged, others bullied and threatened, whilst yet others required a guiding hand, and a gentle but firm display of dominance. Michael had used that teaching to great effect in his directing career, and in a way, he was a chameleon able to change his method of delivery according to the personality he dealt with, and what he desired to achieve. It was how he drew the performances of their lives from his stars. Michael didn't care if the cast or crew despised him, as long he obtained the desired result, and he rarely got it wrong. Kat Ellis was one of the exceptions. Michael had assumed from the audition, and throughout the initial weeks of filming, that Kat's bright personality and natural sexuality would shine through on celluloid with no more than a little encouragement and praise. Consequently, that was what he'd requested from those involved in the filming - save for Renier, which was a separate matter entirely -, but he hadn't counted on the fact that Kat was also a chameleon, or at least seemed to be when placed in front of a camera. The strategy he'd entered with was the wrong one. The previous night in the editing suite Michael had found barely a minute of footage that he deemed suitable to be considered for inclusion in the film. Kat's performance when projected upon the large, white screen came across as even more controlled, stiff and insipid, than it had even during the live shoot. It was after he'd ripped the spool of film from the machine, and thrown it to the cutting room floor, that Michael decided enough was enough. No longer would he continue to pander to the young actress by initiating location and scene changes to make her feel comfortable, or have the cast and crew declare how wonderful and talented she was - comments she'd she'd most likely heard her entire life, and believed to be true. Not any more. It was time to fire a rocket up the girls ass. Something unexpected, and possibly cruel, which would hopefully shatter Kat's composure long enough for him to be able to secure a glimpse of the woman underneath. If he could draw some true emotion from Kat, even if only off-screen, he'd then able to ascertain if she was capable of delivering the performance required to portray Lily, and worth persevering with. The destruction of the script, with the sounds of the papers being ripped apart amplified by the heavy stomps of his boot on the floor, was part of the performance. It was designed to get her off balance, as well as to take away the comfort of her notes. The ones he'd sarcastically begun to refer to, out of Kat's earshot, as her security blanket. Did she really think writing it down was going to help? Acting wasn't a profession which could be learned by rote or repetition. It was a god-given talent possessed by few, and one which seemed to become more rare by the day. Acting was no longer an art, as it used to be, but a popularity contest, where the students graduated from drama school all good-looks, gleaming white teeth, and cute dimples as if they'd all fallen off the same assembly line. Everything was theory, control and uniformity, where the display of personality or individuality was frowned upon, and to ad-lib was heresy. Michael blamed not only the instructors but Hollywood itself. Fucking CGI, and pandering to teenagers. Where were the Brando's, the DeNiro's, the Streep's and Barrymore's, great actors one and all, who immersed themselves in their roles, and brought a presence to the screen. These days the kids were taught, supposedly, how to act, but they didn't have any fucking character, and that was what Michael required if Hyde and Seek was to be the success he dreamed of. As he finished, his breathing heavy, and face red, he looked to Kat to gauge her reaction. The order for her to leave came out without thought. As the Director had torn apart the pages, his frustration with the young actress increased, as did the anger inside him, and he blurted it out. Immediately the words slipped from his mouth, he felt a pang of regret. And a sense of fear. Not for the decision itself, but for the trouble it could cause. Michael may have been granted the funding and creative control, but that didn't mean if he lost his major actress within the first month, the studio wouldn't be breathing down his neck, or attempting to exert subtle pressure in regards to the film. They had a lot of money at stake, and had banked on this film turning Kat Ellis into a worldwide phenomenon who could be milked for cash for the next decade. Rodriguez had heard many stories about what 'subtle' pressure meant for the Hollywood big-wigs, and he was but a small fish in a very large pond. He'd have no chance. He was about to retract the words, when Kat began to speak, and Michael resolved to worry about it later. Hopefully the threat would bring out a little passion, and give her something to think about. The anger dissipating, Michael rubbed his eyes, red from lack of sleep, and folded his