Daring Lisa Marvell Ch. 01

"Tomorrow afternoon we'll take care of the videos that your advertising group wants," the videographer began.

"Those are the pieces that match the sketches Bryan just handed out to us?" Lisa asked.

"Precisely," Bill affirmed. "With all twenty of us shouting out 'Lisa's back' and you waving to the camera. That's the script that ties into their overall campaign."

"And, we should also be able to shoot an alternate ending while the group is still altogether," he said, looking directly at the blonde reporter. "And after that, we'll want you here for the next couple of evenings to shoot the extended video."

"You see," Bryan explained, "Manuel will need at least four or five hours of uninterrupted time on the news set. The only way we can do that is to start shooting right after the 11:00 broadcast and go through the night. As long as you're finished by 5:00 AM, the stage hands can prepare things for the early morning news."

"I hope you are well rested," the videographer said looking at Lisa. "Bryan's script calls for creating a type of dream sequence, so we'll have fans and a fog machine and we'll be setting up for some special lighting effects. That will take time and patience."

"You can count on me, Manuel" the reporter said with just the hint of a smile. "I'm intrigued by this all, to say the least." Then, turning to Natalie she continued, "Now, tell me exactly about the additional shooting we're doing that's going to involve some daring activity."

"Ah, yes, that's where it gets interesting," Bryan jumped in. "We want to get an alternate take where you're sitting on the desk, back to the camera, kind of looking over your shoulder as you wave. Everyone's around you and we all deliver the line 'Lisa's back.' Only in this version, we'll actually see your back."

Lisa arched her eyebrows with a quizzical look on her face and glancing down, quickly skimmed the last page of the written description Bryan had supplied. Nodding, she looked up and continued. "And they'll see my back because in this version I'm not wearing a top, right?"

"Actually," Bryan said haltingly, beginning to fear that perhaps Lisa was going to reject the basic premise of his script, "you're wearing nothing" He paused and looked around at Bill and Natalie with a bit of panic in his eyes. "That's not a deal-breaker, is it?" he asked.

Lisa was barely able to suppress a smile. Although she hadn't quite counted on stripping down in front of all her co-workers, she knew when she agreed to resume doing her segments on the Friday night broadcasts that she would usually end up being naked in front of the camera. Still, she couldn't resist the chance to make Bryan suffer just a bit for coming up with the idea. "I'm not sure," she continued as she looked around the room and held up the sheets of paper. "At the very least I would have expected you to consult with me before wasting Manuel's time by giving him a script that hadn't been approved."

"Honestly I didn't think there would be any problem, Lisa," he said desperately looking to Natalie to help him out. Instead, she simply joined in the teasing.

"I believe there is a problem here, Bryan," the anchorwoman said. "You see, it is my role, not yours, to determine which dares Lisa will perform on our broadcasts."

At this point, Bill and Manuel both pushed back in their chairs, clearly amused by Bryan's discomfort.

"But we discussed the whole concept so I just assumed it had your approval," he stammered.

"And what exactly is it that Natalie supposedly approved?" Lisa asked with a sweet smile.

"This script," he said haltingly. "You know, the whole concept for the video"

Bill decided to interrupt to put the writer out of his misery. "Bryan," he said, "why not summarize the idea now the same way you pitched it to me. Natalie can then tell us if she approves."

Bryan gulped and took a deep breath. Turning to Lisa he said, "The alternate ending has you sitting naked on the news table so we can see your back. Everyone delivers the tag line, you wave, and we go to those words on the screen with the station logo."

"That seems clear," Lisa said with a slight smile. "And Natalie," she continued as she turned directly to look at her colleague, "is that what you want for this segment?"

"Yes," the dark-haired reporter replied, "that's precisely what I want. I believe the exact request from the viewer was 'I dare Lisa to get naked again at the news desk,' so I think Bryan's script delivers on that dare." She paused, and then added, "with an interesting twist."

"Then we're all set," Lisa said, with a slight bow of her head to Natalie. Turning to Manuel, she added, "I can't wait to get started. "

At that, Manuel and Bill both burst out laughing, and Bryan rose from the table and stomped out of the room.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard with him, Lisa?" Bill asked.

