Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Rachel, Zachary, this is it. The final scene of our film. Are you ready?” said Wang Yang, looking at them both. A determined smile hung faintly on his lips. “After this scene, our shoot will be done,” he said.
The curtains were drawn tightly around the windows such that no trace of light could leak into the pitch-dark bedroom. Rachel and Zachary were wearing pajamas, nodding as they listened to Wang Yang’s instructions.
It had been seven days since they began shooting the film, and four since Wang Yang started using Joshua’s new DV camcorder. Throughout these four days, they’d worked steadily and tirelessly on Paranormal Activity, bringing it into fruition, day after day. Their journey was fraught with challenges and difficulties. But, fortunately, they’d always managed to pull through. It seemed at that point that nothing could stop Wang Yang from reaching his goal.
And so, they’d come to the end of the film. With the completion of this scene, the entire film shoot would be finished!
The script revolved around a young couple who found themselves haunted by all kinds of paranormal activity upon moving into their new apartment. On one occasion, Mae, the female protagonist, would creep into the bathroom in the middle of the night and stare into space. The incident only got stranger when Kevin, the male protagonist, discovered, to his horror, Mae’s gruesome reflection in the bathroom mirror when he reviewed the footage. On another occasion, they were woken up in the dead of night by the strange sounds of footsteps coming from the corridor outside their room. Following the sound eventually led them to the apartment’s utility room, where a spooky image somehow appeared on a broken, unplugged television.
Increasingly concerned about the strange occurrences, the young couple bought an assortment of items in hopes of driving away any evil spirits, one of which was salt, which they’d distributed at various locations throughout the apartment. However, none of it worked, as the supernatural activities persisted at night. This led a frightened Kevin to suggest moving away. But Mae was insistent about staying, so Kevin was forced to spend another night at the apartment with her.
What happened next would be the movie’s grand finale. When the clock struck midnight, Mae woke up from her slumber and stared blankly at Kevin from his bedside. This went on for over an hour before Mae left the bedroom—all under the surveillance of a DV camcorder that was placed in the bedroom. A while later, Mae’s blood-curdling scream suddenly swept across the apartment. Kevin, who was deep in his sleep, was startled by the noise. He stepped frantically out of the room to investigate. But no sooner had he exited the room than he let out a terrifying shriek. His screams died down gradually until all that was left was silence.
Then came the sound of footsteps. The sound of heels tapping on the wooden floorboard became gradually more audible as if someone was approaching and entering the bedroom. Suddenly, it stopped.
At that moment, the movie came to a climax. Up until that point, the story had been driven purely by the audience’s fear and imagination, without a single shot of blood or gore. It was through the masterful execution of details that the film was able to lead the audience to “scare themselves”, creating tension, and bringing them closer and closer to the brink of terror. But what techniques would the film use to push its audience over the edge?
The answer was deceptively simple, if not cliched—a good, old-fashioned jump scare.
Telling the story through the lens of a DV camcorder gave the audience a first-person perspective, making for a most immersive experience. From the scene where Mae woke up from her bed to the point where the footsteps stopped, everything was seen from a dark corner in the room where the camcorder lay. The jarringly static frame created suspense and heightened foreboding in the audience. At that point, any form of surprise, be it a ghastly face popping out on the camera, or a high-pitched, ghostly howl, was enough to send the audience over the edge!
It was one of the oldest tricks in the book. Crude in execution but potent in effect. It was as if the director himself had suddenly snuck up to the viewer in the middle of the movie, screamed into his ears, and caused him to jump out of his skin.
Wang Yang had spent almost the entire day perfecting the jump scare scene. After the footsteps had died down, Kevin, the male protagonist, would be flung into the bedroom out of the blue. His body would then fly and crash into the camera, instantly knocking the DV camcorder askew.
But therein lay the problem: how could they make Kevin’s actor, Zachary, “fly” into the bedroom? Zachary had made a few attempts himself. Whether it was leaping forward or flipping backward, nothing he did was convincing enough. He even sustained a few minor knocks and bruises in the process.
Wang Yang brooded over the problem for a while. He thought about using special effects to touch up the scene in post-production. But he knew he didn’t have the skills to make it look seamless. Then, he thought about using wirework, but it wasn’t without its problems. For one, he didn’t have any experience with it. Second, he was certain it was way over his budget.
