Secrets of My Hollywood Life #2: On Location (7 page)

"Carol's approach is too aggressive," Laney counters. "The way to get a star good publicity is to have them do high-profile films, avoid excessive partying--which only leads to catfights and dark circles under your eyes anyway--and arrive on the red carpet looking drop-dead gorgeous."

Who knew Laney was so sensible? I've never been so grateful to have her as my publicist.

Laney raises her orange-tinted sunglasses and looks around to make sure no one is listening in. "Carol's philoso phy isn't unheard of though," Laney whispers. "You won't find many in this town who would actually admit it, but there are people who believe staged romances help box office re turns. I've heard the rumors for years about aging Holly wood stars signing contracts with young, beautiful ones who'll date them for a year to boost both their star appeal."

I let out an audible sob. "No one is going to believe that Drew and I are a couple," I insist. I bite my lip hard. "It's ob vious I can't stand him."

"Yeah, well, not to everyone." Laney slaps the latest issue
of Hollywood Nation
on the table. On the cover is a picture of Drew throwing me in the air at the Xbox event, me smiling away, and next to it is a shot of Austin, alone playing lacrosse. How'd they get that? The headline says:

WHO'LL CAPTURE KAITLIN BURKE'S HEART? HOLLYWOOD'S NEW BAD BOY OR THE HIGH SCHOOL HEARTTHROB?

I flip to the story on page eight and scan it. Drew and I are costars, blah, blah, blah..."STOLEN MOMENTS WITH THE FAMED PLAYER WHILE AUSTIN STOOD GLUMLY IN THE CORNER." I read on. Xbox party, blah, blah, blah..."THE TWO DATED LAST YEAR."

OH MY GOD. Now I have to tell Austin about Drew!

Noooo. I can't do that. The breakup is still too painful for me to talk about, and this publicity plan...It's too compli cated to get into. Austin will never understand why I have to go along with it. But if I don't tell Austin something, some one else will. Like Lori. Austin's ex was always hiding
Holly wood Nation
in her textbooks.

Okay, I know what I'll do. Austin doesn't need to know everything I do at work. It's a known fact stars have to do
some
publicity together. I'll just make it clear to Austin that the events will be minimal. Austin will understand that part. As for Drew's and my relationship, I'll just tell Austin we went out once or twice. My Sidekick whirs again.

WOOKIESRULE: Nice, Burke. Can U meet 4 dinner? Slice of Heaven? U, me, and Rodney?

"Who are you e-mailing?" Mom demands. "Austin?" I nod. Mom turns to Laney and Dad as if I'm not sitting right next to her. "She spends more time e-mailing Austin than she does memorizing her lines."

"That's not fair," I counter, looking up from my Sidekick.

"You said that I could have more free time and this is how I want to spend it," I reason. "It's not like I'm neglecting my work." I push the Xbox party out of my mind. "I'm going to be working six days a week starting Sunday so I won't be see ing Austin as much as I am now. What's wrong with having a boyfriend, anyway?"

Mom purses her lips and Laney nudges her. "Nothing, I guess," Mom says quietly. "Austin
seems
like a nice boy. But how well do you know his family? What if the tabs offer them money to talk about you?" She waves her spoon at me. "Would they do it?"

"No." I shake my head firmly.

"I just don't think it would hurt to put this thing with Austin on the back burner and concentrate on the
Adams Project
and Carol Ingram's publicity plan," Mom declares.

"Kaitlin, what you do in your personal life is your busi ness," Laney disagrees. "Carol can't control that." My stom ach muscles begin to relax. Go, Laney!

"You don't have to date Drew," she says firmly. "You just have to make Carol look good. Her initiative is the first of its kind at Wagman and she wants it to succeed. You don't want to be the one to cross her." She shrugs. "Fly beneath the radar. Go with Drew to the events Carol wants and let me worry about the rest. I'll make sure she doesn't overstep her bounds. Besides, there are enough hot parties around here that you can take both Austin and Drew and still have enough left over to last a year."

WOOKIESRULE: Burke, helllllooooo? Dinner??

Okay.

"I'll play along," I agree reluctantly. Mom and Dad breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Good. Now let's change the subject." Laney finally re laxes enough to take a bite of her crab cake.

I bite my lower lip. "Does Hutch know about Carol's plans?"

"She said he approved it." Laney seems surprised herself. "Every last detail."

