by Rick Lakin
She played with Dandy and Pugs, fed them, and then sat down to write some pages in her next novel. Jennifer had 150 pages remaining to a draft that was due in eight weeks. Challenging but doable.
Jennifer thought about six years ago when she started to focus on a literary career.
The English Tutor - 2059
Jennifer entered steveLearn. “Good evening, Jenna. How did your math session with Srinivasa go? I heard that you covered a lot of ground.”
“I like Srini. He said that I should take a break between sessions. Sounded like a good idea.”
“So, what d’ya need?” Sami asked.
“I can take two courses at one time. I am doing a math course. I want to become an author someday. How ‘bout writing or literature,” Jennifer replied.
“You need an English Tutor, so why don’t we make this more fun? I’ll introduce you to someone who loves books and also loves mathematics.”
“Send me the list of books you have read and I will set up your English Tutor for the morning? Call up English Lit.”
“Good idea. I am kind of tired. See you tomorrow.”
In the morning, she entered steveLearn. She said, “Open English Lit.”
A figure appeared dressed in garb from the nineteenth century. He looked confused. Jennifer asked, “Who are you?”
The figure composed himself, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle. To some, I am known as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. I am an author and a mathematician.”
Jennifer smiled, “And to others, you are known as Lewis Carroll, and you wrote about Alice in one of my favorite books.”
“Correct, Miss Jenna, and you may call me Lewis. You are ten years old and very well read.” Lewis continued, “If I may ask, how did you discover The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. It is quite a mouthful for a youngster. It is one of my all-time favorites.”
“I was reading poetry, and I read somewhere that Spenser was one of the first English poets.”
Lewis Carroll said,
“Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,
As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds,
Am now enforst a far unfitter taske,
For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,”
Jenna continued the verse,
“And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;
Whose prayses having slept in silence long,
Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds
To blazon broade emongst her learned throng:
Fierce warres and faithfull loves shall moralize my song.”
“How much of the poem have you memorized?” asked the tutor.
“All of it. I have an eidetic memory. It's my superpower. I can remember and recite all the books that I’ve read."
“Have you read The Bard?” asked the tutor.
“I intend to. Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are on my list for the future.”
The Tutor quoted,
“… that we would do
We should do when we would; for this ‘would’ changes
And hath abatements and delays as many
As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents;
And then this ‘should’ is like a spendthrift sigh,
That hurts by easing.”
“That is from a play called 'Hamlet,'” Lewis said. “Your exploration of English Literature should begin with the Immortal Bard of Avon. 'Hamlet' is a good starting point.”
“I must start somewhere,” Jennifer said.
“Begin at the beginning,” Lewis Carroll said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
“Good advice from The King,” Jennifer said, recognizing the reference. “I will see you in a few days.”
“Good day, Miss Jenna.”
Six
SuperNerd
On her way to work, Sami messaged her. “What’s up, Sami?”
“Report to Grayson in the Information Technology Office before you report to Sound Stage Three,” Sami said.
“Got it,” At the IT office, she met Grayson. He had a curious looking pad hooked to his belt. He had left his pocket protector at home today.
“Jennifer, the new intern?”
“Yes, call me Jen.”
“Your résumé says that you speak steve,” Grayson said.
“Yes, I do. I knew Alexandra Waring, one of the developers.”
“Good.” He lifted the pad with the steve logo on it.
She guessed what it was.
“It’s the new HoloPad, right?”
“That’s correct. Apparently, we made the right choice. We would like for you to familiarize yourself with this device and then train others on the lot.”
“I can do that but can you show me the demo thing?”
“Um,… oh, I know what you mean. Show 'Leia’s Message.'”
Above the HoloPad, a twelve-inch tall girl popped up. With black hair and a white robe, she said, “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”
“Aren’t you too young to be a Star Wars fan?”
“Any self-respecting Brillian has seen all of the Star Wars movies,” Jennifer said.
“How would you suggest we train new users to use the HoloPad?”
“With the steveLearn, there's already a configuration assistant. Just show newbies how to turn it on and how to wear it,” Jennifer suggested. “I see you attach it to your belt. The HoloBuddy comes up anytime you want.”
“Would you like to spend the rest of your internship with IT?”
“No, but if you send me with some Pads, I can train new users. They need me on Stage Three at ten a.m.”
“Here's a list of five people in the production offices.”
“May I have one more for an actor? David Masing? I think steve might help him run his lines.”
“That's an interesting idea. We hadn't planned on giving HoloPads to the actors. Would you help us configure the device as a rehearsal tool?”
“I can do that. As long as I get to my crew calls.”
She messaged David. “Message me when you are in your trailer.”
She visited the five new HoloPad users, had them set up pretty quickly, and answered their questions by 9:15 a.m. She called up her HoloBuddy and discovered that David was in his trailer.
On her walk over, she reconfigured her HoloPad. “Login System UVN Jenna Seldon. Assign Samantha as HoloBuddy on this unit.”
