Wet Publicity
Starring Julie Moran
Written by Nemesoak
Written by Nemesoak
It was early fall of 1998. As is often the case, the weather was still quite summer-like, even a bit on the hot side with temperatures in the mid-80's. So it was on the day that Julie Moran of "Entertainment Tonight" arrived at a secluded beach. A swim in the ocean was not on her planned agenda for the day - she was there for business. Julie was on assignment to do a segment on an upcoming film "The Return of Oannes".
This was a rather unusual film in that it was being made soley to promote the then-new technology of DVDs to the studios. It would feature multiple languages, multiple endings, research on the Oannes myth, and many other new features. The plot of the film revolved around Oannes, a fish-man from Sumerian mythology appearing in the present day to warn mankind of an environmental catastrophe. This news upsets some evil corporate types, and a race is on between the environmentalists who would publicize the message and the corporations who would silence Oannes. Today, the beach scenes would be shot.
Once at the beach, Julie and her taping crew approached the set. When they arrived, Julie heard a voice from behind her say "What's a girl like you doing at a shoot like this?"
Turning around, Julie saw that it was her husband, Bob Moran. Bob, an actor, had a part in this production. He was playing one of the evironmentalists who help Oannes escape from his corporate captors. "Hi, honey." Julie replied and then she gave him a quick kiss. "Do you know where the producer and director are?"
"Yeah, they're standing over by the cameraman over there. You know, you could interview me too..."
"Nah, they wouldn't go for it. They's say I was being too cute."
"That might be, but you sure look great today. Nice outfit. Well, I guess I'll see you later then."
"You will. After I get the interviews, I'm off for the rest of the day, so I'll hang out here and come home with you."
"Hope you don't get bored. Bye."
Julie then walked off and headed over to speak with the producer and the director. Bob was right, Julie did have a rather nice outfit today. Not as dressy as the business suits on "ET", but nice enough that she could wear it on the show any way. It consisted of a very dark red sweater-like blouse with a nice low neckline, a black just-above-the-knee slit skirt with the slit going halfway up her thigh, and a set of nice dressy pumps.
She soon located the two men and started her interviews. The producer spent most of his segment touting how "The Return of Oannes" had many features made possible by its being a DVD-only production. He also said he hoped that these features, especially the multiple plot twists and endings could be used in future films.
When interviewed, the director went on more about the pro-environment plot and the film's message that there is still time for people to clean up the mess pollution has made in the world. He also told Julie that he was aware that the main purpose of the film was to showcase DVD technology, but he said he wanted to do a good film in the hopes that it would someday be released to the public.
Having interviewed the directors, Julie went in search of some of the actors. The first one she located was a well-known character actor who played the evil CEO of a chemical company who tries to have Oannes killed. He told Julie about his opinions on the environment, which were far different than those of his character and also related a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes (mostly practical jokes he pulled on the director).
With that interview finished, Julie was looking around and quickly saw the man she really wanted to interview. It was the handsome, muscular actor (Julie's favorite kind) who played Oannes. For the purposes of this story, let's call him Jim. Julie wasted no time in getting over to meet Jim.
Seeing Julie, Jim responded "Hi! You're Bob's wife. He's told me quite a bit about you. You certainly look lovelier in person than on television."
Smiling, Julie commented "Thanks. Now, let's get to the actual interview."
"Sounds okay to me."
The first thing Julie noticed and commented on was the fact that Jim was still dressed in the Oannes costume. "Wow, that's some costume!" Julie mentioned.
"Sure is. This isn't your father's 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' suit. It is actually what divers call a 'dry suit' and it has been made to look like a very believable fish-man. We had some comparative anatomy guys from a college as well as a Sumerian history scholar help with the design. They left no detail out. It even looks like some kind of fish skin, but it is not slimy at all."
"Mind if I..." Julie asked.
"Go right ahead." With that, Julie started running her hand down his arm, only partly interested in how the suit felt. He was right. Not slimy at all. And Julie was quite pleased with how well built his arm was too.
"The suit is impressive, but what about what you wear on your head?" Julie inquired.
"Glad you asked. Actually, there are two headpieces that we use, which one depends on the type of scene. And here they are." Holding up the first one, he continued. "This is the one used for the underwater scenes. As you can see, it is really a diving helmet sort of like those the divers use on the offshore oil rigs. It is made to look like Oannes' head. Also, there are two air hoses going into it. We digitially remove them in post-production."
"Nice..." commented Julie.
Setting down the first one, Jim held up the second and explained. "This is the one we use for scenes on land. It has animatronic features which are controlled by these two puppeteers. With these features, You can get mouth motion and a full range of facial expressions. Very lifelike. Want a demonstration?"
"Sure."
The two puppeteers came and did their stuff while Jim was holding the helmet. The expressions were truly lifelike, just as advertised. "Hey, I got an idea for something fun to do. Why don't I put on this headpiece, then you can interview me in character? That is if the puppeteers don't mind and you and your crew have no objections. In fact, maybe we can even use the footage on the DVD."
