Chapter 33. 2:

Chapter 33. 2:

...

October 27, 1996

The sun was barely rising when Adam arrived on set, but the hustle and bustle were already in full swing. Technicians were checking the camera equipment, assistants were running around with trays of coffee, and crew members were setting up for the day's shoot.

Yep, just another morning in the chaos of filmmaking.

And for him, this was just another day in the jungles of Isla Sorna.

Well, at least the Hollywood/movie version of it.

Adam had been filming for a month and a week now, and even though his body reminded him of it with every aching/sore muscle, the excitement still hadn't faded one bite.

Because, seriously…

How many kids could say they spent part of their childhood running from dinosaurs?

He definitely could!

This project was, without a doubt, the closest thing to a real adventure anyone could experience.

It wasn't like Bogus, where the magic came from practical effects and subtle performances, or like Leave It to Beaver, where everything revolved around static sets and dialogue.

Here, everything felt alive, fast-paced, and adrenaline-fueled.

Here, the action was raw/viceral, intense, and in many cases, incredibly physical.

Running, climbing, hiding, getting into trouble, and, of course, escaping from giant predators.... even if they were just special effects.... each take made him feel like he was truly on Isla Sorna.

So yeah, by the end of each day, his small body was completely exhausted ann drained, his muscles aching more than he cared to admit, but at the same time, he had never been this excited about every single scene.

And if this was what filming an action movie felt like, he definitely wanted to do more.

...

Over the past month and a week, Adam had filmed several major and key scenes...each with its own level of intensity and excitement.

One of the scenes he had already filmed was the arrival on Isla Sorna, the moment when Arby and Kelly were caught hiding in the expedition.

Adam clearly remembered having to strike the perfect balance between nervousness and determination when Eddie Carr, Arby's father and the expedition's mechanic, found them.

Eddie, played by Richard Schiff, narrowed his eyes at them, holding back his obvious frustration as he scolded them.

Then...

"You stay here. If anything goes wrong, use the radio"

Adam had swallowed before responding in Arby's voice, trying to make it sound a bit lower, almost hesitant.

"W-what if it doesn't work?"

Schiff had sighed and shaken his head before giving him a quick pat on the shoulder.

"Then improvise. You're good at that."

Adam loved that line because it perfectly captured Arby's essence: a brilliant, almost genius-level kid… but still vulnerable and a little scared.

Yes... it defined Arby perfectly. A kid who knew far more than someone his age should, yet, at the end of the day, was still just a child in a dangerous place.

And Spielberg was a master at balancing characters.

Arby wasn't just a reckless kid getting into trouble for no reason… there was always a reason behind everything he did.

And yes, he was smart, incredibly talented…. but he was still afraid, and that made him feel real.

Spielberg had seemed pleased with the take, and after exchanging a few words with Schiff about the scene's tone, he had threw Adam an approving smile.

"Well done. I liked the hesitation in your voice—it felt real."

.....

Now, if Adam had to choose a scene that truly left him speechless, it would be the trailer attack.

The set was massive—once again, controlled chaos everywhere he looked.

But what seemed like pure chaos to him was actually a meticulously organized system for the hundreds of sets they had and the countless things they pulled off in just minutes.

It was fascinating how well-coordinated everything was.

There were teams for everything, and directors for more than one thing.

That's right, Spielberg may have been the film's director, but behind him, there were dozens of other directors leading their own teams—set design, visual effects, sound, wardrobe, stunts, animation, location scouting, and many more.

Adam hadn't even learned most of their names yet.

Oh, and this was just one of the over 100 sets they had for the film.

The trailer was mounted on a hydraulic platform, more than thirty feet high, tilting dangerously over what looked like an abyss—though in reality, it was a pit lined with safety padding.

Technicians moved back and forth, checking cables and remote-control systems.

The tension in the air was thick.

Spielberg, wearing a hoodie, walked among the crew with his walkie-talkie in hand, giving quick instructions.

"When the T-Rex pushes, I want the trailer to sway like a ship in a storm. Make the audience feel like they're falling with them"

To the side, Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn were rehearsing their movements with a stunt coordinator, making sure they knew exactly where to hold on when the trailer tipped over.

"When the wall breaks," Spielberg explained to Julianne, "grab onto the table, but let your body slide slightly toward the glass. Act as if the T-Rex is breathing down your neck!"

A technician counted down before activating the platform.

"Testing the tilt mechanism in three… two… one!"

The trailer groaned and tipped violently.

Julianne Moore gripped a safety bar, her fingers turning white from how tightly she held on. Adam watched in fascination.

And then, there was the true star of the scene: the animatronic T-Rex.

The dinosaur wasn't CGI in this part—it was a full-scale animatronic weighing over a ton, operated by four technicians using remote controls.

Every time it roared, the ground literally shook.

Adam had never seen anything so impressive. The T-Rex's skin was made of latex and silicone, designed to reflect light as if it were soaked in rain. Every facial muscle could move independently, allowing it to express realistic emotions.

Near the cameras, a team from ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) previewed the scene on a monitor."We'll digitally add the cliffside background," one of the technicians explained to Spielberg. "And here, the CGI T-Rex will bite into the trailer." 

Adam could barely hold back a grin.

Because if just watching all of this happen in real life was this incredible—he couldn't wait to see how it would look on the big screen.…

In the movie, while all of that was happening, Arby and Kelly were in the high hide, watching the disaster unfold from a distance.

It was, without a doubt, the most emotional scene Adam had filmed so far.

