Z On Location

by J. J. Howard

  Mom’s eyes widened a bit and she nodded. “I’ll just go greet her and ask her if she’s ready for a sound check.” Mom started to walk away and then turned back. “Really good work, Z.” I felt a small jump of joy in my chest. There’s more to be done, I told myself. Stay focused.

  Once everything was set up, we began the series of interviews. I ran the B camera, and Mom ran the A and asked the questions. The first subject, Ann Weymouth, was very quiet; Mom had a hard time getting her to say very much. She was a genius gaming programmer, but it seemed like she was probably more comfortable with computers than being in the spotlight. I noticed she had a key chain on her bag that said I LOVE MY YORKIE, and while Mom changed her camera setup partway through, I showed Ann pictures of Popcorn from my phone. I knew it wasn’t texting or calling, but I figured opening my camera roll in the name of relaxing the interview subject would be okay.

  “She’s at least six of my Peanut!” Ann exclaimed. “But she’s so adorable. Is she licking the camera there?”

  I sighed. “Yes, Popcorn always wants to check to see if everything is edible.”

  “Peanut’s the opposite. She’s a very picky eater.”

  Ann had to stop telling me about the complicated process of figuring out what Peanut would eat in order to finish the interview. She was much more talkative answering the second round of questions. Once we said good-bye to Ann, it was time to set up for the next subjects. Since there were two, we’d need to change the arrangement a bit.

  “I’m not sure what you said to Ann, but you really got her talking,” Mom said.

  I shrugged. “I saw her dog key chain, so I showed her some pictures of Popcorn. I hope that’s okay. We bonded over dog-loving.”

  “Yes, it’s okay, in this case. Sometimes getting the subject to talk is the hardest part of the interview.”

  We got everything reset and the next three interviews passed in a whirlwind. I kept my ears open for any instructions from Mom, but I also tried to anticipate what she might need. I was beginning to realize that being a good assistant was kind of a balancing act. It wasn’t just about helping to set up and break down, it was about supporting the whole shoot. Like I knew one of Mom’s subjects had just posted something new she was working on, so I made sure Mom knew to ask about that instead of just jumping in and asking myself. But sometimes jumping in was necessary, like when I made Ann a bit more comfortable. I thought I understood now why Mom had warned me about distractions on set. The balancing act took a lot of concentration.

  It took so much concentration that I didn’t even think about the fact that I might miss the meet-up at the Connectivity Café at 4 p.m. The first four interviews went smoothly and before I knew it, it was already 3:40.

  “Our final subject is here, Z,” Mom said.

  I turned to greet her and realized that I’d been so focused on being the best assistant ever, I’d also forgotten that the last interview subject was Winter Costello! How could I have forgotten that?

  “Z,” Mom was saying, “meet Winter Costello. Winter, this is my daughter, Z, who’s also my assistant today. She’s a big fan of yours.”

  “It’s always nice to meet a fan,” Winter said with a big smile, and held out her hand to shake mine. She’d added some dark blue at the tips of her hair, and she looked so cool.

  “I … it’s so amazing to see you in person instead of on my screen! I have been posting all my summer adventures. Well, not all.” Mom gave me a little smile.

  “That’s awesome,” Winter said. “It’s been really fun to see what everyone is up to.”

  Mom showed Winter where she’d be sitting for the interview. I stood staring after her, starstruck, for a few moments, then shook myself to get back to work, and went to get the lavalier mic for Winter.

  Mom returned to stand beside me. “Z, you’ve really done an outstanding job today. I can tell that you’ve been studying.”

  “I have,” I answered. “I really wanted to show you I could do this.”

  “I knew you could. You just had to learn to be present in the moment.”

  “Boy, were you right.”

  Mom smiled. “I’m your mom. I know these things. But, listen, Z—after the interview, Winter has agreed to let you do a mini interview. She’ll have time for you to ask three or four questions. I thought you could use the footage for your vlog.”

  I felt my heart swell with joy. “Oh, Mom! Really?? I would love …” My heart sank.