Everyone agreed and the Oannes interview began. It was rather fun and Julie quickly got into the spirit and almost forgot she wasn't talking to a real creature. It was all done in one take and was definitely a "keeper".
"While we are in this mood for fun, I have another idea for a fun shot. Julie, would you mind if I carried you? You look light enough."
"I suppose..." Julie replied, "but remember that I am wearing a skirt today. I don't want to show off my panties on television - again."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'again'?"
Julie explained "Well, back in May of last year (1997), I was riding with my husband in a parade. We were sitting in a float or something. I had on a short white dress. At any rate, there was this cameraman taping the parade, my float in particular. He was positioned in a certain way and saw right up my skirt. Very embarassing, since I didn't find out until the segment aired on 'ET'. By then, it was too late to do anything about it."
Jim replied "I see. Don't worry. I won't let anything like that happen to you here. You're my friend's wife and I have to look out for you. Here is what I plan on doing. I'm going to carry you and wade into the ocean a little bit..."
"Please don't throw me in or anything like that!"
"Relax. I am not going to toss you. But as I am walking into the water, you can shout your traditional segment closing line. After that, I'll turn around and we'll go back to the beach. You won't be in the ocean at any time."
"Sounds like fun."
They then walked over near the edge of the water. In one quick move, Jim scooped Julie up in his arms, holding her very securely and making extra sure her skirt didn't do anything revealing. Once that was done, Jim started walking into the ocean. When the water was nearly hip deep on Jim, he stopped and Julie exclaimed "Julie Moran for 'Entertainment Tonight'!".
Jim then walked back and gently let Julie down on dry land. "That was fun!" Julie commented. The cameramen concurred.
"How about we try that again, but using an over-the-shoulder fireman's carry?"
"Okay."
This went pretty much as it did last time. However, as she was being carried, Julie was able to touch the water with her fingertips. "Nice and warm..." she thought, "too bad I didn't bring a swimsuit..." Even after her two clothed swim adventures (chronicled in Wet Charity and The "Accidental" Pool Party), the thought of just going for a swim in whatever she had on did not naturally occur to her for some reason.
Once back on land, Julie was thanking Jim for a fun interview. Jim also thanked Julie for being such a great sport and willing to have a little fun. The interview taping crew was leaving and Julie thought her work was done when she heard a voice shout "Ms. Moran!"
The voice was that of a somewhat paunchy, balding man in a business suit. Julie recognized him as an executive from Paramount Studios who mainly worked in the film division. He did visit the set of "Entertainment Tonight" a few times and that is how he knew Julie. But what did he want on this set?
The producer and director also approached. Then the executive spoke. "Wanted to tell you guys that I think you're doing a fine job. The production is slightly ahead of the schedule in fact. But the reason I stopped by was that I was giving some thought on how to fill some of the extra space on that DVD thingie. Then it hit me. Goodies! You know, those stupid bloopers and throwaway bits some filmmakers show during the credits."
The producer commented "Sounds like a great idea, but we have been doing the scenes in one or two takes. We don't have many bloopers. Sorry."
The executive smiled and said "No need to apologize. Doing things the right the first time saves money which is always good. How about a little skit? We could even use the skit as a teaser to plug the film to the execs."
The director asked "Do you have anything in mind? I'm trying to tell this story in a straight manner and I see nothing in it that would lend itself to a skit."
"But I saw something that would do the trick!" answered the executive. "That 'in character' interview Julie did with what's-his-name, you know, the one who plays that lizard thing..."
"You mean Oannes."
"Yeah. We could use an interview like that."
"Well, you're in luck. We can simply take the ET footage and use it. Nice and simple." explained the director.
"No! I saw the interview. The questions and answers were good, but the setting was boring. How about an underwater version?" asked the executive.
The producer thought for a few seconds and commented "We might be able to do that. We can have the folks in post-production digitially change the background to an underwater scene and electronically distort the voices. Should work."
"You're missing the point!" growled the executive. "Just a change of background won't cut it. I want an actual underwater interview! After all, you do have underwater cameras and you know that Oannes getup works underwater. All you have to do is shoot an underwater scene with Julie."
"Hold on a second!" Julie yelled. "I'd do it, but I didn't bring a swimsuit..."
The producer added "Another problem. We don't have any wetsuits her size in wardrobe. They're too big and would look awfully baggy. And we can't lend her any spare clothes out of wardrobe either. Julie is at least a good four inches taller than our actress, and her stuff would look too absurd on her. What if we shoot it tomorrow?"
With a slightly ticked-off expression on his face, the executed stated "Unacceptable. That would eat into the schedule too much. Julie, you just go in wearing what you have on now. It would look great!"
Julie was shocked. However, her memories of her two previous aquatic adventures were coming back. It would be fun, especially with a stud like Jim as her swimming buddy. But, she realized that she mustn't let her enthusiasm show. If word got out to the wrong people that she found clothed swimming to be very enjoyable, it could be a source of great trouble. Better to play it very cool.
