Chapter 29

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 29

Wyatt yawned as he stretched his aching limbs. His joints cracked audibly, a clear sign of exhaustion and lack of rest. Sitting for an entire day without proper breaks was one of the most excruciating things ever. He arched his back and moaned in pleasure. As always, stretching felt incredibly good after being hunched over monitors like a gremlin for hours.

Wyatt rubbed his eyes. He'd been sleep-deprived for more than five months, ever since production began of The Accidental Wedding Crashers. Every night, he had to stay up to review the footage and film reels, study his storyboard, plan the next scene, and coordinate with his assistant for the day ahead. It was a relentless cycle, physically and mentally draining.

And now, even during post-production, Wyatt still had to stay up all night. As if the stress of filming weren't enough, editing turned out to be its own beast. Once this whole ordeal was over, Wyatt promised himself he'd finally take a long, relaxing sleep to make up for his suffering.

'I'm gonna go to a bar to celebrate. This job is not easy at all. There were so many problems at the start of the project, and I had to adjust everything while sacrificing sleep... Now my favorite beverages are Redd Bull and black coffee.'

Back in college, Wyatt used to go to bars frequently. Those carefree, booze-filled nights now felt like a distant memory. But he had heard that bars and parties in Los Angeles were immaculate. No matter where you went, you'd find gorgeous women. Wyatt could personally testify, especially in Hollywood, it felt like walking into a catalog shoot. Almost everyone was stunning.

Fueled by curiosity, he wanted to experience Hollywood nightlife for himself. Maybe he'd even get lucky and get laid. He glanced at his belly fat and sighed. With his current appearance, it might be tough.

After a good stretch, he exited the editing studio to share the good news with his agent. Collin, who had taken on the role of Producer, was also exhausted. Both of them were soldiers in this production, bleeding time and energy for a dream.

He found a phone booth near the studio and dialed Collin's number. The phone began to ring. The buzzing dial tone echoed in his ear as he tapped his foot in rhythm.

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"Oh, you're looking for employees? Hahaha. No problem, no problem. You called the right guy. By the way, the commission's still the same, right? $1000 per person I refer?"

Collin chuckled as the person on the line described a need for production crew members. A familiar type of call in his line of side hustles. The person was a producer of a TV series.

Collin couldn't survive in Hollywood on the meager salary of a small-time agent. He had bills and debts to pay. Thankfully, he had other profitable skills.

First was his talent for recognizing people's skills and disposition. Because of that, he worked part-time as a small-time contractor, a talent scout of sorts. Producers would contact Collin whenever they needed people with specific skills, like prop-making or costume designing.

This unique ability to sense a person's capability felt like a sixth sense, honed through years of observation and instinct. It existed long before he gained the Golden Vision.

He had used this intuition to assess whether someone was "good news" or "bad news." Most of the time, he was right. That's how he managed to find the "right" people. Reliable workers who showed up on time, did their jobs, and didn't create drama.

Unfortunately, even with this talent, Collin still suffered betrayal. Sometimes, he couldn't help but trust those closest to him, even when his gut told him otherwise. At times, the heart overruled the intuition.

In addition to talent scouting, Collin was also a physical trainer, a licensed, professional one with a valid certification. Being a model, he spent most of his time in the gym and learned how to take care of the body properly. Though his certification was about to expire this year, he'd probably renew it.

He had trained two actors before, but neither job lasted long. The first actor switched agencies and chose a different trainer. The second actor was jealous of Collin's height and fired him. Collin was over 6 feet tall while the other guy was only 5'7".

Anyway, both side jobs had their pros and cons. Neither could be relied on for long-term stability. But Collin preferred the contractor job, it required less babysitting and more networking.

"Okay, so you're looking for a Camera Operator, Clapper Loader, and Best Boy Grip."

These weren't glamorous titles, but they were crucial to the crew.

The Camera Operator physically handled the camera during shoots. Depending on the genre and complexity, a crew might need three or four of them.

The Clapper Loader operated the clapperboard, writing scene and take numbers and clapping it in front of the camera before each take, ensuring clean sync in post-production.

As for the Best Boy Grip (and no, it's not a dirty term), he managed the logistics for the lighting and camera departments, making sure everything ran like clockwork.

Collin pulled out a small notebook, it was filled with scribbles and names. He nodded as he recognized three people who fit the bill.

"Tomorrow, they'll head to your studio. If they meet the requirements, great. As for their salaries, you can negotiate… just don't forget my commission. Alright. Thanks, I appreciate it."

Collin smiled. Money was money. If the three were hired, he'd earn $3000. Not a bad deal for a few calls and some matchmaking.

He hung up the phone in a good mood. Some of his co-workers had overheard the conversation and couldn't help but feel envious. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have Collin's unique skillset/intuition, contractor work would be tough without it.

"I gotta contact these three and let them know they've got job opportunities. I'll tell them these could even become permanent roles."

Hope was a powerful motivator.

He reached for the phone again, but it started ringing.

"Hm?"

Collin blinked in surprise. Two calls in a row? That was rare. Maybe someone else was also looking for workers?

He immediately picked up.

"Hello, this is Collin East from Apex Network Talent. Oh, Wyatt! Is that so? Then let's watch it tomorrow. We can invite the cast, too. Take a good rest, you've earned it."

Collin's tone shifted into something more serious as Wyatt informed him that post-production on The Accidental Wedding Crashers was finally complete. The news struck like a lightning bolt. This was it. His heart began to race.

Perhaps… Perhaps his path to success had finally arrived, after years of hustle and heartbreak.

'This will determine if the golden words I see are real... If the movie fails, then maybe I really am mentally ill. Because who in their right mind sees floating words above people's heads?'

He needed to know. Was it superpowers… or insanity?