In the end, thanks to Rachel’s reminder, Wang Yang settled on using props. They bought a piece of fabric, measured Zachary’s dimensions, and manufactured a dummy in his likeness. After padding it with sponge and putting Zachary’s clothes on it, they ended up with an adequate replacement for Zachary. The workmanship on the dummy was visibly shoddy. But, once the lighting in the bedroom dimmed, the dummy’s imperfections faded into darkness, obscured by the low definition of the DV camera. It’d do the trick.
Together, Wang Yang and Zachary threw the fabric dummy into the bedroom, where it crashed violently into the DV camcorder. Given the randomness of the dummy’s motion in the air, the angles in which the DV camcorder could fall upon being hit, and a multitude of other uncontrollable factors, the shot was more difficult to master than they’d anticipated. After dozens of takes, the dummy was nearly broken, but Wang Yang was finally satisfied with the scene.
All that was left now was the final scene. After Kevin was thrown into the bedroom, Mae would creep slowly into the bedroom with a deadpan expression. Her clothes and face would be stained in blood. She’d approach Kevin’s body and kneel beside it, being so close to the camera that the audience couldn’t help but wonder if she’d noticed it. Right at that moment, she’d look straight at the camera and smile. Then, the movie would end as she reached out her hand and turned off the DV camcorder.
In preparation for the scene, Rachel had to spread blood-red syrup all over the chest of her blue gingham pajamas as well as her face. It was the only “bloody” scene in the entire movie.
“Yang, I’m ready,” Rachel told Wang Yang before stepping out of the bedroom and waiting in the corridor. Meanwhile, Zachary was curled up on the floor with his body occupying half the shot.
Just like Zachary, Wang Yang laid on the floor with his face behind the DV camcorder’s viewfinder. He called out to his crew, “All right everyone, take your places. This is the last scene of the movie. Action!” His heart made a strong, accented beat as he pressed the “start” button on his DV camcorder.
A faint shard of blue light stretched ominously across the otherwise pitch-dark bedroom. Rachel, portraying Mae, stood outside the bedroom door with a flat expression. Slowly, she walked toward Kevin. As she knelt in front of Kevin’s corpse, her face was as blank as if it were devoid of any soul. Suddenly, she turned her gaze to the camera, and her face twisted into a sinister smile. She reached her hand toward the DV camcorder and everything went black.
“Cut!” There was a frown on Wang Yang’s face. Clearly, he wasn’t satisfied with the performance. After working with him for a week, Rachel had become rather familiar with the quirks and idiosyncrasies of his body language. When she saw him biting his lip, she could just see his brain cranking away, trying to organize his thoughts and synthesize them into a sentence. So, she decided to look him in the eye quietly and await his feedback.
She wasn’t wrong. A second later, Wang Yang said to her, “Rachel, I think you overdid your smile just now. In the final shot, Mae’s smile shouldn’t be too exaggerated. Try going for a more natural smile. It’ll be spookier and fit the overall tone of the movie better. Got it?” Still on the floor, he lifted his eyes to look at an upright Rachel, and said, “By the way, when you approach the body, your gait must be more rigid, and your expression must be colder.”
Rachel gave him an “okay” gesture and said with a smile, “I got it. Smile naturally. Like this, right?”
“Yes, you’re getting warmer. But I need you to smile at him almost lovingly! You know, like you’re looking at your own boyfriend.” As soon as Wang Yang said it, Zachary, who was still laying on the floor, murmured, “Oh, did you say smile lovingly at her boyfriend’s corpse? That’s gross.” Seeing as Rachel was already at the door, ready to go, Wang Yang smiled and said, “I want it to be gross, creepy, and perverted. Three, two, one, action!”
As soon as Wang Yang gave his signal, Rachel began to walk slowly toward the camera. This time, her body was as stiff and straight as a zombie. She approached Kevin’s body, knelt down, and looked at the DV camcorder. Then, her face transitioned into an adoring smile. Her attractive dimples, stained in blood, made her visage all the more unsettling. It was uncanny in its sweetness, like the grim smile of a mistress. It was the stuff of nightmares.
Wang Yang clenched his fists and felt a rush of triumph. “Great job! You nailed it!” he shouted.
