Swimming Through the Dawn

by R. P. Rioux

  Tears welled in her eyes. The two of them broke into laughter at the silliness of their reactions. The relief of a job well done was evident on their faces.

  Arturo's voice came over the intercom, "What's the deal, guys? Clear out. We have work to do."

  * * *

  "Guys, let me know when you're done with this crap," Arturo said. "I'm going for a smoke." He left Steve and Phil alone in the control room. The band had departed hours earlier. They had an hour left before the next crew arrived. The high spirits in plentiful supply earlier were now long gone. The all-nighter had exhausted them, but Steve felt the breakdown had more to do with his deteriorating and increasingly contentious friendship with Phil.

  "The ballad's too slow. People want a rock song," argued Phil. "That was our plan."

  "Now that I've heard both, I'm convinced, 'Have No Fear' fits my concept better."

  "Then, change the concept."

  "I can't at this late date. That's money I don't have."

  "You're overstating the problem."

  "This is not your video, Phil."

  "It's not a strong single. That's what counts."

  "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Maybe it's not as immediate, but it has more depth."

  "Ballads have less potential."

  "Lots of ballads are hits. Where are you drawing that conclusion from?"

  "The Radish Conspiracy song was sellable. You're the one who decided at the last minute to go in a completely different direction."

  "I'm not the one who recommended a group on the verge of collapse. Besides, they sounded like a thousand other groups. I know you're a classic rock guy at heart, but don't you yearn to go in a new direction sometimes?"

  "It's classic for a reason."

  "Enough already with The Who and Pink Floyd. It's like watching The Godfather every day for 20 years in a row. Don't you ever get sick of it?"

  Phil looked like the thought hadn't crossed his mind. "You wish you could create a work of genius like that. Nothing today comes close."

  "What a screwy philosophy. Did Picasso give up because Da Vinci was too good?"

  "You're getting emotional again."

  Arturo returned to the studio exasperated. "Guys, knock it off. We don't have time. What'll it be?"

  A moment of awkward silence passed. Steve looked right at Phil. He knew he had to trust his heart. "I'm going with 'Have No Fear.'"

  13

  Heather

  Heather was starving. Miserable. Her five-day crash diet was in its second day but had already taken a toll on her emotions and ability to function normally. With the video shoot less than a week away, the extra pounds gained from the beginning of the school year were unacceptable. Her traditional diet was too slow. She adopted a new strict diet of cleansing juices for the week while continuing her workout regimen and avoiding water. The pounds would likely return soon after, she reasoned, but at least a close approximation of her training weight was possible for the video. If she lasted that long.

  Introductory Economics was half over when she received a new text. Professor Shaw's lecture was called "Thinking on the Margins." Heather thought about marginalizing the professor's lecture long enough to read the message.

  Her father!

  3:23 P.M. Dae-hee: Remember discussing an internship before you left?

  3:24 P.M. Heather: I do.

  3:24 P.M. Dae-hee: You remember Kwan Byung-hoon? He was an associate of mine when we lived in Los Angeles. He came to our house for dinner a few times.

  3:25 P.M. Heather: I guess.

  3:25 P.M. Dae-hee: You were pretty young.

  Yeah.

  3:24 P.M. Dae-hee: Anyway I mentioned you were going to school there and he agreed to meet regarding an internship his company is offering.

  3:28 P.M. Heather: Isn't it a little early for that? I just started.

  3:28 P.M. Dae-hee: It's not too early to consider your future. You must seize opportunities as they come along.

  Heather struggled to invent an excuse.

  3:32 P.M. Heather: I was gonna get a part-time job. Internships are unpaid right?

  3:32 P.M. Dae-hee: What do you need money for?

  3:32 P.M. Dae-hee: We pay your expenses.

  3:32 P.M. Dae-hee: Take advantage of our support.

  3:33 P.M. Dae-hee: While you can.

  3:35 P.M. Heather: I see.

  3:35 P.M. Dae-hee: Mr. Kwan is a busy man. He was willing to see you as a favor to me. Don't disappoint.

  3:36 P.M. Heather: I

  "Ms. Moon?"

  The professor and the whole class were staring at her.

  "Since you apparently have mastered the material," Prof. Shaw said, "would you kindly share an example of how William Stanley Jevons might have used his marginal utility theory to explain consumer behavior?"

  3:36 P.M. Heather: gtg

  Heather turned off her phone. "Um."

  * * *

  Both dressing rooms at the Film & Television Building were in bedlam on the morning of the "Have No Fear" video shoot. The need for five female cast members to prepare at once overwhelmed the women's room, so the unoccupied men's room was pressed into service as well. The pungency of ammonia and sodium hydroxide permeated the enclosed spaces.

  Phil, for his part, had convinced Bryan Caprio, a promising Brazilian/Italian fashion design student from Otis, to develop Made in Heaven's overall look. Three months earlier, they had met on the set of a Chanel commercial, where they discussed the possibility of collaborating. Bryan had brought along help in the form of João, his boyfriend, and Alejandra, a fellow Otis student who was hoping to break into the industry as a makeup artist.