Julie asked "But what about my clothes? I'm sure they'll get ruined! Besides, I didn't bring anything to change into! Please reconsider!" It was all part of her ruse, of course.
"Julie. Need I remind you that I'm one of the people bankrolling this project and also that I work at Paramount - like you do. Also, remember that helping the company is conducive to a happy career, get the hint?"
"But, my clothes! I bought these with my money! And now you want me to ruin them for the company."
"Julie, don't argue. If it will help, I'll give you a check to reimburse you. How is $1000?"
Julie was astounded, but didn't let it show. That figure was far more than her stuff was worth, several times over. Things were getting better all the time.
"Okay, I'll do it." Julie responded. The executive wrote the check and handed it to Julie, who put it in her purse.
The scene was set up. Julie would be shown walking along the beach, wondering aloud where Oannes was. Then she found a note, supposedly from Oannes, telling where the interview would take place - a short distance offshore. Julie then looked around to make sure the directions were right, then she started to walk into the water. Her shoes were submerged almost instantly. However, these shoes must have been made of a different material than the ones in her previous swims as they seemed to react to the water a little differently.
Julie continued wading in, walking on the firm sand bottom. As the water started to reach her skirt, she subtly adjusted her stride and how she held her hands to try to control the ride-up. Julie did not mind showing off her legs (most of the times she loved to do that), but she didn't want to give that executive that satisfaction. Another few steps and the water was waist-level. It felt great. Then, a few more steps took her into chest-deep water. As she launched herself forward and started to swim, she could feel her blouse become exceptionally clinging, more so than anything else she ever wore in the water. An unusual sensation.
A short distance out, they stopped filming and Julie was met by Jim and some of the technical people. "Just a few things to go over before we start the underwater segments. Julie, since you aren't a diver, follow our directions carefully. This dive will be very shallow, but you still have to be a little careful. Since you can't speak underwater, just mouth the words. We can loop in distorted dialogue later. Now, since you seem naturally buoyant..."
"That's the first time anyone has ever said that about me." Julie commented.
The safety diver continued "As I was saying, since you do seem a bit buoyant, it is going to be a challenge keeping you near the bottom for the segment. And with the way your blouse is so clingy and the nature of your skirt, concealing weights would be difficult."
Jim mentioned "How about attaching some weights to her back when she gets down there? We're not going to be shooting any shots of her from the back so no one will see them."
"Sounds doable. Jim, get down there. And don't look up. We don't want to embarass Julie."
Jim replied "No problem with that.". Then he put the diving helmet on and made his way to the bottom.
The safety diver yelled "Okay, let's get a shot of Julie at the surface diving down. Ready?"
"Ready!" responded Julie. The camera rolled and Julie said "This is the place. I guess Oannes means on the bottom." Then Julie took a deep breath and dove down, trying to make sure her dive wasn't too revealing. A few seconds later, Julie surfaced, her long hair slightly darker and slicked back.
"Excellent!" exclaimed the safety diver. "That was great. Now, we shoot you swimming to the bottom. Don't worry, I'll be by you, out of the frame, at all times. Also, we're going to be careful how we shoot, ready to change the angle should your skirt move and expose too much. I don't want to give that executive that kind of fun any more than you do. One more thing. When you are down there, just mouth the words. Then, take a breath off the regulator. That's it."
"Thanks." Julie replied. Then she and the safety diver went down. It was a short swim to the bottom and Julie was moving quite gracefully. Her skirt did slide a bit, but was no more revealing than a micro-mini. Once on the bottom, another diver hooked some weights to the back waist of her skirt. He guess the required weight correctly and managed to compensate for Julie's buoyancy.
Julie then sat on a fake rock and a simulated current was turned on behind her to make her hair move a bit. "Very relaxing," Julie thought as she also admired how realistic Jim's costume looked underwater. She then mouthed the first question, a bit clumsily since she wound up swallowing more seawater than she would have liked, but she carried on. The safety diver handed her a regulator so she could get a breath. This routine was repeated several times, each time Julie got a bit more proficient at simulating talking underwater. Soon the "interview" was over and it was time to say goodbye. Jim waved farewell, and Julie launched herself towards the surface. Actually, she tried to, but the weights prevented her from going up - the intended purpose.
The second diver removed the weights while the main safety diver grabbed Julie and slowly took her to the surface. On the way up, the diver signed for Julie to exhale. Once at the surface, Julie asked "Why did you have to lead me? I could have made it myself."
"For safety. When you took those breaths off the regulator, you were breathing compressed air. Even though we were no deeper than the bottom of a deep swimming pool, you still had to be careful coming to the surface."
"Oh." Julie replied as Jim, the other diver and the cameramen joined them on the surface. After they all thanked Julie for doing such a great job, they decided they needed a surfacing shot of Julie where she would exclaim her sign-off line. She took a very deep breath and dove down, almost to the bottom. She then rapidly ascended and surfaced, almost leaping out of the water. "This is Julie Moran for 'Entertainment Tonight'!" Then, the whole group proceeded to swim towards shore. Just as Julie got into shallow water, her husband walked on the beach and saw Julie wading back. "You can't seem to stay out of the water, can you?" he exclaimed.
