After that day, the shooting progressed retively smoothly. There were days when we could get as much as 10 ses in a day and there were days when even one se was difficult to .

  But the overall shooting experience was very good. I learned a lot from the director, the camera/sound crew, and my co-actors. One of the most difficult things as an actor is to make sure to know where to look or stand for that matter. Or as they call it, 'to hit the mark'.

  This may seem trivial to a yman, but we have to make sure that we don’t look in the camera. Ever.

  Then there are times when it appears as if we are talking to a person but iy, no one is in front of us. Such ses are difficult because the ck of another person to verse with makes it difficult t out all your emotions.

  Anyway, I am getting sidetracked. So, as I was saying, I learned a lot from being o. Not only from the crew but also from my co-actors. While many people have criticized Bruce Willis over the years for his ag skills, I personally believe all that to be hogwash. As soon as the director says ‘A’ he is in full trol of the situation and seeing him work is a treat in itself. He mostly keeps to himself and to an outsider it may seem as if he has the ego of a big star, but I think some of it was definitely warranted given how much money his films make at the box office. And not once has he been rude or dismissive to me, so I 't pin about that.

  Then there is Toni, another seasoned actor. Besides ag, our dang lessons were also going smoothly. At least in her opinion. I still think I dance like a wild monkey, but she disagreed. I khat I was gettier day by day, but by how much I wasn't sure of that. As I had promised to her, I practiced every day which made my schedule for the past month pretty tight.

  Last but not least was of course my music lessons. Though this time they were necessary for the role. I learhe song that I had to sing for the movie and quite an unventional song it was. It is rare for movies to include songs from musicals. I was lucky that I was being given su opportunity. Even then, I was not happy with how Night po approach the se. So I suggested a major ge.

  "You want to sing the song live iake, without any sort of pre-rec or post-shoot dubbing? I don't think that happens in films," Night scratched his in ption.

  "Yes," I nodded while trying to expin my point of view. "It will really push me forward as an actor. I know it will not be easy, but I want to try it out."

  Night looked me over skeptically before slowly nodding, "Alright, but we will do a pre-rec version as well that you will lip-sync to. Later in post-produ, we'll decide whie came out to be better."

  He was saying that because I had already recorded the song a few weeks ago. At that time, the idea hadn't occurred to me. It was only after I remembered the movie version of [Les Miserables], where Ahaway literally carried the film on her shoulders, despite dying within the first half an hour. It was all because of one se. 'I dreamed a dream', which she sang live iake. While I'm not her, I defiry to copy her style of performance. And since I'd be doing it first, no one could even call me out on it.

  So here we are, filming one of the st ses of the film, o of the school auditorium that was built on a soundstage. I am standing oage solo with the seats in the auditorium pletely empty where the parents of students would be added in the post-produ. That part had already been shot a few days ago.

  “Troy,” Night called out to me, “You got the song memorized?”

  I nodded, “Perfectly.”

  “Good. Then you just have to sing it from the heart. ced sound recorders all around. Since you want just oake, only this camera will follow your movements," Night pointed out the said camera. "Make sure to stay in character the whole time, for this will be a long shot for the plete song. You see David sitting over there?”

  David, the sed AD, waved to us.

  “You have to look only at him when you sing the song and no one else. You close your eyes in some pces to get the emotiht if that helps but try to look at David as much as possible. Okay?”

  At my nod, he tinued, “Now this part is most important for the movie, you must feel the emotion of the song. You know that Mal is a ghost and the part when you say ‘Bring him Home’ the first time you realize the meaning behind the lyrics. You have t the sadness out. While singing the song you realize that he might have to leave someday but deep down you don’t want him to go.”

  “Uood.” I gave a thumbs-up when Night was finished and promptly returo the director’s chair.

  “Quiet o! And A!”

  I looked at the imaginary crowd in front of me nervously and waited for the music to begin pying in the earpiece I had been fitted with.

  (Break)

  Night hadn't been a director for too long, but he had worked in the industry for years. He had heard, and even seen many of the actors demanding unreasonable ges in the script and shooting style of a particur se. When he was discussing the script of the film with Bruce Willis for the first time, even Bruce had asked for a few ges in the script, and Night had agreed to it. He had to get the film made after all. Yet, he had not expected the little boy of ten, who was doing his first studio film, to suggest ges to a se.