  Bryan was putting finishing touches on Heather's new short hair look. He had turned her chair away from the mirror to make a dramatic reveal once finished. Heather knew the transformation would be a radical one, but was willing to take a leap of faith after seeing the quality of his portfolio. Even as an idol trainee, she had not spent an inordinate amount of time establishing a distinct look. When this opportunity arose, the potential reward was, in her assessment, worth the risk. If the hairdo failed, a hat would suffice until it grew back.

  Bryan claimed his inspiration came from a dream he had of Anna Karina's pool hall dance scene in Jean-Luc Godard's Vivre Sa Vie. He proposed a modernized, voluminous, platinum blonde version of Nana's bob from that movie. The look itself was a variation on the iconic Louise Brooks cut from Pandora's Box. In the name of research, Heather found the scene on YouTube and instantly fell in love with the idea.

  "You need to understand. What you see today won't be the final color," Bryan explained. "You can't get from black to platinum in one session. But it will be fabulous for today's shoot."

  "Okay."

  "It'll take tremendous effort to keep it maintained. I'm warning you."

  "Got it."

  "The truth is not anyone can pull off this style, but the shape of your head and face are tailored for it," said Bryan.

  "Oh my god, look," said Mindy as she entered the dressing room along with Erin and Sun-hee. The three stared at her, mouths open with surprised delight.

  "Heather, have you seen it yet?" asked Sun-hee.

  "No, not yet." Heather bit her lip in anticipation.

  "Saejaelyae."

  "You'll love it. You look like a goddess," said Erin, only half-joking. Heather's patience was crumbling. She was tempted to defy her stylist's wishes by peeking but decided against angering him. Seeing the others' results only increased her excitement. Sun-hee's hip length hair had been dyed the color of milk tea. Several strands were crimped to accent her face. Erin's normally mid-back-length, black hair now cascaded in gentle waves down one shoulder. Mindy's was trimmed to her shoulders and dyed a classic red with the ends curled out.

  "You look fantastic," Heather said. Her eyes shifted to and fro as she attempted to take them all in without moving her head. "Where's Grace?"

  "Ta-da," her friend announced as she slid into Heather's view f
rom the right, her enthusiasm and wide-open arms signaling satisfaction with the results. João had given Grace a flirty, fierce, chin-length, dark copper bob with straight bangs.

  "Wait 'til you see the outfits," said Mindy. "We got to preview them before they were packed. They're better than the ones we had for the WeR5 video."

  Steve's friend Marielle Brodeur, an American of French-Canadian ancestry, had volunteered to help with costuming. Her regular job at a prominent costume rental shop put her in an excellent position to do so. With her goal of becoming a costume designer in mind, Marielle saw this video as an opportunity to develop her skills. She had taken the band members' measurements last week but provided only slight hints of what she had in mind.

  When Bryan finished her hair, Heather's long wait for the reveal wasn't over. For maximum visual impact, Alejandra insisted on finishing the makeup first. Finally, as Heather reached her breaking point, she heard the words she'd been waiting for. "Are you ready?"

  "Do you need to ask?"

  Bryan turned the chair around.

  The unfamiliar look startled her. Her inverted bob perfectly suited the small, delicate features of her face. Rather than trimming the bangs straight across her forehead, Bryan left them longer on the sides, which produced the effect of theater curtains on a proscenium. The bob's front edge was styled to flip under and conform to her jawline. Stacked layers in back, trimmed to below the tips of her ears, adhered meticulously to the shape of her head, creating a helmet-like effect. Dark liner around her bright eyes made them pop, especially in contrast to the light hair. The result of this transformation was electric, managing to be slightly old fashioned yet excitingly modern. The visage she saw in the mirror both thrilled and terrified her.

  "It's marvelous. You should show it to Steve," suggested Grace.

  Heather took the advice. Eagerly she searched, finding him on the loading dock supervising two crew members as they packed the equipment van. She stood silently for a moment, but the team was immersed in their work and didn't notice. Clearing her throat also failed to gain their attention. Steve was in the process of handing over a Fresnel lantern to crewman when she addressed them, "Will this work?"

  Upon noticing her, Steve's jaw dropped. Heather had adopted a cute pose and was framing her face aegyo style. The lantern slipped from his grasp and shattered on the concrete floor. Neither Steve nor his two crew members reacted.

  Heather stifled a laugh as the trio remained in stasis. "Are you okay? That looked expensive."

  "What?" Steve briefly glanced at the remnants of the lamp he'd have to pay for. "Oh, yeah. No prob. Yeah, that looks good, Heather. Real good." He kept staring at her with further words escaping him.

  "Okay, I'll finish getting ready," she said, highlighting the dressing rooms with her hands like a game show presenter. Embodying her borrowed Nana persona, Heather sashayed away from the boys with Michel Legrand's "Swing! Swing! Swing!" playing in her head. She knew full well the effect it was having on her audience. Her confidence was soaring.