Samantha popped up beside her in 3D. “Hi, Jen.”
“Sami, do you have access to Tovar scripts, actors, and characters through this HoloPad?”
Sami thought a moment, “Yes, I do.”
“How about daily sides and script pages for individual actors?”
“I can set that up.”
“Do you understand the idea of an actor running lines of dialog for rehearsal and memorization?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, Jenna. I like this HoloPad environment and the Tovar back office system. It's a very roomy environment.”
“Create an app called "Rehearsal.” Animate the avatar of the other actor so they can practice their lines. Got it? And use the memorization tutorial we created.”
“Got it. Ready in two minutes."
“Jen, are you going to create more studio apps?”
“Yes,” Jennifer said.
“There's a possibility of marketing and sales for these apps outside of Tovar.”
“Good idea. Thank you, Sami.”
“Sure, Sis.”
Jennifer knocked on David’s trailer door and stepped back a safe distance.
“You were ready this time. It’s nice to see you.”
“Remember the steve thing I told you about? These HoloPads just came in. They have the steve software on them.”
“HoloPad?”
“HoloBuddy, display first movie hologram.”
Princess Leia popped up, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi…”
“Woah, that’s cool. Is that from an old movie?”
“All I know is that there was a spaceship in the desert in one of the movies. My dad told me about that.”
“You need to put those movies in the category of professional research,” Jennifer said.
"You said the HoloPad could help me run lines.”
“First let’s personalize it. Instead of the generic HoloBuddy, you can program an avatar of your choosing. Just say 'Login your name'. Assign the name of your avatar to the HoloBuddy on this unit.”
“Can I pick the smartest person I know?”
“Sure. Press the screen this time, and it will remember your voice after this.”
He pressed the screen. “Login David Masing. Assign Jenna Seldon to the HoloBuddy on this unit.”
Sami popped up on Jen’s HoloPad. “I'm monitoring. Do you grant permission, Jen?”
“Is this creepy or what? Yes, Sami, I grant permission.”
“Hello, David. Hello, Jennifer. You look familiar.” the avatar said.
“Ya think.”
“David, Jen has set up a rehearsal program for Tovar actors. Would you like to access that?”
“In a few minutes, Jenna. Logoff.”
“Spooky. Jen, would you like to play tennis on Saturday? Riley McMaster and I like to play. Maybe you could get your friend Tayla and we could play mixed doubles?”
“He's the Brilliant Engineer?” Jennifer said.
David nodded.
“Sure, let me message Tayla. What time?”
“Ten a.m.”
Jennifer said, “Sami, message Tayla. Ask her if she can play some doubles at ten on Saturday.”
“Where do you usually play? The courts on the lot are ok, but….”
“I'll get a court at the Calabasas Club. It’s public, but it's got a stunning mountain background.”
“Can we get a quiet court? I usually draw a crowd.”
“Sami, message the director at the club. Ask him for a private court for ten am on Saturday. Tell him I'm bringing some Tovar celebs.”
Sami said, “Tayla replied 'Yes, who are we playing?'”
“Tell her I'll get back to her. David, I have a crew call in fifteen. I'll message you the info.”
“Thanks for the toy. I'll practice my lines. Stop by again.”
Jennifer arrived five minutes early for her crew call. “Good morning, Angel. How can I help?”
“They need you on set for lighting. Actors on set at 10:30.”
She carefully navigated to the set. “Morning, Bill, where do you want me?”
“Morning, Jen. Same as yesterday. Sit in for Mia, but the camera is stage left.” She spotted it and then looked at the desk and noticed something else. “Thanks, Jen, you're free.”
“Angel, there's a problem with the props. They aren't set up like they were yesterday.”
“Olivia is the script supervisor. She does continuity. She's rushed. But this one sounds important.”
Jennifer walked over to the script supervisor. “Excuse me, Olivia?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Jen, the intern. I believe Mia’s coffee cup is turned the wrong way.”
“I checked that specifically this morning,” Olivia said.
“Ma’am, the actor is left-handed.”
“You’re right. Let me look at the photos.”
“Wow, Good catch. You have a great visual memory. What's your name again?”
“I’m Jennifer Gallagher.”
“What are your duties?”
“Probably just a runner. It’s only my second day.”
“Let’s try this. I'd like for you to take notes on dialog changes, prop moves, timing, and any problems you see. You'll be my backup.”
“I can handle that. Would you like me to send you notes at lunch and end of day?”
“That’s fine. Let your PA know you are assisting me.”
“Thanks for the opportunity.”
“Good luck, this is an important job.”
Olivia called the Prop Master over and instructed him to make the correction.
“Sami, do you know what a script supervisor does?”
“Yes,” Sami said.
“I'd like you to record audio and video, keep times and script notes, and build a continuity log sheet. Label this program "Script Assistant." Communicate through my earbuds only.”
“Tell me when to start recording.”