  So here they were, trying to shoot the song for the first time, that too live. He just had a feeling they were wasting precious time to shoot the se. Not that there was anything wrong with it, no, the idea was genius. The only problem was that it would be nigh impossible for a kid to pull it off.

  But after the prank they had pulled on him, Night felt as if they owed Troy this moment. While Troy may have cimed that he was joking about quitting, Night suspected that he was not, and he was just feigning it to be a prank. Whatever the case may be, he felt a little guilty about the whole thing. That's why he was allowing this se to be shot as requested by Troy. Even if nothing es out of it, at least the boy would learn something about ag.

  “Quiet o! And A!” Night announced after giving Troy instrus for the se. If they had to record the live song, there could not be even a single sound to disturb the live audio.

  And then Troy started singing. And everybody o lost their minds collectively.

  ~: “God on high,

  Hear my prayer

  In my need

  You have always been there":~

  Night turo his DP, Takashi, in shock, who had a simirly shocked expression on his face.

  'You knew?' Takashi mouthed to him.

  Night could only shake his head. He kroy was taking singing lessons for quite some time, but he had no idea he was this good.

  Unaware of other's reas to his singing, Troy tihe song uerred.

  ~: "He is young

  He's afraid

  Let him rest

  Heaven blessed.

  Bring him home

  Bring him home

  Bring him home.” :~

  Troy had started the song slowly but softly, keeping his emotion in check, a building the momentum of his voice with eaote. But towards the end, when he sang 'Bring him home' for the third time, his eyes watered at the reminder of losing a friend. A friend who didn't even have ahat he wasn't among the living anymore.

  ~: “He's like the son I might have known,

  If God had granted me a son.

  The summers die,

  One by one,

  How soon they fly,

  On and on.” :~

  At this point, the entire crew was lost in the melody and the emotion of the song, swaying along with Troy's words softly. Yet, Troy kept his voice steady and soft as he tinued singing. Night himself had goosebumps.

  ~: “Bring him peace,

  Bring him joy,

  He is young,

  He is only a boy,

  You take,

  You give,

  Let him be,

  Let him live.

  If I die.

  Let me die,

  Let him live,

  Bring him home.” :~

  Towards the end of the song, Troy couldn’t help but unsciously wipe off the tears that had rolled down his cheeks.

  Shyaman couldn't bring himself to call cut because he wasn't faring aer than Troy, for his own eyes were misty with emotions, and was barely holding back a sob. The song had touched him to a level he hadn't even knoossible. inally, the song 'Bring him home' was meant to be sung with vibrato, which is impossible for young boys to do uheir voice drops. Rather Troy sang the song in aic voice, and it was so beautiful, that it would be difficult fht to pick who sang it better, Wilkinson or Troy Armitage.

  In the end, he didn't have to call 'Cut', because the crew members unanimously stood up and started g as loud as they could. If that wasn't meant to be the signal to cut, then nothing would be.

  The set assistants, the boom operator, the sound teis, everyone surrouroy as they praised his performance. Yet, Night didn't move from his pce because he, uhers, khat he had to review the footage first.

  "That boy is winning an Oscar," Takashi, the DP, ented offhandedly when they saw the footage again. "There's no doubt about it. He will. As long as you use this take."

  Even Night khat it was the truth. For any actor to give such a long wonderful performahat too in the first take was unheard of.

  "Hey Night!" Troy called over after getting rid of the crowding crew members. "Is the shot done or do we o do it again?"

  Night would have given the same answer had he not seen the footage, "It is very good. We work with it, but if you want, we try some more takes."

  "Yeah, sure," Troy agreed easily aook his position before doing his vocal exercises to ease up his vocal cords.

  In the end, they shot the se three more times, but then everyone, including Troy, agreed to use the first take only. Some things 't be recreated. The magic of Troy's first time singing live was not easily replicated in the subsequent takes.

  Night didn't even shoot the pre-recorded version as he had pnned earlier.

  (Break)

  “Everyone! I’d like to make a toast!” Bruce’s voice rang out in the Sixth Sense party, “First to M. Night Shyaman for writing this amazing film and doing su amazing job in the dire.”

