….

  For noushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present.

  Without dey, he grabbed the script Regal had handed over and began to read.

  That was the moment everythihought he knew began to unravel.

  It started subtly.

  The script started off well.

  Far better than Zack had expected.

  Still, he didn't let himself get carried away.

  Anyone write if they have imagination, but not all shoot what they wrote.

  To him, this script seemed almost too good, like it might end up wasted in Regal's hands.

  But then came the storyboards. When Regal id them out in front of him, Zack's skepticism took its first serious hit.

  What's with these genius framing choices? And, gulp, these mirror shots… there is no way he could pull them off, right?

  Zack leaned closer to the script, sing the meticulously pnned sequences.

  He read many articles and research papers to know all too well the nightmares mirror shots could unleash on a produ.

  The precise positioning, the potential for unwanted refles, the sheer chraphy involved - it was the kind of thing seasoned directors approached with caution, if at all.

  But the kid sitting across from him had id out somethiirely different.

  The notes detailed a quirky, almost unventional approach to these shots, ideas that bordered on the audacious.

  Zack could see the creativity - bold, inspired, and just a little insane.

  Still, these were just words on paper. Theory.

  Could they actually pull it off in practice?

  However, ohing was certain - someone who is capable of ing up with these teiques 't be an amateur.

  By now Zack has aowledged his writing skills and his imagination.

  Does he even need me? The question lingered in Zack's mind as he slowly closed the script.

  For the first time in years, he felt unsure about his own readiness - if Regal had truly mao capture the shots the way they were framed in the script, then the responsibility of bining that vision would fall squarely on Zack's shoulders as the editor.

  Ahought surfaced.

  Do all indie projects operate at this level now? Had the entire industry evolved so drastically during his time away?

  Zack didn't have an answer.

  Not yet.

  But he would e to uand just how mistaken he had been.

  This project would set a new benchmark for him, recalibrating his perception of what raw footage and dire could achieve.

  W on other films after this would feel jarring, a struggle to adjust to anything less polished, less visionary.

  It would take time, several projects, in fact, before he would find his rhythm again.

  By the time his realization hit, Zack would finally grasp the magnitude of whal was, the kind of filmmaker he got to work with on his first indie project.

  ….

  As Zack's doubts washed away, he tal, and Simoaken to his editing studio.

  He really wao see hal had transted his words into something more real.

  Zack plugged in the hard drive, quickly booting up the footage.

  Regal sat o him, while Simon stood behind, arms crossed, watg the files popute on the s.

  Zack skimmed through the folders - raw footage, audio tracks, temp score.

  He clicked on one, bringing up a clip.

  A shaky trag shot of a dark alley filled the s, footsteps eg in the silence.

  Zack hit pause and g Regal. "...this was shot by…"

  "Me." Regal said ftly, with no hint of pride or apology in his tone.

  Zaodded, leaning closer to ihe footage. It wasn't polished, but the framing had i. He hit py again, this time letting the clip run longer.

  "You have got a det eye." Zack muttered, half to himself.

  Regal smirked faintly. "Better tha. Keep watg."

  Simon chuckled, crossing his arms. "You two are like old dogs sniffing each other out. Just admit you are impressed already, Zack."

  Zad Regal both turheir heads toward Simon, almost in sync, before turning back to the s without a word, the message clear - don't talk, don't disturb.

  Zack started pying the ued clips one by one, Regal staying close, chiming in with behind-the-ses details or story notes here and there.

  The footage was rough - background noise, multiple takes.

  But Zack didn't skip a single clip, nor did Regal ask him to.

  There was an unspoken rule: watch it all.

  Each take, each frame, they both watched it all, abs every detail.

  Zack expined how he could fix things, tighten the pag, and smooth out the rough edges, while Regal pointed out what he liked and what he didn't but always kept it to the point.

  Every now and then, they would pause, pull up the scal had brought, listen for a few moments, then dive bato the footage.

  Meanwhile, Simon shifted unfortably in his seat.

  The bad-forth between Regal and Zack was intense, and there was no room for him to jump in.

  Sitting too long in pce, he started to feel bored. He could feel his eyes growing heavier by the sed, the urge to move being unbearable.

  Without saying a word, he quietly stood up, gave a small nod tal and Zack, and slipped out of the room, trying to be as quiet as possible - though it didn't matter as they were too absorbed in the footage.

  ….

  Forty-eight minutes into the footage, Zack finally hit stop.

  His eyes remained glued to the now-paused s for a long moment before he slowly turoward Regal.

  "When do you io start? How short on time?" He asked.

  Regal immediately caught the underlying meaning, it wasn't really about the deadline. Beh the guise of the question, Zack was signaling something else entirely: he was in.

  The realizatiht a subtle grin tal's face, ohat didn't escape Zack's notice. "Whenever you are up for it. We have the world's time, but we just o make sure it is dohin a week. So, yeah, let's take our time."

  The er of Zack's mouth twitched, almost betraying a smile. "Let's dive in right now then."

  He knew now that his first t as a film editor was quite demanding.

  Regal nodded back. "Yep… let's."

  Creak-!

  Before either of them could say more, the door swung open with a creak, and Simon strolled in, carrying a kling bag filled with s of beer and an assortment of snacks.

  "So, how is it going?" He asked, his voice cheery, clearly trying to break the tension that had been hanging in the air.

  Zack shot him a sideways gnce, raising an eyebrow. "You are a bit te to the party, don't you think so?"

  Simon griossing the bag onto the ter with a thud. "Hey, I am just making sure you guys don't work yourselves into the ground. Plus, I had to grab the essentials."

  Regal and Zack exged a quick look, then both let out a resigned sigh, sharing a silent uanding.

  They cracked open their drinks, taking a short break before diving bato the work.

  Soon, the glow of streetlights outside sighat night had arrived.

  The studio, once alive with energy, now hummed with the quiet iy of long hours of work.

  They could have stayed up all night, and no one would have pined, but they all knew when to call it quits… at least on the first day.

  Zack stood up and stretched. "Got o little patch-up to do. Should be done in about thirty minutes."

  Regal and Simon nodded, deg to stay for a while longer. After all, they were the reason the work had been deyed.

  About thirty mier, Zack fihe small wedding clip he had left to polish, the st task before submitting it the day.

  He turned around, expeg to find Regal and Simon still there.

  Simon was lounging in a chair, another beer in hand, but Regal was o be seen.

  "Where is Regal?" Zack asked, eyebrows raised.

  Simon snapped out of his daze, looking around.

  "Huh?" He gnced over at the couch, where Regal was fast asleep… and his shades were now put off, revealing him to see a few dark spots under his eyes.

  He chuckled quietly. "He is still a kid, huh?"

  Zack shook his head with a smirk. "He has got more passion than most people I know."

  Simon took another sip of his beer, gng at Zack. "So… is it good, man?"

  Zaew exactly what he was referring to.

  "You have no idea." He said, the excitement clear in his voice.

  ….

  .

  [To be tinued…]

  ★─────??★??─────★

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