"Honey, I can explain..." Julie replied playfully. When they were all back on land, Jim and the other crew explained the situation and praised Julie for doing such a good job.
Looking approvingly at how Julie's soaked clothes clung to her body, Bob said "Where did that executive go? While you look great, I don't like the idea that he made you do this..."
"Honey, don't. That would only get us both in trouble. Besides, I got him to pay me to do it. He gave me a check for a thousand!" Julie replied with a smile.
Jim then asked Bob "Julie seems such a natural at this. Has she done it before?"
"What, swimming?"
"Not exactly, I meant swimming in an outfit like that. I've done some underwater scenes with actresses before and most seemed a bit ill at ease about it, but not Julie."
"Yes, she has." Then Bob gave Jim an edited account of Julie's two previous aquatic adventures. "She seems to have developed a flair for that kind of thing."
"I was wondering, Julie," Jim asked "since you are soaked already, would you be interested in trying out an invention of mine?"
"What is it?" Julie asked.
"I invented some new goggles. They are far more streamlined than anything else out there. Really good for racing swimmers. I thought you might like to try a pair."
Before Julie could respond, Bob asked "Got a second pair to try? Seeing Julie like this has put me in the mood." Bob then removed his watch, wallet, and shoes and put them back in his on-set trailer.
"I do." In a few minutes, Jim produced two of the new goggles as well as diving fins. Julie removed her shoes, which appeared to be in somewhat less than good shape, and put on the fins. Bob also did likewise. They then put the goggles on and entered the ocean. The goggles fit like a dream and were nowhere near as bulky as conventional goggles.
Bob and Julie soon got out into deep water. At the surface, Julie asked "Isn't swimming with me now going to hold up the shoot?"
Bob answered "Nah, it's not. The last shot of the film was earlier today. It was this scene on the beach where Oannes escapes to ocean. There is this big fight with the bad guys and I had the stuffings beat out of me, as you can see from the damage to my shirt and the dirt on my pants. So, it's no big deal for me to be out here. Still, I feel a bit bad for your outfit. It looked nice, but it looks sexier now."
"You're no slouch in that department either, honey!" Julie responded. "But now, let's see how these goggles work underwater!" Julie then took a breath and dove down, with Bob close behind.
Under the surface, Julie and Bob were pleasantly surprised by how fast they could swim with the fins on. The goggles were working perfectly and they could see everything crystal clear. Once they got accustomed to things, Julie and Bob were playing around underwater like dolphins, only surfacing for breaths.
At the surface, Julie was catching her breath and commented "That was fun! Even if my outfit is ruined, it is well worth it!"
"Well, if it is," Bob mentioned, "maybe we can see if we can lengthen that slit and see if you can swim even better..."
"Hey!" Julie yelled "I don't have anything to change into! Besides, it may not be ruined after all. So don't try it!"
Bob said "Okay, then. But do you know what I really like about these new goggles?"
"What?"
"They allow us to do this..." With that, Bob embraced Julie and they both submerged. Then they kissed, something the new goggle design allowed them to do naturally - unlike standard goggles. As they were kissing, the embrace got tighter and more passionate. They were really having a good time. But, they needed a breath, so they surfaced while still embraced.
Bob said "That was incredible! I was wondering if maybe we could..."
Sensing where Bob was going, Julie replied "I don't think that would be a good idea. We're still too close to where people are. It might be fun to do, but I don't want to get in trouble."
"I suppose you're right. How about a roll in the surf like they did in that movie?"
"Fine, if you want to spend the rest of the day cleaning off sand. I think we better head in for shore." Julie and Bob then swam to shore.
Once on shore, they located Jim to return the goggles and fins. "Keep them as my gifts!" Jim told them. You two seem to have enjoyed them." Then Jim handed them a slip of paper. "These are some websites you might find interesting." he explained. "Who knows? You might even find some inspiration."
Bob then talked with the wardrobe supervisor. They informed him that the clothes looked salvageable, at least enough that Julie could wear them for the trip home, but the shoes were going to be a tough call. Then, Bob joined Julie and they went into his on-set trailer. "I was talking with the wardrobe people and they tell me that they can dry our clothes for us. That way, we'll have dry things to wear when we go home." After Julie and Bob removed their outer clothing, Bob looked at Julie in her undergarments and commented "Good thing your skirt was well-behaved for your swim. It would have been even more revealing than that parade incident. What you have there leaves nothing to the imagination."
Julie shot back "Hey! I wasn't planning on a swim today. Besides, I could say the same about you. What a fine day for you to wear briefs. They don't do much in the concealment department either." But they didn't stay upset and both Julie and Bob had a laugh over it.