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Briefly, I told her about meeting my followers, and agreeing to do the interview for their vlog. “I was going to tell you about it when I got here, but there wasn’t time.” I took a deep breath and let it out. “I want to do that interview with Winter more than anything …”

  I knew that an interview with someone so famous and impressive would give my own vlog tons of exposure. But this wasn’t just about likes for my vlog. I’d given my word to Erica, Mina, and Jordyn. My IRL Z’s Crew. I had to be in the now.

  “I want to—so much. But I need to keep my promise. Is it okay if I help you finish the setup and then go meet the girls from Z’s Crew?”

  Mom nodded. “Of course. I think it’s the right thing to do.” She looked at her watch. “All we have left to do is set up Winter’s mic, actually. I can do that. You go meet your fans and I’ll meet you back here to tear down the setup. Say, five o’clock?”

  “Okay. Thanks, Mom!” I gave her a quick hug.

  Then I raced toward the Connectivity Café. I had to make it in time.

  I hoped I wasn’t too late to meet my fans. I skidded around the corner into the hallway that led to the café, out of breath and ready to scan the crowd to find the three girls I was meeting.

  The café was completely full, and when I rounded the corner, almost everyone there started cheering.

  Mari, Becka, and Gigi rushed forward to greet me. Erica appeared beside them. “We spread the word!” she said, beaming.

  “Wait—do you mean—is everyone here for me?”

  I saw Mina and Jordyn come up behind Erica. “Yep, it turns out there are lots of members of Z’s Crew here at VidCon!” Mina said.

  I looked around in amazement. There had to be almost fifty people in the room. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope,” Jordyn said. “Hey, everyone. Let’s welcome Z!”

  Everyone shouted, “Hi, Z!”

  “I thought I might have missed you guys,” I said, still dazed at the number of people who’d turned up.

  What if I hadn’t come? I felt sick for a second, considering the idea, but then I shook it off. I had made the right choice. Now I could just enjoy the interview, and the chance to meet so many members of the crew in real life.

  “Come this way, Z,” Erica said. “We’re going to use Jordyn’s laptop to record. Sorry we’re so low-tech.”

  “It’s not the tech, it’s how you use it,” I told her.

  “I’m writing that down,” said a girl with very blonde hair who was beside me. She was carrying a small notebook and writing as she walked.

  “Wow, are you really writing that down?” I asked her. “I feel so famous.”

  “You are. I watch all your videos. I’ve been watching since you started. I’m Amy, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you, Amy. I’m Z. But … I guess you knew that,” I added, feeling embarrassed. I’d always wanted to be recognized for my films. It turned out it was just a little bit awkward. But I didn’t really mind so much.

  “Here’s the seat we have ready for you,” Mina said.

  “You really should interview Mari, Gigi, and Becka, too,” I said. “I couldn’t have done any of my projects without their input. And my friend Lauren also helps, but she’s at soccer camp,” I added.

  “That’d be great, but I only brought one mic …” Jordyn held it up with a frown.

  I shrugged. “Oh, hey—no worries—we’ll just pass it among us. We’ll try not to talk over each other lik
e we usually do!”

  Mina was setting up two more chairs beside mine, and Mari jumped in to help find a spot for Becka’s wheelchair.

  Before I knew it, the interview had started. A hush fell over the café as Erica asked us to introduce ourselves, then went on to the first question. “So, Z, can you tell us how you got started making stop-motion movies?”

  I explained about my mom being a film professor and filmmaker. “I’ve wanted to make movies for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always loved my AG dolls. This way I could combine two things I love. My favorite part is getting to share my vision of the world with the audience.”

  “How do your friends help you?”

  “I’m Z’s fashion consultant,” Mari said. “Our friend Lauren helps out with a lot of the props.”

  “I guess Gigi and I are the critics,” Becka said. “I remember the first time we told you our opinion of your CloudSong film. You weren’t too happy with us, I don’t think.”

