The Film Ch. 01

Chapter 01: Jason's Dream

Jason is a well respected multi-award winning movie director best known for his big budget box office hits that have earned him and his production company millions. Like most directors he had a dream that the big movie studios and the cut throat nature of the industry had killed off years ago.

There was a difference now for the older director he had become one of the most influential persons in the industry but had long since given the directing game away.

He was jealous of other film makers who got to push the limits of the medium. Envious of the Danish film-makers who created the dogma 95 films, Stanley Kubrick and several other film-makers who have not only bent the accepted conventions of the industry but re-wrote them often creating sensational controversy along the way, Jason wanted to do something unique, different and unexpected.

He looked around and saw he was not the only guy in the movie industry who had played the game and now they had served their time where revisiting the desires to tell the stories they wanted to tell, some like Steven Spielberg had a story they wanted people to see like he did with Schindler's List or those who wanted to show there religious side such as Mel Gibson with Passions of the Christ.

Jason had always wanted to make a movie based on an obscure book Tingles. The key feature of the book was the very explicit and detailed sex scenes described throughout the book. He had read when he was a teenager and had even purchased the rights to make the movie before it had ended up gathering dust somewhere in his attic no studio willing to back his project.

After seeing several controversial films at various film festivals such as Michael Winterbottom's 9 Song's at the Sundance Film Festival Jason decided it was now or never.

It happened to coincide with a shift in thinking by several major players in the adult film industry who hoped that a well presented big budget film would attract more talented film makers to the media's adult disciplines. It was thought that they could weed out the cheap and nasty productions that gave the industry a bad name by clearly distinguishing themselves as Adult Films rather than as Porn Videos and they believed quality was the key element.

Despite an offer of financial backing Jason decided to fund the project himself he wanted no association with the adult industry he didn't want to give his critics any ammunition if they wanted to call his movie porn and disgusting they would have to pay for a ticket and watch it with everyone else. He knew it wouldn't make money but this movie was very personal and it meant something.

The reason this dignified stalwart of the film industry had always wanted to make this film was very personal and he identified with having been thrown into a new world very different to his own and his philosophy on life changed dramatically too. When he read it as a teenager he had been going through a lot, his girlfriend had been raped by her father who was involved in organised crime.

Standing by his girlfriend like he thought he should he was caught up in the very messy aftermath of that unsavoury incident. It also introduced him to a seedier underbelly of society. He had never until then experienced what being dragged through the criminal underworld without any control on where he was going or the consequences of his actions.

Jason was struggling to comprehend these new experiences and the book really helped him. These experiences translated into his film making, the dark yet realistic depictions of organised crime in his films where partly the reason for his success.

Jason needed a small and enthusiastic staff that he could trust to work on this project. He decided he wouldn't find them in Hollywood there were too many agendas there to make this work. Searching the film schools he was disappointed with the quality of the young film-makers those few he felt could crack the big time already had egos of a much more established player.

Then he came across several obscure films making competitions often similar in style to the massively successful Tropicana Film Festival. Jason was impressed by some of the films being churned out of 24 hour film competitions such as the Shootout Festivals many by amateurs without any formal training just keen to have a go.

This is where he discovered Kelly an exciting young film-maker and a brilliant cinematographer who had previously been working as a make up artist on big budget movies. She had a good eye for detail so he immediately hired her to help make his film.

To round out his crew Jason convinced multi skilled Nathan a top sound and light man who had started out as a stunt man after a successful career as an acrobat. He was a Jack of all trades he provided just about everything else either he could do it or he knew someone who could and would make it happen on a shoestring budget. Nathan was a straight talker and avoided Hollywood he thought it was too fake, working mainly on independent productions.

Jason still needed someone to star in a very difficult and taxing role and the nature of the production meant an established star would be out of the question. Nathan suggested a young bloke he saw at the film festival he was spotted by Jason. Both Kelly and Jason had seen the guy Nathan had suggested at the film festival and quickly agreed he would be perfect.

Kelly however discovered a problem with it she knew the guy who had made the film and the budding star they wanted had only filled in for a mate as a favour he wasn't an actor but a University Student studying Design and Communications. Jason was determined and very persuasive managing to convince the reluctant young man Peter to join there project.

If this film was ever going to be distributed it needed some star quality. Jason's first thought was walk on roles for well known celebrities such as those done with movies like Independence Day. Although this would be enough to get some publicity for the film it still lacked a headliner.

It would have to be someone willing to live with the controversy the film is almost certain to generate and someone willing to participate in one of the films controversial explicit sex scenes.

This would be the toughest and roughest parts of getting the film up. During this process he managed to get several well known actresses who where already black listed or stereotyped as sex nymphs to talk to him about the role such as Heather Graham and Elisabeth Berkley but none could really give him that creditability he needed to make this film work.

He even explored the possibility that a model such as Megan Gale or Heidi Klum would be able to pull off such a role but they either where not interested or he didn't think they could handle the role. Nathan suggested several well known porn stars many of whom have desires to become a mainstream actor such as Jenna Jameson but Jason said he didn't want any association with the porn industry as it needed to have creditability as a film making experiment not porn in disguise.

Peter the male lead was a bit overweight had nice eyes but not what you'd expect as the heroine of such a movie, but he fitted the description in the book. He helped prepare the CGI elements, titles and doing a lot of the research for the aging director while Jason wrote the script.

Nathan a ruggedly handsome 45 year old worked with Kelly sourcing costumes, sets and locations. Earlier on Jason had thought he might need Kelly to take the female lead role but that had changed recently much to his delight.

Towards the end of pre-production Jason surprised his staff when he introduced the female lead.

Evangeline Lilly well known for her role as Kate on the popular television series LOST. She had always admired Jason and was keen to work with him. Although she wasn't as high profile as a Jennifer Garner or Nicole Kidman she was a genuine actor giving the film the creditability and star quality it needed.

It was a big risk for all those involved and they had become like family and all really cared for this project. Although they knew it was likely someone else would join the team they where still a bit weary of there new member. Nevertheless it didn't take long for them to be impressed by Eva's professionalism and desire to make the project work.

Jason deliberately left the sex scenes until last the movie was virtually finished when they got around to filming it in a closed studio with just the five of them present. Jason had two reasons for this firstly he didn't want to hurt the performances or the actors to change there minds too early and ruin the movie. The other reason was he needed both stars quarantined and tested for anything they could give each other as this film was not set in modern times so condoms could not be used in any of the 'real sex scenes'.

The first issue didn't worry Peter he had been at first reluctant to sign up for the project but had become as passionate about project as anyone. It was also a bonus that he was going to screw Eva, he had a mild crush on when he saw her in Lost, so was definitely looking forward to the 'real sex scenes'.

However, both Peter and Eva where a little surprised and a bit worried about the no condom rule, both had felt wearing one was a good idea. For Eva she had come in eyes open to this project and had been looking forward too it even if Peter wasn't the hunk she had imagined doing this with but recently she was forced to stop taking the pill for health reasons so the project had suddenly became more risky.