End of the Future, Part 29

To Shoot a Shooting

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
Dr. E. L. Brown's office

"Welcome, Mr. Tyler, Miss Gehman (1)! I'm very glad you could come!" Doc guided the pair to his office. The place was a complete disordered mess, though Doc knew where everything was placed. Rollie and Andy didn't even blink at the chaos. They were perfectly used to such an environment.

They sat on the comfortable chairs. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Rollie went to the point. "So, Dr. Brown, what makes you think you're qualified to run an Special Effects studio?"

"Me? Absolutely nothing!" He chuckled. "But I recently found I have more family than I thought, and all three are very interested in Science Fiction. Also, for tax purposes, I need to invest some capital in a low yield field, but I don't want to simply waste the money."

That was the official version.

The true story was way more complex.

The group needed a way to hide advanced tech in plain sight. And taking a cue from an old British tv show (2), they had decided a Special Effects Studio was the perfect cover. The studio would also be useful in other ways. Tyler had a reputation as a very good thinker under pressure.

And even if he and his helper were not included in the anti-conspiracy, it would be a fun side hustle. Who knows, maybe the kids would be interested in learning the trade, though Asuka insisted that practical visual effects were to be replaced by computer generated imaginery in the coming decades. She did point to stop-motion fx as an example, even by 1985, the technique was practically dead. Even the master, Ray Harryhausen, was mostly retired these days. A pity, Doc had really enjoyed his work, things like Earth vs the Flying Saucers or Jason and the Argonauts had been great. (3) He wished he had traveled to 1933 and watched the original King-Kong debut on the screen, but his farthest trip had been to 1938, to get the Action Comic debut of Superman.

He continued, "And personally, I'm a big fan of the classics. I found about your work in low-budget movies and tv. You certainly can squeeze value out of minimal resources."

"Which one?" Rollie asked.

"Movie? Killer Smoke (4). The scene where the smoke forces the second victim to breathe it, ballooning to burst? Amazing!"

Rollie and Andy grinned. "Oh, boy, that one was a difficult take. We had to prepare eight sequential dummies!" Rollie said.

Andy elbowed him, "And we still have one in the truck."

"Might I see it?" Doc asked, a spark of curiosity in his big eyes.

"Sure, Doc. We brought several samples of our work. Heck. I'm even wired." Rollie opened his shirt, showing a flesh colored plate and several wires. "If you have a place you wouldn't mind getting painted in red, we will be happy to demonstrate the most common trick in the business, plus one that's not so common."

The phone rang then, "Excuse me." Doc answered the phone. "Brown Industries. What Can Science do for you today?" He paused. "Marty! Great! Hey, could you bring the gang here? Mr. Tyler and Miss Gehman are here. Yes, the F/X people. Excellent! We will be waiting at the garage! See you!"

He hung up. "My apprentice. He has been an invaluable help with my work. And now that I got custody of three relatives I just got news about, he is helping them to get used to the USA. His father is a big fan of science fiction, and in fact, was the one who suggested you for this venture. They will be here in about ten minutes."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
Parking Area

The whole group watched as Rollie set a few cardboard boxes full with styrofoam pieces at the back of the garage. Meanwhile, Andy assembled a seemingly functional shotgun. Asuka and Rei watched intently, while Shinji and Marty helped Rollie set the boxes.

"Okay, girls." Andy said, "set rules. Don't touch the props, keep your distance, attend all instructions to the letter, keep out of the way and put your ear protection when Rollie signals. Questions?"

Asuka exchanged a look with Rei. "Yeah, why are you assembling the shotgun here?"

"It's just a legal issue, to transport anything that looks like a real weapon, we prefer to do it in pieces. It saves time when you don't have to argue with cops. Plus, not every state has the same regulations, so it is better to stick to the harshest rules and work from there."

"Ah, got it."

Rei examined the ammo box over the table, "These don't look like regulation bullets." She commented.

"Nope." Andy smirked, "Rollie can be infuriating to work with some times, but I draw the line at shooting at him with real bullets. These are blanks. It's just the casing, some gunpowder, and smoke pellets. They make noise, a flash, and that's it. Perfectly safe at a distance, but it's very dangerous to be right in the front up close. The displaced air has a big kick. Some people have actually died from shooting blanks too close. (5)" Andy looked around conspiratorially. "I heard of a guy who shot himself on the temple, and blew his whole brain out of his skull!

