Worthy Of Love

New York, baby!

Olivia:

(8 years later)

"And cut!"

The voice resounded through the set, the intense energy that hung over everyone was felt as we teetered to the end of a shoot, it was always this moment that crew waited for. The final curtain call.

"The shot's perfect! It is a wrap!" I said after watching the last bit of the footage and called.

Everyone sighed, the erratic movements began, the crew wanted nothing more than a drink or sleep after six months of shoot.

"Hey, Roy!" I heard a voice as I sat back on my chair, relishing in the moment.

"What's up Alex?" I asked my assistant director.

"What you doin' tonight? Tiago wanted to grab drinks, we have been at this shoot for months now." She said, a hand on her hip and her hair in a lopsided bun.

"Eh. I wanna sleep. Will probably get some wine, cheese and a shitload of pizza before I go to binge on a show." I said, crossing my legs and throwing my head back.

"Suit yourself. Don't complaint about being a lonely ass later on." She said as she walked away.

I sat for a few more minutes to get some reprieve before someone said that I needed to address the crew. So I walked upto the main set where the entire cast had finally gathered, the crew came around too as I stood in front of about 70 people in front of. AD's, light and sound, make-up, actors, extras, co-ordinators, casting directors, the list was endless. It took a village to raise a baby, it took two villages to make a film.

The comparison is as shoddy as it gets but who cares.

"Everyone, I would like to address how hard we have worked these past six months. I understand that we had multiple hurdles on the way, but come rain or shine, I had been blessed with a crew as hardworking as you all. You made this possible on the days I didn't think it was possible. You are the reason why we were able to see through the end of this massive project. Thank you for your time, energy and all your indispensable efforts that has made it possible. Thank you again! For now, we bid goodbye, we hope to see each other again in some other project. I will see you all at the Wrap Party!" I said and a round of applause broke through the set.

More words and recommendations shared, extras who worked asked if they could get an audition for a major role, the actors humoured them and some even genuinely did help. But the entertainment industry was cutthroat and nasty to the boot. I could count on my fingers as to how many times someone has done something purely out of goodness of heart.

Entertainment industry ran on favours and obligations. Strings and connections. It meant slinking your way through various parties, sleeping with people, appeasing to nepo babies who couldn't be bothered to learn a fucking skill to save their life. And in today's day and age, the impact of social media has made it completely irrelevant as to how talented you are, clout was the drug everyone ran towards and every second person wanted a paid trip through their influencing efforts.

Capitalism is a joke.

I walked to my car and drove off of the venue, let the window down as I drove through Broadway, I let the mundane life lull me into oblivion. Police cars, someone fighting someone, the noises of everyday life helped me clear my head. Where I once preferred to have my earphones on to shut it all out, I realised that it didn't help as much as the chaos outside did. Made me feel normal. Safe in some sense.