Page 105 of Forbidden

“They’re called Call sheets.”

“And they are probably line… ”

“Line producers.”

“Right,” I say. “Anyway, the two look over it, pissed, whatever. They may be setting the toxic tone and creating negative energy. The crew look like they have no spark. No one looks happy, and they look shattered, Lorenzo.”

Our eyes meet, and Lorenzo nods.

“Just walk around for thirty minutes, say nothing, watch and listen.”

Lorenzo grins at me.

“What?” I ask.

“I like it when you boss me around.”

“Screw you,” I say before whacking him. “Now, go do your job.”

We walk back through the various sets, and I watch Lorenzo from a distance. He keeps his distance from crew, and he silently observes.

I tag along behind him, and I stay as quiet as a mouse. We hear camera, lighting, wardrobe, and other crew talk amongst themselves, and also complain.

Complain about all kinds of mistakes, bad energy, and problems.

The crew appear to dislike the key production people, who are running the shoot, but who work under the producer.

Who knows if it is just the two old timers, and if they really are the line producers. Who knows, if they are actually Arseholes, or total pros, but exhausted.

Finally, Lorenzo winks at me, and he smiles.

We walk back towards the main production offices near the studio front. To where the producer, on set writer, and production team work.

As we do, Lorenzo seems more light, and he walks faster. “I knew there was a good reason to keep you around.”

I look over. “Baby, you keep me close, because you are falling.”

“What?” he asks as if he misheard me.

“Falling.”

Lorenzo whips his head around, and our eyes meet. It’s a deadly serious look, and I have gone way over the line.

We have no time to dive into that, because we have just reached the main doors of the production offices, and crew are exiting.

Inside, I follow a silent Lorenzo. As people see him, they almost come to attention.

The place is a hive of activity, and I watch Lorenzo find his primary contact, the actual producer.

The man Lorenzo hired to actually make and oversee the movie.

As they speak, I hear someone call the movie director with a radio. He is on set, but someone else speaks loud explaining the director will be here in ten.

A dozen crew including Lorenzo and I enter a large boardroom. Storyboards and location photos cover walls and everyone sits.

The movie schedule covers an entire wall, and I sit nervously in the corner, trying to mind my own business. As I eat a muffin from the catering table, I try to hide my head in the old leather book. It’s hard, because the drama in the room is electric, and intense.

After the nervous, and exhausted director walks in, he sits, muddy boots and all. He is handed a fresh coffee, and slumps.