Like a herd migration, the majority of the film crew makes their way to the gravel lot with the trailers. A catering truck has pulled up, and hot meals are laid out buffet-style on folding tables. Ingredients and allergies are clearly marked, along with dishes labeled gluten-free and vegan.
“Any other questions?” Gabriel asks as he leads me over to some folding chairs in the shade of a pop-up pavilion.
I can tip my hand a little more with Gabriel, but I still like to keep my cards close to my chest.
“I had some issues signing some of the paperwork on the way over,” I say between bites of a delicious vegan eggplant ziti.
“We’ll get that sorted after lunch, no problem.”
“Great. Then I’m sure you won’t be surprised that I’m dying to hear about this big stunt.”
Gabriel smiles, eyes twinkling. “I’m sure you are. As you’ve seen, Lana’s a big fan of practical stunts.”
My mind whirls, and the name snaps into place next to my brief glimpses. This must be Lana Yan, an up-and-coming director who earned critical and audience acclaim alike for heavy use of practical stunts in the spy thrillerNever Say Tomorrow.
A friend of a friend landed a role in that film. I was bitter about it for months. And now I might be stumbling into a multi-film gig with her. Hot damn.
“A breath of fresh air,” I reply.
Gabriel nods warmly. “She’s great to work with too, very collaborative. So she came to us with this seed of an idea, me and Bella, and we workshopped it together. Proved it out in pre-vis, convinced the studio to spend a shit ton on this rig. But it’s going to be incredible.”
“You’re killin’ me, Gabriel.”
There’s a teasing light in his eyes as he smiles. “You’ll live.”
I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Would you just tell me?”
Gabriel leans closer, tenting his hands.
My breath stills in my lungs.
“Fight starts in a fancy space-plane. Windows get blown out. Fight moves outside. On the wing, the belly, dangling from the door, you name it. Knock-down, drag-out fight. Ends in a high fall.”
My eyes are already saucers. Holy shit.
“And…” Gabriel continues. “It’s all a oner.”
A oner. A single unbroken shot.
My heart calms back down. Now I understand. I offer a wry smile. “Ha-ha, very funny, pranking the new guy.”
Gabriel’s smile widens. “I’m not joking. We have the whole thing mapped out. The fuselage is already fabricated, and it’s going on a massive crane with a robotic arm attachment. The entire flight path is plotted out, including angles to cheat the sense of travel and get the most out of the crane’s range. Then it’ll stop precisely over the airbag for the fall. No safety wires; they’d be too dangerous to work around for what we have planned. There’ll be a net below the fuselage, and it’s computer-programmed to hinge away just before the shot widens for the fall.”
“That’sinsane.”
“Sure is. Think you’re up for it?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “There’s absolutely nothing in this world… that could keep me off that thing. Holy shit, man. Talk about a dream come true.”
Gabriel pumps his fist. “I knew it when I saw your stunt reel. Saw it in your eyes: this man’s crazy. Crazy enough to free-fight on a moving plane stuck to the end of a crane arm.”
“I don’t think there’s any other crew in the world I’d trust with that, but… damn. Okay. I’m so in.”
Gabriel chuckles. “Get to know us first, and make sure you still feel that way.”
“Yeah, fair. I’ve got plenty of time. Three whole days.”
“That’s right.” Gabriel holds up his diet soda can, and we cheers. “Three whole days.”
