From Shadows To The Spotlight

[Chapter 9: The Price of Greatness. (IV)]

Last Time on Chapter 008 of From Shadows To The Spotlight —

After all, the only reason he even accepted Catherine's proposal was because she was actually a darn good actor, maybe a bit tall for the role, but her heroic aura would really be suit the changes to her role that had been made by him.

He had even consulted with Peter about the changes, and after reading through them, he was sold and claimed that the new scene actually helped them set up Arwen as an important character early on.

Alex only took it as a happy accident and moved on.

His deal with Catherine had seen her discreetly enter his RV nearly every night that she could manage without being caught or seen—a routine she had come to deeply enjoy as the thrill of sneaking around to sleep with Alex was something she hadn't experienced before.

Now Continuing —

The curfew that Alex had imposed on the entire crew after 10 PM to ensure everyone got up on time for early morning location shots really helped as well, as it caused most of the crew members to either fall asleep by 10 PM or at least stay indoors.

And the fact that Alex wasn't only easy on the eyes but also quite enthusiastic about returning the favor by going down on her, and on top of that, being more than capable of satisfying even her intense sex drive, made him one of the best partners she had ever had.

She was actually enjoying her arrangement with him so much in the past 4 months that she found it almost to be a shame that she wouldn't be able to get with him after the films were done being shot.

For a moment she had even thought about wooing him away from his current woman, with whom he has been in a steady relationship, but after spending more time with him, she realized that Alex won't leave her for anyone.

At least, unless she crosses one of his lines. Why? It was really simple, as the crazy bitch had actually given him her blessings when it came to having sexual relationships with his muses. She wasn't sure if she could be that open-minded…

Oh! Who was she kidding? If it was with a man like Alex Masters, then she would even be satisfied with being his mistress.

Though this temporary relationship of theirs did grant her one thing—it gave her an entry point into the group of actors and stars that were firmly in Alex's camp.

Most of the people in it were people who came from nothing, and Alex had helped them to reach the heights of their career they were now at, and that made them extremely loyal to the man.

The second category were the kind of people that were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, with the connections or money or even both that one could ever dream of.

But they still somehow fumbled and ended up ruining their careers, like River or Robert; these were far and few in-between, but Alex had helped them get back on their feet as well, and that made them fanatically loyal to the man.

She fell in the previous camp of people, and she was really grateful that she did, because studio Monarch had been churning out film and TV projects that were critically acclaimed and loved by the public for the past few years like a beast.

So by just sleeping with Alex for a few months (an act that she had come to actually enjoy and look forward to at the end of a day of exhaustive shoots), she had ended up gaining almost a guarantee of a lifetime of work.

And not just any kind of work, but the cream of the crop, the kind of roles that could lead to her being nominated for the Emmie's and Oscars—the kind that could make her a household name. A Star. 

Today they were about to shoot the changed scene; it had already been nearly 2 months since the start of the shoot, and Alex couldn't believe how smoothly everything had been going. Well, it wasn't as if there were no problems on set, as there were many, but there was yet to be one that could make their filming come to a halt.

There had been a few accidents, especially one where the stuntman needed immediate medical attention; thankfully, the onset medical team that he had firmly insisted upon hiring had kept the process smooth and worry-free.

It had been their timely administered medical care that reduced a career-ending injury to the kind that one could still recover from, provided it would take almost a year for him to heal properly and get back to work.

The foreign stunt team that had been specially hired for the film had been very grateful towards him and especially thanked him for the medic. And they were even more so when he paid a tidy sum of money to the one stuntman who was going to be unable to work for the next 9 to 12 months.

-----------

Catherine drew a deep breath as she walked behind the assistant who was leading her towards the set; she kept mumbling Elvish spell phrases under her breath. Each line felt like an invocation, bringing her closer to embodying Arwen Undómiel.

Alex had been insistent that she not only memorize the words but also try her best to understand their meaning and weight, something she had taken to heart. By now, the Elvish flowed from her lips with ease, and she recited her lines as if they were second nature.

The training, the rehearsals, and the countless hours spent with Alex had molded her performance into something she felt proud of; she had felt herself grow as an actress under his guidance, and she felt all the more grateful for it.

She was grateful for the opportunity—and for him. Though this was a professional relationship, there was a touch of the personal, too, that added depth to her work.

