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SH - Chapter 4: Adaptation
🕑 Added 2025-09-01 16:16:14 +0000 UTCOwen, after finishing the Paranormal Activity script, registered it on the U.S. Copyright Office website.
It was simple, he only had to create an account on the site and register the work under the Performing Arts category, fill in the details, and upload the script file in PDF format.
He had to pay a $45 fee. He would receive the copyright certificate within 3 to 5 months.
Once he had it, that would be the strongest legal protection. In case of plagiarism, it would allow him to sue and receive compensation.
He also registered the script with the WGA (Writers Guild of America), since it was the faster option. It served as proof of authorship in case of disputes, although it wasn’t a legal copyright like the one from the U.S. Copyright Office.
This way, he had immediate proof that the script was his, while waiting for the U.S. Copyright Office certificate.
The WGA is the union representing professional writers working in film, television, radio, and digital media in the U.S. However, Owen did not become a member of the union just by registering his script.
The WGA offers a script registration service open to anyone, member or not. Therefore, he wouldn’t receive union benefits (WGA minimum wage, health insurance, pension, etc.). Not that he cared, his goal wasn’t to join the union, since he didn’t plan on selling the script.
In total, he spent $65 registering the script in both places.
Owen leaned back in his chair, staring at his computer screen. The to-do list kept growing, but he still felt he couldn’t move forward without making an important decision. He knew the first crucial step was hiring an actress for the role of Katie, but there was something holding him back: the union.
'If I register the film with SAG-AFTRA, I’ll have access to higher-quality actresses, which could ensure that the role of Katie is played by someone with a bit more experience, especially considering the demands of the character,' Owen thought.
Katie wouldn’t be an easy role: she had to display fear, anguish, desperation, and, in the final moments, even a terrifying possession. He needed an actress who could really deliver, not a complete amateur. He wanted his version of the film to surpass the original at least in terms of acting.
But the other side of the coin was the cost. Hiring a union actress meant he would have to pay more. Not to mention he would have to go through the process of registering the film with the union, which would take about a month.
'A month… that could delay the entire production,' Owen thought, rubbing his face with his hands.
Was it worth it?
Unfortunately, his role as Micah, or as he had renamed him, Drake, wasn’t complicated or memorable at all. What bothered him deeply was that Drake was an utterly stupid character. Though it was logical for horror movies, where characters had to act stupid in order to die.
Drake had the mindset of “nobody messes with my house” when facing a paranormal entity. Who could be that stubborn and idiotic?
Drake was a character who deserved everything that happened to him in the end, and Owen couldn’t help but think his death was more than justified. If someone warned you about what was happening, yet you insisted on provoking the demon, refused to call an expert even though you knew something was going on and were scared, joked around at the beginning despite your girlfriend’s fear, then it was only logical the consequences would be fatal.
The only good thing was that the actor who played Drake in the original film wasn’t very good. In fact, his scares were bad and unnatural.
With Owen’s level of acting, he could do a much better job and even make the character more hateful and idiotic than he was in the original film, or change parts of the script to make the character more likable and less of an idiot.
Even so, he had some ideas in mind to improve the character, make his performance more memorable, and ultimately make the film better.
Owen finally decided to register the movie with the SAG-AFTRA union. Besides being able to hire a more experienced actress, this would also give the film more credibility within the industry. Even without a big budget, union affiliation could help attract more film professionals interested in the project. It could also increase the project’s visibility if submitted to festivals.
As for the supporting characters in Paranormal Activity, there were only Katie’s friend and the psychic who gave them information about the paranormal entity haunting the couple.
Both would appear for ten minutes at most throughout the entire film. So Owen planned to hire non-union actors to pay less, since it would make no sense to pay union minimums for roles so short and uncomplicated.
In this way, 20 days passed.
The registration process was completed. The 20 days of paperwork hadn’t been easy, but Owen dedicated himself fully to the process. With no other work commitments to distract him, he managed to finish everything faster than he had initially calculated.
At the same time, his lease in West Hollywood ended, so he also had to find a cheaper place and take care of moving, a necessary but extra expense.
Now he lived in East Hollywood, in a smaller apartment than before, but a very nice one, paying $1,850 in rent.
As for the registration, it had taken less time than expected since he had focused on gathering all the necessary documentation, communicating with the union, and making sure everything was in order. Registering the film with SAG-AFTRA had cost him around $300.
