As soon as the short film was published, everyone, except Elizabeth, who watched from the couch with a proud smile, sprang into action.
Owen, Matt, Sarah, and Gaten posted on their social media that the short film was now on YouTube and ready to watch.
From the official Twitter account of the channel, @SecondTakeFilms, Owen launched the main announcement, direct and professional, almost like a press release:
@SecondTakeFilms:
🎬 NOW AVAILABLE:
Our new short film One-Minute Time Machine has just been released on YouTube.
Directed by Matt Rogers.
Starring Sarah Ashford and Gaten Matarazzo.
🔗YouTube.com/SecondTakeFilms…
#OneMinuteTimeMachine #SecondTakeFilms
The tweet was accompanied by a ten-second clip from the short.
Then Owen went to his personal account and promoted it there too, since he had more followers.
@OwenAshford:
We just uploaded something new to the channel đź‘€
It's a short film about love, mistakes, and time travel.
I'm very proud of Gaten and my sister's work.
If you've ever wished you could undo your screw-ups in 60 seconds, this short is for you. ⏱️
Then Owen switched social platforms. He went to the channel's Instagram and posted a story and a feed post. After that, he switched to his own personal account, where he already had over three hundred thousand followers, and decided to do something a bit more spontaneous.
He called Matt and Gaten over, stretched out his arm with his phone in hand, and was just about to take a selfie.
"Wait, wait, let's do the mewing face!" Matt said, stopping Owen.
Owen turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"One hundred percent," Matt replied solemnly. "It'll be funny. Gaten, you too."
"The mewing face?" Gaten asked, confused. "Like… defining the jaw or something?"
"Exactly. Like this," Matt said as he hardened his expression, clenching his jaw and slightly pursing his lips, trying to push his chin forward. His face adopted an exaggerated, almost comical pose, similar to the many memes floating around online: tense jaw, duck lips, and an intense stare.
Sarah, from the couch, looked at him in disbelief. "You guys can't possibly be doing that…" she muttered, bringing a hand to her forehead.
Gaten tried to imitate him. At first he laughed, but then he focused and managed to replicate the expression quite well.
"Like this?" he asked, trying not to laugh.
Matt nodded, satisfied. "Perfect. That's muscle control, my friend. Every good actor must master their face."
Then he looked at Owen with a challenging expression, as if evaluating his muscle control. "Your turn."
Owen snorted, amused, but he did it. He straightened his back, lowered his chin slightly, and defined his jawline with a natural ease that left the other two momentarily speechless. The expression came out flawless, effortless.
Matt looked at him with a mix of admiration and resignation, "Unbelievable. Some people are just born with the preset activated."
"Yeah, yeah… Can we take the picture now?" Owen said.
Matt glanced toward Sarah. "Come on, you too. Make the face with us. All the leads have to be in it."
Sarah looked at him as if he had just suggested committing a crime. "No way. I'm not doing that. It's way too embarrassing."
'Teenagers…' Owen thought, amused.
Matt pretended to let out a dramatic sigh. "Sophie would do it. If she were here, she'd join in without hesitation. She's the queen of mewing, she has the most perfect jawline in all of Los Angeles."
"That's true," Owen said, nodding seriously. His girlfriend's jawline really was perfect.
"Nice try, but I'm still not doing it," Sarah replied.
Finally, the three of them defined their jawlines at the same time, and Owen took the picture. Right after, Gaten burst into laughter, unable to hold the pose for even a second longer.
Owen looked at the photo and let out a soft laugh as he added text over the image and posted it to his story:
New short film on YouTube 🎬
One-Minute Time Machine now available.
Link in bio 👇
…
"It's a shame Sophie isn't here…" Sarah murmured, barely audible, but loud enough for Owen to hear.
Owen looked at her with a faint, teasing smile. "Who would've thought you'd grow fond of my girlfriend? Never imagined that at first."
At the beginning, when Sarah first met Sophie, she had been cautious and a bit jealous. She didn't want to share her brother, and she wasn't used to seeing him in a serious relationship.