Even now, she found herself thinking back to those quiet moments after her riding lessons when he'd offer her a gentle massage, working out the aches that had accumulated from hours spent on horseback. It was a small but thoughtful gesture, and one that made her respect him all the more.

As she reached Hero, her white Andalusian, he nickered softly and nudged her shoulder as she was lost in her thoughts and hadn't greeted him properly. She smiled, running her hand down his nose, feeling the familiar warmth of his breath on her palm.

She'd become fond of Hero in a way she hadn't anticipated—he was more than an animal actor to her; he was a companion.

Placing her forehead gently against hero's, she murmured a few Elvish phrases in his ear; it was a ritual of sorts that she'd developed during their training.

"Alright, Hero," she whispered, her voice soft yet resolute. "Let's do this."

She straightened, adjusting her costume and giving Hero a final pat. Her confidence was steadily growing with each passing rehearsal, each scene, and today she felt prepared for whatever Alex was going to throw her way.

He was infamous for improvising the scenes and making changes with each shot to improve the scene and its feel. 

The crispness of the morning air grounded her, and as she made her way to the center of the set after gesturing for Hero to wait for her return. She felt herself slip seamlessly into the role of Arwen, the Elven princess determined to save Frodo from the clutches of darkness.

Alex was patiently waiting nearby while overlooking various positions the cameramen would be shooting from, his usual calm focus even more intense than usual. When he saw her approaching, he gave her a brief, encouraging nod.

"Catherine," he called, holding up a series of carefully painted storyboards that depicted the Black Riders, the dark, shadowed figures of the Nazgûl with their cloaks billowing, their skeletal hands reaching forward with malice.

He turned the page, showing her an image of a large stretch of field; it was covered with a grass called Toetoe, and after doing a few preliminary shots. They found that grass had tall, arching flower plumes similar to the feathery look of Chinese silver grass and is often used in landscaping for its graceful, ornamental appearance.

Alex already had the shot in his head; it was of Arwen riding through the fields with the wind blowing against her back and the dark wraiths right at her heel, but it was impossible for them to bring in industrial-grade fans to create the blowing wind effect at command.

So Alex had to improvise; he sent a team of location shooting crew along with PA's to document which section of the fields gets frequent wind flow throughout the nearby regions, especially at dawn, as that was the moment in the film that Arwen would be riding through the fields and reaching near the river.

Alex showed her a drawing of a water spell that she would be invoking at the riverbanks that ran through the Fords of Bruinen, its waters rising into the shape of galloping horses, charging down upon the Nazgûl. The sheer power conveyed in the painting took her breath away; it allowed her to see a different side of Alex, one of an artist.

"This is what you're up against," he said, his voice low and steady. "I want you to imagine the terror Frodo is feeling, the weight of the chase, and the urgency of keeping him alive. You're his only hope, Catherine. Let that sink in. You're not just riding to escape; you're riding to save the future of Middle Earth."

She studied the painting, absorbing the details—the swirling water, the fury of the elemental horses, the desperation that Alex had captured on Frodo's face in the painting. She could feel the tension building, the stakes rising.

This was no ordinary scene, and she knew Alex expected nothing less than total immersion from her.

"Understood, Alex," she replied, a determination flashing in her eyes. She was ready.

He gave her a final nod, stepping back as the crew prepared the camera angles and lighting. She mounted Hero with practiced ease, and the Andalusian seemed to sense her focus, his ears pricking forward, his stance alert.

She whispered the Elvish prayer one last time, grounding herself fully in the role.

In the scene, Arwen would gallop through the woods, pursued by the Black Riders. She would lean forward, urging Hero onward as Frodo lay unconscious before her, the weight of her determination evident in every move, every look.

The riders behind her—draped in dark, flowing cloaks—were a looming presence that she could feel, even without seeing them directly.

The call came over the megaphone. "Action!"

She pressed her heels gently into Hero's sides, and he surged forward instantly, his hooves thundering against the ground as he carried her through the woods. The trees blurred past her, and the air whipped against her face, heightening her awareness of the chase.

The actor, playing Frodo, wore a hooded cloak to hide the fact that it wasn't Elijah riding with her, but rather a short teenager who was his body double. It had been a really tricky thing to shoot small dwarf-like characters but actual normal-sized human actors.