“She nailed it? She nailed it!” Zachary sprang up from the floor abruptly, his face bursting with pleasure. Meanwhile, Rachel breathed a sigh of respite and closed her eyes, savoring the moment. As she opened her eyes, a genuine, sunny smile radiated from her face.
“It’s finished! We’ve shot the film! We did it!” Wang Yang propped himself up from the floor. Overwhelmed with emotions, he punched the air with a loud “Yes!” and said, “Oh, my God, I’m so happy! I can’t believe this is happening! We did it, and it was perfect! This week has been like a dream! Oh, my God!” He looked at Rachel and Zachary and said in a high, animated voice, “Thank you guys so much! Thank you so much for your hard work!”
He spread his hands wide and embraced Zachary. In an outburst of gratitude, he patted him on his back and said, “Thank you, Zachary! You were terrific!” Zachary laughed as he reciprocated Wang Yang’s pat and said, “Yang, I should thank you, instead, for giving me this opportunity.”
Wang Yang let go of Zachary, turned toward Rachel, and smiled at her. Smiling back, Rachel opened her arms and initiated a hug. As the two of them embraced each other tightly, Wang Yang said in a weighty tone, “Rachel, thank you. Thank you so much! You were brilliant! You’ve given me so many pointers and helped me out so many times… I don’t know what else to say. Thank you.”
Rachel rested her head on Wang Yang’s shoulder, smiling quietly in a way that revealed her dimple ever so slightly. She said gently, “Yang, you’ve taught me so much. This week has been an eye-opener for me. I’ve learned so many things that I wouldn’t have learned at school.” Then, she said, smiling, “It’s been a blast working with you.”
“It’s been a blast for me, too.” Wang Yang patted her shoulder jovially. Then, they released each other and were about to go their separate ways. But they had only taken a few steps when both of them turned around at the same time, and, as their eyes met, they smiled.
At that moment, Zachary was stoked. “Wow, I can’t believe it. I’m finally a lead actor! Wow, this is awesome!” Then, in a moment of honesty, he confessed, “To be honest, I’ve never felt more content or happy than I have been this whole week. Being on the set every day, performing in front of the camera—this is my type of work, not giving directions to customers in a grocery store.”
Rachel said smilingly, “Yeah, this is much more fun than sitting in a class at school.” Shrugging a quick little shrug, she said, “Of course, I still need to take my classes. But working as an actress for an entire week has shown me that I still have a long way to go, and there’s still so much to be learned.”
“I can’t believe it. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to my old life,” said Zachary plaintively. The joy, the thrill, and the shine had all but disappeared from his face. He shook his head and said, “Giving directions at the grocery store every day. ‘Hey, do you know where the vegetables are?”Oh, they’re right over there, Ma’am. Let me show you the way.”Hey kid, stop crushing the potato chips…’ God!” Putting his hand to his forehead as if swooning, he added, “Every day, it’s the same. Whenever there’s an audition, I’d come to Hollywood and try my luck. And if I’m lucky, I’d get a bit part, usually as an actor in a crowd.”
The mood in the room was becoming a little too depressing. Wang Yang drew open the drapes to let the light pour in, and the room was filled with sunlight at once. He said jokingly, “Dude, relax. Once my movie gets published, even if you don’t become a famous actor, you’ll still be swimming in offers for bit parts.”
His comment made Zachary and Rachel laugh. Nevertheless, a thought lingered on Zachary’s mind, “Would it be that easy to get the movie published? A movie shot using a home DV camcorder, a budget of 10 thousand dollars, a young director who’s only two months past his eighteenth birthday… What company would ever vouch for them?” But he kept to himself.
What Zachary didn’t realize was that, at his age, Wang Yang wouldn’t even be regarded as a “young director”. He was more like a “baby director”. In Hollywood, becoming a director before the age of 30 was considered an anomaly. According to the Guinness World Records, the title for the youngest director in Hollywood went to a person named Stephen Paul, who directed “In Love Again” in 1980, at the tender age of 20. And Wang Yang, who was just 18 years and two months old, was even younger than him.
Zachary came up with a last-minute suggestion. “Yang, Rachel, I have an idea. Let’s go to a bar later and have some fun.” He rubbed his head and said, “As you know, after today, I don’t know when we’ll ever get together again.”