Humph. I hope Hutch knows what he's doing. I look down at my Sidekick and type quickly.

PRINCESSLEIA25: Sorry! Dinner @ 7.

For now at least, Drew and Carol can wait.

THURSDAY 6/14 NOTE TO SELF:

Have Nadine book weekly deep tissue massages @

Massage Therapy Center

Stunt workshop w/Drew--Sat. @ 8

Final swimsuit fitting Sat. @ 12

Highlights and eyebrow wax @ Fredric Fekkai/Sat. @ 3

**Movie Start Date: MONDAY! Call time: 5 AM.

SIX:
Day 1 and Counting

Ever hear the expression "hurry up and wait?" That's perfect for describing a movie set.

The Untitled Hutch Adams Project
is no exception, and we're only on day one of filming. My call time for hair, makeup, and wardrobe was 5 AM. It's now close to
three
and I've only filmed for an hour. Hutch is so busy shooting various angles of the same scene that he's needed me once so far. Below where I sit in the bleachers of the Santa Rosita Olympic Swim Center, a crew of about twenty-five people is bustling around the deck setting up the lighting and the micro phones with stand-ins. (Stand-ins are paid to walk through the scene while the director and lighting team test the shot. That way the stars of the film don't have to hang around in costume getting annoyed. Great, huh?)

"Whose brilliant idea was it for the first day of shooting to be on location?" A sleepy Nadine grumbles as we sit on the blue plastic bleachers sipping green tea with Rodney (who is drinking a vanilla protein shake).

The ceiling rises almost two stories above the bleachers, which are illuminated by fluorescent lanterns hanging above the pool's dozen or so lap lanes. It feels a bit cool in the cavernous arena and I pull the white terrycloth robe covering my costume around my shoulders. I'm not sure if I'm really chilly in the red tank suit--my character's fic tional high school, Park High, is emblazoned in big white letters across my chest--or if I'm just nervous about this movie. Despite Drew's touchy-feely tendencies and the last-minute addition of Sky I was excited to work with Hutch before Laney dropped the publicity bombshell. I can't stop thinking about why Hutch would agree to Carol's strange request. What director wants the public to think his costars are hooking up? Hutch doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would welcome the presence of the paparazzi on set, but that's what is going to happen if they think Drew and I are dating. They'll start hanging around locations to catch a shot of Drew and me making out (for the cameras, of course). Why would Hutch want the added commotion?

My director is down below watching the chaos on the pool deck with a scowl on his face. Our assistant director, or A.D., Hank, is yelling at the second A.D. about today's call sheet while the cameramen, gaffer (who works with the cinematographer on mood and lighting), grips (manpower), and best boy (helps the gaffer with electric. FYI: best boys can be girls!) work around them to continue setting up the shot by the pool. They seem to be trying to move the equipment as close to the water as possible, risking getting it wet. After a few minutes of shouting among everyone, Hutch throws his hands up and dives in dressed in a Van Halen tee and swim shorts, splashing the nearest crew members. The crew instantly grows quiet.

"Hand me the camera." He wades over, shaking water out of his hair like a wet dog, snatches the plastic-covered cam era from a gaping cameraman, and rests it on his shoulder. "If you can't get this simple task right, I'll test the shot myself."

"He must have first-day jitters too," I reason.

"Maybe. Or maybe he's just mental," Nadine whispers.

Across the pool, the extras that are paid to fill out the swim teams are practicing their cheers with a PA. (produc tion assistant). Drew is keeping a bunch of giggly blond ex tras entertained with grunt-worthy push-ups and jumping jacks. When the girls applaud, Drew removes his white tee to reveal his ripped chest and red Park High trunks.

Sky, however, is nowhere to be seen. She must be relaxing in her trailer. I wish I could do that, but I was too nervous to wait in mine to be called. I'd just pace up and down, trying not to throw up.

Liz says the first day of shooting a movie is nothing like the first day of school. In class, you have a week or so to ease into your new schedule and get used to your teachers. On movies, day one is just like day thirty-seven--you're shoot ing a scene, ready or not. I always find the first day scary. I'm worried about what Hutch will think of my performance and how I'll mesh with my costars, whom I'm supposed to have great acting chemistry with, even if we practically hate each other. And it always makes my head spin when we start shooting a scene from the middle of the script.

