“Yeah,Blair Witchis a classic. I actually met with the team yesterday though, and we were thinking we might take things in a different direction. Everybody’s doing found footage these days, so it might work better if we do something else. Stand out from the crowd.”
“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.” My stomach churns, because I know what that means: an increased budget. People make found footage films ‘cause they’re cheap.
“Have you directed a feature before?” he asks.
The most dreaded question of all. I shake my head slowly. “This would be the first.”
“I see.” Two words—two quick stabs to the heart.
Miles takes a painfully long sip of his overpriced espresso. I hold my breath.
“I looked at your reel. Kind of a Wes Craven style, speaking of Freddy Krueger. I like it.”
My heart does a backflip. Wes Craven, may the legend rest in peace, is my favorite director and my biggest inspiration. This might be the first artistic validation I’ve ever received in my life. My parents have certainly never deigned to give me any.
“In all honesty, I think the team is looking for someone with a little more experience,” he continues, and I deflate inside. “But with the right budget, I think we could make it work.”
Trepidation creeps down my spine. A budget increase for sure.
“What are you thinking?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
The air leaves my lungs. That’s a huge leap from the fifty thousand pay-to-play price tag originally mentioned in his ad. Between my dwindling bank account and hawking my last few pieces of jewelry, fifty thousand was a reach. Two hundred is impossible. It’s been two years since I was cut out of the family trust. There’s no chance.
“I could do that,” I lie anyway, wondering how many other wannabe directors are currently sitting in coffee shops, attempting to buy their way into this failing industry. Probably a few. I know I’m not the only game in town. He might even have another appointment lined up right after this one. “When are you looking to start production?”
“Soon. We want to be wrapped and done with post in time to catch some of the festival season next winter.”
Fuck. For one, my pathetic, self-funded shorts don’t qualify me as an experienced filmmaker, and even I know that timeline is bonkers. Two, that means he’s probably looking to start shooting within the month. There’s no way I can get the money in time. Asking my parents is out of the question, and my friends have already done too much for me, putting me up and covering me on the months I couldn’t make ends meet. I’ve been paying rent under the table to Grace the last few years, and she’s spotted me more times than I care to admit. A loan would be my only option, but I don’t even have a credit score.
“Too soon?” He raises a brow.
I don’t want to say yes, but I also don’t want to waste this man’s time. My mind whirls through all other possible avenues I can think of, and comes up short.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I say.
There’s a hint of skepticism in his eye, reminding me of when my business school professors knew I was bullshitting my way through an answer, before I dropped out, but he nods, offering a polite smile.
“No worries. You don’t have to decide today. Just keep me in the loop.”
“When do you need to know by?” I say, as if this collaboration isn’t already as dead as Johnny Depp inA Nightmare on Elm Street.
“Call it August 15th.”
That’s just over two weeks from now. I try not to let my devastation show on my face. So much for getting a foot in the door. I’m gonna be flipping burgers before I know it.
“Sounds good, Miles. I’ll let you know.” I stand and push my chair in, scooping up my notebook. He nods, and I try not to look too much like I’m fleeing as I leave the table.
I’ve just stopped to consider eating my feelings via an almond croissant on the way out when my phone vibrates. Frowning, I pull it out of my bag. It’s my mother. She almost never calls. I brace myself. Fully expecting a family death, I lift the phone to my ear.
“Hey, mom.”
“Frederica, I need you home immediately. Don’t look at the news. There’s been an incident.”
So much for manifesting my perfect day.
Chapter 2
