The Biography of the boy who would become O W Dawson (5)

The boy, still a boy, was starting slowly in the business.

On only his second job as an extra, he was craving attention. He, although not the focus of the filming, he was starting to hone his reaction to the camera. Now not intimated of them or their gaze. He was noticing, in the three camera set up, which camera was filming, moving his gaze from camera to camera via the sometime obscured multiview monitor showing all the feeds, without looking at all obvious. The multiview was what the director could see, choosing and switching from the different feeds. The boy was also listening to everything that was going on around him between takes. He knew all about where the cameras were going, his spatial relationship to them, he was aware of the microphone set ups and almost everything needed for the takes. He did this without making a sound, without asking questions, without any member of the crew noticing. He felt like an intruder hiding in the shadows, but he was right in the middle of things, the stillness at the centre of a small storm. He loved it. He loved it that way.

When not in the studio, between longer breaks, the people not needed retired to a small room next door. He didn't speak to anyone unless they spoke to him first. it wasn't out of arrogance or shyness, not this time. It was because he felt comfortable. For the first time for a long time, he was completely comfortable in himself. He was happy to sit there on his own, not engaging with people close around. The other people however, were not so. A first-time extra, about 17 or so had arrived first to the table they shared. The boy didn't introduce himself as he joined him, nor did the 17 year old. The boy did this out of choice, the 17, maybe out of rudeness, maybe out of intimidation. All day the icy silence between them grew.
Only one of them was enjoying this awkwardness.
Was this the start of O W's persona; a silent, cold exterior without a hint of any engagement or welcome? The boy was like this to some people anyway, but out of shyness, a teenage-like social awkwardness he sometimes could do little about. In the past, these moments chose him, but this time, with the other extra, he chose the moment.
He wondered what the 17 year old was thinking. By the end of the near 12 hour day, he felt slightly guilty for not taking the step. But he was more than polite to the 17 year old. He made eye contact when holding the doors open for him and smiled as he passed, but never truly broke the ice.
Maybe this was another social misfit.