She took a few seconds to respond. "Actually, no. He seemed to be having way too much fun pretending he's running the show. I wanted to remind him who's in charge and," she paused momentarily, "maybe make him squirm a little."

At this, Manuel smiled. "I will be careful not to let you see me having too much fun. But I very much enjoyed your performance just now, and I will do my best to capture that side of Lisa Marvell in our video."

"It sounds like you'll be capturing just about every side of me, Manuel," she retorted good-naturedly.

"Please, call me Manny. Given what the script calls for," he said pointing to the pages in front of him, "I think we can be a little less formal."

"I'll be happy to, Manny," the reporter said with an intriguing smile. She glanced at Natalie, and then turned back to the videographer. "I have my assignment now, so I'm in your very capable hands. Let's get to work."

With that, the group disbanded and Manny came over to sit next to Lisa, spending the next half hour going through Bryan's script and mapping out how they would approach the shoot over the next several days.

******

A few minutes before two on the following afternoon, Lisa strolled through the entrance of the Channel 4 building looking more like she was on her way to the beach rather than reporting to work. She was wearing a pair of dark blue shorts that barely seemed to cover her ass, along with an off-the-shoulder pale blue tee that called into question whether or not the reporter was wearing a bra. She was carrying a garment bag that she quickly deposited in the dressing room before heading into the studio.

As she approached, she noted that the entire team - reporters, stage hands, wardrobe and make-up artists, writers, and even Bill Reinhart—were already assembled on the soundstage that contained the set for the Channel 4 News. Manuel and his two assistants were leading them through a series of shots that captured small groups of three or four people at a time. The floor manager approached Lisa to confirm that they'd be taking a short break soon and should be ready for her in about a half hour, so she quickly headed backstage to change and get her make-up and hair done.

By the time she rejoined her colleagues, they were ready to be positioned for the team shot. Lisa, now wearing a knee length short-sleeve black dress with a modest V-neck that stopped just short of revealing any cleavage, wandered over to the left side of the anchor desk to chat with Sue and Tim while others were directed to their positions.

"Okay," Manuel spoke out in a commanding voice after the floor manager had signaled that everyone was in place. "Thank you all for a great job so far. We'll pick up with a wide shot that keeps everyone in frame as the camera sweeps down and in. On my signal, I want you to all shout out the tag line, 'Lisa's back.' We'll then do it a second time with the longer line, 'Lisa's back on Channel 4.' We're recording audio at the same time, and I'll be standing next to the camera when I give you the cue. So please let's all face the lens and be ready to give a loud, enthusiastic welcome to your colleague."

With that, he gestured toward Lisa and continued. "We'll want you directly in front of the desk and centered. Let's put Natalie and Bill on your right and Sue and Tim on your left. Gentlemen, I want you at the ends."

The team assembled as instructed while the rest of the small groups made minor adjustments in their positions in order to all fit in the shot. Manuel was working with his own crew, and they responded effortlessly to his directions. Within twenty minutes, multiple takes had been achieved with the two different lines, and the director called the station's advertising manager over to review the clips.

Sensing that their work was done, various members of the crew started to drift away when Manuel looked up from the monitor where he had been watching the footage. "Ladies and gentlemen," the director said sharply. "We are not finished, so please don't leave your positions. We'll want to have you in the same places for the alternate take."

"I thought we had just done both lines," one of the stage hands said with a note of resentment in his voice. Bill quickly stepped forward to address the crew.

"I guess there's been a little confusion. We wanted to have the choice of final lines for the version that we'll start airing tomorrow. That's the scene we've just finished. But we are also doing an extended version for the Friday Night broadcast, and that's going to have a different ending."

A bit of a murmur went through the group at the mention of Friday night; for some of them this was the first time they had heard about the connection to the late night broadcast, and most immediately assumed that this was going to involve some daring action on Lisa's part. All eyes turned to the reporter.