The project was classified under the “Low-Budget Independent Films” category, a group within the union that allows films with limited budgets to access certain benefits without the obligation of complying with the pay standards of larger productions.
This classification gave him the flexibility he needed to move forward, especially with the hiring of non-union actors for the secondary roles.
…
March 4, 2022
Owen woke up early in the morning. Almost a month had passed since he arrived in this different reality, a reality that, at first glance, seemed identical to his own. The only difference was that the movies and TV series he had seen didn’t exist here.
He noticed some peculiarities in this anomaly.
If he had watched a movie or series in full in his past life, then here it didn’t exist. As if his knowledge of it had erased its existence in this reality. But if he had only watched some installments and not the entire saga, then it existed here in its entirety.
For example, in his previous world, the Fast & Furious franchise already had nine films, but Owen had only watched up to the fifth. In his opinion, the saga had become repetitive and increasingly exaggerated with its action. That’s why he never watched the sixth, the eighth, or the ninth. He did watch the seventh, as it was the tribute to Paul Walker.
Since he hadn’t watched all of them, the complete saga did exist here, and there were even rumors that the tenth installment might soon begin production.
Fortunately, he had watched all the Paranormal Activity films, which had six installments, the last one in 2021, meaning that in this reality, the saga didn’t exist.
The same applied to television series. If he had watched an entire series, then it didn’t exist here. But if he had only seen some seasons and left it unfinished, then it existed in its original entirety.
For Owen, this wasn’t a problem. He had consumed more movies and television than he could ever hope to produce in a lifetime. Making a film or a series was a long and complicated process.
He had to be selective with the movies and series he wanted to produce and act in.
That’s why his plan was clear: to produce and act in the films that had impacted him most in his past life. To choose his favorite roles in those films, whether leading or supporting.
Paranormal Activity wasn’t one of his favorites, but with the budget he had, he had no other option. And he preferred this over going back to acting as an extra or in irrelevant supporting roles, which could take years before he earned enough money to produce his favorite movies or series.
'Matt will be here in less than two hours,' Owen thought as he glanced at the clock, which read eight o’clock.
Matt was a former acquaintance he had met at college. He was an inexperienced director whom Owen wanted to hire to direct Paranormal Activity, since Owen had no idea how to handle film directing. Maybe he knew a bit more than someone completely outside the industry, but not enough to produce a film, and besides, he didn’t want to do it.
He already had enough on his plate with the mess of producing the film and taking charge of everything, something completely new to him.
Although the former Owen had had a terrible academic reputation at the University of Southern California (USC), he was extroverted and went to a lot of parties, so he had plenty of acquaintances, not real friends, but party companions.
One of them was Matt. He hadn’t been in the same program as Owen, but they had met at one of the parties they both attended.
Since he still had time, Owen went to the gym, about a ten-minute walk from his apartment.
The body Owen had left him was very thin compared to his height. He stood at 5’10” and weighed 141 lbs.
An actor had to look good, so Owen started going to the gym and eating a healthy diet with a caloric surplus to gradually gain weight and muscle over time.
He had started this as soon as he arrived in this new reality, and in almost a month he had managed to gain 4 lbs, now weighing 145 lbs.
He finished his workout and returned home around 9:30.
Since he still had time, he went to the bathroom and took a refreshing shower. When he finished, he dried his hair with a towel before stopping in front of the mirror.
He observed himself carefully. This was his new face. It was hard to get used to, even after a month, he had lived in his previous body for more than 25 years.
His jet-black hair fell in a slightly rebellious style, not too modern but not sloppy either. His complexion was pale, a striking contrast with his dark hair, giving him an elegant air.
But what stood out most were his gray eyes. A rare, unique color inherited from his father. Only about 1% to 3% of the world’s population had eyes of that shade.
His face had sharp cheekbones, a defined jawline, and a harmonious balance to his features. His height wasn’t bad either: 5’10”, giving him an imposing presence without being exaggerated.
If he was lucky, he might even reach 5’11” meters, since he had just turned 20 and was now eating well and exercising, very different from the previous Owen.
He could now understand a bit more why the old Owen had been arrogant and conceited.
His appearance was striking. His midnight-dark hair contrasted sharply with his pale skin and piercing gray eyes, a color so rare it made him stand out even more.
He left the bathroom and changed clothes. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, he saw a young man with shoulder-length brown hair, an unkempt beard, and dark circles under his eyes.
He wore a wrinkled white shirt, dark formal pants, and Adidas sneakers.
“Hey, Matt, how are you? Come in.”
