Capítulo 27: Cabin in the Woods
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"Congratulations, you've been promoted to the heroine"
Since the new director, Christian Booth promoted her, she had been living in a daze for several days. Even though she naturally focused when shooting, an unreal feeling would spontaneously arise whenever Christian yelled "Cut"
"I'm the heroine? Am I dreaming again?" Charlize found herself repeatedly asking, yet never receiving an answer.
But perhaps the answer was glaringly obvious. During shooting, the camera often centered on her, not to mention the envious glares of Erica and Vivienne, who were originally supporting actresses like her. They welcomed the new heroine in their unique ways, reminiscent of the tradition among dancers of placing thumbtacks in the shoes of newly elevated performers, albeit with a different twist. Charlize couldn't help but think of these two as "truth-telling little ****".
Thinking about the rumors circulating among the crew, Charlize despised the creators of the rumors. Simply being promoted directly from an ordinary supporting actress to the heroine by the new director was enough to fuel envy. Furthermore, she had already garnered several new nicknames like "Blonde Slut" and "Director's Bitch." The term "Director" naturally referred to the new director Christian, a 25-year-old soon-to-be director, an object of envy for many. But in contrast, Christian's situation was far better than Charlize's.
As a director, Christian wielded real power. A single NG (No Good) in a take could make unruly actors ecstatic or miserable. Additionally, Christian carried an air of sophistication and control. When Erica and Vivienne initially attempted to incite a rebellion against Charlize, they also targeted Christian, the one who had promoted her. However, after Christian arranged for them to reside in a remote cabin, the two troublemakers suddenly grow docile.
This cabin in the woods wasn't like the temporary film sets commonly used. Instead, it was a complete wooden house, carefully chosen by the crew for its cost-effectiveness. They named it the "cannibal" since it was inhabited by mutant cannibals in the movie. Like other location-shooting crews, this one had limited funds and lacked star power, so there were more tents and fewer RVs. As a result, the cabin became a hot commodity.
The cabin was initially built by rangers in the Vinales Valley to provide shelter for hunters and patrolling rangers. It wasn't luxurious, but compared to an average outdoor tent, it was akin to a presidential suite versus a motel. Consequently, the crew used it as their residence when not shooting, with female crew members, particularly the actresses, having priority.
For the first two nights, Charlize shared the cabin with another female makeup artist, Annika. Charlize's status as the heroine garnered her some preferential treatment. However, when rumors about her and Christian began circulating, the director proposed a fair rotation for the female crew members to use the cabin. Erica and Vivienne should have taken their turn in it by now.
Upon hearing this, Charlize felt that Christian was making a weak concession. This show of fairness didn't quell the rumors and might even make the provocateurs bolder. She was quite disappointed with the man who had always intrigued her. However, her feelings would change after just one night.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Charlize asked with amusement while observing Erica and Vivienne's fatigued and pale faces the next morning. Despite their misery, she refrained from laughing out loud.
In essence, it was quite straightforward. To avoid potential complications, Christian, as a new director, decided to shoot in chronological order according to the script. This approach was more manageable for both the director and actors than shooting scenes out of order. Although it might slow down the shooting progress, there weren't many scenes in the revised script, and they primarily focused on this cheap-to-rent location. However, this method proved to be unfortunate for Erica and Vivienne.
During the two days that Charlize had used the cabin, the crew had filmed the beginning portion, which involved scenes shot on a mountain dirt road. The cabin wasn't used as a shooting location at that time, so its interior remained unchanged.
By the time Erica and Vivienne moved in, the crew had advanced to the part of the story set in the cabin. Consequently, the once-normal hut was now filled with eerie props such as human leather books, bottles of teeth from the deceased, knives used for dismemberment, and other unsettling items. The overall decor had become unsettling and terrifying, and even though these were just props and sets, sleeping peacefully in such a disturbing atmosphere proved difficult.
The two supporting actresses, unaware that these props were fake, had endured a thrilling night. Charlize couldn't help but take pleasure in their distress but didn't burst into laughter, as doing so would have required great effort.
Erica and Vivienne, their panic and insomnia somewhat abated, decided to request Christian's permission to remove the "horrifying props." However, the director firmly denied their request:
"I've already filmed the scenes in the cabin. The interior has been arranged by many crew members for convenience and to save on labor costs. It must remain as it is until we finish filming. After all, they're just props. What's so terrifying about them?"
The director shrugged, unbothered.
"If you're genuinely frightened, you're welcome to move out."
Although they had lost face in the crew due to their screams of terror the previous nights, moving out would be an admission of defeat. Despite her numerous accomplishments in her short career, Erica and Vivienne were still young actresses. Thus, they chose to endure and spent another night in the cabin, which turned into another round of "Scream 2."
"If you're scared, move out early. These ghostly cries have disrupted everyone's sleep. Who will bear the consequences for the shooting schedule?" On the third morning, the director, watching the two women quaking in fear, twisted the knife.
"Charlize and the others will continue to live in the cabin. However, as a form of punishment, I may reduce your scenes."
For most actors, having their scenes cut by the director was a potent threat and punishment. Not everyone could be as talented as Anthony Hopkins, who captivated audiences in a mere 21 minutes of screen time. Most actors needed more lines and screen time to shine. More lines also meant more opportunities to excel, boost their fame, and increase their earnings.
So, when Christian threatened to reduce their scenes, Erica and Vivienne were understandably frightened and furious. Yet, given that their screams had disrupted many crew members' sleep over the past two nights, they had incited public anger and had no choice but to swallow their pride.
Exploiting the situation to discipline these two gossipmongers, Christian solidified their authority in the eyes of the actors and some crew members. Charlize applauded the director's tactics, though her primary concern was still the cabin's interior. She had seen the recent additions to the props, and even to her experienced eye, they were somewhat disconcerting.
"Don't worry, it's not that scary," Christian reassured her, flashing a feigned smile.
With no other option, Charlize spent another night in the cabin, still somewhat apprehensive. In reality, the props weren't as terrifying as they appeared, and both Charlize and Annika, the makeup artist, managed to sleep despite the eerie atmosphere. It wasn't the most restful night, but at least they weren't plagued by nightmares.
"Could it be that Christian did something with strange spells to scare Erica and the others before?" In her half-awake state, Charlize considered this possibility. Before she could delve further, Annika, the makeup artist, who slept nearby, suddenly sat up.
"He's calling me"
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References-
1. Cabin In The Woods- Horror movie(2011)
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