After changing into robes, Bob handed the wet clothes off to the wardrobe people. "Well, here we are, stuck in this trailer for a while. After all, we can't go out wearing just robes. It is going to be a boring wait." he told Julie.
"Oh, I don't know..." Julie replied "I could think of a way to pass the time..."
"That could work..." Bob responded.
This was a rather unusual film in that it was being made soley to promote the then-new technology of DVDs to the studios. It would feature multiple languages, multiple endings, research on the Oannes myth, and many other new features. The plot of the film revolved around Oannes, a fish-man from Sumerian mythology appearing in the present day to warn mankind of an environmental catastrophe. This news upsets some evil corporate types, and a race is on between the environmentalists who would publicize the message and the corporations who would silence Oannes. Today, the beach scenes would be shot.
Once at the beach, Julie and her taping crew approached the set. When they arrived, Julie heard a voice from behind her say "What's a girl like you doing at a shoot like this?"
Turning around, Julie saw that it was her husband, Bob Moran. Bob, an actor, had a part in this production. He was playing one of the evironmentalists who help Oannes escape from his corporate captors. "Hi, honey." Julie replied and then she gave him a quick kiss. "Do you know where the producer and director are?"
"Yeah, they're standing over by the cameraman over there. You know, you could interview me too..."
"Nah, they wouldn't go for it. They's say I was being too cute."
"That might be, but you sure look great today. Nice outfit. Well, I guess I'll see you later then."
"You will. After I get the interviews, I'm off for the rest of the day, so I'll hang out here and come home with you."
"Hope you don't get bored. Bye."
Julie then walked off and headed over to speak with the producer and the director. Bob was right, Julie did have a rather nice outfit today. Not as dressy as the business suits on "ET", but nice enough that she could wear it on the show any way. It consisted of a very dark red sweater-like blouse with a nice low neckline, a black just-above-the-knee slit skirt with the slit going halfway up her thigh, and a set of nice dressy pumps.
She soon located the two men and started her interviews. The producer spent most of his segment touting how "The Return of Oannes" had many features made possible by its being a DVD-only production. He also said he hoped that these features, especially the multiple plot twists and endings could be used in future films.
When interviewed, the director went on more about the pro-environment plot and the film's message that there is still time for people to clean up the mess pollution has made in the world. He also told Julie that he was aware that the main purpose of the film was to showcase DVD technology, but he said he wanted to do a good film in the hopes that it would someday be released to the public.
Having interviewed the directors, Julie went in search of some of the actors. The first one she located was a well-known character actor who played the evil CEO of a chemical company who tries to have Oannes killed. He told Julie about his opinions on the environment, which were far different than those of his character and also related a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes (mostly practical jokes he pulled on the director).
With that interview finished, Julie was looking around and quickly saw the man she really wanted to interview. It was the handsome, muscular actor (Julie's favorite kind) who played Oannes. For the purposes of this story, let's call him Jim. Julie wasted no time in getting over to meet Jim.
Seeing Julie, Jim responded "Hi! You're Bob's wife. He's told me quite a bit about you. You certainly look lovelier in person than on television."
Smiling, Julie commented "Thanks. Now, let's get to the actual interview."
"Sounds okay to me."
The first thing Julie noticed and commented on was the fact that Jim was still dressed in the Oannes costume. "Wow, that's some costume!" Julie mentioned.
"Sure is. This isn't your father's 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' suit. It is actually what divers call a 'dry suit' and it has been made to look like a very believable fish-man. We had some comparative anatomy guys from a college as well as a Sumerian history scholar help with the design. They left no detail out. It even looks like some kind of fish skin, but it is not slimy at all."
"Mind if I..." Julie asked.
"Go right ahead." With that, Julie started running her hand down his arm, only partly interested in how the suit felt. He was right. Not slimy at all. And Julie was quite pleased with how well built his arm was too.
"The suit is impressive, but what about what you wear on your head?" Julie inquired.
"Glad you asked. Actually, there are two headpieces that we use, which one depends on the type of scene. And here they are." Holding up the first one, he continued. "This is the one used for the underwater scenes. As you can see, it is really a diving helmet sort of like those the divers use on the offshore oil rigs. It is made to look like Oannes' head. Also, there are two air hoses going into it. We digitially remove them in post-production."
"Nice..." commented Julie.
Setting down the first one, Jim held up the second and explained. "This is the one we use for scenes on land. It has animatronic features which are controlled by these two puppeteers. With these features, You can get mouth motion and a full range of facial expressions. Very lifelike. Want a demonstration?"
"Sure."
The two puppeteers came and did their stuff while Jim was holding the helmet. The expressions were truly lifelike, just as advertised. "Hey, I got an idea for something fun to do. Why don't I put on this headpiece, then you can interview me in character? That is if the puppeteers don't mind and you and your crew have no objections. In fact, maybe we can even use the footage on the DVD."
Everyone agreed and the Oannes interview began. It was rather fun and Julie quickly got into the spirit and almost forgot she wasn't talking to a real creature. It was all done in one take and was definitely a "keeper".
