Photo credit: Satish Viswanath via Interior Design / CC BY-SA
“Okay, Jesse, remember, you’ve just been shot in the gut, so you’re in extreme pain. We want to see that pain in every muscle, every movement. Got it? Good. Places, everyone! From the top!”
The director stepped back and sat in his chair as everyone rearranged themselves to their positions at the beginning of the scene.
Jesse lay on the ground curled into a fetal position, hands clutching at the spot on his gut where the fake blood had already been artfully distributed – just enough to let the audience know that’s where the bullet had entered, but not enough to gross out the faint of heart or make anyone think they had actually witnessed one of their favorite characters getting shot.
He tried to imagine what it would feel like to have a bullet tearing through his insides, too fast for him to see it coming – just feeling the puncture in his skin, and then blood pouring out as the bullet buried itself deeper and deeper inside. He wondered if it had stopped inside him or gone right out the other end. If it had stopped inside him, where had it stopped? He didn’t have time to ask the director before the cameras started rolling, and he decided it was better this way. His character wouldn’t know where the bullet had stopped either and Jesse could use that in the scene.
Fifty-three takes later, Jesse limped off the set, still clutching his abdomen. He found it remarkably difficult to unfurl from the fetal position after having been stuck in said position for hours on end. He must be getting old. When he started this gig, he had not had any problems staying in one position all day and popping out of it as if from a hot yoga session.
Tonight he was feeling a little nauseous so he pulled out the little pink bottle from the cabinet in his trailer just as his costar jumped up from the sofa, where he had apparently been waiting for Jesse.
“Hey, great work today, Jesse.”
“Thanks, Matt.”
“Man, by the time we did that last take, I could have sworn you were really in pain.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“You went pale and everything.”
“Did I?”
“Sure. Actually, you still look a little pale. I guess it takes a while to come down from a performance like that, huh? Are you still in character?” He said this last part in a whisper, leaning over to Jesse as if they were coconspirators.
“Kind of. Yeah, that scene was pretty intense.”
“I gotcha. Well, listen, some of the other cast members and the crew and I are going out for drinks if you want to join us. Might help you calm down after all that.”
“Thanks, but I think I’m just gonna crash.”
“No worries. I totally understand. Take it easy, buddy.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
Matt headed out and Jesse turned on the TV as he flopped on the bed, although he didn’t remember watching anything before he fell asleep.
To be continued …
Thanks for reading! If you like what you see here, you can sign up for my newsletter at the top of this page. You’ll never miss an update and you’ll get a free short story every month that won’t be posted on the website. No spam, I promise!