….

  Currently, his [Editing] skill is at [Novice], and the best he will be able to afford to upgrade is to [Intermediate] level, if he collects the rewards.

  Anything beyond that would be a waste of EP he could better allocate for future purchases rather than wasting it only on basic skills.

  And, yes, Regal did call the [Intermediate] level basic.

  Ever since his ret jump in [Writing] from [Novice] to [Expert], he had had a ce to observe firsthand how much of a leap it truly was.

  The direct boost he got in [Dire] skill, as the sign-in bonus from the system, hadn't given him the time to properly adapt before.

  But now? He could definitely feel it - the huge gap of skills between [Intermediate] and [Expert] in terms of practical ability.

  It wasn't just a matter of two levels - the differen practical capability was immense.

  And based on his growing experience, Regal had e to a clusion: for any skill to meet industry standards, it had to be at least [Advanced].

  Luckily, Simon, the most experienced person he currently knew in the film industry, had e through with a promising lead.

  Yesterday, during the dinner party, he had casually mentioal that he knew someone who could get the job done affordably.

  Apparently, the editor was one of his friends from his early days making short films and currently owned a wedding studio.

  Regal had felt a pang of skepticism at the mention of a wedding studio.

  However, in the end, he had decided to give it a shot.

  Sure, the dude's current job wasn't a glowing affirmation, but Simon's fident assuran his friend wasn't easy to ignore.

  Now, all he could do was hope that this editor is skillful and luck might have his side if he could also hahe sound mixing.

  That would be a godsend.

  However, editing wasn't the only thing hanging al's head.

  There was still the matter of the film's score.

  Regal khe importanusic, how the right notes could heighten a moment, turn tension into release, or add yers to an already emotional se.

  Thankfully, uher tasks that had to wait until the film's pletion, the score was something Regal could begin early in the pre-produ itself.

  A few preliminary clips were enough to vey the film's theme, mood, aing.

  A skilled poser could craft the soundtrack even before the movie was fully piled or, in some cases, even before filming began.

  And guess what? That's exactly what happened, and Regal was almost done.

  From the start, he had been searg for talented freenposers - and thanks to ptforms like MeTube, the process was surprisingly accessible.

  After reviewing numerous samples from many private artists, he stumbled upon a small edic clip of a TV show he had binged before the 'fusion' of his past life.

  Just as he tried to remember the shal felt there was something about it that immediately caught his attention.

  It had an uny resembo a TV show from his past life called [unity].

  Guess what? Acc to what he remembered.

  The musiposer of that TV show was - Ludwig G?ransson.

  Regal double-checked, and sure enough, it was the same person.

  He had hit the jackpot.

  He is the same poser who had scored for [Bck Panther] and [Te], two of the most noted films - and also, he had even won an Academy Award for [Bck Panther].

  Regal wasted no time reag out.

  Initially, Ludwig was taken aback when Regal tacted him out of the blue with the proposal to score a feature film. However, any doubts he had quickly dissolved once Regal shared the script and outlined his vision.

  Ludwig found himself genuinely impressed by the script, and his only became whether he would be dropped midway.

  Unknown to him Regal had already decided and was more than happy to colborate to work with this 26-year-old prodigy from the moment he heard the show's score.

  In fact, uh others, Regal didn't eveo rely on his [Insight] skill tnize Ludwig's potential - it was evident in his work, and as a director, he could see it.

  That said, the colboration wasn't all smooth from the beginning.

  The process was full of bad-forth exges.

  They both sat through many sessions w on it, and wheing in person wasn't possible, Ludwig would email positions tal for feedback.

  Regal would then review, suggest revisions, and they would refihe pieces further.

  Over time, Ludted, gained a deeper uanding al's thought process, and tributed his owive touches to elevate the music.

  This colborative process became a routihroughout the film's produ, with evening sessions dedicated to the score.

  Their bined effort paid off, with most of the film's musiow plete.

  The only task left was to pose the theme music for Keanu's character, Cobb.

  It was an essential piece, ohat would encapsute the character's journey. But given the progress they'd made so far, Regal was fident this final piece would fall into pce.

  Then, there were the VFX shots.

  The good news was that Regal wasn't dealing with an explosion-filled blockbuster or a space-faring sci-fi epic.

  There were oeen VFX shots scattered across the film: a close-up of the protagonist's eyes, mirror refle shots, a few pages flipping in a diary, and some ambient crowd effects.

  Small. Simple. But not cheap.

  Regal exhaled sharply as he thought about it.

  Sure, eighteen effects might sound small pared to the huhrown into big-budget produs, but they still carried a hefty price tag.

  If he wanted professional work, it was going to cost him.

  He had to choose carefully.

  Going with a smaller, newer pany seemed like the smartest option - ohat wouldn't charge the sky-high fees of the bigger, established firms but could still produce the quality he needed.

  But for now? He was on his way to meet with this 'wedding' shoot editor.