"What's the safe distance?" Rei asked.

"Absolutely safe? About 65 feet (20 m)" Andy answered, "I won't be shooting directly at Rollie, so we can shorten the distance to 20 ft (6m)"

"Perfect, boys!" Rollie approved.

Marty taped close one of the boxes, and Rollie used a piece of wood to blunt the corners.

"Uh… Why are you doing that, Mr. Tyler?" Shinji asked.

"Safety. I might fall on one corner, and if the corner is sharp, I might get hurt. But blunt them and the impact gets distributed over a bigger surface, so it makes less damage."

"This is much more work than I expected." Marty admitted.

"It is, and much of our time and effort is towards making things as safe as possible. I've seen people put themselves in harm's way in the name of stardom. Sprains, fractures, burns, and worse things can get you even in the best of circumstances. I have stopped a few shootings, I mean, movie and tv shootings, to check a harness or even a fall box." He tapped twice on the box he was working on.

He taped two boxes together. "Easy way to spot a bad director to work with is how much grief he gives you for checking. If he throws a tantrum, you fullfill your contract to your best capability, and refuse to work with them again. They are a safety risk, sooner or later, somebody will get hurt." He tapped the boxes again, "We are ready on our end, Andy! Are you ready to shoot me?"

"Ready and willing!" She opened the shotgun, checked it was empty. "Just need to load and we are all set."

Behind a line, the adults watched with interest. Except for Egon Spengler, eager to return to his work. Ray elbowed Winston, "This is like our first interview, but from the other side!"

Winston nodded, "I joined the GBs later, but I remember my first interview. I was trembling in my boots!"

Rollie walked to the group. "Okay, we are ready. Ms. Parker? Mr. McFly? You can be our camera-men for today."

Jennifer hefted Doc's camera over her shoulder, pointing it at Andy. "Ready at your signal." George followed her with his own camera, framing Rollie. "Camera 2, ready."

"Okay, everybody!" He clapped his hands twice as he walked to his mark. "Put your ear protection now!" He and Andy put some gel-like plugs in their ears, while everybody else put heavier protection. He signaled cameras to start, and counted down with his fingers. "4, 3, 2, 1." He twirled his finger and paused, sitting on the stool. He opened a newspaper and pretended to read it, while Andy hit her mark. She cocked the shotgun, and Rollie dropped the paper, looking scared. He stood up, and made placating gestures with his hands. Andy just pointed the gun to Rollie's left, well away from his body, and shot, once, twice.

Big holes opened on Rollie's shirt, and blood flew everywhere. He looked at Andy for a moment, and she shot a third time, Rollie jumped back, seemingly propelled by the last shot, and fell over the boxes. Falling dramatically inside one.

For a long moment, everything fell silent, the rolling of the casings was the only sound, until Rollie's hand emerged from the box with a thumbs up. Shinji and Marty helped him get back up, amazed at the big holes and fake blood covering the shirt. He signaled the cameras to cut, and removed his plugs.

There was a big applause.

Doc shook Rollie's hand, "Amazing, Mr. Tyler! But you mentioned a second trick. I'm curious to see what you meant."

Rollie laughed, and wrapped a hand around Andy's shoulders. "My friend here is incredibly good with makeup. I prefer to prepare the prosthetics and leave the actual make-up in her hands. I'm proud to say she has surpassed me in that area."

Andy pushed him away. "Go ahead, Rollie."

With a mischievous smile, Rollie opened the collar of his shirt, and scratched over the collarbone. A film separated from it, and Rollie began to pull his skin. In the back, Lorraine gasped.

"I just couldn't resist to pull a Rollin Hand." Rollie said, "I'm a big fan of Mission: Impossible." He kept on pulling the mask no one had noticed he was wearing, "Actually, it was the show what put me on the way to be a SFX artist!"

Finally, he removed a lifelike mask of his own face, hair included (6). He turned it around for everybody to look at. Rei was especially impressed. "It looks so alive…" she whispered.