But now, the two got along very well, despite their completely different styles.
On one hand, Sarah was very much the classic, spoiled, popular girl, she liked being the center of attention, keeping up with the latest trends, and dressed almost like a Barbie.
On the other hand, Sophie had a much more underground, punk aesthetic, a strong presence, a serious (though beautiful) expression, and a sharp, darker sense of humor.
But Sophie had taken it personally, she wanted to get along with her boyfriend's little sister. And she had succeeded.
Sophie wasn't stupid. She was aware of the age and style gap between her and Sarah. So she took the only route that could forge a quicker connection: cinema and acting. Something they both loved. So she went through that path, talking about movies, series, actresses, giving her acting advice and on-camera tips.
Sarah huffed, crossing her arms as a faint blush crept up her cheeks, "Shut up," she muttered back.
"She was going to the short film audition today, right?" Matt asked, looking up from his phone.
Owen nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was in person, and she had almost an hour-long commute. She should be heading back by now."
He had offered to drive her, since neither Sophie nor her mother had a car, even though they could afford one with the money Sophie earned from Boogeyman (over $120,000) and the short film Blink, which paid her more than ten thousand dollars.
But Sophie refused. She liked enjoying the perks of being a girlfriend, yes, but she didn't want to abuse them or turn Owen into some kind of personal chauffeur. Especially not for something professional. Maintaining her independence felt important to her.
Matt frowned, adopting a more analytical expression. "It's a tough role," he said thoughtfully. "Not because she lacks talent, but the kind of project they're looking for is very different from anything she's done so far."
Owen nodded in agreement. Sophie had shown them a few scenes, performing in front of them to practice for today's in-person audition.
It was an intense drama short film, focused on raw emotions and prolonged silences. And one of the longer types too, over 25 minutes. Because of that, it had a considerable budget and a tone geared more toward film festivals and critical reception rather than commercial success or general audiences.
"It'll be tough," Owen said, thinking aloud. "She has a very defined foundation in the horror genre. This is a different register, and directors sometimes hesitate to give someone from a different genre a role like this."
Gaten, who was sitting beside the couch, nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, breaking labels in this industry is insanely hard," he said with a grimace. "Once they typecast you, you're done. Look at me: I'm twenty and people see me as a fifteen-year-old. Because of my face, my teeth, the way I talk… I don't even want to imagine trying to audition for a dramatic role. There's no way I'd get it."
Matt, half sympathetic but still playful, gave his shoulder a friendly pat. "Relax, man. With this short film, even if it's a comedy, you're going to get visibility. Your performance was excellent. Seriously. People are going to notice."
Gaten lowered his gaze with a shy smile. "Thanks," he replied sincerely.
"Matt's right," Owen added. "But I'll also tell you this: being typecast isn't always bad, as long as you like the genre you're in. If you're passionate about it, leaning into it isn't a problem. The issue is when you want to switch lanes and they don't let you, but if you're comfortable, there's no reason to fight it."
He leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms. "Of course, there are actors who love challenging themselves, trying new things… and in those cases, yeah, labels really get in the way," he added.
Sarah, who had been quiet up until then while scrolling on her phone, looked up with an amused smile. "Look who's talking," she said, raising an eyebrow. "The guy who's acted in a romantic short, a comedic sci-fi short, a horror-mystery film, an adventure movie, and is now about to star in a romantic drama."
By romantic drama, she meant The Spectacular Now.
Owen had already done the in-person audition two days earlier at the A24 offices. He had gone accompanied by Larry, his agent, even though that opportunity hadn't come from Larry's contacts but directly from Owen himself: he was the author of the original script the studio had purchased.
The audition was closed, with a shortlist of three to six actors considered for the lead role. All represented by big agencies and with relevant résumés.
Owen, however, didn't see a single one.
The process was completely private: candidates entered in well-spaced time slots, and none knew who they were competing against. Neither A24 nor the director disclosed any names; it was standard practice to avoid external pressure or comparisons.