Everything started with Arby and Kelly watching Eddie go down to help. Adam, fully immersed in his character, kept his eyes locked on the screen showing what was happening below.

And then… Eddie was caught by the T-Rexes.

The scream escaped Adam effortlessly, as if he hadn't even planned it.

"DAD!"

A sharp, heart-wrenching sob cut through the set as the camera captured his face. Kelly, played by Vanessa, reacted instinctively—wrapping her arms around him in a protective hug, trying to comfort him even though she was trembling with fear herself.

When Spielberg called "Cut!" the set fell into silence for a few seconds.

Vanessa glanced at him.

"That was… brutal."

Adam took a breath, feeling his heart still pounding, even though he was no longer Arby.

"Tell me something I don't know."

She chuckled softly but then frowned slightly, intrigued.

"For a moment… you looked genuinely desperate."

Adam didn't answer.

Because, for just a second, he had actually felt it.

After the scene, Adam needed a moment to breathe and process. Not because he was scared or upset.... but because the emotional weight of it had been intense.

His Perfect Acting ability had done an incredible job of making Arby's pure desperation and horror visible on his face and in his voice. Even Vanessa beside him had been caught off guard by how real it sounded.

And Adam hadn't expected the scene to hit him this hard either. But screaming as Arby and feeling his fear had been… different. It had felt almost real.

That was the power of Perfect Acting.

He hadn't noticed it before because he'd never been in a scene with such an overwhelming emotion. The most intense moments he'd had were as Albert in Bogus, but those were subtle, introspective emotions... nothing like this.

This… this was pure terror and despair.

And that was something he needed to think about.

Luckily, Natural Occlumency did an excellent job of keeping his mind stable and in control, even in unexpected situations like this.

Yeah… those two abilities complemented each other pretty damn well.

Anyway, the scene didn't end there—next came the trailer's fall off the cliff.

Physically, this sequence was incredibly demanding. But as always, the crew worked wonders to make it happen.

Before shooting, they tested everything.

Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore, and Jeff Goldblum were stuck in a nightmare scenario, fighting for their lives.

"You guys will start by looking up, then quickly glance to the left—because this whole thing is moving. The reason you're looking all over is that you don't want to get hit by the side," Spielberg explained to them before they started.

Then, the three actors were hanging onto a rope over a fake cliff—just one of the many elaborate sets built for the film. The director gave precise instructions, making sure every movement was perfectly timed for the later recreation of the scene.

Obviously, they weren't going to drop the real trailer off a cliff, but it had to look like they did.

Adam had been fascinated watching the whole process.

They even had a machine shooting fire underneath the actors to create a more realistic explosion effect when the trailer "fell."

It was also pretty amusing to see such big-name actors being directed step by step by Spielberg.

He was literally saying, "Look up. Now down. Now to the side." And then, on cue, he'd turn to the effects team and command, "Explosion!" at the perfect moment.

Of course, this required a ton of physical effort from the actors. Every action sequence in this movie was challenging not just for the crew but for the cast as well.

But everyone seemed to love it, even with how physically exhausting it was.

The funny thing was that most of the actors hadn't expected it to be this physically demanding when they first read the script.

So for all of them, this was something unique—something both difficult and incredibly fun.

And it was obvious on set. Everyone was having a blast.

Another physically demanding scene was when the group got trapped near a raptor nest, and Arby had to find a way to help them without being seen.

"How did you do that?" Sarah asked, both impressed and grateful.

"My dad taught me… just in case."

His voice was still shaky from the situation, and his face and body language perfectly reflected his nerves.

Yeah… everyone was pretty impressed by how realistic his acting was.

It was just a shame he didn't have more scenes like this to showcase it.

Adam really liked this part of the film because it showed Arby putting into practice the things his father had taught him.

It gave his character more depth. He wasn't just a scared kid anymore.

He was a scared kid who did whatever he could to survive and help.

Filming the scene hadn't been easy.

He had to run through fake trees, dodge obstacles, and hide behind rocks... all while keeping a controlled look of panic.

After the fifth take, Adam collapsed into a chair and took a huge gulp of water.

"Tired, Arby?" Vanessa teased.

Adam sighed dramatically.

"Who needs cardio when Spielberg makes you run for your life?"

Vanessa chuckled.

"You know that after this, every other movie is going to feel easy, right?"

Adam smirked.

"I wouldn't mind a project where my character doesn't have to run from dinosaurs every five minutes"

They both laughed before being called for another take.

And nevertheless, for both of them, this was awesome, even if it was exhausting, it was just great. 

...

Oh, and one of the most iconic moments in the movie was when the group had to cross a field of tall grass.... without realizing raptors were silently stalking them.

The tension was sky-high, and Arby had to make a quick decision to help the group.

Right before they stepped into the grass, Arby modified a sound device to temporarily distract the raptors, giving the group a chance to escape.

"Kid, you're a genius!" Nick said, surprised.

Again, Adam had loved filming this scene, especially because it gave Arby a clever moment without making him feel unrealistically overpowered.

"Arby's not an action hero. He's just a smart kid who finds ways to help," Spielberg had said.

And Adam really liked that.

On top of that, the scene itself was visually stunning.

The aerial shots of the tall grass swaying, the raptors gliding through unseen, the way the tension built up....

It was on another level.

When they wrapped up filming, Adam stayed behind for a moment, watching the replay on Spielberg's monitor.

A grin crept onto his face.

"This is going to look amazing on the big screen"

....

So.... To be brief, yea, Adam absolutely loved filming this movie.