  14

  Steve

  The caravan crossed the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles in the heat of the midday sun. One equipment van, one passenger minivan, two cars, and 18 people made their way to a spot best described as the middle of nowhere. Steve had a specific location in mind for the shoot but kept it a mystery to cast and crew. The minivan carried the musicians, along with Alejandra, Marielle, and Gil, the driver. The two cars each held four crew members and various supplies.

  Steve drove the equipment truck himself. He was too preoccupied with minute details to make conversation with his passengers. Riding along with him were Jason, the key grip, and Meadow, a freshman film student who was tasked with production assistant duties. The plan was to light the set and block action in the afternoon while filming the bulk of the video during golden hour, the period of soft light before sunset. Part of the group would stay overnight at a nearby campground for some early morning shots, while the remainder of the crew would return home after wrap.

  After miles of flat desert, a small group of low hills appeared on the horizon. In the center of this landmark, two roads met at a T, one paved and one gravel. At this intersection sat a collection of buildings looking like they had been plucked straight off Route 66 during its 1960s heyday. Before them lay a gas station, a restaurant, and a large, unlit, Atomic Age neon sign. The caravan pulled into the lot.

  As the cast and crew emerged from the vehicles, Steve announced in his best MC voice, "Welcome to Crossroads Movie Ranch." The production team expressed their approval and bolted into action as soon as he issued initial instructions. They unloaded the film equipment, erected a cooling station for the cast, and arranged the food table. As Steve monitored the activity, Phil came beside him. "How much did this place cost?"

  Steve looked at him, coyly. "You don't see anyone collecting fees, do you?"

  Phil rolled his eyes. "Figured. Here's some advice. Don't get caught." Gil requested keys to the buildings.

  "We'll be filming outside today," Steve shouted in response. He slapped Phil on the back and said, "I like living on the edge."

  Shandi Perkins had been recruited as director of photography. Steve wanted the entire video, except the opening and closing shots, to be filmed via drone. Shandi was the most skilled student at St. Ignatius in that regard. Besides making dramatic overhead shots possible, he felt this technique would be the most practical way to film from a variety of angles without wasting limited daylight on multiple camera resets.

  Mindy stood near the road, assessing the entire lot. "Hey, this reminds me of that Red Velvet video!"

  "Oh yeah, you're right," said Sun-hee, 'Ice Cream Cake.'"

  The blood froze in Steve's veins. He approached. "What do you mean?"

  "You've heard of Red Velvet, right?" asked Mindy.

  "Yeah," Steve lied. His knowledge of K-Pop remained spotty.

  "Their video for 'Ice Cream Cake' was filmed here, I think."

  Steve could scarcely believe what he was hearing. "Show me," he demanded. Within seconds several phones were consulted in search of a signal, but the remote location made it difficult.

  "If I can get on higher ground, I'd be able to get a signal," said Phil.

  "Hey, Jason, grab the jumbo ladder, would you?" directed Steve. "We need to get on the roof." Steve, Phil, and Mindy ascended the ladder and searched for the video. The signal was weak, but eventually, they could access YouTube. Substantial buffering made watching videos a chore. Sure enough, though, Steve was ultimately able to recognize the Four Aces Movie Ranch, which was a similar movie location a few miles away. "I swear I've never seen this video before. Now I'll be dismissed as a copycat. I'm screwed."

  "K-Pop groups steal from each other constantly," said Mindy.

  "Unacceptable. Besides, if I wanted to be cliché, I'd have filmed at Vasquez Rocks. And what the hell is a Korean girl group doing in the middle of the California desert, anyway?"

  "Oh, the irony," said Phil.

  "I've been asking myself that all day," Mindy added.

  Steve ignored them both. "I designed this concept for Radish Conspiracy. I didn't have time to change it after they bailed. What am I going to do?"

  "At least ours is a band, not a dance group," Phil noted.

  "That's not enough." Phil and Mindy descended the ladder to find shade and leave him to his thoughts. Steve paced what would have been the canopy of the gas pumps if the set had been an actual service station. Several times he stumped his foot on a swamp cooler pipe or vent and cursed. The roof was cramped, but the view was magnificent. That's it! Seconds later, Steve was on the ground, ecstatic. "I got it!"

  "Got what?" Phil inquired.

  "We have a damn drone!" Phil looked less than impressed with the response.

  Just then, Heather approached. "Where do you want us, boss?"

  Steve pointed to the roof of the gas station.

  Her eyebrows arched. "There? Are you serious?"

 
"Yup. Pretend like you're the Beatles, but instead of central London, you'll be singing to… I don't know…coyotes."

  Heather looked puzzled. "Do coyotes like K-Pop?"

  "They're surprisingly cosmopolitan, I'm told." Steve barked orders to the crew. "Jason, the band equipment has to go on the roof. Get a crew to help you. I need inkies and diffusion too."

  Meanwhile, a tent had been erected to serve as a makeshift green room for the band. Grace had established a set of parameters they expected Marielle to follow when forging the group's identity. The goal was to project an image of confidence and control, but also fun, flirty, and sexy without coming off as either too trampy or cutesy. Balance was key.