  I felt a flash of embarrassment, but then I decided to own it. Becka was right. “Becka and Gigi are always honest with me about my filmmaking. They tell me what’s working—and what isn’t. I think it’s really important to have a support system of friends who’ll give you their real opinion. Not just what they think you want to hear.”

  “Is that the toughest part about being a filmmaker?” Erica asked.

  I was shaking my head before I’d even thought about how to answer. I knew that what I’d learned this summer was connected to Mom’s advice: Be in the now. But it was more complicated than that. I wasn’t even sure if I could explain.

  “The hardest part for me, so far, isn’t so much about the filmmaking—it’s about the rest of my life around it. I love having my own channel, and having followers means so much to me.” I smiled gratefully at the crowd. “But it’s also a lot of pressure. I was so excited to help my Mom with her documentary this summer, and to be part of making a real film.” I took a deep breath. I was about to admit the not-so-glamorous part of my journey this summer.

  Mom always said that in interviews, authenticity is key. So I told them everything. From forgetting to turn off my phone to dropping the mic. And even about posting pictures that cost my mom an interview. “Basically, you guys, I was a disaster. But the good news is, I learned a lot from everything that happened this summer. Every time I messed up, it was because I was so caught up in the online world or what I’d share afterward that I forgot to really be present right at that moment. And no matter how it might look online, getting to go on a filmmaking road trip with your mom is quite an adventure, all on its own.”

  We wrapped up the interview, and I thanked everyone for letting me share my experiences. It felt so awesome to really connect with all these people I had only known online. I looked out at the crowd, still amazed at how many fans had shown up for this interview. But I also saw someone I hadn’t expected to see. Mom was smiling at me, and when she caught my eye, she gave me a thumbs-up sign.

  That’s when I noticed that Winter Costello was standing right next to her.

  Right after I saw her, the café erupted, as one member of Z’s Crew whispered to the next that Winter Costello was standing right there. I knew everyone in the café would recognize Winter. I’d made a video about how much I looked up to her, and it had been one of my most-watched—and liked—posts.

  Winter started to make her way up to where we were sitting, although she had to stop a few times to talk to fans.

  “Hi there, Z,” Winter said with a smile when she finally got to me.

  “Hi, Winter!” I said. “I … What are you doing here?” I looked at Mom in confusion. Surely it wasn’t anything she needed from me as an assistant. She wouldn’t have brought Winter if that were the case.

  “Your mom told me about your interview here. It sounded pretty interesting to me. You know, I’m putting together a VidCon edition of my Girl Power vlog. You meeting some of your followers here in real life sounded like a great interview opportunity.”

  I felt confused for a few seconds. But then it hit me. Winter was asking to interview me.

  My mouth fell open in shock, and I struggled to think of what to say. “I’d … That would be amazing. But I guess I don’t really get … why me?” Just the other day I’d been banned from shooting with Mom and Nora, a completely disgraced former film crew member. Today, everything was different.

  “Z, look around. You connected with all of these girls by sharing something of yourself online: your ideas, your films. And you’re here with your friends, your support system. It seems to me like this is pretty much the definition of girl power. So what do you say?”

  “Say yes, Z!” Amy called, and everyone laughed.

  “Go, Z!” someone else shouted, and then everyone was chanting it. My cheeks were on fire. I felt embarrassed and thrilled at the same time.

  “I’m in,” I told Winter.

  “I’ll film it for you,” Mom said from the back of the room, hoisting her camera bag with a broad grin.

  The interview went by in a blur. I kept thinking what an amazing compliment it was, for Winter to ask to interview me. I also realized that I was having the ultimate #summeradventure moment.

  “What is the most important advice you can give to girls who are interested in filmmaking?” Winter asked me.

  I glanced at Mom. “Be in the now. It’s amazing to share what you love, and what you’ve experienced and learned, with friends and followers online. But it’s also pretty easy to get too caught up in what you’ll post and who will see it and like it, and then you can forget to really be present for the actual event.”