arms across his chest and waited for Kat's response. He almost lost it again, and had to refrain from screaming in frustration as she responded with nothing but calmness, and agreed with what he had said, before starting in with her excuses. Michael didn't give a shit about it being her first 'adult role'. So what, she was a fucking adult, wasn't she? And the fact that she hadn't been exposed in that manner in her previous roles was one of the very reasons she'd been chosen. Many people would attend the film solely because of her name, without any knowledge of the content, and having them watch the sweet, nice, young and seemingly innocent Oscar nominee strip naked, and willingly partake in an ever increasing smorgasbord of sexual depravity would only add to the shock factor, and word of mouth buzz. It could be their daughter. He maintained eye contact with the young woman, and his lips curled into a mirthless smile at the comment about Renier. Little did she know that the actor had been following his directions improvising during takes so that each would be slightly different from the last. Michael had hoped it would force Kat to do the same, and she'd forget about performing 'exactly' what was written in the script. Also, whilst the film required the co-leads to be lovers, it did not require them to be friends - far from it - and Michael desired to create a natural off-screen tension between them, which would flow into the portrayal of their characters. The Director's annoyance grew, as did his agitation. His eyes burned into hers, and his foot impatiently tapped the floor. The last thing he was searching for was an apology, or for Kat to accept his criticisms, and her impromptu firing, without a fight. He wanted her scream and yell, and tell him that he was wrong. He wanted to see in her demeanour, and hear in her pleas, how much she desired the role, and what it meant to her. What acting meant to her. If he'd been placed next to a wall, he would have banged his head against it. Instead, he sighed, and began to lift his hand to motion for her to stop. However, before he could raise it, Kat's tone changed, and Michael stilled. Finally, there it was. The spark of life and passion he'd been searching for. Unfortunately, it disappeared as it quickly as it had come, and Michael stepped aside when she collected her belongings, and spoke only two words to her retreating back. Goodbye Kat Michael, what are you doing? The Director had closed his eyes, and was running Kat's last comments through his mind - was it enough, could he bring more of that out of her? - when the angry voice rang in his ears. His eyes flew open, and rolled at the sight of Hannah Davis his diminutive, bespectacled gray-haired, fifty year old casting director walking towards him. She had the look of an angry mother about to discipline her child for being a naughty boy. Rodriguez held up a palm to stop her, and sighed. She just needed some motivating. Don't worry, I'll work it out. Why the fuck did you cast Kat Ellis anyway As if a red rag had been waved in front of a bull, Hannah scurried forward, and stopped a foot in front of Michael. For a petite woman, she had a large voice, and the scowl on her face would have turned small animals to stone. She slapped his shoulder hard enough for it to hurt. Don't you blame me, Michael. Both of us made the decision, and you know why. Because the girl has talent. I know it, you know it. I've done my job, now you do yours. Without Kat Ellis, you haven't got a film, so get that performance out of that she's capable of. Any way you can. Isn't that what you pride yourself on, Mr Big-Shot fucking Director? This is why Michael loved her, she'd been his casting director on every one of his films, and was the only who'd dare speak to him in the manner she just had. Hannah was his sounding board, and a woman he greatly respected. And you'd better speak to her quickly, because if news gets out that we're having trouble on set, the studio's going to be all over you like flies on shit. They'll be watching your every move, and questioning any decision you make. Michael opened his mouth to respond, but by the time he'd thought of what to say, the woman had turned and stalked to the exit without a backward glance. The Director watched her disappear into the crowd milling in the corridor outside, cupped his head in hands, muttered a few swear words, then took a deep breath and followed her. Once in the corridor, he waved at the crew. Show's over for the day. Go home. We'll resume tomorrow at 7am. He almost burst a few eardrums as he then stood on tip-toes in an attempt to locate his young lead actress, and screamed at the top of his voice. Kat, get back here. Michael continued to scream her name as he walked down the corridor, and hoped that she hadn't yet departed the building. He and Kat were going to have a heart to heart, and one way or another he'd discover just how much fire she had in the belly.