Me? Well, is art just drawing? Is that not art grandpa? Paintings and drawings?

It is a form of art.

What else is art, Grandpa?

Art can be anything. The movie we saw this morning, Cinema is art. Acting is an art, and the actors' performances in the film are no exception. Art is everywhere. We just need to feel and acknowledge its presence.

How about cooking? Is that art?

Yeah.

So everything is art?

Anything can be art. For example, running a business is an art. Funny thing most people fail to understand is, business is art. But art is not business.

POPULAR - Chapter: 01

2010

Melanie Stephenson/32/Stage Name: Avery Violet

I was 10 years old at the time, and those were my grandfather's exact words. Here I am, 22 years later, as an actress. I have already acted in over 30 movies. I still don't understand how art is not business. I mean, if you're lucky you can make tonnes of money with art. 

My grandfather aspired to be a director but he failed. He was very passionate about movies, which could explain why I enjoyed being around him. Perhaps I enjoy movies because I spent so much time with him. Regardless, I saw the world of cinema through his eyes. I learned a lot from him.

I became interested in acting after performing a small side role in a school play when I was in fifth grade; while the audience applauded the lead actor, my grandfather praised me for my side role. He would often encourage me to participate in more school plays, but I never got any roles. However, the idea of standing on stage and expressing this new persona in front of an audience stayed with me. Since then, I have always wanted to be an actress.

I am currently one of the most popular actresses. Although I am not super proud to admit it, I never received any praise or recognition in my first few films. I received my first recognition when I performed a three-minute nude scene in an erotic thriller film. That is when I began to get more opportunities, lifting me up to the top; making me the highest paid actress of the last 5 years.

Avery has a very pretty face and a great structure, she is titled the sex icon of the decade by her fans. She has the most loyal fanbase. Every actress envy her, even her own co-stars. Today is the release of Avery's recent movie "Camp Night", after the long wait. All the shows tickets are sold out. The show time has finally arrived, fans are standing on queue to enter the screening.

Movie started.

Wow it's finally out 

Yeah, I can't believe we actually got the ticket.

Whats the movie's about again?

It's a thriller, how come you came without even knowing that?

I heard Avery's in it, that's all it took for me to buy the tickets

Woah there she comes in the screen, she's so hot

.......

Aw this is the scene I was waiting for 

Yay she took off her shirt.

Man the actor gets to see Avery naked in person it's not fair, it should've been me.

Yes yes no no, man here comes the killer 

Dude, why must the killer interrupt an important scene.

......

.....

The fans enjoyed every bit of her screen presence. The movie was doing well. The producers had gotten profits so far. This has been the same for most of Avery's films. She made profits for lots of indie producers.

It's been a week since the movie got released. I'm just relaxing in my pool, talkin' on the phone with Brian. He was the executive producer of "Camp night" and my current date. 

"You saw the box office collections right babe? It's a total profit. We're thinking about doing a sequel," said Brian.

Sequel? Can't be bothered, I have my hands full of schedules. 

"Okay think about it, we can do it next year." 

Anyways, how's your next project with Universal coming along?

"It's going okay I guess, even though I'm only a co-producer, lots of meetings and stresss. It's a big project after all, it's not easy to bring the fictional elements from a book to the big screen. Y'know how adaptations go"

Yeah, got it rough I see. Well, glad Camp night did well though.

"Of course, as long as it's a profit; that's all that matters in making movies. You were the one who said it's gonna flop, Now look who ate their words. You underestimate your value, dear."

Value? I guess I'm so popular, even your trashy movie became a hit.

"Come on Avie stop with the teasing, I'm stressed enough. Why don't you stop talking and think about how you can help me with my stress"

How?

"I can come to your house now and we-"

Well I'm tired. You can force your way through my gate, but I won't open my door, so you either have to sleep outside or see your way out. What you gonna do, honey?

"Aww please? Don't make a man beg-" 

She hung up and chuckled. She removed her clothes, and dipped her toes into the tub to check the temperature. Hot enough, she thought. She got into the tub, took a deep breath. After she's finished, she dried herself and wore a robe. She stood infront of the mirror and dried her hair with a towel. She had stopped using hair dryers long ago. She noticed her hair turning yellow here and there. I guess I gotta dye it again, she thought. She then wrapped her hair around with the towel and tied it.

She was in her room, checking emails when she received a call. She picked it up, while typing in her computer.

Hey what's up Nate?

"Found someome, wanna meet him tomorrow?"

What's this about?

"This young guy with a script, I said I'll arrange a meeting"

Well I guess I'm free tomorrow morning, but double check with my schedule.

