March 20, 1998.
The movie Memento was almost finished. They only had a dozen or so shots left to do.
These days, Zane was working harder than ever.
During the day, he was on the set, helping Director Christopher Nolan and watching over the whole crew.
In the evenings, he would watch the scenes they filmed that day and plan the next day's work with the director.
Late at night, after a long, busy day, Zane still didn't rest. He would go home and start preparing for his next movie, The Tuner.
"I've already asked Kevin Fitch to get a crew together," Zane thought. "In a few days, we'll pick the actors and start filming The Tuner as soon as possible."
Zane felt a lot of pressure. He was in a hurry.
There were only 54 days until the big Cannes Film Festival started. And there were less than 40 days until the deadline to enter a movie.
Time was tight, and the job was big!
"Time waits for no one!" he said to himself.
Zane was the boss of a growing company. He owned so many businesses, and he knew he would only get busier.
In his old life, he had graduated from film school and dreamed of being a director. But now, he barely had the time or energy to direct a movie himself.
"I'll make a few short films now, while my company is still growing," he thought. "If I wait, I'll be too busy, and I'll never get the chance in the future."
That's right. Zane's dream of being a director wasn't completely gone.
He might not have time to make a big, long movie, but he could still make a short one!
The Tuner was a great story. And this year, 1998, was the very first time the Cannes Film Festival ever had a competition for short films.
Zane did not want to miss this chance.
...
The next day, Zane didn't go to the Memento set. He went to his main office at Wald Pictures.
"Boss, here is the list of 15 young actors I found," Kevin Fitch said. He looked really tired. "And this is the info for the three actors who did the best in the screen tests."
Zane nodded and looked at his friend's tired face. "Thanks, Kevin," he said, his voice kind. "Wow, it looks like you've been busy all night. Go home and get some rest. You've earned it."
"Okay, boss," Kevin said. He didn't argue. He was exhausted.
It was like the old saying: "The boss gives an order, and the workers break their legs running around."
When Zane had called Kevin and told him he wanted to shoot a new short film right now, Kevin had barely slept. Getting a crew was easy, but finding the perfect actor in just a few days was a ton of hard work.
"Go on, man. Get some sleep," Zane said with a smile. "I approve!"
He personally walked Kevin out and even told one of his bodyguards to make sure his friend got home safely.
"Now," Zane said to himself, "let me look at this information."
He opened the files and put in the videotapes from the auditions.
The first actor was Jeremy Renner. He was 27. He'd been in a movie in 1995, but he only had three lines.
"Jeremy Renner?" Zane thought. "Hey! This is Hawkeye from The Avengers! The guy who uses a bow and arrow!"
Zane, of course, knew who he was.
The second actor was Paul Walker. He was 25. He was an actor and a model and had been in a few small movies.
Zane knew him, too! He was the future star of the Fast & Furious movies.
The third actor was Cowhit James. He was 30 and from Canada. Zane had never heard of him, but that was okay.
...
Two days later, after one more screen test, Zane made his choice. He picked Paul Walker.
When Paul Walker heard the news, he was so excited and kept thanking Zane.
His pay was $12,000. This wasn't a lot of money, but it was a fair price for an actor who wasn't a big star yet.
Zane could have hired a big, famous actor for his short film. But he didn't.
The short film contest at Cannes was really for young directors and new actors to show off their talent.
Zane was only 21, but he was already famous as a "genius director" from his movie static.
Now, if he showed up with a big, famous movie star...
Ha ha! he thought. That would just be mean.
It would be like a fully-grown, professional basketball player showing up to play against a bunch of little kids.
"I might be a 'little' shameless," Zane thought, "but I don't want to make the judges at Cannes mad at me."
So, he smartly picked a young, talented actor who wasn't famous yet.
Just before filming was about to start, Zane was ready.
"Kids," he thought to himself with a grin, "your big, bad wolf is about to appear."
He knew that him entering this contest with a perfect script like The Tuner was like a pro bullying a bunch of amateurs. And he couldn't wait.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discount Code : F014B
Check My New Story : Dimensional Chat Group: Surviving Stranger Things
Huge Content: Read 500+ chapters ahead.+ Access to all my Fanfics Chapters.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/c/kapa69
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.