"While we are in this mood for fun, I have another idea for a fun shot. Julie, would you mind if I carried you? You look light enough."
"I suppose..." Julie replied, "but remember that I am wearing a skirt today. I don't want to show off my panties on television - again."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'again'?"
Julie explained "Well, back in May of last year (1997), I was riding with my husband in a parade. We were sitting in a float or something. I had on a short white dress. At any rate, there was this cameraman taping the parade, my float in particular. He was positioned in a certain way and saw right up my skirt. Very embarassing, since I didn't find out until the segment aired on 'ET'. By then, it was too late to do anything about it."
Jim replied "I see. Don't worry. I won't let anything like that happen to you here. You're my friend's wife and I have to look out for you. Here is what I plan on doing. I'm going to carry you and wade into the ocean a little bit..."
"Please don't throw me in or anything like that!"
"Relax. I am not going to toss you. But as I am walking into the water, you can shout your traditional segment closing line. After that, I'll turn around and we'll go back to the beach. You won't be in the ocean at any time."
"Sounds like fun."
They then walked over near the edge of the water. In one quick move, Jim scooped Julie up in his arms, holding her very securely and making extra sure her skirt didn't do anything revealing. Once that was done, Jim started walking into the ocean. When the water was nearly hip deep on Jim, he stopped and Julie exclaimed "Julie Moran for 'Entertainment Tonight'!".
Jim then walked back and gently let Julie down on dry land. "That was fun!" Julie commented. The cameramen concurred.
"How about we try that again, but using an over-the-shoulder fireman's carry?"
"Okay."
This went pretty much as it did last time. However, as she was being carried, Julie was able to touch the water with her fingertips. "Nice and warm..." she thought, "too bad I didn't bring a swimsuit..." Even after her two clothed swim adventures (chronicled in Wet Charity and The "Accidental" Pool Party), the thought of just going for a swim in whatever she had on did not naturally occur to her for some reason.
Once back on land, Julie was thanking Jim for a fun interview. Jim also thanked Julie for being such a great sport and willing to have a little fun. The interview taping crew was leaving and Julie thought her work was done when she heard a voice shout "Ms. Moran!"
The voice was that of a somewhat paunchy, balding man in a business suit. Julie recognized him as an executive from Paramount Studios who mainly worked in the film division. He did visit the set of "Entertainment Tonight" a few times and that is how he knew Julie. But what did he want on this set?
The producer and director also approached. Then the executive spoke. "Wanted to tell you guys that I think you're doing a fine job. The production is slightly ahead of the schedule in fact. But the reason I stopped by was that I was giving some thought on how to fill some of the extra space on that DVD thingie. Then it hit me. Goodies! You know, those stupid bloopers and throwaway bits some filmmakers show during the credits."
The producer commented "Sounds like a great idea, but we have been doing the scenes in one or two takes. We don't have many bloopers. Sorry."
The executive smiled and said "No need to apologize. Doing things the right the first time saves money which is always good. How about a little skit? We could even use the skit as a teaser to plug the film to the execs."
The director asked "Do you have anything in mind? I'm trying to tell this story in a straight manner and I see nothing in it that would lend itself to a skit."
"But I saw something that would do the trick!" answered the executive. "That 'in character' interview Julie did with what's-his-name, you know, the one who plays that lizard thing..."
"You mean Oannes."
"Yeah. We could use an interview like that."
"Well, you're in luck. We can simply take the ET footage and use it. Nice and simple." explained the director.
"No! I saw the interview. The questions and answers were good, but the setting was boring. How about an underwater version?" asked the executive.
The producer thought for a few seconds and commented "We might be able to do that. We can have the folks in post-production digitially change the background to an underwater scene and electronically distort the voices. Should work."
"You're missing the point!" growled the executive. "Just a change of background won't cut it. I want an actual underwater interview! After all, you do have underwater cameras and you know that Oannes getup works underwater. All you have to do is shoot an underwater scene with Julie."
"Hold on a second!" Julie yelled. "I'd do it, but I didn't bring a swimsuit..."
The producer added "Another problem. We don't have any wetsuits her size in wardrobe. They're too big and would look awfully baggy. And we can't lend her any spare clothes out of wardrobe either. Julie is at least a good four inches taller than our actress, and her stuff would look too absurd on her. What if we shoot it tomorrow?"
With a slightly ticked-off expression on his face, the executed stated "Unacceptable. That would eat into the schedule too much. Julie, you just go in wearing what you have on now. It would look great!"
Julie was shocked. However, her memories of her two previous aquatic adventures were coming back. It would be fun, especially with a stud like Jim as her swimming buddy. But, she realized that she mustn't let her enthusiasm show. If word got out to the wrong people that she found clothed swimming to be very enjoyable, it could be a source of great trouble. Better to play it very cool.
Julie asked "But what about my clothes? I'm sure they'll get ruined! Besides, I didn't bring anything to change into! Please reconsider!" It was all part of her ruse, of course.