  “That’s excellent advice,” Winter said. “It’s actually a really great perspective for me to keep in mind. The virtual world is awesome, but we have to keep one foot in this world, don’t we?”

  We talked for a while about how stop-motion works, and what new kinds of things I was going to do. I had so many ideas just from being around all these amazing people at VidCon. I was bubbling over with excitement.

  Everyone laughed at how enthusiastic I sounded. Then Winter was saying, “Thank you, Z, for being with me here today at VidCon.” I saw Mom lower her camera, and I knew the interview was finished.

  I sat there dazed as Winter shook my hand. She handed me a business card and then went to talk to Mom for a few seconds. Then she was gone.

  “Oh, man—I should have gotten her autograph!” Becka said. “It all happened so fast.”

  “Z just got interviewed by Winter Costello,” Mari said.

  “It was brilliant!” Gigi exclaimed.

  “Thanks,” I said. “It was kind of nerve-racking, but it felt incredible.” That was not how I meant to get on Winter’s vlog—and I didn’t even have to have “the best” #summeradventure, I just had to be myself. And that was about a thousand times better.

  “I’m so jealous,” Becka said.

  “Me, too,” Gigi said.

  “I hope somebody recorded that on their phone,” I said to my friends. “We have to text Lauren.”

  “On it!” Mari said.

  Mom came over to join us. “What was Winter saying to you?” I asked her.

  “I was letting her know that I’d send her the footage I just took. I’m really proud of you—how you turned things around on this trip.”

  “I guess I made a comeback,” I agreed.

  “A comeback makes for a better adventure story than being perfect from the start anyway,” Becka told me with a smile.

  Becka always gave the best story advice, so she was probably right.

  Amy, the girl with the notebook, came up to me then. “Some of us were wondering what you were doing now. We thought maybe we could check out some of the booths together, if you wanted?”

  “Can I?” I asked Mom, and she nodded. “That sounds amazing to me,” I told Amy. I stood up on my chair to make myself a little taller. “Attention! We’re going to check out the exhibition floor, if anyone wants to join us.”

>   “When?” someone called.

  “Right now. Z’s Crew—let’s head out!”

  Nora seemed to be feeling better when we got back to the RV. She was packing up her stuff since she’d left her car in San Francisco and would be leaving us here. “Hey, superstar. I heard about your interview.”

  “News travels fast, I guess!” Mom smiled at us and stepped outside to call Dad. We were going to pack up and hit the road first thing in the morning. I couldn’t believe how amazing my #summeradventure was. I thought about all I had learned over the past week, and realized that I had learned a lot from Nora, too. I guess we had more in common than I wanted to admit. I sat down at the little table.

  “Nora, I’m really glad I met you. I wasn’t exactly excited when you first came. I guess you could probably tell. But now …”

  “I could tell.” Nora laughed. “But I understand. You were expecting to have your mom all to yourself.”

  “It was more like I thought I could be the ultimate assistant all by myself. But Mom was right. I wasn’t ready. I know I’m getting closer, though. I learned so much from watching Mom. And you.”

  “Aw, thanks, Z. That means a lot to me. I’m still learning, too, so sometimes I forget how much I already know! I don’t think that ever stops.”

  “Hopefully we’ll see each other again,” I said. “But if we go out to a restaurant, can it not be entirely vegan?”

  Nora laughed. “I knew you didn’t like The Cheerful Onion! Okay, deal. Someplace with veggie and beef burgers.” Nora gave me a hug. “Speaking of veggie burgers,” she said, “I’d never say I was exactly happy to have food poisoning, but I’m glad something good came of it. And you totally stepped up.” She held her fist up for a bump. “Girl power!”

  I laughed and bumped her fist. “Thanks, Nora. I’m glad you’re feeling better, though.”

  We decided to eat the rest of the snacks in the RV for dinner. While I was slurping Cup Noodles, Lauren texted me.

  I texted back.

  I turned my phone off so I could enjoy the last night with my mom and Nora on the road.