Alex had even once confided in her that he had previously thought about hiring dwarf actors and even shot a few experimental scenes with them, but unfortunately found that the "feel" of their performance was always off, and it felt like something was missing. 

It was only after seeing Elijah's audition tape did Alex realize what was missing; it was a childlike wonder that almost all hobbit characters from Mr. Tolkien's books carried with them.

And just wasn't something that most actors who have grown up with a condition like that could pull off, as they had already been jaded by dealing with the harsh realities of life.

The young teenager was also an excellent horse rider as well, so she wasn't afraid that he would mistakenly fall as she drove Hero to gallop down the fields at full sprint; he was slumped across the saddle in front of her.

His face was made to look pale and much closer to Elijah's with expertly applied makeup, and his breathing was shallow. Her gaze flickered over him briefly, and she felt the weight of her responsibility settle upon her.

Her breath came in shallow bursts as she whispered Elvish phrases to herself, her voice a mixture of fear and determination. She tightened her grip on the reins, casting a glance over her shoulder at her horse-riding instructor and stuntmen who were dressed as the Nazgûl.

They loomed ever closer; their realistic look and dark presence at the crack of dawn sent a shiver down her spine. But instead of fear or anxiety, all she felt was a thrill of adrenaline spike through her as she spurred Hero onward, pushing him to the limit.

"Keep going, Hero," she murmured, her voice thick with desperation. "We're almost there."

The chase continued, the Nazgûl closing in with relentless speed, their dark figures a constant threat on the edges of her vision. The river loomed ahead, its waters shimmering in the morning light, and she could almost feel the power within it, the strength she would call upon to protect Frodo.

As she neared the river's edge, she let out a fierce cry, raising her hand and reciting the Elvish incantation that Alex had drilled into her mind. She channeled every ounce of her being into the words, her voice rising over the roar of the river.

The crew worked around her with precision, cameras capturing every angle of her performance, but Catherine was oblivious to their presence. At this moment, she was Arwen, summoning the force of the river to protect her ward and the hope of Middle-earth.

The sound of water crashing erupted around her as the special effects team activated the simulated wave. The cascading water rose, forming towering waves made of churning foam; the horse-like shapes would later be created through CGI to be as fierce and powerful as Alex had envisioned in his paintings.

The riders reared back, their dark cloaks whipping in the wind as the water seemed like it surged toward them, and they were drowned away, but it was an optical effect because by the time the waves had reached them, the force was almost completely diminished.

In her heart, Catherine felt the relief and triumph that Arwen would feel at that moment. She had saved Frodo, outsmarted the forces of darkness, and secured a victory, if only for a moment. She cast a look down at Frodo, her gaze softening as the weight of her relief settled over her. It felt real, every bit of it.

"Cut!" Alex's voice rang out over the set, snapping her back to the present.

Catherine blinked, momentarily disoriented, as the crew erupted into applause. She looked down at Hero, feeling the familiar warmth of his coat, and stroked his mane with a small smile. She glanced up at Alex, who was watching her with a hint of pride in his expression.

"Impressive work, Catherine," he called her by her proper name, not using the pet name he had given her, as he didn't want anyone to think that the two were close, though his voice still carried a rare note of approval as her performance had been spectacular.

"You really brought Arwen to life, and hearing you speak elvish, so naturally.. I can tell the amount of effort you've put in, keep it up." He gave encouraging nod and grin, before turning towards to discussing how the color grading of the final scene should be like and how the CGI would be.

She nodded, with a grin, "Will do, sir," a surge of satisfaction filling her as she dismounted, knowing that she had done justice to the character—and to Alex's vision. This role was already becoming the opportunity of a lifetime, and she couldn't wait to see what they would achieve together next.

- To be continued...

{2.6k words}

{TRL: This is just something new that has been bouncing around in my head. I really need to get this out so here's a freebie.

Also would you like to read ahead? You can do so for free up to 5 chapters ahead of the public release on my Patreon page as Free Member.

Yes, free. If you're interested you'll find the link in the Author's thoughts section or just google TheRamenLord and Patreon.

If you like my work and would like to support me then by becoming a paid member you read from 10 to 20 chapters ahead of the public release depending on tier you purchase.

There is a discount currently that I am giving for the first month to new patrons as well, if you like my work please do check out my page.

Get upto 16% off your first month. Ends at 2:19 AM on Dec 24, 2024. T & C apply.}