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SH - Chapter 8: Casting III
🕑 Added 2025-09-01 16:22:34 +0000 UTC“It was a pleasure meeting you. We’ll let you know once we finish evaluating all the applicants,” Owen said to Chloe McDowell, one of the four candidates for the role of Katie.
“Likewise, thank you for the good atmosphere, you’ve been very kind,” Chloe said with a sweet smile, tilting her head slightly toward Owen.
It was easy for Chloe to notice that Owen was the one making the decisions. Not only because he seemed to know every detail of the script, but also because of the way Matt looked at him before answering any question.
Chloe knew that aside from her performance, if she wanted the role, her best option was to make sure Owen liked her. And if that meant flirting a little, she had no problem with it.
After all, it wasn’t much of a sacrifice: Owen had a look she liked. Tall, with that laid-back but confident air, and eyes of a color she had never seen before.
It wouldn’t be the first time a well-placed smile opened doors in the industry.
“It’s the normal process. You’ll get a notification in a few days,” Owen said professionally, walking to the door and opening it in a clear gesture of farewell.
Chloe stopped at the door and looked at Owen, preventing him from closing it since she was still standing in the doorway.
“You know, Owen… I was thinking,” Chloe said, sliding a hand along the doorframe as if distracted. “If we end up working together, we could start rehearsing some scenes… in private.”
“I mean, there are a few scenes in the movie that are quite intimate. It would benefit us to build chemistry now, don’t you think?” she added with a half-smile, locking eyes with Owen.
'Intimate…? Not really,' Owen thought, raising an eyebrow.
Drake and Katie were a couple, yes, but there were no scenes of wild passion, only ordinary couple moments. They shared a bed in pajamas and exchanged a few casual kisses, moments that could be counted on one hand.
For a horror film, Paranormal Activity didn’t include any risqué scenes like in classic slasher movies where a couple is about to have sex only to be killed right before by the murderer or monster.
Still, he understood Chloe’s insinuation, he wasn’t an idiot.
“That’s a good point, Chloe,” Owen responded calmly. “But the casting process isn’t over yet. So I have to decline your offer. If we choose you, we can rehearse then.” He added a smile that left Chloe momentarily dazed.
“Of course… you’re right,” Chloe said, realizing she had stayed silently staring at him for a few seconds. “Well then, I’ll be waiting for news. Bye,” she added, bidding farewell to both Owen and Matt.
Owen nodded politely and, without rushing, closed the door behind her, leaving the conversation behind without dwelling on it.
When he turned around, he saw Matt looking at him with a wide grin. “What?” Owen asked.
“She was flirting with you,” Matt said, his face breaking into a playful smile.
“Really? I didn’t notice,” Owen said sarcastically.
“I’ve got to admit, I didn’t expect you to be that professional,” Matt said with a laugh.
Fifteen minutes later, Emma arrived. The girl with the weakest résumé, but with latent talent that Owen had seen promise in. Not to mention, she had a very striking appearance.
She didn’t come alone. She showed up with a tall, dressed in expensive clothes. From the way they stood close to each other, it was obvious they were a couple.
Owen invited them into the apartment. Matt, sitting in a chair with the script in hand, greeted them, shaking hands with both.
After the basic introductions, Owen invited Emma to start performing one of the scenes he had sent her by email.
Emma took a deep breath and began. Her voice was clear, though a little shaky. She was playing Katie in a scene where she tried to convince Micah to stop recording the paranormal activity in the house.
Despite her lack of experience, she had latent talent, and Owen could see potential in her performance. However, every time she seemed about to fully immerse herself in the scene, her boyfriend would make some slight noise, tapping his foot or sighing impatiently.
After a couple of minutes, Owen decided to step in. “Emma, let’s try something. Let’s do the scene together. I’ll play Drake, and you just focus on reacting to what I say.”
Emma nodded nervously, and Owen began. His tone changed completely, adopting the attitude of a concerned yet stubborn boyfriend.
“Katie, this is something real. We can’t just ignore it,” Owen said seriously.
Emma looked into his eyes and, for the first time, set aside her nerves. Her expression hardened, and her voice came out firmer.