"Julie. Need I remind you that I'm one of the people bankrolling this project and also that I work at Paramount - like you do. Also, remember that helping the company is conducive to a happy career, get the hint?"
"But, my clothes! I bought these with my money! And now you want me to ruin them for the company."
"Julie, don't argue. If it will help, I'll give you a check to reimburse you. How is $1000?"
Julie was astounded, but didn't let it show. That figure was far more than her stuff was worth, several times over. Things were getting better all the time.
"Okay, I'll do it." Julie responded. The executive wrote the check and handed it to Julie, who put it in her purse.
The scene was set up. Julie would be shown walking along the beach, wondering aloud where Oannes was. Then she found a note, supposedly from Oannes, telling where the interview would take place - a short distance offshore. Julie then looked around to make sure the directions were right, then she started to walk into the water. Her shoes were submerged almost instantly. However, these shoes must have been made of a different material than the ones in her previous swims as they seemed to react to the water a little differently.
Julie continued wading in, walking on the firm sand bottom. As the water started to reach her skirt, she subtly adjusted her stride and how she held her hands to try to control the ride-up. Julie did not mind showing off her legs (most of the times she loved to do that), but she didn't want to give that executive that satisfaction. Another few steps and the water was waist-level. It felt great. Then, a few more steps took her into chest-deep water. As she launched herself forward and started to swim, she could feel her blouse become exceptionally clinging, more so than anything else she ever wore in the water. An unusual sensation.
A short distance out, they stopped filming and Julie was met by Jim and some of the technical people. "Just a few things to go over before we start the underwater segments. Julie, since you aren't a diver, follow our directions carefully. This dive will be very shallow, but you still have to be a little careful. Since you can't speak underwater, just mouth the words. We can loop in distorted dialogue later. Now, since you seem naturally buoyant..."
"That's the first time anyone has ever said that about me." Julie commented.
The safety diver continued "As I was saying, since you do seem a bit buoyant, it is going to be a challenge keeping you near the bottom for the segment. And with the way your blouse is so clingy and the nature of your skirt, concealing weights would be difficult."
Jim mentioned "How about attaching some weights to her back when she gets down there? We're not going to be shooting any shots of her from the back so no one will see them."
"Sounds doable. Jim, get down there. And don't look up. We don't want to embarass Julie."
Jim replied "No problem with that.". Then he put the diving helmet on and made his way to the bottom.
The safety diver yelled "Okay, let's get a shot of Julie at the surface diving down. Ready?"
"Ready!" responded Julie. The camera rolled and Julie said "This is the place. I guess Oannes means on the bottom." Then Julie took a deep breath and dove down, trying to make sure her dive wasn't too revealing. A few seconds later, Julie surfaced, her long hair slightly darker and slicked back.
"Excellent!" exclaimed the safety diver. "That was great. Now, we shoot you swimming to the bottom. Don't worry, I'll be by you, out of the frame, at all times. Also, we're going to be careful how we shoot, ready to change the angle should your skirt move and expose too much. I don't want to give that executive that kind of fun any more than you do. One more thing. When you are down there, just mouth the words. Then, take a breath off the regulator. That's it."
"Thanks." Julie replied. Then she and the safety diver went down. It was a short swim to the bottom and Julie was moving quite gracefully. Her skirt did slide a bit, but was no more revealing than a micro-mini. Once on the bottom, another diver hooked some weights to the back waist of her skirt. He guess the required weight correctly and managed to compensate for Julie's buoyancy.
Julie then sat on a fake rock and a simulated current was turned on behind her to make her hair move a bit. "Very relaxing," Julie thought as she also admired how realistic Jim's costume looked underwater. She then mouthed the first question, a bit clumsily since she wound up swallowing more seawater than she would have liked, but she carried on. The safety diver handed her a regulator so she could get a breath. This routine was repeated several times, each time Julie got a bit more proficient at simulating talking underwater. Soon the "interview" was over and it was time to say goodbye. Jim waved farewell, and Julie launched herself towards the surface. Actually, she tried to, but the weights prevented her from going up - the intended purpose.
The second diver removed the weights while the main safety diver grabbed Julie and slowly took her to the surface. On the way up, the diver signed for Julie to exhale. Once at the surface, Julie asked "Why did you have to lead me? I could have made it myself."
"For safety. When you took those breaths off the regulator, you were breathing compressed air. Even though we were no deeper than the bottom of a deep swimming pool, you still had to be careful coming to the surface."
"Oh." Julie replied as Jim, the other diver and the cameramen joined them on the surface. After they all thanked Julie for doing such a great job, they decided they needed a surfacing shot of Julie where she would exclaim her sign-off line. She took a very deep breath and dove down, almost to the bottom. She then rapidly ascended and surfaced, almost leaping out of the water. "This is Julie Moran for 'Entertainment Tonight'!" Then, the whole group proceeded to swim towards shore. Just as Julie got into shallow water, her husband walked on the beach and saw Julie wading back. "You can't seem to stay out of the water, can you?" he exclaimed.
