Los Angeles, 1973.
Reynold Mansion, Light & Magic Club.
The stunned silence after the laughter settled in the air. My mother and Steven Spielberg exchanged looks, clearly in disbelief at what they were just witnessing inside our "Light & Magic Club Studio."
It was far from the makeshift play area they might have imagined. Instead, it was a fully functioning workshop and studio, a secret haven that I had built with my friends over the years.
"Well, Liam, I have to admit… I'm impressed," Steven finally said, still scanning the room, his eyes lingering on the model shark and the equipment strewn across various sections.
Marie still rubbing her temples from the shock, nodded in agreement. "I had no idea you and your friends were this… resourceful. But Liam, this is a lot. You've done all of this without me knowing?"
Liam shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you were busy with your work, and I didn't want to bother you with our little projects. Besides, it's not like we were causing any trouble. We're just… preparing for the future."
Steven chuckled, crossing his arms. "A 13-year-old kid preparing for the future in Hollywood, huh? I've met ambitious people before, but you take it to a new level."
Liam shrugged. "Uncle Steven, We will not be kids forever."
Marie sighed."Liam, I just want you to be careful. This world you're stepping into… it's not as simple as writing scripts and playing in a studio. There's competition, politics, and… you know, I've seen what it can do to people."
Liam nodded, understanding the weight of her words. "I know, Mom. But I also know that if I don't try now, I'll regret it later. We've built something special here. This could be our big break."
Steven, intrigued, walked over to the model shark sitting in the corner, poking at it with interest.
"This is the shark for Jaws, right?"
"Yep. We built it from scratch. Tommy helped build the base, I did the mechanics, and Rita did the painting. We even made sure the mouth could open and close on cue."
Steven bent down, inspecting the details closely. "Impressive. You know, most directors don't even think about these details until they're on set, and you've already got it all mapped out."
He looked at me thoughtfully. "Alright, kid. I'm convinced. I want to move forward with Jaws. But I'll need to bring it to Universal, and you'll have to agree to some changes."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Changes?"
"Nothing major," Steven reassured me. "But the studio will want control over certain aspects like production timelines, casting, and, most importantly, the score. The music is a big part of what makes a film work, and while your composition is good but the studio will probably want someone with more experience."
I stood my ground, already anticipating this moment. "Uncle Steven. But I'm not stepping aside. I want to be involved with the music for Jaws."
Steven tilted his head, as if weighing my resolve. "You're not going to back down, are you?"
"Nope. I wrote that script with the music in mind. It's part of the vision. I don't care if I'm only 13. This is my movie too."
There was a moment of tense silence. Marie looked at me with a mix of worry and pride, while Steven seemed deep in thought.
Then, a slow smile crept across his face. "Alright, kid. You've got guts. I'll see what I can do. But you have to prove yourself. If you want a seat at the table, you'll need to show the studio that your music is up to their standards."
Liam nodded, determined. "Deal. When do we start?"
Steven chuckled again. "You've got a lot to learn, Liam. But I like your spirit. Let's set up a meeting with Universal. I'll need you to bring everything you've got scripts, music, the shark model. They'll need to see the whole package."
"Sure, I will give them the best demo ever."
Steven took another slow lap around the studio, eyes darting from one invention to another.
Steven worked his way around my workbench, I had a variety of sketches and small mechanical prototypes scattered around.
Steven turned the object over in his hands, confused. "What am I looking at? Flashlight?"
"Not quite. It's a prototype for a light saber."
"Light Saber ?, Like a laser sword?."
"Yeah, Flip the switch on the hilt."
Steven pressed the switch and the rod attached to it started to spin slowly, reflecting light off the retro-reflective tape I had wrapped around it.
"It's motorized, and with the right lighting, it'll give off a glowing effect like a sword made of light."
Steven's eyes widened as he held the spinning rod. "This... is a laser sword?"
"Well, not yet," Liam admitted, "but it's a start."
"Lots of work is needed in post production but there is nothing that come to my mind on how to create a real one."
"Post production ? Where are you using this light saber ?."
"I registered three more scripts along with jaws that mom has not read."
"Three more..." Marie Exclaimed
"Jaws is just one them, Two scripts are part of space opera trilogy called star wars."
"I am writing the last part of the triology currently. This light saber and those robots over there are prototypes used in star wars."
"Last script is based on treasure hunting adventure of a historian."
"Title of last script is Indiana jones: Raiders of the Lost ark."
Steven was baffled and so was marie.
Steven looked at light saber and robots and asked
"Where did you learn this stuff, It's not taught in UCLA for sure."
"I learned all this stuff from special people, Two years ago, Douglas Trumbull came to UCLA for a lecture, I became friends with him and exchanged phone number and various letters with him on visual effects."
Steven exclaimed."Trumbull? You talked to him?"
"Yeah. He's a genius. He connected me with his assistant, John Dykstra, We are both working on a special motion effects camera and a system specifically created for the camera currently."
Spielberg stared at the lightsaber hilt for a long moment, the gears in his head clearly turning. "You know, I have a friend his name is george lucas, He would be very interested in this space opera."
Steven asked."The script to this star wars, do you have a extra copy ?."
"I want to show this script to george, He wanted to make a space opera but was busy with his recent movies THX 1138 and is currently working on a movie called american graffiti."
"Yeah, I have extra copy. If george wants to visit it would be my pleasure."
The tour of Light & Magic club came to an end. As Steven and my mother began discussing logistics, I took a deep breath, walking back over to the model shark.
Steven took all four scripts copy and told me to be prepared and he will follow up and inform marie of the time of the meeting in Universal.
In the following days, I called a meeting with the rest of the gang Tommy, Sarah, Rita, and Max. We gathered in the hideout, excitement buzzing in the air as I relayed everything that had happened.
"Spielberg? The guy who made Duel? He's really interested in Jaws?" Tommy asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yep," I confirmed. "He's taking it to Universal. But we need to get everything ready be it scripts, the music, the models. We're gonna need to put on the best presentation of our lives."
Sarah grinned, picking up a sketchbook. "You know I'm in. I've already got costume designs for the actors."
Max chimed in. "We can make this thing sound epic and I've been working on some sound mixing techniques."
Rita, always quiet but focused, nodded. "I'll touch up the ocean and boat matte paintings. I also need load of pictures of island and infrastructer for references They need to be perfect."
I smiled at them, feeling the energy of our little group. This was more than just a hobby now. We were on the verge of something real something that could change all of our lives forever.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. We rehearsed our presentation, fine-tuned the model shark, and recorded the music again and again until it was flawless. My mom even helped with some of the orchestra parts, her years of experience guiding me through the more complex arrangements.
And finally, the day arrived.
Universal Studios, Hollywood.
Standing outside the studio lot, I couldn't believe I was actually here. The place where dreams were made or crushed. Steven had arranged a meeting with some of the top executives, and this was our shot.
"Ready?" Steven asked, giving me a nod.
I swallowed hard, my heart racing, but I nodded back. "Ready."
As we walked through the studio gates, I could feel the weight of the moment sinking in. This was it. Time to show Hollywood what I was made of.