“But recording it won’t help us, Drake. We can’t keep doing this. We’re only making it angrier, we don’t even know what we’re dealing with,” Katie replied, her tone accusatory and worried.
Owen smiled inwardly; that was the reaction he had been looking for. But before they could continue the scene, Emma’s boyfriend cleared his throat loudly.
“Sorry,” the guy said with a tense smile. “I just… I have a question. In the movie… will there be any steamy scenes? Or long kisses?”
The atmosphere instantly grew uncomfortable. Matt glanced at the guy and wanted to tell him not to interrupt and to respect his girlfriend’s work, but seeing that he looked like a muscular athlete, he kept the comment to himself.
“No, there aren’t any scenes like that,” Owen replied calmly. “Katie and Drake are a couple, but their relationship is portrayed naturally. They share a bed in pajamas, maybe a few normal kisses at most, but nothing else. It’s not that kind of movie.”
The guy nodded slowly, though his discomfort was still obvious. Emma, meanwhile, looked embarrassed.
Once the audition ended, Owen and Matt said their polite goodbyes. When the door closed behind them, Matt let out a sigh.
“Well, that was awkward,” Matt commented with a crooked smile, and Owen nodded.
“So, we’re ruling her out?” Matt asked, looking at Owen.
“Yes. Her boyfriend would be a pain in the ass during the whole shoot, and while her performance was good, it wasn’t impressive. Not enough to be worth the trouble,” Owen replied.
“Yeah, I don’t even want to imagine that guy showing up on set every other day,” Matt said with a chuckle.
“Well, that’s it for today,” Matt said, collapsing onto the couch with a grin. He was thrilled that soon he’d be able to start directing his first movie.
“What about your house?” Owen asked, sitting down in the other armchair.
“Oh, right. I already found the best places to set up the fixed cameras, especially when Drake sets it up in the living room and the bedroom. Luckily, my parents are minimalists, and their paintings are all in neutral, muted tones,” Matt began, and he didn’t stop for quite a while, telling Owen everything as Owen listened carefully.
Matt’s parents’ house, though older, had some furniture and appliances that needed to be removed, like a 55-inch 4K flat-screen TV.
Since the movie takes place between 2007–2009, they had to be careful about these details. Owen could have adapted the script to the present year, but he decided against it for one reason.
If he changed the timeline of the first film, he’d have to adjust many dates shown in the other five movies, and that was work he could avoid. Better to stick with the original script without altering the timeline.
Matt mentioned he had already removed the family decorations; all they needed now was to add some photos of Drake and Katie as a couple to set the atmosphere of the house. But first, they needed the actress who would play Katie.
The next day came the last two auditions. Janice failed to impress either Matt or Owen. Up until then, the best one had been Chloe, the girl who had tried to flirt with Owen.
Sophie Thatcher was scheduled to arrive ten minutes after her.
Sophie was the actress they were both looking forward to the most, since she had the strongest résumé, and Owen recognized her as a rising star in his previous life, a star who, in this reality, had never had the chance to shine because the films that had boosted her career simply didn’t exist here.
The doorbell rang. Owen got up and opened the door, coming face-to-face with a young woman with dark hair, dressed simply yet elegantly. Beside her stood a middle-aged woman with a stern expression and rigid posture.
Owen recognized the young woman as Sophie. Her hair was long, with strong waves and a messy fringe that gave her an alternative look. Her eyes were framed with dark smoky makeup, highlighting her intense gaze. Her skin was pale, and her expression was serious, though not as rigid as the woman standing next to her.
"Hi, I’m Owen. Nice to meet you,” Owen said, introducing himself and extending his hand with a professional smile.
“Hi, likewise,” Sophie replied naturally, returning the smile and shaking his hand.
“Margaret, Sophie’s mother and agent,” the woman said firmly, shaking Owen’s hand but without the same warmth as her daughter.
“Hi, a pleasure. Please, come in,” Owen nodded, inviting them into the house, where Matt was already standing. He introduced himself and invited them to sit down.
He exchanged a quick glance with Owen. It wasn’t common for actresses to bring their parents along, or for those parents to also be their agents.
“Before we begin, I want to ask a few questions,” Margaret said in a serious tone.
Owen and Matt settled into their chairs, mentally preparing themselves.