“Sure.” Rachel nodded enthusiastically. Wang Yang was up for it as well. “Okay,” he said as he looked at Rachel and smiled, “but you two need to change your clothes. It’s not Halloween yet. No one wants to see Dracula on the loose.”
Rachel made a vicious face in a kittenish way, dabbed the “fresh blood” on her face, licked it, and savored it. “Mmm, sweet,” she said in a raspy voice and then blurted out a laugh.
“Oh, wait! Rachel, that’s an interesting pose. I want to add it to the movie! Take your places, people! Our work’s not done yet!” Wang Yang snapped his finger, suddenly looking rather serious. He stared at Rachel and Zachary’s stunned faces, and let out a big, ringing laugh. “Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Go get changed, my friends.”
Rachel darted him a look and threw her hands up. “Actually, I was hoping you weren’t kidding.” Zachary chimed in with a lamenting voice, “Yeah, when I heard you say ‘take your places’ just now, I felt a surge of energy in my body.”
“Wow guys, I’m so touched by your commitment. But it’s over now.” Wang Yang shook his head and smiled resignedly. It was a poignant moment for him, too. As he put away his DV camcorder, he couldn’t help but wonder when he’d ever get to shout “take your places”, “action”, and “cut” again…
After a few friendly banters, Rachel went to the bathroom to change her clothes and freshen herself up. Zachary, who was already wearing a white undershirt, had only to put on a t-shirt and a jacket.
Wang Yang hooked up the DV camcorder to his computer and transferred the videos he’d shot that day into his computer. While he was waiting for the files to transfer, his cell phone buzzed. He took it out and glanced at it. It was a call from Jessica Alba. She’d been calling him every day around dusk to follow up on his film shoot. That day was no exception. Wang Yang answered the call with a smile on his face and said, “Hi, Jessica.”
“Hi, Yang. How’s the film shoot today? Is it finished?” asked Jessica. From their phone conversation yesterday, she’d known that the film shoot would likely end that day.
Wang Yang leaned back on his chair and watched the file transfer progress bar tick toward completion on his computer screen. A smile hung on his face as he said on the phone, “Yes, it’s done. God, Jessica! Do you know how great it feels? It’s unreal!” He let out a “wow” and reflected with fondness about his journey. “I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m so pumped. Think about it; I’ve actually shot a movie. For once in my life, I’m a director. God, what a ride! I can’t believe I did it!”
“Yang, congratulations. I’m so proud of you.” Jessica’s smile could be heard over the phone. She’d intended to come to the apartment to witness the final moments of the film shoot. However, she’d received a last-minute call for an audition in the morning. Though it was only for the role of a convenience store attendant, it entailed a few lines of dialogue with the lead actor. Nevertheless, she failed. Both the director and the producer rejected her on the basis that she didn’t have the earthiness of an attendant, and opted instead for a white girl with a round face.
She wanted to tell Wang Yang about the audition and pour out her frustration, but seeing as Wang Yang was so happy, she didn’t want to be a party pooper.
Wang Yang spun around in his chair and invited her. “By the way, we’re all planning to go to a bar to celebrate. Are you free to join us?” No sooner had he finished his sentence than he let out an “oh”, smacked his own forehead, and snorted. “Jessica, I almost forgot, you’re not 18 yet.”
Not yet 18. Which meant she wasn’t officially an adult. Which meant she didn’t have the right to enter bars, nightclubs, and other cool places. Sneaking in was out of the question because, in America, everyone was required to show their identification to the doorman prior to entering a bar. If you were underage, you weren’t getting in. It wasn’t about morals or ethics; it was the law.
No minors were allowed to enter bars or nightclubs, no minors were allowed to drink, and no one was allowed to sell alcohol to minors. America had strict regulations about such things, and they enforced them well—to the point where policemen would be stationed near certain bars so they could drop in anytime to check up on anyone who seemed suspiciously young. For the bar owners that were found to have let underage people into their premises or sell alcohol to them, the consequences were dire—ranging from a simple fine and license revocation to jail.
“Yeah, I can’t go.” Jessica chatted with him for a little while. When Wang Yang was about to head out to the bar, she said, “Yang, have fun with the rest of the gang. Bye!”
