MTLNOVEL Chapter 32: Chapter 30:
Chapter 30:
.....
-September 20, 1996
The roar of a helicopter rumbled in the distance as Adam White stepped out of the car that had driven him to the set of The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
Fern Canyon, California.
The air was crisp and damp, carrying a faint scent of moss and wet earth. Towering trees stretched skyward, their dense canopy filtering the morning light into golden beams. A small stream wound its way through moss-covered rocks, and the rustling leaves in the treetops danced with the breeze.
This was nothing like a studio lot.
Adam exhaled slowly, trying to take it all in. Just a month ago, he was filming Leave It to Beaver on an artificially designed set inside Universal Studios. And now… now he was here, in the middle of nowhere, about to shoot a scene for one of the most anticipated sequels in cinematic history.
This wasn't just another movie.
It was Jurassic Park.
And while his role wasn't a lead, just being chosen to be part of this production was a huge deal. Just looking around made him realise and feel it. It was just kinda like a whole different world.
"Ready to become a child prodigy tech genius trapped on an island full of dinosaurs?"
Estelle's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Oh, hell yes, he was.
....
Controlled Chaos....
The first thing Adam noticed as he walked through the production tents and filming equipment was the insane level of detail.
Unlike Leave It to Beaver, where everything was controlled and meticulously arranged, here the production felt like organized chaos. Cables snaked across the ground, massive cameras were lined up in strategic positions, and dozens of crew members adjusted lights, practical effects, and boom mics.
Nearby, a stunt team was rehearsing a scene where someone would be tackled—presumably by a digitally-added velociraptor later. A few feet away, a special effects team was inspecting the synthetic skin of an animatronic raptor, making sure every muscle and wrinkle looked as realistic as possible.
Adam took it all in, a mix of excitement and amazement washing over him.
Yep... This was next level.
"Ah, the new kid!"
A familiar voice rose above the set noise.
Adam turned and suddenly found himself face to face with Jeff Goldblum.
Yes. The Jeff Goldblum.
Adam blinked.
"Well, shit… I guess I really am in Jurassic Park"
Goldblum, exuding his usual effortless charm, wore sunglasses and a black jacket. His signature grin was just as charismatic in person as it was on screen.
"Ah, ah, ah, you must be Adam White" he said, giving a small nod. "Our little tech genius."
Adam smirked slightly.
"That's what they say. But then again… people say a lot of things"
Goldblum laughed heartily, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
"I like this kid. Come on, let me introduce you to some friends"
.....
As they walked across the set, Adam was introduced to the rest of the cast.
Julianne Moore, who would be playing Dr. Sarah Harding, shook his hand with a warm smile.
"Welcome to the team, Adam. Excited?"
"More than that," he admitted. "I'm just trying not to look too impressed by all of this"
Moore let out a soft laugh.
"Trust me, we all are"
Next, he met Richard Schiff, who would be playing his on-screen father, Eddie Carr.
"So, you're my kid in this insane island adventure," Schiff said with an amused grin. "Tell me, in real life, are you actually good with tech, or is that just in the script?"
Adam crossed his arms, pretending to think about it.
"Well, I can program a VHS without reading the manual. Does that count?"
Schiff let out a hearty laugh.
"That absolutely counts"
Finally, he met Vanessa Lee Chester, who would play Kelly, his adventure companion in the story.
"Hey, new kid," she greeted with a grin. "Hope you're ready to run."
Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, definitely. But if a dinosaur ever chases us, just so you know—my character is the smarter one. So… you know, priorities...."
Chester playfully shoved his arm, laughing.
"Great. I already don't like you."
....
After introductions, Adam received his first official notes on his character—though he already knew most of the details beforehand.
Arby, the boy he'd be playing, was curious and sharp, a kid obsessed with technology and computers—a total prodigy at just ten years old.
Which, in reality, couldn't be further from the truth.
"Hacking systems and using UNIX commands… yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Spielberg," Adam thought sarcastically as he flipped through his script.
But hey, acting wasn't about actually knowing something—it was about convincing the audience that you did.
And when it came to that, Adam was a damn expert.
Well, his skill was, heh.
....
Up until now, Steven Spielberg hadn't appeared, but finally, he approached the group.
"Alright, guys, before we get started, I just want to remind you of something," he said in that calm yet firm tone of his. "It doesn't matter how many times we reshoot a scene, how many times the lighting or framing has to be adjusted. What we're looking for here is authenticity. And when the dinosaurs show up on screen, I want every single one of you to genuinely believe they're there."
Adam nodded to himself.
Authenticity.
No problem.
With Perfect Acting, even if a prop velociraptor looked like a lifeless puppet, he'd react as if he were staring down a real, bloodthirsty beast.
Spielberg gave them a pleased smile, then clapped his hands once.
"Alright, let's get ready. First take of the day."
And with those words, Adam knew his adventure in Jurassic Park had just begun.
....
Adam adjusted the collar of his t-shirt as he walked toward Eddie Carr's trailer on set. The mid-morning sun filtered through the towering trees of Fern Canyon, casting shifting shadows on the damp leaf-covered ground. The air carried the fresh scent of wet earth, mixed with the faint metallic tang of filming equipment and the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee from a nearby production table.
His first scene in Jurassic Park.
