Chapter 29: Maybe
Lucas entered the studio, and he saw the set up of the soundstage mimicked that of the narrow canyon built with weathered plywood, while the background wall was green.
"So this is the studio of Fox Searchlight..." Lucas muttered as he looked around the studio.
This is Fox Searchlight studio after all, and with Fox Searchlight, the indie darling of Hollywood, Lucas has been dreaming to be able to enter the studio in his previous life, but now, he can finally enter the soundstage of the film studio.
In the cool shade cast by the plywood walls, a folding table held the nerve center of the audition.
Donna Isaacson, the casting director of "127 Hours", sat perched on a metal folding chair, her gaze sharp as the desert sun.
A notepad lay open on her lap, ready to write her evaluation to the actor that auditioned...
Beside her, Director Danny Boyle, his eyes crinkled with thoughtful concern, leaned back in a battered director's chair. His presence created a quiet hum of expectation.
Lucas felt the pressure as the directors' eyes focused on him, especially when he noticed Danny Boyle, an Oscar-winning director in February 2009.
"Your name?" Danny Boyle asked Lucas, who stood before them.
Lucas's back faced the green screen wall, and with his "small-time actor" experience, he noticed the camera in the studio capturing his every movement.
"I'm Lucas Knight, 19 years old," Lucas responded.
Danny and Donna exchanged glances, recognizing that the young man before them indeed looked his age, and they weren't surprised by his youth, evident in Lucas's appearance.
"Mr. Lucas Knight, I don't think you need to perform at all. You look quite young, clearly not suitable for the age of the main character," Donna remarked.
Danny nodded, stating, "I don't know what got into your head, young man, applying for the role when the project sheet clearly specified an age range of 25-35."
Lucas remained composed, responding after a deep breath, "Please give me a chance, sir and madam. I swear I'll perform the character of Aron Ralston perfectly!"
Danny and Donna stared at Lucas, and Danny remarked, "Your hair is even blonde, and your eyes are blue. Completely different from the requirements..."
"Please give me a chance!" Lucas exclaimed, knowing that hair color, eye color, or even age didn't matter in Hollywood. Professional makeup artists could alter his appearance slightly to look older, and with just a few adjustments, Lucas would be good to go.
Danny examined Lucas closely, sensing the young man's determination. He turned to Donna, who just shrugged.
"Alright. We'll give you a chance to demonstrate your ability to portray the character of Aron Ralston," Danny said.
The final decision rested on him and the casting director. They didn't need to consider much; even with an average performance, they wouldn't choose him. If Lucas performed poorly, it would be even more unlikely. Picking a young actor with an average or bad performance would be an insult to the real Aron Ralston.
"Thank you very much!" Lucas expressed his gratitude.
Danny and Donna nodded, and Danny instructed, "Go on. Prepare your performance. The scene is when Aron Ralston encounters two fellow travelers. You should be familiar with this from the project sheet, right?"
Lucas nodded, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a few seconds. He would first portray Aron Ralston before he was trapped in the narrow canyon.
"This is quite ridiculous..." Donna muttered to Danny beside her.
"Let him have his fun. I've been a young man once—overconfident and all. It's good if his own bad performance bursts his bubble," Danny said in a low voice.
Meanwhile, Lucas, with closed eyes, immersed himself in the character. This time, he didn't activate the ability where his consciousness entered the deep recesses. Although the deep immersion had accidentally taken him to the depths of his consciousness in the apartment the first time, now Lucas had gradually understood his power.
As long as Lucas didn't intend to portray a character where his consciousness was needed to construct the background, such as recreating the scene where Aron had the rock fall and smashed down his right arm, Lucas's ability would not activate.
In fact, Lucas was gradually becoming accustomed to his ability, which he named "Mind Workshop." He wouldn't accidentally activate it like the first time unless he intentionally wanted to, a process that might take a few minutes.
Danny and Donna observed as Lucas opened his eyes, witnessing a significant change in the inexperienced, overconfident young man. It seemed as though his soul had been replaced, sensing a remarkable shift in his temperament.