Sensing that the group was now focused on her and not Bill, Lisa took a step forward and nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. "It seems I've been dared to appear naked at the news desk for my first night back. So we're going to need your help in shooting part of that now. I believe, Manuel," she continued as she looked toward the director, "that you'll need me positioned seated on the anchor desk and with my back clearly visible to the camera."

"Precisely, Lisa, I couldn't have stated it better myself," Manuel said, nodding with admiration at the reporter's poise as she strode past Sue and Tim stood behind the desk.

"Time for me to get into my next outfit then," she said calmly and began unzipping her dress as the room grew silent. The zipper ran to the top of her ass, low enough to reveal to her colleagues that she was in fact not wearing any bra or panties. As she started to slip her first arm out of the sleeve, she looked around and chuckled at the stares she was getting. "I guess some of haven't been watching our Friday night specials. I just assumed everyone had already seen this side of me." And with that she pushed her dress down to her waist, her firm, perky B-cup breasts popping into view. "Now, can we all get to work?" she added a laugh that seemed to break the tension in the room.

Cast and crew returned to their marks on the floor, although many still managed to steal a glance sideways at Lisa as she stepped out of her dress and handed it to the wardrobe assistant. With the anchor desk at waist height, most could only catch a fleeting glimpse of the light color tufts of neatly trimmed hair that covered her pubic mound. Bill and Tim, always the gentlemen, made certain to keep their eyes raised but Natalie appeared to feel no such compunction.

Leaning in close to her colleague, she whispered, "You look as beautiful as ever, Lisa." The soft tone of her voice sent a tingle down her spine, and she was certain she felt Natalie's fingertips brush against her ass as she moved toward the anchor desk.

"Can I give you a lift up?" Natalie said almost purring.

"Not today, thanks," Lisa replied in a teasing tone. "Maybe some other time."

As the blonde reporter got into position on the anchor desk, Manuel peered through the camera and motioned her slightly to the left and forward. "That's good, but we'll need to kill the overhead spotlight and add lighting from the side."

The crew responded to his direction, and within a few minutes they were ready to take the shot. "Okay, everyone, same line as before. And when I signal, everyone shout 'Lisa's back!'"

Lisa's position on the anchor desk provided the camera with an unobstructed view of her back with the top of her ass cheeks proudly displayed against the surface of the desktop. "Good thing it's not transparent," Lisa thought to herself, "or Natalie would probably suggest they take a shot from below." She giggled quietly to herself, as Manuel called for another take. She turned to look over her left shoulder at the camera, raising her right arm to wave and keeping her left arm in place to block any view of her breasts.

"That's very good," Manuel pronounced at the end of the scene. "If you'll wait for just a few more minutes, I want to talk to Lisa about some other poses."

He approached the anchor desk to confer with the reporter as her colleagues stepped away. "I'd like to have several options available here. It will then depend on what we're able to get with our shooting tonight. You've read the script?" he asked.

Lisa nodded.

"Good," the director continued. "Then you know that we're basing this on the familiar anxiety dream that a person is naked in front of a crowd but then wakes up to find they are in fact fully clothed. We'll reverse that sequence by showing you dressed in the dream and then waking up nude. So I'd like to try a couple of shots where you're lying on the desk as you wake up." He paused, then continued. "You are much more poised than many so-called professional actors I've worked with. But I know these are your colleagues and I want to be respectful. We need them to still be present, and you will be rather exposed when you're stretched out on the desk."

Lisa thought for a moment. Just in their short time working together today, Lisa had sensed Manuel's talent and creativity. She felt confident in his instincts and decided she could trust him. "I always want what's best for the story," she said. "Let's go for the shots you want and keep our options open."

"Thank you," he nodded and stepped back to confer with his cameraman. Sheila, the lighting director, came over with a light meter and asked Lisa to stretch out face down on the table.

"As if in your bed," she explained, motioning to her colleague to kill one of the overhead spots. "Skin, you see, reflects the light differently than the desktop. And different from clothes as well. But we'll make sure it looks perfect."

