The next scene was crucial, and Roberto seemed particularly demanding with every detail. He instructed the crew to adjust the lighting to create a more intimate and playful tone, while guiding Emily and Artur on the emotional tone he expected from them.
"Remember, this scene is not about obvious romance," he said, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. "It's tension. A moment where emotions are still masked by humor. You feel something, but neither of you wants to admit it."
Emily nodded, crossing her arms as she listened attentively. Artur, on the other hand, gave a relaxed smile.
"So, basically, we're staging something that everyone already knows will end in a kiss... but without the kiss."
"Exactly!" Roberto pointed at him excitedly. "I want the audience to squirm with anticipation, waiting for something to happen."
With everything ready, Emily and Artur took their positions. The set was set up in a corner of the museum, with warm lighting that highlighted the paintings in the background.
Scene 3: Take 1
Ana and Léo stood side by side, discussing a detail in the project while a mutual friend casually walked past the frame, watching them with a mischievous smile.
"You two fight like an old married couple," his friend teased, stopping to stare at them.
Emily, as Ana, raised an eyebrow, her defensive posture evident.
"We're not a couple."
Artur, as Léo, smirked, casually leaning closer to her.
"Yet."
The provocation took Emily by surprise, and she responded by lightly slapping his arm, but kept her tone acidic:
"In your dreams."
His friend laughed, but before leaving, he launched another provocation:
"Maybe you two should practice. Just to see what it would be like."
The scene was supposed to end with Ana and Leo staring at each other, both hesitating as the humor gave way to a moment of genuine tension. But in the midst of the silence, Artur, clearly improvising, leaned a little closer to Emily, as if he were really going to kiss her.
Emily, still in character, backed away slightly, looking at him angrily.
"What are you doing?"
Artur shrugged, with that typical Leo charm.
"Testing a theory."
The line wasn't in the script, and Roberto shouted:
"Cut!"
Emily looked at Artur, narrowing her eyes.
"Just trying to keep things interesting," he replied, winking at her.
Scene 3: Take 2
This time, they both followed the script to the letter, but the tension seemed forced, as if they were trying too hard to control their expressions. After the cut, Roberto sighed.
"This isn't going to work. You need to relax. Remember, it's not about the kiss, it's about the almost. Make the audience believe that you want to, but you can't."
Artur muttered to Emily as they returned to their marks,
"Maybe we should actually rehearse the kiss. Just to make sure we have the chemistry."
Emily gave him a sharp look. She huffed, focusing on the next attempt.
Scene 3: Take 3
This time, the magic happened. Emily and Artur gave themselves completely to their characters, letting the nuances of the dialogue flow naturally. Ana's hesitation, Leo's teasing charm, the growing tension between them... it was all there.
When their friend suggested they practice, the silence that followed was charged, and they both got closer, but never crossed the line. The imaginary audience could almost feel the energy between them.
Roberto finally shouted,
"Perfect! That's the scene. Let's move on to the next one."
As the crew dismantled the set to prepare for the next scene, Arthur approached again, a victorious smile on his face.
"I admit, you were brilliant in that last one."
Emily arched an eyebrow.
"I always am."
"And modest too." He laughed, leaning a little closer. "But seriously, working with you is more fun than I expected."
She shrugged and before she could respond, her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text from Matthew:
"You look amazing. I don't need to see it to know that. I love you."
Emily read the text quickly, feeling her heart warm again. Putting her phone away, she replied casually to Arthur:
"And working with you is more tolerable than I imagined."
He laughed, accepting the teasing as the two of them prepared for the next scene.
As the day progressed, Roberto's patience began to wear thin. The next scene was: Ana and Léo were supposed to discuss the approach to the square's design while a slight romantic tension permeated the dialogue. The team had adjusted everything, lighting, sound, camera angles, but still, something always seemed to go wrong.