The director officially assigned by A24 was Elijah Bynum, 35 years old. He had directed and written two feature films, both within the realm of indie drama.
His debut was Hot Summer Nights, released in 2018 and also distributed by A24.
The film starred Timothée Chalamet and Maika Monroe.
By then, Chalamet was already in full global fame thanks to Call Me By Your Name (2017), a film with a budget of just $3.5 million that grossed over $41 million at the box office and earned multiple Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Chalamet), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Song, ultimately winning for Best Adapted Screenplay.
At just 22, Chalamet became the youngest actor to be nominated for Best Actor in nearly eight decades. His performance was praised as one of the most sincere and emotionally precise of the decade, cementing him as the new face of auteur cinema.
However, Hot Summer Nights, despite premiering in 2018 when Chalamet was already a star and an awards-season favorite, had actually been filmed long before, between 2015 and 2016, when he was still unknown. The project went through an extended post-production process and delays in distribution, which caused it to go practically unnoticed upon release.
It wasn't a complete failure, but it wasn't a success either: it received mixed reviews and earned very little at the box office, remaining more of a minor curiosity within A24's catalog.
Owen had never seen any of these films in his previous life, otherwise, they wouldn't exist now.
Despite the success of Call Me by Your Name, the story didn't appeal to Owen: set in Italy in the 80s, it's about the romantic relationship between two young men discovering desire and identity, it simply wasn't the kind of plot that interested him. Not out of prejudice, but because it just wasn't the type of cinema that attracted him as a viewer.
Despite that lukewarm first film in both critical and commercial success, Elijah was seen as a director with his own style. And he was someone with enough experience to direct a film like The Spectacular Now, even if it leaned more toward light comedy and classic romance, though for Owen this only meant the film was almost guaranteed to be a commercial hit.
Owen smiled, not denying Sarah's remarks. "Well, that's the advantage of writing my own scripts and acting in whatever the hell I want."
They all continued chatting casually between bursts of laughter, while every now and then someone refreshed the YouTube page.
The view counter jumped as if it had a life of its own. In barely thirty minutes, the short film had already amassed more than 80,000 views, an impressive number even considering the channel's momentum after the success of Paranormal Activity.
Amid that relaxed atmosphere, Owen's phone began vibrating on the table. He glanced at the screen: Larry.
He picked up without hesitation, stepping slightly away from the group, leaning against the back of the couch.
"Oh… I really competed against him?" Owen said at one point.
The sentence instantly killed all conversation. Matt set the laptop mouse aside, no longer refreshing the page like a maniac every two minutes.
Sarah, who had been switching between Instagram and Twitter reading comments about One-Minute Time Machine, lifted her gaze from her phone.
Elizabeth, who had been showing Gaten old photos of round-cheeked little Owen in a Halloween costume, stopped flipping through the album and looked up attentively.
"Him? Who did he compete against?" everyone repeated silently in their minds.
That could only mean he was talking about the Spectacular Now audition. And that he must be talking with Larry.
Meanwhile, Owen kept talking as if nothing were happening, smiling occasionally, dropping short comments that only increased the group's curiosity. Sarah tried to guess from his tone whether it was good or bad news, but her brother's calm was impossible to read, and completely infuriating.
'Why is he so good at staying calm all the time?' she thought, squeezing her phone, her patience wearing thinner by the second.
A few more minutes passed until Owen finally said goodbye to Larry: "See you tomorrow, Larry. Bye."
He hung up, slipped the phone into his pocket, and when he lifted his gaze, he found everyone staring at him in total silence.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Owen asked with a smug smile, clearly enjoying the suspense.
Sarah frowned, impatient. "What happened? That was Larry, right? Did he tell you how the audition for The Spectacular Now went?"
Owen gave a half-smile, amused by their reactions, but when he saw his mother's expectant expression, he softened. He didn't like putting her through suspense.
"Yes," he said at last. "That was Larry. And yes, it was about the audition. I got the part."
Silence shattered into an explosion of joy.
