Time: early in the afternoon; Location: an office building near downtown Los Angeles, Test Screening Room 004; Operated by: Worldly Entertainment Corp, live and reality TV department.
A total of around 31 test screen audience members had filled out the survey forms provided by the department. A bald man came into the room to collect the forms, as well as announcing the members who had been chosen to participate in a group discussion.
"Number 5, 6, 11, 18, 23, 28, we would like to request you participate in the discussion." The bald man announced after collecting all the survey forms: "Anyone else would like to participate?"
No one raised their hand.
"Okay, Number 5, 6, 11, 18, 23, 28, please follow me into the discussion room." The bald man nodded: "And for everyone else, thank you very much for taking part in the test screening of the first episode of Unwise Encounters. We wish you a good day, and look forward to seeing you next time."
The selected test screen audience members came into the discussion room, rather unenthusiastically. One of the unselected members, a middle aged, bespectacled woman wearing a light brown shawl and a string of beads around her neck, broke from the crowd and stormed towards a door to the room right next to the discussion room. She pushed open the door, charged in to confront the three people sitting inside: Leslie McKinsey, Tammy Thompson, and Charlie Manchester, the producer who introduced Wu Xiaoming to the director.
"I had hoped you would know what you're doing." The middle aged woman's voice was cold and sharp enough to cut through the glass window separating this room and the discussion room: "You know that junkie is not a member of MAGLAA."
"Heeeyyy, Veronica, how's it going?" Charlie Manchester greeted the woman with a slightly disturbed smile: "Fancy seeing you here - I was thinking why we booked 30 but ended with 31 one test audience members - "
"Cut it, Charlie. What do you think you're doing?" Veronica narrowed her eyes as she adjusted her glasses with a thick frame: "Why wasn't the MAGLAA informed about this project and its casting? Are you trying to pull one on us?"
"No! Of course not!" Charlie Manchester shook his head: "I just think this one is a pretty low level project, it's not really within what the association works with - "
"Bullshit! It's a ghost hunting show. Ghost, HUNTING, it's obviously under the jurisdiction of the Medium Association of Greater Los Angeles Area!" Veronica scoffed: "You damn well know better than this!"
"I'm sorry, but - I don't think this falls in line with the convention of our cooperation with MAGLAA." Charlie Manchester knocked his fingers on the table in front of him: "This show has nothing about exorcism, nothing about any supernatural powers, magic, rituals or anything of the sort. It's just a man - someone who used to be an actor, going into haunted places to investigate and create an atmosphere of intrigue, how is it still under the MAGLAA's jurisdiction? Are you saying, the MAGLAA is trying to include ad-hoc paranormal investigation by civilians as 'association work'?"
While they were bickering, the discussion in the other room was rather tame and one-sided.
"It's just - not very fun, dawg." Audience Number 5 shook his head: "It's too tame. Like, when you're looking in the room with the mark, right? Nothing really happened, everything is just - guessing and thinking. There's no ghostly shadows, no electric interference - nothing."
"I agree. " Number 23 nodded and shrugged, her long nails glistened under the light: "I mean - c'mon, everyone knows shows like these are fake. Why not just add something here and there? The old woman's story was creepy and romantic and all - I wanna see something, man!"
"Agree!" "Agree!" "Yes!" All the other test audience members expressed similar sentiment.
"And the room of Wandering Dreams - something like that - that's a bunch of nonsense." Number 18 raised her hand: "How the hell can we tell what happened in that dude's head? We're not in there, how the hell do we know if he's telling the truth!?"
"Yes!" "Right! That's kinda too fake, y'all." "Truth!" Many other test audience members agreed.
"Alright, so - if you were to give some advice to the production team. " The bald man cleared his throat: "What would you suggest? Let's go one by one. 23?"
"Yes." Number 23 was playing with her hair: "I suggest more creepy shots, more sound effects and maybe dig deeper into the backstories. Right now all we see is just the dude running around and checking things out. It's kinda boring."
"Thank you. Number 28?"
"I think the atmosphere is fine. But I agree - there's nothing ghostly in there. I mean, even the most bait-y show would have some of that - like a shadow walking by the door, some kind of EMF flare up, things like that."
"Well, hell yeah." Number 5 raised his hand: "They should have brought an EMF, dude, who the hell goes ghost hunting without an EMF?"
"I second that EMF thing." Number 11 raised his hand and spoke with a lazy voice: "Dude, that's half the reason I watch any paranormal investigation show. That AND scary shadows popping up unexpectedly."
The suggestions from other test audience members were basically the same: the show needed EMF, it needed more scary shadows, jumpscares and sound effects, the show needed more backstory through narration, and the show needed reenactment of past events.
"... you heard them." Charlie Manchester pointed at the window.
"I don't know what you expect me to get from that. Sounds to me you desperately need an actual medium to consult or even star in the show." Veronica scoffed.
"The audience thinks it's just a regular paranormal investigation show with less of the usual, familiar elements. In a way, if you're not going as hardass on all the other 'dumb dumb goes to scary house' shows, you have no case with us here, alright? Or, should I take it that this is MAGLAA's official position that all of us, everyone in town, needs to stop planning and making these kinds of shows?"
"I think you all know very well, that that is not what I'm saying." Veronica leaned in with her right hand raised, the tips of her fingers clutched together: "Someone on your team, or that junkie himself, is a medium. A civilian wouldn't be able to make those kinds of discoveries or do what he did there without help."
"Noticing a black mark on the carpet isn't exactly medium work." Tammy interjected.
"Can it, you have no idea what you're talking about." Veronica just did a "shut up" gesture at Tammy without even looking at her.
"But she's right. " Charlie Manchester leaned back slightly with his hands spread: "Please, Veronica, we're just trying to make a slightly different show here. It's just the usual paranormal investigation stuff, the guy's just kinda lucky, alright? That's his persona on the show - he's observant, he's kinda lucky, and he's not a pretentious fake douche."
"I told you, this is definitely medium work - "
"IF you could provide us with something formal, we'll figure it out, okay?" Charlie Manchester interrupted Veronica: "We can't just go by your assertion right here, can't we? Come on - we both know medium work is not that easy to classify, you can't just demand it from us any time you think someone's doing it."
"Well, it's pretty clear to me. And if you continue this project, you'll be hearing from us." Veronica scoffed and turned away, ready to leave.
"MAGLAA doesn't own everyone who can spot things, Hernandez. " Charlie Manchester raised his voice as Veronica stepped out the door: "And you sure don't own the paranormal investigation genre!"
"Well, fuck." Tammy sighed as the door shut by itself.
"Who the fuck let her in?" Leslie McKinsey covered his face with both hands: "What the hell - this is - "
"Eh, don't worry too much." Charlie Manchester waved his hand: "Veronica is a hard ass, but she reaches a lot. Can't extort consultation money from the studio if she doesn't. But like I told her, this is really not in their jurisdiction. If she wants to put out something official, be it a letter or an email, she would be pushing the MAGLAA to make it their official position - that paranormal investigation shows with civilian hosts are their turf. I don't think they are ready for that right now."
"But - forgive me if I'm being too modest." Tammy asked: "Our show is kinda small, isn't it their best target IF they wanna go that route?"
"True." Charlie Manchester grunted: "But let's hope it's not. I'll let the higher ups know. Time for them to be prepared - and grow some fucking balls." He paused for a moment: "And if they won't back us, then we'll just have to get a MAGLAA consultant."
"But - we don't have the budget." Leslie McKinsey said, rather worried.
"We'll figure it out when we get there." Charlie Manchester stood up: "They're done with the discussion. Let's check with the surveyor."