  A chorus of cheers rang around the hall as people toasted to the director.

  “Sed,” Bruce tinued a few moments ter, “To all our crew. You all did a wonderful job to make the film and I couldn’t be prouder to work with you all.”

  Another chorus of cheers rang around, this time much louder than the first one.

  “And finally to my co-stars Toni, Olivia, Donnie, and everyone else who made w on the film an unfettable experience.”

  “I think you’re fetting someone Bruce,” Toni quipped from beside me with amused eyes.

  “Am I? Ah, of course, how I fet the one and only. The you Golden Globe winner in history. Trooyyyy Armitage!” Brunounced my name loudly.

  “Sed you,” I grumbled but no one paid it much mind as they were busy giving out the loudest cheers till now with some amused snickers mixed iween.

  “From w with him on his very first feature film, I fidently say that this young man will go far iure. We thank him for this party as he took the least number of retakes, so the budget for this party that we saved was all because of him.” Another round of cheers followed his annou.

  “Troy, I had a lot of fun w with you and I wish you the very best for your ag career.” Bruce finished early. I just stepped closer to him and gave him a hug. Well, he bent down seeing my iions as I couldn’t have hugged him properly with our height difference.

  “Thank you. It means a lot ing from you.” I muttered in his ear. He just patted my back before separating.

  I couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the fact that I’m going back to LA temporarily and then off to London for the foreseeable future. While I liked my life in London more than I did iates, I've grown a little attached to this try. Unfortunately, it has to be done.

  I looked around to witness people guzzling down expensive wine or flirting with a pretty bird or bloke as the case may be. As the shooting finished a whole week earlier than phe producers threw a vish party to celebrate the money saved. Kind of terproductive, I know, but that’s how things are in showbiz.

  This is, as I like to call it, the stupidity of the rich.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Toni’s voice broke me out of my reverie.

  “Nothing. Just thinking about going to Londo week,” I looked up at her and expined, “Dad had bought adaptatihts for this book series that he is produg. It is set in Britain so we have to go back there for a year at least, if not more.”

  “A year? Geez, what kind of super-long movie is he making?” She inquired in fusion.

  “Have you heard of Harry Potter?”

  “You mean to say,” She paused while giving me an incredulous look, “your father, Steve Kloves, purchased the rights to Harry Potter and is making a movie? The New York Times Best Seller for more than a year?”

  “Mhmm,” I firmed.

  “Wait. Does that mean that you’ll py―”

  “Shhh!” I cut her off before she could finish her sentence, “I don’t want this leaking into the press until we have sighe tract.”

  She nodded her head in uanding. Harry Potter was a big deal. Very big deal.

  “And nothing has been finalized. Dad did buy the rights for me but it’s up to Warner Bros. whether I’ll be finally cast or not. And even if I’m not, we have to go to the UK because Dad will produce it.”

  “Do you realize that appearing in such a movie will gain you instant ultra-fame?” She quipped.

  I shrugged my shoulders, “Isn’t that part of being an actor? I have met a few people who tell me how much they liked [Sex Education].”

  She shook her head, “No, that’s not it. The people you meet must be adults, right? Now, people ye, younger or even older will e to you. Do you think you handle all that pressure? I speak from experience, ad fa old really fast. And the media is a whole different circus you might be familiar with by now.”

  Of course, I know that Toni. At least we are still a few years away from the time when everyone and their mother have a camera in their pockets and want to take a selfie with you.

  “C'est vie.” I shrugged again.

  “Hopefully you’ll get the role if you really want it. However, you should tinue practig ballet or some other type of da helps a great deal, especially if you ever want to go Broadway or West End in your case. Not to mention, it increases your height if do ye.” She joked.

  I rolled my eyes at the quip about my short stature.

  “I will,” I promised her heless with my utmost siy. Initially, I didn’t like the fact that I was being forced to dao someone else’s tune, but over the past two months, ballet had kind of grown on me.

  And I may have to go do Broadway if my movie career didn’t soar any higher after [Harry Potter]. Isn’t that what Daniel Radcliffe did? Food for thought.

  __________________________________

  AN: Visit my Pat reon to read ahead up to 20 chapters, or participate in free polls about the story.

  Link: (dot)pat reon(dot)/fableweaver