Matt threw his arms up with an almost automatic "Let's gooo!"; Gaten followed him, laughing, and Sarah let out a short scream of excitement.
Elizabeth rose immediately and went straight to hug him, a mix of pride and tenderness in her expression. "Congratulations, sweetheart!" she said between laughs, holding his face. "Look at this…" She showed him an old photo from the album. "Who would've thought this cute little boy would end up landing role after role?"
Owen smiled, returning the hug. "Thanks, Mom."
Calling her "mom" had become almost a habit by now, but it still felt strange and warm at the same time every time he said it.
When they separated, Matt was the first to jump back into the topic with enthusiasm. "Who did you compete against? And how do you know?"
Sarah stepped forward immediately. "Yes, that! Who was there?"
Owen crossed his arms, holding back a laugh. "Technically, I'm not supposed to know… but Larry is very much a gossip, and he always finds a way. He figured out who the other actors were."
He paused dramatically, making everyone tense up. "One of the most well-known was Lucas Hedges."
Matt whistled, eyes wide, "Lucas Hedges? The guy from Manchester by the Sea. That's serious competition, he's an Oscar nominee and everything."
Sarah nodded quickly. "And Lady Bird, Three Billboards, Boy Erased… His résumé in indie cinema is really good."
"Then the other big name was Jacob Elordi," Owen continued.
Matt burst into instant laughter. "HA! You beat Euphoria's sex symbol! That needs to be framed, man."
Gaten, laughing, added, "Now that guy is a professional at mewing, huh? If he does that face in the audition, no one can compete."
Elizabeth, confused, glanced around. "And who is that?"
"An Australian actor, Mom," Owen explained, fighting a smile. "He got famous mostly because of Euphoria."
Sarah jumped in immediately, excited: "Yes! The show I told you about, the one starring Zendaya and Hunter Schafer."
"Oh, right…" Elizabeth said, remembering. "Hunter is the sweet girl you worked with on The Hunger Games, isn't she?" she asked Owen.
"Yes," Owen nodded. "I asked her to send Sarah a greeting, remember?"
Sarah smiled at the memory, and Elizabeth nodded slowly.
'Euphoria…' Elizabeth thought, making a rare disapproving face.
She knew exactly which show it was, she had watched two episodes because Sarah insisted. That was enough for her to remember certain scenes she hadn't liked at all and to drop the series. Still, she chose not to comment, simply shaking her head with a polite, half-smile.
Matt gave Owen a thumbs-up. "Well then, officially… Owen Ashford: the guy who beat an Oscar nominee and a Calvin Klein model in the same week."
Laughter filled the living room and the conversation continued.
Around six, Edward arrived home from work. As soon as he walked through the door and heard the news, he congratulated Sarah first for the short film's success and then Owen for landing a new role. It was obvious he was proud of both, even if he expressed it with his usual calm, numbers-man demeanor.
Elizabeth, thrilled, decided to prepare a special dinner to celebrate the two good pieces of news. She invited Matt, who accepted without hesitation, while Gaten had to decline, the plan for that night was to have dinner with his parents to celebrate the short's release as well.
Later, when the sky was already orange, Sophie arrived with her mother.
The families already knew each other and got along well, without unnecessary formality, which made the dinner flow naturally.
With anecdotes, laughter, and improvised toasts, the night went by quickly.
When Owen returned home, close to midnight, his body begged him to go to sleep. But before that, he checked the video's stats one last time.
The short film had been online for six hours and already had more than 620,000 views, an absolute record for Second Take Films. At that pace, it could surpass Paperman in views.
He smiled, satisfied, though he didn't let the thought linger for long.
He closed the laptop and went to bed. Tomorrow would be an important day. He had a meeting with Larry around eight in the morning to prepare the negotiation strategy with A24.
Even if they were an allied studio, the meetings were still professional matters, and Larry insisted they had to come in with everything calculated.
After prepping the negotiation, they had an appointment at ten-thirty in the morning at the A24 offices to finalize the deal.
-------------------------------------------------
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