Poised before the casting table, Lucas stood tall, shoulders squared, like a desert willow rooted in sand. His eyes scanned the imaginary canyon's mouth.
A flicker of hope danced on his seemingly weathered face.
Danny and Donna were both surprised by this incredible transformation in Lucas. He could convey a story through expressions and movements.
The scene Lucas performed depicted Aron Ralston before getting stuck in the narrow canyon. It was the moment when Aron stumbled upon two fellow travelers.
Although Danny and Donna couldn't physically see it, they sensed Lucas imagining two figures emerging in his vision.
As Lucas's posture subtly shifted, his spine straightened, a gentle arch in his back like a cat basking in warmth. A genuine and unguarded smile bloomed on his face, transforming him from a lone adventurer into a welcoming presence. He raised a hand in a casual wave, the gesture as natural as the wind rustling through the canyon's veins.
"Hey there!" his voice called out, a touch of rugged charm in its timbre. It wasn't a booming hail but a friendly melody carried on the wind, inviting the imaginary newcomers into his orbit.
Danny and Donna were slightly surprised, awakening as Lucas's voice rang out, clear and open, echoing through the green walls.
The stark fluorescent lights of the studio cast long shadows as Lucas stood poised on the imaginary sandstone slab. He wasn't a performer reciting lines; he was Aron Ralston breathing life into the cramped audition room. His voice, when he welcomed, wasn't a projected boom but a husky murmur carrying the grit of the unseen canyon trails.
His smile wasn't plastered but a genuine flicker, breaking through the stoic mask of the solo adventurer.
His hands, emerging from his pockets, weren't theatrical flourishes but tentative explorers seeking connection. Leaning against the air, not with a dramatic slouch but with the natural ease of someone belonging to the wilderness, even its fabricated echo.
His gaze, upon meeting the imagined eyes of the unseen women, wasn't a rehearsed stare but a flicker of genuine curiosity, yearning not for applause but for shared adventure. His question, "Just passing through?" wasn't a staged cue but a whispered invitation to join the story etched on his face, carved by unseen winds.
There was no manufactured charm, no overplayed swagger. Lucas captured the essence of Aron in the smallest details: the subtle tilt of his head, the shift in weight that mimicked the sway of unseen rock, the way his voice softened with the imagined setting sun. He wasn't acting; he was living the moment, inhabiting the skin of a man who saw canyons in the blank walls and echoes in the studio hum.
Danny and Donna exchanged glances. They appeared serious, but in the depths of their eyes was shock.
"Were young talents in Hollywood already this good?"
Such thoughts crossed their minds.
Although portraying Aron Ralston before he was trapped in the narrow canyon wasn't particularly challenging for a professional actor, the person before them didn't seem like a seasoned professional but rather a fledgling, young actor.
Danny and Donna, initially inclined to reject Lucas Knight outright, were now considering him.
"You can return to audition for the other scenes a few times. By the end of this audition, we'll decide on the selected actor for the role," Donna said to Lucas, who had just finished his performance.
Danny added, "You're welcome to audition throughout this week. I must emphasize that committing to audition daily is necessary, but there's no guarantee that we'll choose you for the role. It's your choice to come back."
"Thank you!" Lucas expressed his gratitude, appreciating the acknowledgment and the opportunity given by the directors.
Despite the chance of never being selected and the potential time wasted, Lucas was willing to take the risk.
Lucas expressed his gratitude to the directors, clearly thankful, and exited the studio.
Observing Lucas's genuine gratitude, Danny and Donna realized the young man wasn't as bad as they initially thought. They had initially perceived Lucas as arrogant and stubborn.
"What do you think Mr. Ralston would think if we showed him the audition scenes of that young man?" Danny asked Donna with a smile.
"Maybe he'll like the young man. And also, maybe he won't like the performance. Not sure," Donna replied.
"Maybe, huh..." Danny muttered, reflecting on Lucas's performance.
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