“Listen for the assistant director cues. I'll keep notes from memory, and we can compile during breaks.”
“Ok, Sis.”
Olivia had a pad in her hand continually taking notes, but she noticed that Jennifer never touched her HoloPad, and she was constantly observing. After the last shot, she called Jennifer over. “Miss Gallagher, I assigned you a task. I hoped that you might be able to help out. Apparently you didn't understand how serious this job was. I never saw you take notes one time. You are released back to your PA.”
“Ma’am, if you'll check your inbox, I sent you notes during each break and at lunch. I will send you a final set in a few minutes,” Jennifer said. “I have an eidetic memory. Take a look at my notes and see if they're right.”
Olivia walked off, and Jennifer walked over to a table and reviewed her notes.
Fifteen minutes later Olivia returned and sat down next to Jennifer. She handed her a diet soda and a cookie. “Your notes are the most complete and detailed I've seen in this business. I'm impressed, and I truly apologize for snapping at you earlier.”
“Thank you, Olivia,” Jennifer replied.
“Explain this memory thing of yours.”
“It’s like I record images, sounds, and smells constantly. I can play them back. I can also recall them like data and build apps like computer simulations.”
“That sounds like a blessing and a curse. But, aren’t you using some tech, too?”
“I cheated a bit. I just got this new HoloPad with steveTech on it. My HoloBuddy, Sami, records the audio, video, data, and time cues and helps me build the continuity log.”
“Can I get something like that?”
“Let me stop by IT in the morning.”
“Crew call's at nine a.m. Good job today.”
Jennifer set her Prius to AutoDrive. She had a return message from the Calabasas Club that their court was reserved. She called Tayla.
When she appeared, “So, who are we playing on Saturday?”
“A couple of guys from Tovar.”
“Is one of them, perchance, named David?”
“Let me check my calendar… Yes, that’s correct.”
“Omigod. Who're you dragging along as table scraps for me?”
“Riley McMaster”
“The dreamy black guy David runs with? You are the best BFF ever!”
“It’s just tennis, Tay.”
“Seriously, Jen, Life is Tennis.”
“Life is Brilliant. Ten o’clock at Calabasas. I'll pick you up a half hour before.”
“I know what I'm dreaming about tonight.”
“Mom's cooking tonight. That’ll probably be what I dream about.”
On the third day of her summer internship, Jennifer Gallagher visited Grayson in IT before her crew call at Sound Stage Three.
“Good Morning, Grayson. Yesterday I created two apps for steve on the HoloPad. Rehearsal helps the actors run lines and Script Assistant sets up a continuity log for the Script Supervisor.”
“I heard about it. All of the actors want HoloPads now,” Grayson said.
“Increased productivity, right? May I have one to take to the Script Supervisor I'm working with?”
“Yes. Ellen is your director, correct?” Jennifer nodded.
“Could you possibly create an app where above-the-line people, producers, directors, actors, and screenwriters, could view and make notes on daily rushes?”
“Got it. So, do you have seven extra HoloPads for my Stage? And a cart?” Jennifer asked.
Grayson pointed to a cart. “Use this one.” G
rayson spoke to his HoloBuddy. “Help me get the hardware.”
“Thanks, Grayson.” She took a seat on the cart and said, “AutoCart, take me to Sound Stage Three.” She heard the acknowledgment, and the cart began moving.
“Good Morning, Sami,” Jennifer said. “Look up the term Daily Rushes and tell me when you're ready to data mine the dailies and scripts at Tovar Studios.”
There was a pause. “Got it, Boss.”
“I'd like to set up an app called Daily Rushes for producers, directors, actors, and screenwriters. How soon does the Director of Photography release the rushes?”
Sami responded, “The DP and the Director review the proofs immediately and release them to print and then the others have access.”
“Great, set it up so that the people I listed can review their rushes as soon as the Director and DP release them. Map them to the script, including any differences from the sides. And create a tutorial.”
Another pause, “Daily Rushes App created and all current users notified through their HoloBuddy.”
Jennifer looked around as she rode to her set. She noticed people focused on their HoloBuddy instead of where they were going. “Sami, are folks using their HoloPads while driving or walking?”
“Yes, they are. The Tovar data indicates that there have been five close calls in the last two days and one involved lots of coffee.”
“Sami, build an app called Tovar Safety Buddy. What's the motion sensor radius?”
“I'm able to sense fast moving objects like AutoCarts and faster at five hundred feet. I'm able to track slow and stationary objects out to one hundred feet. I see where you are going with this. That includes 360 degrees horizontally at user height plus ten degrees and a forty-five-degree cone for objects directly above the user.”
“Implement the app in the background immediately. Alert or divert users while walking or standing. Implement an augmented reality display to alert users of nearby objects moving or stationary. Long-term, data mine the safety records for Tovar and any other public records for industrial safety on film lots and update the app to assist anyone carrying a HoloPad.”