"Told you. Andy is the big boss in realistic make-up."

Andy blushed at the compliment. "Yeah, but you are no slouch."

Rollie tilted the mask to her, mimicking a bow. "Let's see how it went, okay?" He took the shredded shirt out, and pulled the slab that had contained the small charges and blood pockets used to simulate the wounds. He took a clean shirt, and put it on.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Marty connected a TV screen to the VCR, and popped the cassette Jennifer had recorded in. It clearly showed Andy's actions, with a last dramatic shot of her holding the smoking shotgun in her hands.

Then, it was George's tape turn. Everybody gasped at how real the shots looked like. Shinji asked, "How did you synchronized the shot with the impacts? Is there a remote control or a timer?"

Rollie smiled, and pulled a small device from his pocket. "No need. Andy and I know a few signals we use to synch. She signals she's about to pull the trigger, and I know when to detonate the squibs, the charges. We have done this set-up several times, it's always better to show it live to prospective producers and directors."

"Yeah. We prefer more complicated stuff, but a shooting is a literal foundation for SFX. Most shows and movies for adults will have them."

"At this point, we can do this in a very short time. It took just a few minutes in the van to put everything together. But putting the mask on and doing the make-up took longer." He shrugged. Pointing back at the tv, he said casually. "We could edit the two tapes together and make a very dramatic scene in a couple of hours, if you want."

Doc chuckled, "Won't be necessary, Mr. Tyler. I'm convinced you are the right person for the job." He smiles widely, "Let's talk to the lawyers and draw a contract."

"Perfect!" Rollie said. "Do you have anything in mind? I'd like to start working as soon as possible."

Andy commented, "He gets bored! He is just like a cat, unless he has something to do, he starts scratching the furniture."

"Let's not get to that point." Doc smiled, "Let's begin with something small, kind of decorative." He nodded to Shinji, who uncovered a computer. "We got the idea during a trip to Japan. I commissioned a small SFX studio to make some computer props for us; casings, lights, the whole thing. This is one prototype. I'd like for you to duplicate it, calculate costs for say, fifty units. I think this Personal Computer thing will really take off in the near future. And I think that customized casings could do well in the market."

"Really? That's all?" Rollie examined the prop. It was a real prop. The computers brought from Tokyo-3 were safely stored in the main area of the building. "Andy? Check this." He pointed at the On light. "Do we have lights this size?"

"Hmm.. not in the truck, but I can check the catalogs. If needed, we can make our own."

"Splendid!" Doc clapped. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Rollie scratched his head, "Uh, yes. We're at the Pearl Hotel."

Winston commented, "Good place. We spent a few days there when we came here from New York."

A coin seemed to drop in Rollie's head. "Wait. You look familiar… The Ghostbusters?"

"In the flesh." Ray answered.

"Man. I spent several night wondering how did you do your stuff."

Egon rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me you are in the 'con-men with FX' camp."

"Well, no. I mean, I was at first, but I saw a couple of things the day of the explosion that I can't really explain away. And the budget needed to drop fifteen tons of marshmallow goo would be ruinous! No. That would have been way to expensive to fake."

Andy added, "We worked the numbers one boring night. There was no way anybody could haul that amount of marshmallow to the top of the building without somebody noticing."

Egon huffed. "Great." Asuka covered his mouth with a hand.

"Spengler." She raised a finger, "remember what we talked about? Be nice. The gentleman might not have arrived to a conclusion by the method you prefer, but it is a valid conclusion, okay?" She withdrew her hand, but kept her index raised.

Egon pushed his eyeglasses up his nose. A simple movement that somehow, always made Shinji look very uncomfortable. "Very well. I… um… I accept the conclusion as valid."

Asuka looked at him with measured seriousness. She lowered her hand. "Better." She turned back to the others, "You go on. I think Spengler just needs some lab time." She grabbed Egon by the elbow, and ignoring his half-hearted objections, dragged him to the workshop.

Ray simply stared at the retreating pair. He whispered to Winston. "How does she do that?"

"I don't know." Winston answered, "but my granny could take lessons from her."

George and Lorraine had rewinded the tape, and rewatched the part with Rollie. After it ended, George asked. "Mr. Tyler?"