It wasn't an action-packed chase sequence or one of those epic shots featuring dinosaurs storming through the jungle. No. His debut in the film was a simple introduction of his character, Arby Carr, inside his father Eddie's trailer—played by Richard Schiff.
And yet…
The moment he stepped onto the set and saw the cameras aimed at him, he felt a slight tingle on his skin. It wasn't exactly fear or nervousness, but something more electric.
A reminder that he was about to act under the direction of Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg, standing near the monitors, adjusted his headphones and gave him a calm, professional nod.
"Alright, Adam, remember: first take, first reaction. Don't overthink it. Just go with it"
Adam nodded. Go with it.
Oh, yeah. That wouldn't be a problem.
He took a deep breath and prepared himself.
The sharp clack of the slate echoed in the air.
"Action!"
That was all Adam needed to hear.
Inside the Trailer
The trailer's interior was dimly lit, mimicking the glow of security monitors. Cables, screens, and tools were scattered across the workspace where Eddie Carr examined the system.
Schiff, already fully in character, frowned as he studied the encryption code on the screen.
"This anti-intrusion system is impenetrable, huh?"
Adam—or rather, Arby—leaned slightly toward the monitor, a smug hint of satisfaction crossing his face.
"Maybe for some people. Not for me."
Schiff looked up, pretending to be scandalized.
"Are you telling me you could hack this?"
Adam shrugged with mock modesty.
"I'm just saying… if I wanted to, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Schiff let out a natural laugh, his character radiating genuine pride.
"You're my finest work, kid."
Adam shot him a confident smirk.
"I know."
"Cut!"
A moment of silence. Then, Spielberg rose from his chair, looking pleased.
"Perfect. That's exactly what I want. Let's do one more, but keep that energy."
A wave of pride washed over Adam.
First day on set. First scene.
And he had nailed it.
Well, maybe saying he impressed Spielberg was a bit much—but at least he hadn't needed any corrections, and that was good enough for now.
.....
After running through the scene a couple more times with slight variations, Spielberg finally gave the all-clear. Adam stretched subtly while the production crew adjusted the lighting and cameras for the next shot.
Richard Schiff plopped down into one of the folding chairs next to the trailer and motioned for Adam to join him.
"Alright, kid prodigy," he said with a grin, "tell me the truth—do you actually understand any of the genius hacker lines you're saying, or are you just memorizing them?"
Adam let out a laugh, leaning back in his chair.
"If now I told you I can't even program a VHS, would you still respect me as your on-screen son?"
Schiff just burst out laughing.
And Adam couldn't help but think this guy's really cool.
...
A few moments later, a production assistant walked by and dropped off two bottles of water in front of them. Adam grabbed one, feeling the cold condensation against his fingers before twisting it open and taking a sip.
The set was buzzing with activity. Technicians adjusting cameras, wardrobe staff making last-minute fixes to actors' costumes, assistant directors running through the day's shooting schedule.
And in the middle of it all—him.
A nine-year-old, working on a Hollywood blockbuster.
If someone had told him a year ago that this would be his reality, he wouldn't have believed it.
…Well, maybe he would have. If he'd had Perfect Acting back then.
After all, Perfect Acting guaranteed that his talent was up to par. But still, there was a difference between knowing you were good and feeling like you truly belonged.
And at that moment, sitting next to his on-screen "father," surrounded by a massive crew working around him, Adam finally started to feel it.
Yeah. He belonged here.
Exploring the Set
A little while later, Adam took a moment to explore.
Why? Because this place was massive and ridiculously cool.
He walked through the production area, watching as the crew adjusted lighting rigs and checked camera angles. A few feet away, the practical effects team was fine-tuning the synthetic skin of a raptor animatronic.
He wondered how many hours of work had gone into just that detail alone.
As he neared a table stacked with water bottles and scripts, he noticed a familiar figure standing beside him.
Steven Spielberg.
The director had a coffee cup in hand and was watching him with a relaxed expression.
"Nice work today, Adam"
Adam, already somewhat used to receiving praise on set, flashed a confident smile. Yeah, he always enjoyed a good compliment. And he had no shame about it.
"Thanks. Although I'm still waiting for the scene where I get to run from a T-Rex"
Spielberg let out a small chuckle.
"Don't worry, you'll get your action moments. But before that, I want to make sure your character feels real. That when the audience sees Arby, they see a genuine kid—not just a movie character."
Adam nodded, immediately understanding what he meant.
"So… you don't want me to look like I'm acting..."
"Exactly." Spielberg took a sip of his coffee before eyeing him with curiosity. "Though, honestly, you don't seem to need much help with that."
Adam tilted his head.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Naturally he already knew it was a damn good thing, especially that someone such as Spilber let him hear it..... Still, he had to keep up appearances and modesty, yeah, he was becoming quite an actor even outside shooting.
Spielberg smiled.
"Definitely a good thing. It's common for child actors to have a coach on set, someone to help them get into character and understand the scenes better. But it doesn't look like you're going to need one."
Adam gave a casual shrug.
"Well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment"
"You should." Spielberg set his coffee down and gave him a light pat on the shoulder before walking away. "Keep it up. And if you need anything, just let me know."
Adam watched him leave, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
"Yea, I'm going to enjoy every second of this..."
And he absolutely would.
Plus, to his pleasant surprise, working with Spielberg was way easier than he'd expected.