Zachary recommended the bar for the evening. It was the kind of bar that allowed 18-year-olds to enter. In the middle of the bar was a stage, and all around the stage was the dance floor. No smoking was allowed. So, although the place was packed and noisy, it lacked the musty smog of stale tobacco that some bars tended to have. Strictly speaking, although he was born in 1980, Zachary was still a few months away from his 18th birthday. Had he not been so chummy with the owner, the doorman wouldn’t have let him in. That is, of course, after an obligatory red stamp on the back of his hand.
The red stamp indicated that he wasn’t allowed to buy alcohol. In America, the legal age for drinking was 21, and those who were old enough would get a blue stamp, instead. Hence, Wang Yang, who was 18 years and two months old, and Rachel, who was 19 years and five months old, both also had the backs of their hands stamped in red by the doorman.
“Cheers!” Wang Yang, Rachel, and Zachary were sitting on stools in the corner of the bar. They clinked their icy, soda-filled glasses and chugged down heartily. It couldn’t be helped. For those who were old enough to enter a bar, but not old enough to drink, it was either soda or plain water. They chose soda.
“So, Yang, what made you want to become a director?” Zachary asked with a smile. Rachel looked at Wang Yang with an equal sense of intrigue. It was the most common form of drinking games. People would ask each other questions and whoever was asked must answer honestly.
Wang Yang furrowed his eyebrows and said with a tone of uncertainty, “Well, if I say it’s because of ‘passion’, you guys are going to kill me, aren’t you?” Zachary and Rachel rolled their eyes and said “please” in one voice. Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders genially and said, “Okay, okay. Where do I start? Since I was little, I’ve always loved watching movies and listening to stories. Whenever I heard stories such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, my mind would be filled with vivid imagery. Oftentimes, I’d take a simple idea from my everyday life and play it out inside my head. So I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool if I could translate those images into a tangible form and turn them into movies?”
“And that’s why I want to become a director.” Wang Yang took a sip of soda and said, “But there’s another reason. Have you guys seen a film called Cinema Paradiso? The first time I watched it, my mom covered my eyes when it came to the part where Toto played the film that Alfredo had cut out. I really, really wanted to know what was in the film that Alfredo had cut out. At that time, I thought only directors were allowed to see it. And the rest, as you know, was history.”
Rachel and Zachary laughed inadvertently. Curious, Zachary asked, “So have you seen it now? I mean, the final cuts of Cinema Paradiso.”
Wang Yang shook his head and professed, “I know what it’s about, but I’ve never seen it myself.” Rachel looked at him and remarked playfully, “Yang, you’re a director now. You can watch it.” Grinning, Wang Yang said, “No, I’ve told myself since I was a little kid, that I’d only watch it after my first movie is published. I can’t break my promise, because it’s part of what keeps me going.”
Rachel and Zachary nodded with looks of understanding on their faces. Then, Wang Yang asked, “So, Rachel, Zachary, what made you two decide to become actors?” He looked at Rachel with a grin and said, “Ladies first.”
“Thanks.” Rachel huffed out a laugh, then continued with a serious expression, “Yeah, like you, I do it out of passion.” Upon seeing Wang Yang and Zachary scoff at her answer, Rachel smiled and elaborated, “Okay, I’ve always loved dancing since I was very little. Toronto was a cold place and there were many ice skating parks. That led to figure skating, which is a form of choreography on ice. One day, my Dad brought me to a musical theater, and I was hooked thereafter.”
She sighed, feeling quite sentimental. “I’ve never been so thrilled. The world of theater just seemed so colorful and romantic that I felt I had to be part of it. So I gave up figure skating and began my training in theater and acting,” she said.
“So how come you’re not a theater performer?” prompted the ever-curious Zachary.
Rachel simply smiled and said, “Later, I realized what I enjoyed wasn’t the choreography or the theatrics, but all the romantic, captivating, and interesting stories. And in this sense, I found film more fulfilling.” She paused, and her signature dimpled smile appeared. “Actually, I can still do theater acting. As for dancing, I don’t think I’ve lost my touch, either,” she added.
“My, what a go-getter! Let’s give her a round of applause,” said Wang Yang as he clapped his hands. Zachary followed suit and struck his palms in a teasing manner. Being a good sport, Rachel kept a smile, occasionally breaking it to roll her eyes and pull a face. After a minute of banter, Wang Yang turned toward Zachary and asked, “What about you, dude?”
