Last night I dreamt I was at a pre-production meeting for a new Guillermo Del Toro film. I wasn't part of the team as much as I was helping out, getting drinks and making sure they weren't disturbed. This was a much younger version of me and the meeting was in the house I grew up in.
Somewhere throughout the dream it was revealed that Guillermo was such a good director because he was able to brainwash his actors into really believing they were the characters. He wasn't the only one, at least one other person in the meeting could do this, too. But Del Toro was beginning to abuse his power, as he displayed when a freeloading family member came over to "borrow" some things her twin had left at the house, then suddenly changed her mind and decided to shape up and become a respectable member of society.
Although not a bad thing, setting a person on a path to becoming a better version of herself, the team was understandably nervous that he was doing this outside of directing. After the meeting was over we took him upstairs to my attic room to rest, then the others went back downstairs to talk some more. I wasn't expecting anyone up there so I stayed in my room to tidy up while Del Toro slept on my couch. Downstairs the team discussed the predicament and argued back and forth a bit about what to do. One person suggested they "make him forget" (anyone else think this dream is a manifestation of my excitement about Heroes: Reborn?) but another argued that doing so would make them no better than him.
I can always tell when I'm starting to come out of deep sleep because the events of my dream become more obviously like those of a movie. The me in my dream heard their conversation and kept turning around to see if Guillermo was still sleeping. After the make him forget comment I turned around again and he had one eye open, and it was obvious he heard it, too. I was hanging clothes in the closet and he got up and moved toward me. He apologized, but then began to tell me a series of details, about me and my situation, and I saw a bunch of words and numbers flash in front of me. I protested, but realized it wasn't working on me, so decided to play along, in hopes of overtaking him when his guard was down.
I was suddenly a college student on campus, but my memories and personality were still there along with my character's. I tried to remember as much of what he told me as I could. I saw my roommate at her desk, writing in her notebook. I asked what she was working on and she said "my PAN project!" with a large amount of "obviously" in her voice. A moment of panic hit as I worried Del Toro would know right away I was faking, but I covered up by saying "oh, yeah. You have so many projects, it's hard to keep track." Good one, right?
I then remembered it was PAN week. I started making my way out of my room through the school. My dorm opened up to the main campus area, and there was a long row of tables with students sitting on one side and several students on the other, getting information. I kind of floated past all of them, grabbing bits of conversation from each table, mentally pointing out who was an extra and who had lines. It was very opening sequence-esque. I was trying to figure out which character I was supposed to interact with and what I was supposed to do next when, sadly, I woke up.
Now I'll never know if my mind was strong enough to beat Guillermo Del Toro. Or what PAN week means. But the idea of a director using brainwashing to do his job is pretty interesting. I'd watch it. Just make sure, if you use it, I get a writer's credit.
My strange dreams usually happen in seasons, so perhaps I'll have another story to tell, soon!