This story was written as a Christmas present for Sarah from her partner Hannah. Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy it.
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My name is Hannah and when I was a younger, I developed an interest in the production of movies. I watched a program on TV that showed a segment of what happens behind the scenes on a movie set and I became obsessed. I was totally intrigued by how a movie was produced from the writing, set design, cast selection, direction, and editing. One Christmas, my parents bought me a cheap video camera and I started making my own movies with my friends. Looking back, those short films were horrible but it started a learning process that continued through high school and into college. I didn't want to be a movie star like a lot of kids; I wanted to control the action from behind the scenes.
Over the years, video editing software got cheaper and easier to use which allowed me to develop my amateur skills even further. I started having fun with high school friends making videos that we could laugh at later or get innovative with some creative editing and adding music. The explosion of the popularity of YouTube further fed my desire for a career in film production, direction whether it was for TV, movies, or streaming services.
It turned out to be a wise career choice seeing every company now needs a social media presence to succeed along with more mainstream film production. I figured I'd always find work, maybe not in my dream job that would win me an Academy Award or Emmy but I felt I would at minimum, be able to support myself while I worked my way up the ladder.
My parents were disappointed when I decided to go to college to major in Cinematography and film/video production. They saw it as a pipe dream with little chances of success. They wanted me to be a teacher like them but that wasn't what I wanted to do. I was young and figured I owed it to myself to at least chase my dream so I didn't have any regrets later in life. I worked my way through college working at a department store at nights, weekends, and during the summer and graduated last year. During college, I did a few internships at local TV news shows and did some work for cash on random video production for online advertising. It didn't pay a lot but I at least got some experience that I could put on a resume.
I didn't party a lot during school because I didn't have a lot of time and I was focused on my education. I'm very competitive from playing sports in high school and I always strive to be the best. I've had a few boyfriends over the years but I tend to date one guy for a long time rather than having a lot of guys for a short period of time. I'm petite, just under 5 feet tall, with shoulder-length red hair and blue eyes. Sometimes, I feel guys look right past me but my 36c breasts normally get their attention as they seem bigger because of my small frame. A sprinkling of freckles on my face and upper chest helps make me look younger than I am. I'm too particular in what I like in a man and I'm not going to date anyone just because they want to date a redhead or a girl with nice tits.
I realized late in my junior year that if I truly wanted a job in cinematography, I was going to have to go to grad school. If I was going to pursue a career in this industry, the place to be is Southern California or New York City. I didn't get into a large school in Los Angeles but I was accepted at a smaller school nearby. My family was upset that I was moving so far away but they knew I was passionate about my career choice and finally accepted it and helped me out with the finances as much as they could. I found a small off-campus studio apartment to keep my expenses under control. I was excited to be going to Southern California which was the center of the action of the film industry. If I failed, I could always head back home with my tail between my legs to hear my parents tell me, "I told you so."
It was difficult being away from home for the first time, not knowing a single person, and starting a challenging grad school program but I did it. Even before I got there, I was scouring the online job advertisements for something, anything even remotely related to the film industry just so I could get a foot in the door. There was so much competition for work in the industry that I had to settle for working in a department store and doing some editing work for cash on the side. I did that for my first year and was barely getting by financially. My grades were good but I was getting homesick and frustrated by not getting a job that would help me in my career path. I almost quit after that first year but a professor set me up with a paid internship that summer at a small film studio that I never heard of before. I ended up being a gofer but it helped pay the bills and gave me some experience to put on a resume.
I ended up staying at that company when the fall semester started and the general manager, Ed, knew I was a decent worker and a struggling student and he asked me if I wanted to work for a friend of his that was doing an independent film. He needed an assistant for a couple of days' work every now and then and Ed said he could probably get me the job. Before I even knew the name of the company or the type of film he was making, I agreed to take it. I was so excited to finally do something that might give me my big break.
"Uh, you might not get too excited until you hear what the movie is about, " Ed told me, putting a dash on my high hopes.
"I don't care what it is, I'll take it."
"Not so fast, Hannah. You see my buddy Eric makes adult films."
"You mean porn?"
"Yeah, porn. It's not a glamorous job but he'll pay you a decent amount for a short period of time."
I was stunned, to say the least, but I also didn't want to lose this potential opportunity. It wasn't the job I dreamed of but it was a job as an assistant to a producer/director on a movie.
I was desperate so I told Ed, "Call Eric and tell him I'll take it if he hasn't filled the job."
"Are you sure? You can't say I didn't warn you."
I was having second thoughts but I figured I would try it and if I didn't like it, I'd quit so I replied, "Sure, why not? It can't hurt to give it a shot."
Ed set up a video chat with Eric that afternoon. Eric looked like he was in his late 30's or early 40's, with thick dark hair, brown eyes, and broad shoulders. From what I could tell, he must have kept in decent shape.