... Like Show Business
By Regalo3000
Rated PG
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The drunken revelers on the big silver screen stumbled up to the stoop of a house and tried getting themselves into some kind of order, but, their choir books kept falling out of their hands and they kept on falling over eachother. They laughed and carried on, making a lot of noise until the owners of the house finally opened the door and kindly asked them to leave, which made them laugh all the more. It was an embarrassment to the holiday thought Slow Motion. Why had they dragged him here to this movie theater to see this dumb movie? He looked around at the faces of the Buckaroo Banzai Theatrical Players.
We could do better than this, one of them was saying. All of a sudden they were leaning towards Slow Motion and asking, Let's make a movie, boss ... We can do better than this ... Many of us have digital cameras ... All we need are the computers and the software ... You can write the script, boss.
Slow Motion did not answer, he simply looked up at the screen. Yeah, he thought, why not?
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When starting anything, always start with a test. Slow Motion had written a five minute script. Three cameras had been set up, one for a close up of the lead actor, the other for the lead female, and the third for a two shot of both of them. Makeup was being applied and it was taking too damn long and they were losing the light of day, soon it would be night. They had been at it all day and the test shot was almost done, if they could only get through this last bit of dialogue.
Okay, action!!
Smalleyes as Buckaroo: We'll meet again, I'm sure.
McGee as Peggy Banzai: Oh? How can you be so sure?
Buckaroo: I'll make sure we meet again.
Peggy: And you have such control over events and time?
Buckaroo: And the faith to move mountains too.
They smiled.
And Fade Out. It's a wrap, said Slow Motion. Party at the Bunkhouse!
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While some were studying the footage shot that day on an Apple laptop computer, others were celebrating with drink.
It's amazing how much footage one can accumilate with just shooting a five minute piece. We must have an hour's worth here.
What are you using to edit?
iMovie, said Slow Motion. It was recommended for beginners. Then we'll move on up to Final Cut in the future.
Dammit, we can't use that shot, said Smalleyes, a plane went over head. Will you guys keep the noise level down.
The revelers turned on those at the laptop. C'mon, you can do that anytime. Have a few drinks.
Go on, said Slow Motion. It's Christmas. I know how important it is to you.
Thanks, said Smalleyes, who went to join the group.
Slow Motion tried his first copy and paste of a clip into the timeline (forgetting to unfasten the safety pins from the extracted audio track) -- the application quit, then a small spinning wheel appeared where there once was a pointer and it would not go away. No, he said out loud, not the spinning wheel of death! I'm getting myself a drink. This is going to be a long rough ride.
The others began singing Christmas Carols, and Slow Motion joined in the wassail. It was a temporary escape from the torturous movie-editing that would soon follow.
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