The Family Fang - Kevin Wilson [91]
Camille nodded. “I can do that,” she said.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie once again led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward and said, “Let me see my beautiful children!”
“Cut,” Caleb shouted. “Okay, that’s maybe a little too much emotion. You are dying of cancer. So somewhere in between.”
“I got it,” Camille replied, flashing a thumbs-up sign.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room, and Caleb shouted, “Cut!” As the regular crew scrambled around the set, the documentary crew focused on Caleb as he said, “Okay, Bonnie, I think you’re bringing those kids in a little too quickly. Their mom is dying; she’s in a bad way. You’re going to be hesitant to show them what has happened to their mother.”
Bonnie nodded, too nervous to speak.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward and said, “Let me see my beautiful children,” and Caleb shouted, “Cut!” He pressed his index finger against his forehead, thinking, and then said, “Jane, let’s try that line without the word beautiful, okay? I think maybe that’s laying it on a bit thick.” Camille gave the director another thumbs-up sign.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward and said, “Let me see my chil—” and Caleb shouted, “No, okay, cut. Okay, sorry, Jane, but we do need that beautiful in there. Sorry.”
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Caleb shouted, “Cut! Okay, you kids are walking a little strangely. You’re not moving your arms. It’s weird. Can you move your arms for me?” Buster and Annie nodded.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward and said, “Let me see my beautiful children,” and Caleb said, “Cut! No, wait, I’m sorry. Did we decide to go back to the beautiful children line?” Camille smiled patiently and said, “Yes, we did. Beautiful children is what you wanted.”
“Okay,” Caleb said, holding up his hands in apology. “We’ll get it on the next take.”
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward, and Caleb yelled, “Cut! Okay, Jane, you’re leaning a little too far forward. It looks desperate. I need a slow, gradual movement toward the children. The beautiful children.” Camille’s smile became a little tighter, and she said, “Maybe you can show me how you want me to move,” but Caleb waved her off. “I’ll know it when I see it,” he said.
Lights, camera, action.
Bonnie led the children into the room and Camille leaned forward and said, “Let me see my beautiful children,” and Caleb, of course, yelled, “Cut! Okay, you’re not emphasizing the word me in that line. Let me see my beautiful children. You haven’t seen them in months.” Camille looked confused but nodded anyway. “I’ll give it a shot,” she said.
“I’ve got a good feeling about this take,” Caleb shouted.
Three hours later, they did not have a single take that met with Caleb’s approval. While he focused most of his anger on Camille, the dying woman in the bed whose voice was nearly hoarse from saying the same line over and over again, he did not hesitate to lecture Buster and Annie at length as to the obvious mistakes they were making in their nonspeaking roles. The children had begun to cry in between takes, and Caleb would say, “Use that. Use that emotion in the next take.” Camille had flipped him the bird from her bed. “Fuck you,” she said. “Action!” he shouted.
After a while, he found fault with the lighting, the camerawork, the boom mike operator. “Listen, guy,” one of the crew said, “just tell us exactly what you want before we shoot, and we’ll give it to you.” Caleb looked toward the documentary camera and shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know what I want until I see it,” he said. The crew member replied, “Well, that’s not how it works.” Caleb snorted. “Well, that is how I work, and I have dozens of prestigious awards