  Simon, of course, was tagging along.

  …but truthfully, Regal was feeling drained.

  The shoot had only ed up yesterday, and after dinner, he hadn't gotten home until te only to have a discussion with Ludwig.

  So, he hadn't mao get any sleep afterward either.

  Instead, he spent the remaining night reviewing the raw footage.

  He jotted down notes for where he wao make cuts, not for the entire project, just the parts he felt absolutely certain about.

  ….

  .

  Zack Barg.

  He thought he had his life figured out.

  At forty, he ran a small photography studio.

  Weddings and the occasional ercial shoot - it wasn't gmorous, but it paid the bills and offered stability for him and his family.

  He was tent, with a supportive wife and two kids.

  It was stable.

  Predictable even.

  But being predictable wasn't always fulfilling.

  What Zack truly loved, what fired him up, was editing.

  Not the routine adjustments for wedding albums or promotional slideshows.

  He longed for editing that told stories, the kind of work that could take raw, unpolished footage and transform it into something meaningful.

  That had always been his dream.

  Since he was a kid, he had wao work in films, shaping narratives with his own hands.

  But life had other pns.

  Dreams didn't pay the me.

  Ambition didn't cover the hospital bills when his first child was born.

  So, before things could get too plicated, Zack did the sensible thing.

  He put his dreams on hold and focused on building a stable life.

  Even then, he didn't let the dream die pletely - whenever he could, he squeezed iing gigs for indie filmmakers and short films.

  He had spent te nights finessing transitions or crafting sequences for people who couldn't afford to pay much.

  It wasn't much, but it scratched the itch.

  Then life, as it often does, got busier.

  His wife had two back-to-back pregnancies, and suddenly their home was in a stant state of chaos.

  Zack's nights were ed by rog restless babies to sleep, and his days were spent juggling the demands of the studio and trying to stay on top of bills.

  For three years, he barely touched aing' project, the real kind, at least.

  Opportunities came a, having no choice but to turn them down.

  It wasn't until his you started kindergarten that Zack finally had a moment to breathe.

  And with that breath came crity: it was time to go back to what he truly cared about.

  The truth was, he had always wao e back to it.

  Late at night, while the rest of the house slept, Zack kept his skills sharp.

  He read through books oing, broke down his favorite films shot by shot, and analyzed every detail of the craft.

  He even shifted one of his PCs from his studio to his house and taught himself the test software.

  Now, five years ter, he felt ready to dive ba.

  Or so he thought.

  The problem?

  His old work of small-time filmmakers had vanished.

  Not physically - they had just given up.

  Three years of rejes and false starts had draiheir hopes.

  Zack couldn't bme them.

  Life moved forward, and the world didn't pause for anyone.

  But their departure left him stranded.

  That's whe an idea - MeTube.The ptform, unched in 2005, had exploded during the years he had been busy with family life.

  Now, five years ter, it has bee a behemoth, serving over two billion videos daily, with a relentless flow of new creators uploading tent around the clock.

  Tutorials, vlogs, pranks, sketches, and short films, an endless stream of tent, fuelled an insatiable audience.

  For Zack, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. An ecosystem teeming with creators meant ohing: a stant need for editors.

  He dove in headfirst.

  Emails were drafted a.

  Forums were scoured and joined.

  He spent hours searg the ptform for creators who might need help, carefully pitg his skills to anyone who seemed like a good match.

  Weeks rolled by.

  Nothing.

  Zack found himself sitting at his desk, staring at his inbox.

  Zero replies.

  Not even a courteous reje.

  The doubt crept in, cold aless.

  Had he wasted all this time?

  Was it time to let go, just as so many others had?

  His fingers rested over the mouse, hesitating as he stared at yet another email draft, unsure if it was worth sending.

  His thoughts spiralled. He wasn't ready to throw iowel, not after everything he had worked toward, but starting over was harder than he had imagined.

  Creak–!

  That's when a sharp g of the studio door swinging open broke through his haze.

  ?He looked up, already guessing who it might be.

  Through the gss of his , he spotted a familiar figure.

  Simon Lombardozzi.

  Zack allowed himself a small smile. It had been years.

  They had met on a short film ages ago - Zack behind the editing desk, Simon in front of the camera.

  The chaotic shoot and even more chaotic director had fed a quick boweeurning te-night grumbling into a sting camaraderie.

  But life had a way of pulling people apart.

  Simon's call yesterday had caught Zapletely uedly.

  Despite that he couldn't deny the flicker of curiosity, and maybe a little excitement.

  Now here Simon was, standing just ihe studio, still exuding that rger-than-life energy Zack remembered so well.

  However, he wasn't alone.

  ….

  .

  [To be tinued…]

  ★─────??★??─────★

  Author Note:

  Visit Patreon to instantly access +5 chapter for free, avaible to Free Members as well.

  For additional tent, please do support me and gain access to +10 more chapters.–> [email protected]/oWriters