It was my manager. She hung up after I confirmed the meeting. Usually people don't approach actors directly with their script unless they got a green signal from a producer or a production house. But I had recently decided to produce scripts from new talents and act in them. I have produced two films so far, both are dramedies. They did quite well. 

The success of those two films gave her enough confidence in her script choosing skill, not to mention one of the top producers in the industry, Brian Jacksmith is her boyfriend.

Now that she has a meeting fixed for tomorrow afternoon, she decided to sleep early so she took off the towel from her head, not noticing the few strands of her hair on the towel, she hung it to dry. She lied down, she fell asleep.

It's already morning, I woke up. There were some of my hair on the pillow. Gosh, is my hairfall getting bad? I might go bald if this keeps happening. I mean women don't go bald, at least that's a relief. I looked at myself in the mirror, adjusted my hair and went to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and washed my face out of sleep.

I made some coffee, I took a bath after drinking it. I wore a shirt and a long skirt, put on my morning skin care stuffs on me. I stood in front of the computer and started checking my emails. As I was reading some of the fan mails, my manager Natalie rang the doorbell. I brought them out to the patio. 

"Madam, meet Mr. Jacob. He's the one I told you about yesterday." Nat introduced Jacob.

Avery pushed her soft and smooth black hair away, which was covering her right eye and tucked it behind her ears. She looked at Jacob with her shiny eyes, "Hello Jacob. Feel at ease and why don't you show me what you got" Said Avery. 

'She just said my name!' Jacob has butterflies flying around him, he looked nervous as he's never seen her up close like that, and him being her fan did not help at all. He couldn't help but be distracted by her long and beautiful hair, waving in the wind. But he pulled himself together as he's here to convince a producer to fund his script, not just to get an autograph. He had to get professional. 

"So uhm- this is the script I wanted to show 

INT. MILDLY LIT ROOM - DAY

Camera in high angle shows Jessica sitting all alone in her near empty room. She lifts up her palms. They're shaky. She wipes the few tear drops with her palm from her face. She walks towards the mirror in her room. She looks at herself. And sobs. She starts to cry uncontrollably. 

Jessica (O.S)

I look so vile. Everyone left me. I'm all alone now. No one to even cry if I kill myself-

She stopped reading, "Do you have some comedy scripts? Or some action?"

"Why m- mam is it not good?" Jacob started getting nervous. She literally just read the first few lines, he thought.

"No that's not it. That's not it at all. This simply won't cut it. Do you think people would pay and watch some tearjerker when people can come to theatre and leave with a light heart? Can't have them leave depressed right Jacob?"

"But people do enjoy a good tearjerker from time to time, mam."

"I don't know Jacob. You saw the last two films I produced? People might be expecting similar movies from me, and I too wanna make more like those."

He realized he isn't gonna convince her with that script. "I understand mam, thank you so much for your time".

"Aww you're welcome Jacob, and you could have tried to convince me a little more. Small advice, producers mostly already have what they wanna make in their mind. And they'll desperately look for those kinds of scripts,"

"As a writer, it's your job to break through, and convince the producer that your script is a good investment. Think of it as a business presentation."

Investment? Business presentation? He thought to himself. "I'm sorry mam, thanks for the advice." 

"Don't worry about it, even if you tried I probably wouldn't have said okay. I was just surprised you gave up so easily." 

"Mam, could I ask for one more thing?" He took a thick sheet out of his folder. It's a poster of Avery. "Can I get your autograph mam?"

"Oh dear, you're a fan of mine? This poster is from, what, 2 years ago?" She signed the poster and drew a heart next the signature.

"Yes, I have collected most of your posters, magazine covers and movie posters. But this one's my favorite."

"You know what, since you're my fan, I can't just let our meeting go to waste. Here's a little offer, or a challenge? Write a fresh script within the next week and bring it to me. If you can do that, I'll produce it. Even if it's bad."

"I'll definitely consider it mam." He was arguing with himself whether his choice of using 'Consider' was appropriate or rude.

"Okay, I'm eager to see what you'll come up with." she said as she adjusted her hair. 

The meeting ended pretty quick. Two days passed. She was in her room getting ready for a shoot. She simply tied her hair up, as she's gonna have her stylist waiting at the set anyway. She then left in her Lexus. 

She arrived at the set, a popular motel in LA. She went to her trailer, where her hair stylist Naomi was waiting for her. She put her handbag down and sat down. "Naomi, dye my hair first." She said. 

"Black dye as usual mam?" Naomi asked her.