Zachary took a swig of soda and scratched his head. Seemingly bashful, he said, “I’ve always wanted to be a professional race car driver, and a dancer, and a policeman, and a doctor, and a pilot… But, as you know, in real life, you can’t be everything at all once. You’ve got to settle for one thing. But…” then, he inclined his head forward, as if he was letting them in on a great revelation, “I found out I could become an actor. When you’re an actor, you get the opportunity to experience all of those careers, am I right? You can even become 007! That’s how I fell in love with acting as a profession.”
Wang Yang lifted his glass and said, beaming, “We’ve all made it now, haven’t we? Cheers!” Rachel and Zachary lifted their glasses, clinked them together spiritedly, and downed their fizzy beverages.
The three friends chatted for a while when the upbeat rhythm of rock and roll suddenly filled the air. Soon, the atmosphere inside the bar began to heat up. Sounds of people whistling could be heard as young men and women gyrated on the dance floor. The energy was palpable.
An avid dancer, Zachary could feel his body being swept away by the music. He stood up, squeezed into the crowded dance floor, and started moving to the beat without a care in the world.
“Let’s dance!” Wang Yang stood up and walked to the front of Rachel’s stool. He held out his hand and said, in a dramatic, gentlemanly voice, “My lovely lady, may I have this dance?”
Playing along, Rachel showed a gregarious smile in the manner of a true lady, stretched out her slender hand, and laid it daintily on Wang Yang’s palm. “Of course, kind sir. It’d be my pleasure.”
Wang Yang helped her down from her stool with a smile, and the two of them made their way to the dance floor. Wang Yang placed his right hand on Rachel’s waist as Rachel placed her left hand on his right arm. They clasped each other tightly with their other hands and held them up as if by instinct. For some reason, a waltz came naturally to them even though the bar was playing a rock and roll song by the Beatles. Everyone else was dancing spontaneously to the tune and whatever their hearts felt like. Wang Yang and Rachel stood out from the crowd immediately.
No sooner had they make a few side steps than Rachel burst into giggles. “Yang, don’t you think we look a little weird? They’re playing rock and roll now.”
Wang Yang gave a nonchalant smile. As they waltzed, he smiled and said, “Rock and roll? So what? Do you know what ‘waltz’ means?” He did a glissade and said, “It originated from Germany. In German, it means to rock and to roll. Now, would you say waltz and rock are that much different?”
Rachel accompanied his glissade effortlessly and gazed into his eyes with fascination. “Wow, I didn’t know you’re such an expert in choreography.” Flattered, Wang Yang said, “I know a little bit.” Rachel smiled and said, “No, not a little bit. You dance really well.”
Waltz was a form of dance that demanded coordination from the partners. Though it was the first time they had danced with each other, and the music wasn’t even a waltz tune, their movements flowed beautifully with nary a step out of place. It was a sign, not only of their superb dancing abilities but also their brilliant chemistry.
“Oh, you too,” Wang Yang replied as he did a little spin and glided away with such grace and precision that it attracted looks from the crowd. Keeping up with his dance steps, Rachel said, “Well, I’m not quite as talented as you. Dancing is my bread and butter. But you are a filmmaker in the making.”
Soaking up the praise, Wang Yang said, “Yeah, making films is my dream, but dancing is my hobby! I mean, who doesn’t like to dance?” After taking a few more steps, he suddenly said, “My lovely lady, let’s try something a little more challenging!” With that, he clamped Rachel’s waist and gave her a firm lift. Rachel knew exactly what he wanted to do. She tipped her body and swung around him with impeccable coordination.
“This is tango!” Rachel exclaimed after yelling out in exhilaration.
“Very good. Looks like that wasn’t much of a challenge for you. Let’s do it again!” Wang Yang said with a smile, grabbed her waist, and led her to an empty spot on the dance floor. Then, he spun around non-stop, pivoting on his heel with a certain bravado as Rachel followed his lead with calm and poise. “Come on, I’m right here,” she said.
They looked into each other’s eyes. His body melded against hers as they whirled and twirled flawlessly like a carousel. Though none of them said a word to each other, they could feel the chemistry. And it felt wonderful.