"Rollie, please. I prefer it, actually. Do you have any questions?"

"More like an offer, Rollie; and call me George." He cleaned his glasses. "Would you be open to using computers for your work?"

"Not really. They are an interesting toy, but lack the finesse for convincing images."

"At the moment, yes. But I think they can be a very useful tool, not just for visual effects. But also for planning and calculing. It could take a lot of guesswork out of the equations."

"You got my full attention." Rollie's look suddenly became very intense. Almost predatory.

"Mine too." Andy added. "Preparing sequential explosions is a pain in the neck."

Outside, Minutes earlier.

A parked bike waited for it's owner to get back. The fairing was covered with decals of all type, mixing cutesy characters with supposedly arcane symbols and even a couple of Rat Finks (7)

It's owner was busy trying to look beyond the steel fence at the garage entry. She had discreetly followed her next prey.

While she was thinking on how better find a way to look into the place, she heard three shotgun blasts. Immediately, she threw herself to the ground, covering her head.

It took several tense minutes for her to finally risk lifting her head. Crouching low, Tiff Tannen managed to get to her bike. "Damn! This place is getting dangerous! I better make like a soldier and go back to HQ!"

She sped away, thinking. "I hope Cutey Boy is safe. I'll check tomorrow at school."

Author Notes

(1) Apparently, Andy didn't have a surname in F/X, so I used the surname of the actress who played the role, Martha Gehman

(2) The TV programme in question is UFO, in the story, SHADO, the secret organization that fights the titular space vehicles, has its HQ hidden under a tv/film studio. The justification is that, among all those weirdly dressed people and strange stages and props, space invaders and their tech would be practically invisible.

(3) These movies are very real. Ray Harryhausen used this talent to create very memorable scenes with stop-motion. Both Earth vs the Flying Saucers and Jason and the Argonauts are examples of his work. Of course, sometimes the rest of the movies were not really good, and in these cases, Harryhausen's scenes are their saving grace.

(4) Killer Smoke is one of the titles that's name-dropped in F/X; there are no details about it, so I had carte blanche to invent something in Rollie's style. Rollie's previous work is referred during the whole F/X movie. Titles are dropped constantly. Killer Smoke sounded the less B-Movie of the set, most of the others sound really cheesy. There's nothing beyond the titles and ocassional props from the movies themselves, so the scene Doc describes is my doing.

(5) True. The air displaced can cause damage similar to an actual bullet at close distance.

(6) An homage to both Mission: Impossible, where the trope Latex Perfection was codified; and Back to the Future 2, where Doc removes a mask of his own face. I think it's quite possible that Rollie even took his professional name from the TV Indisputable Master of Disguise.

(7) A character designed by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth back in the 1960's, as part of the Kustom Kulture of modified cars. Rat Fink is a grotesque caricature of a rat, deliberately opposite to Mickey Mouse. He is quite obese, with protruding eyes, twisted facial features, and the letters "R. F." occupying practically his whole body.

OMAKE

This one comes courtesy of 1Batman4u, thanks, buddy! Slightly modified to fit with the usual narrative style. All the dialogue belongs to them, except for Rei's last line.

"Hey, Einy! How's my boy doing?" Shinji knelt down, rubbing enthusiastically behind Einstein's ears.

"Awro!" the small, scruffy dog responded enthusiastically to the rubbing.

At the back porch of the McFly home, Asuka pouted.

Rei put her lemonade glass on the table, looking at her companion and fellow former pilot. "Are you actually jealous of Shinji paying attention to the dog?"

"A little bit, yes." She admitted, looking a bit downcast.

Without neither girl noticing, Shinji has gotten close to them, eager to pick a glass of lemonade. He has heard the exchange, and thought of a little prank. He patted Asuka's head, crooning, "Who is a good girl?" though he was ready to jump back and flee should it be necessary.

To his surprise, the German-born girl almost melted, and her left foot began to tap quickly against the wood floor. "I am! Me! Meeee~!"

He looked at Rei. His sister simply nodded. 'So that was all that was needed?' She thought.

Kudos to jaegermonster for asking about the possible effects of teleporting a human soaked in LCL in their review of chapter 28. It will be discussed in story in a future chapter.