HOLLYWOOD SECRET NUMBER SIX: Movies don't shoot in chronological order. If your script is set in London
and
New York, you'll unreasonably increase production costs if you jet back and forth a hundred times. Instead, productions shoot all the related scenes in one city before flying to the next. The same principle goes for productions that require numerous scenes spread out over the course of a movie to be shot at the same private home in Nantucket. Usually they'll shoot all the house scenes together even though they're out of sequence.

And on the off chance a production calls for an Olympic-size pool that is booked for all of June and July except for today they'll probably shoot there on the first day of pro duction.

"Kaitlin, we're going to need you in five," Hank yells in to the stands. He nervously runs a hand through his short, brown spiked hair. He confided to me that he's worked on all of Hutch's projects, even if they're all beyond "stressful." Hmm. Maybe that's why Hank is so pasty white and thin.

Stressful. Now that I've signed on to work with Hutch, everyone I meet tells me how brilliant the blockbuster ge nius is...and how stressful it is to work for him. Why couldn't anyone have warned me
before
I signed on?

"No problem!" I yell back cheerfully. I remove my robe, hand Nadine my tea, and begin walking down the bleacher steps. That's when I see Liz. She's wearing jeans and a Strokes concert tee underneath. Liz is weaving in and out of the crowd, sidestepping the craft services cart that's rolling towards her and ducking under a grip holding a large han dle with a light.

"Look who's finally here," Nadine mumbles under her breath. My "talk" with Nadine didn't go so well. She didn't seem convinced that having Liz around would free her up and now I'm regretting offering Liz the job. It's too late now though.

"Sorry," Liz pants. "I missed the bus that would take me here and had to wait for the next one."

"She missed the bus," I hear Nadine mutter.

"I don't know how people deal with public transporta tion!" Liz continues anxiously as she watches Nadine. "Any way when I got to security they said my name wasn't on the list. I tried calling Nadine, but she didn't answer her cell."

I look at Nadine. She pulls her cell from her back pocket and checks the screen. "No service," she says, looking sur prised. "I'm sorry, Liz. I told them your name at the door."

"I knew you weren't thrilled about me being here, but I couldn't believe you would ban me from the set!" Liz jokes.

I laugh nervously. I told Liz not to say anything about what I told her.

Nadine's face is bright red. "It's not that I don't want you here, it's just that I have a routine and I don't like it being messed with.""When school is out and I'm here full time, I promise I'll stay out of your way," Liz offers quickly holding her hands up in peace. "I'll do whatever you ask me, no questions asked. You're the boss."

"Okay" Nadine looks relieved. "I'm sure I have a few things that I could use help with."

Crisis averted.

"Couldn't find anything better to do than tag K around this summer?" I hear a familiar voice say.

GROAN. If only bliss could have lasted longer than five seconds....

"Hi, Sky," Nadine yawns.

Liz turns around smugly ready with a witty comeback I'm sure, but jumps backwards when she sees Sky. "What happened to your hair?" Liz asks in horror.

Sky looks rattled. She tightens the candy apple red robe around her chest. "I dyed it blond," she says defensively, smoothing her slicked hair, which has been groomed to look as if she's swum in the pool, like mine. "It's for my character. Madison, hand me a mirror," she barks to her as sistant.

Madison quickly produces one from the oversized black canvas bag hung over her shoulder. "Hi, Nadine, Kaitlin, how are y'all?" She's dressed too formally for a movie shoot. Everyone here is in beat-up jeans, old t-shirts, and sneakers, but Madison is in crisp white linen pants and a navy silk sailor-style top. I guess Sky didn't tell her what to expect.

Madison turns to Liz and extends her hand, which I notice is trembling. "I'm Madison. And you are?"

Liz smiles. "I'm Kaitlin's second assistant," she says coolly looking directly at Sky.

"Oooh!" Madison squeals. "How nice. I'm new too! Are ya from around here? I'm from the great state of Louisiana. We don't have half as many Starbucks as y'all have here. Who needs to drink that much coffee?"

"Second assistant?" Sky interrupts. She drops the black mirror and it shatters. Madison dives on the ground to re trieve it. "How come I don't have a second assistant?"

"I guess they didn't think you needed one." Liz walks down a step so that she's eye to eye with Sky who runs a hand through her wet hair and tightens the sash around her robe, preparing for a screaming match. "I mean, it's not like you're the
lead
," Liz points out nonchalantly.