Scene 4: Take 1
Emily and Artur were positioned in front of a decorative panel in the museum, pretending to look at a map of the project as they discussed. Emily crossed her arms, playing Ana with the determined and slightly sarcastic tone that the character required.
" Léo, this is not just a square. It is history, culture! You can't just... 'throw some creativity' and expect it to work."
Artur retorted with the relaxed charm that characterized Léo:
"And you can't expect people to connect with something so... predictable. It needs to have life, emotion."
The exchange was fluid, but in the middle of the dialogue, Artur improvised again, grabbing a reference book from the set and gesturing exaggeratedly with it, which made Emily lose focus and burst out laughing.
"Cut!" Roberto shouted, exasperated. "Artur, for the love of God, stop making things up! This isn't stand-up comedy!"
"I'm just trying to keep things interesting," Artur replied, raising his hands in defense.
Roberto ran his hands through his hair, clearly stressed.
"Interesting? I need the scene, not improvisations!"
The crew exchanged tired glances. It was late afternoon, and the general mood was starting to plummet.
Scene 4: Take 2
The exchange started well, but this time, Emily forgot one of the lines in the middle of the dialogue. She paused, trying to remember, but ended up mumbling something like:
"Oh, I don't know anymore."
"Cut!" Roberto yelled again, louder this time. He turned to Emily, trying to remain calm. "Emily, you're an actress. How can you forget a line like that?"
"Maybe because we've already shot this scene ten times and my brain is melting?" she replied, irritated.
Roberto huffed and walked over to the camera, checking the last take with the operator. The entire crew seemed tense, but Artur tried to lighten the mood. He leaned over to Emily and whispered:
"Let's hope he doesn't pull his hair out."
Emily gave a small smile, but she was just as tired as everyone else.
Scene 4: Take 3, 4, 5...
Each attempt seemed to stumble over some detail: a forgotten line, an out-of-sync reaction, an assistant dropping something on the set. Roberto's patience waned faster with each mistake.
"The sound is echoing!" he yelled after one take. "How did you not notice this before?"
"The lighting is wrong! More focus on their faces!"
"No, no, NO! They're too stiff! I want emotion, passion, conflict!"
The crew was on edge, moving slowly, with exhausted looks on their faces. Even Emily, normally professional and dedicated, seemed on the verge of asking for a break.
"Roberto, maybe we can finish this tomorrow?" one of the assistants suggested timidly.
"Tomorrow?" Roberto turned sharply. "Do you think I'm here to make a half-assed film? Tomorrow, no way! Let's do this right now!"
Emily sighed deeply and looked at Arthur. He shrugged.
"At least it's good to know he cares."
Scene 4: Take 12
Finally, after hours of trying, something clicked. Emily delivered her line with intensity, her expression brimming with frustration and passion.
"You may be an artist, Leo, but that doesn't mean you understand everything!"
Artur responded in the same tone, but with his usual relaxed charm, creating the perfect contrast:
"And you think you know everything because you follow a plan? Sometimes, Ana, life is about getting out of line."
The exchange of glances was charged with tension, and Roberto, for the first time, let out a small smile.
"Cut!" he shouted, but this time with a tone of approval. "That's the scene."
The team let out sighs of relief, some even applauding. Emily let her shoulders relax, looking at Artur with a tired smile.
"Finally."
"I told you we could do it," he replied, winking at her.
Roberto turned to everyone, still with a serious face.
"Great job, guys. Now go rest, because tomorrow we have an equally busy day."
Despite the exhaustion, there was a general murmur of approval. Emily and Arthur walked off the set together, ready to enjoy a few hours of rest before another round of filming.
As they were leaving, Emily received a text from Matthew:
"I'm already at the hotel. How was your day?"
She sighed, typing quickly:
"Long and chaotic. I hope you have a massage ready."
Matthew replied almost immediately:
"For you, always. I wait for you. I love you."
Emily smiled. Despite the exhausting day, she knew that some of her energy would be renewed once she was in his arms.