Page 2 of The Singapore Stunt

The squeal from the paparazzi is not a surprise. I keep my chin lowered and pace a few feet until I’m behind Declan and Ariana. I tap Declan on his back and urge him to keep moving. I work my way to the right of Ariana when I spot another member of the paparazzi with a long lens. I stay between her and the camera, spoiling his shot. As long as Ariana keeps moving and lets her hair hang in front of her face, they won’t figure it out.

“We love you, Kimberly!”

Ariana lifts a hand and waves. A dimple I don’t possess pops on her face, and I pick up the pace.

With each step, the volume from the fans lowers, and the gaze from our director intensifies.

I turn and catch Ariana whispering something to Declan. He closes the umbrella with a smile worthy of the high school prom king that just made out in the back seat of a car with a girl he’s been crushing on all semester. He steps away, and she spots my questioning gaze.

“We’re going to meet at the craft table for coffee after the scene.” I give her a high five. “That walk was insane. I can’t believe this is your life. Like, every day. What a rush!” Ariana is flying high. “You really didn’t have to do that for me. But I’m so glad you did.”

I give her a side hug. “Anytime, sweetie. You work so hard and never get to be in the spotlight. You wear it well.”

“It was only thirty seconds. If I got that every day, I’d be the biggest asshole in all of Hollywood. How do you stay so grounded?”

I brush aside the comment. “I always remember where I came from. I know the media says my movie Forever made me an overnight sensation, but I had struggled for nearly a dozen years in this industry. I’ll never forget, and I will never take what I have for granted.”

The director, Marlon Hayes, walks up to us. He possesses a perpetual scowl. He’s a Hollywood veteran of over a dozen action movies and runs a tight set. “Kimberly, shouldn’t you be resting or running lines or doing anything but standing around my set right now?”

His question is expected. It’s the same one he gives me every time he’s shooting a stunt scene. “I’m here to watch Ariana. Everyone deserves a cheer section.”

Most stars disappear from the set when stunts are filmed. I don’t fault them; our days are endless and demanding. But I’ve seen the work and dedication it takes to perform the stunts. Especially the insane ones in this movie. And they are doing it to make me and my co-stars look good. How could I not be here to give them support? They are literally giving us their blood.

“Fine, but stay hydrated and out of the sun. It’s going to be a long scene.” With that, he walks away, and Ariana steps up next to me.

“I’d understand if you need to head out,” she says. “He’s right. It’s going to be a long day. It’s a complicated sequence. She’ll have to crash through a window, fall down a stairwell, and leap across a building.”

“Or, as you like to call it in stunt world, Tuesday.”

We laugh, and I give her another side hug. “I’m here for you.”

“Thank you. Let me check in with Xavier and get settled.” She skips to the stunt coordinator.

Xavier isn’t just a stunt coordinator. He is also performing stunts in the film. He’s the double for my character’s love interest in the movie. My eyes search the set for my co-star, Cameron Wirtel. When I come up empty, it doesn’t surprise me. If Xavier is in a scene, Cameron doesn’t come to the set. He’s focused only on his role and his scenes. He’s early in his career; he’ll learn.

I follow the director’s advice and find a high-back director’s chair under an umbrella and sink in for a long day of shooting.

***

Ariana is incredible. Yesterday, I walked through these scenes in what felt like slow motion. It was for the cameras. Technical shots that will be seamlessly blended into the stunt shots. Other shots with dialogue and with the principals. Today’s setup is all for the stunt doubles.

Most people fail to realize how much effort we put into an action sequence. Six hours of filming for a scene that will last less than three minutes on the screen. Less than a quarter of that time showcasing the stunt work.

We are three hours in and have moved to the balcony fight sequence. It’s the last stunt here at the theater, and there is a reason the director saves it for last. It is the most daring and breathtaking shot here in LA. I’ve learned from him that stunt people love to ratchet up the danger and live for the adrenaline. They like to finish their day on a high. There will be plenty of highs to chase. After we wrap in LA, we are off to Singapore and a stunt that has even Xavier excited.

“Quiet on set,” an assistant calls from the shadows, and the theater goes silent. I’m backstage behind a sliver of open curtains to view the theater. The director and cameras are in front of me, several others hidden in the shadows of the theater. Another sun-shower swept through a few minutes ago. This time, Marlon refused to shut down the set, even for five minutes. We’re losing the light, and if we miss the window, it means delays. Delays are poison to a carefully constructed filming schedule involving hundreds of people in high demand. A logistics nightmare is how he explained it to Xavier when asked.

Production staff have been enlisted to grab towels and wipe down any surface that may appear in the scene. Marlon gave them exactly sixty seconds to wipe down as much as they could get to. He’s already in the director’s chair, ready to yell action. I’m not even in the scene but can feel the anxiety rising. This is a difficult stunt, one that the team will only at most will have two shots at getting right before we lose the sun.

“Action!” Marlon screams, and I hold my breath.

Ariana is on the balcony, a trio of bad guys chasing behind her. She hits her mark and turns to face six other goons racing at her in the other direction. She wants to fight, but her wounded love interest is by her side. She spots the wires holding celebratory flags in the theater and grabs Xavier by the hand. They share a look that will be replaced with the shot Cameron and I shot yesterday. “Trust me.” I murmur the words from the script as Ariana wraps her arm around his waist and steps over the balcony railing.

I hold my breath. She is about to leap with one hand, grab the wire. They will swing out about ten feet away from the balcony before the wire will snap from the added weight. They will fall two stories onto a hidden air mattress between three rows of removed chairs. I stand, and I see it in Ariana’s eyes immediately. When she plants her foot on the edge of the balcony, it slips from underneath her. A hidden water spot that none of the crew thought to inspect and wipe. The misstep costs her the momentum. She won’t be able to reach the wire.

Fear flashes in her fake eyes. A fear that has me gasping. That’s when I spot Xavier. His eyes fill with a protective determination. He takes control, pulling on Ariana’s shoulder, forcing her body to rotate in his direction. I leap to my feet and whip the curtain from in front of me. Xavier twists his body to take the brunt of the fall. Their momentum, however, causes an over-rotation. The two of them crash into the theater seats below, and the stage in front of me fills with people rushing and shouts for the medics.

I remain frozen in place. Medics with bright red-and-white medical backpacks rush into the middle of the pile, and I hold my breath. I will them to stand. To rise and brush off their shoulders, no worse for wear, like I’ve seen the stunt team do over and over again.

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