"Honey, I can explain..." Julie replied playfully. When they were all back on land, Jim and the other crew explained the situation and praised Julie for doing such a good job.
Looking approvingly at how Julie's soaked clothes clung to her body, Bob said "Where did that executive go? While you look great, I don't like the idea that he made you do this..."
"Honey, don't. That would only get us both in trouble. Besides, I got him to pay me to do it. He gave me a check for a thousand!" Julie replied with a smile.
Jim then asked Bob "Julie seems such a natural at this. Has she done it before?"
"What, swimming?"
"Not exactly, I meant swimming in an outfit like that. I've done some underwater scenes with actresses before and most seemed a bit ill at ease about it, but not Julie."
"Yes, she has." Then Bob gave Jim an edited account of Julie's two previous aquatic adventures. "She seems to have developed a flair for that kind of thing."
"I was wondering, Julie," Jim asked "since you are soaked already, would you be interested in trying out an invention of mine?"
"What is it?" Julie asked.
"I invented some new goggles. They are far more streamlined than anything else out there. Really good for racing swimmers. I thought you might like to try a pair."
Before Julie could respond, Bob asked "Got a second pair to try? Seeing Julie like this has put me in the mood." Bob then removed his watch, wallet, and shoes and put them back in his on-set trailer.
"I do." In a few minutes, Jim produced two of the new goggles as well as diving fins. Julie removed her shoes, which appeared to be in somewhat less than good shape, and put on the fins. Bob also did likewise. They then put the goggles on and entered the ocean. The goggles fit like a dream and were nowhere near as bulky as conventional goggles.
Bob and Julie soon got out into deep water. At the surface, Julie asked "Isn't swimming with me now going to hold up the shoot?"
Bob answered "Nah, it's not. The last shot of the film was earlier today. It was this scene on the beach where Oannes escapes to ocean. There is this big fight with the bad guys and I had the stuffings beat out of me, as you can see from the damage to my shirt and the dirt on my pants. So, it's no big deal for me to be out here. Still, I feel a bit bad for your outfit. It looked nice, but it looks sexier now."
"You're no slouch in that department either, honey!" Julie responded. "But now, let's see how these goggles work underwater!" Julie then took a breath and dove down, with Bob close behind.
Under the surface, Julie and Bob were pleasantly surprised by how fast they could swim with the fins on. The goggles were working perfectly and they could see everything crystal clear. Once they got accustomed to things, Julie and Bob were playing around underwater like dolphins, only surfacing for breaths.
At the surface, Julie was catching her breath and commented "That was fun! Even if my outfit is ruined, it is well worth it!"
"Well, if it is," Bob mentioned, "maybe we can see if we can lengthen that slit and see if you can swim even better..."
"Hey!" Julie yelled "I don't have anything to change into! Besides, it may not be ruined after all. So don't try it!"
Bob said "Okay, then. But do you know what I really like about these new goggles?"
"What?"
"They allow us to do this..." With that, Bob embraced Julie and they both submerged. Then they kissed, something the new goggle design allowed them to do naturally - unlike standard goggles. As they were kissing, the embrace got tighter and more passionate. They were really having a good time. But, they needed a breath, so they surfaced while still embraced.
Bob said "That was incredible! I was wondering if maybe we could..."
Sensing where Bob was going, Julie replied "I don't think that would be a good idea. We're still too close to where people are. It might be fun to do, but I don't want to get in trouble."
"I suppose you're right. How about a roll in the surf like they did in that movie?"
"Fine, if you want to spend the rest of the day cleaning off sand. I think we better head in for shore." Julie and Bob then swam to shore.
Once on shore, they located Jim to return the goggles and fins. "Keep them as my gifts!" Jim told them. You two seem to have enjoyed them." Then Jim handed them a slip of paper. "These are some websites you might find interesting." he explained. "Who knows? You might even find some inspiration."
Bob then talked with the wardrobe supervisor. They informed him that the clothes looked salvageable, at least enough that Julie could wear them for the trip home, but the shoes were going to be a tough call. Then, Bob joined Julie and they went into his on-set trailer. "I was talking with the wardrobe people and they tell me that they can dry our clothes for us. That way, we'll have dry things to wear when we go home." After Julie and Bob removed their outer clothing, Bob looked at Julie in her undergarments and commented "Good thing your skirt was well-behaved for your swim. It would have been even more revealing than that parade incident. What you have there leaves nothing to the imagination."
Julie shot back "Hey! I wasn't planning on a swim today. Besides, I could say the same about you. What a fine day for you to wear briefs. They don't do much in the concealment department either." But they didn't stay upset and both Julie and Bob had a laugh over it.
After changing into robes, Bob handed the wet clothes off to the wardrobe people. "Well, here we are, stuck in this trailer for a while. After all, we can't go out wearing just robes. It is going to be a boring wait." he told Julie.
"Oh, I don't know..." Julie replied "I could think of a way to pass the time..."
"That could work..." Bob responded.