After some adjustments, Sheila signaled that everything was set. "Now," Manuel explained to the people still gathered on the set, "we are doing a somewhat lengthier shot. In this sequence, our heroine," he said pointing to Lisa, "is waking from a dream. She will lift her head slowly, looking around and trying to comprehend what she is seeing. I want you all to be talking slowly, in low voices. Make comments to one another about Lisa, but as she raises her head, stop talking."

"Lisa," he continued, moving over to stand next to the naked reporter stretched out on the anchor desk, "for this first shot, I want you to slowly prop yourself up on your elbows, look at the camera, and smile That's when I'll cue your colleagues to deliver their line. Then we'll try another version, with you lying on your back. You'll slowly stretch, sit up, and turn to face away from the camera."

"Now people," Manuel said turning to the assembled cast and crew, "remember you'll gradually stop talking. Once I see Lisa look into the camera, I'll signal and you deliver the line, Lisa's back.'"

He walked back behind the camera and gave one final instruction to his crew. "Good, then I think we're all set. Lisa, feel free to improvise. You're waking from a dream so you may be confused. But ultimately, I want to see that you are happy to be back with your colleagues. And reporters, come in closer to the anchor desk. You should be standing right behind Lisa, just as you'd be positioned for broadcast."

Lisa stretched out on the table, shifting her arms slightly as she tried to get more comfortable on the hard surface. As her colleagues drew closer to the desk, she realized that for the second sequence, she had been asked to turn her back to the camera. "Whoever heard of a reporter looking away from the lens," she thought to herself as a wicked thought popped into her head. And she smiled, realizing how much she was enjoying the experience of being exposed like this to her colleagues. A warm glow began to flow through her body as she heard the director say, "And we're rolling."

There were several false starts to the scene. At first the conversation from the crew and cast was too loud, then too soft. On the next take, Lisa started moving before the camera had finished zooming closer, but finally they got one shot that worked. The twenty or so people were gathered around the naked reporter, who was stretched out on the anchor desk with her ass completely visible from the higher angle of the camera. Then, the shot pulled in lower and closer to the desk. Lisa slowly raised her head, turning to look directly ahead. As she began to prop herself higher with her elbows, she made sure to keep her arm positioned to block any view of her nipples while still allowing the sides of her breasts to be seen. But she could feel her sensitive tips grazing the desk top and stiffening in response to the motion. She turned her head toward the lens and smiled as the assembled crowd proclaimed "Lisa's back."

Manuel asked for one more take, and on this one Lisa elevated her hips slightly as the camera started to move, pushing her ass upward before bringing it back down and propping herself up on her arms. This rocking motion had the unintended effect of sliding her pussy against the surface of desk as she lowered her hips. The tingling feeling radiated through her lower body, her eyes half closing as she turned to the camera.

"I think we've got what we needed for that shot," the director said looking directly at the blonde reporter. "We're getting some great footage here, so let's go for the final sequence. Lisa," he said coming closer to her, "do you need a few minutes before we continue?"

The reporter had turned and sat up on the desk to face Manuel, her breasts fully exposed and the top of her neatly trimmed pubic landing strip visible between her crossed legs. She could feel her pulse quickening as he approached. "Let's keep going," she said. "I feel like I'm kind of getting in the groove."

Manuel smiled at her. "That seems an appropriate way of putting it. It's definitely working; the camera loves you."

A look of satisfaction came over her face. "You really do think it's going well?"

"Lisa," the director replied, "it's fantastic. I couldn't be more pleased."

"Then neither could I," Lisa said.

"Okay, ladies and gentleman, our leading lady is ready for the next scene. Very much like the last shot, only this time Lisa will be lying on her back. For obvious reasons, the editing will be a lot trickier on this one, but that will give me a chance to dub in the dialog that's we've just captured. So you don't need to worry about your exact lines; please just engage in low conversation so we'll see your mouths moving." He paused to look through the camera lens. "Okay, let's check the lighting and start."

Lisa took a deep breath and then quickly stretched out on the desk face up as Sheila approached. "Is it getting too cold in here for you?" the assistant whispered as she checked the light meter readings near the reporter's legs, then her stomach, and finally her face.

The naked anchorwoman smiled as she realized that her prominent nipples had prompted the question. "No, not really."