Z on Location

Girl Power

Z skids around the corner into the hallway leading to the Connectivity Café, out of breath and worried she’s cutting it too close. The café is packed, and when she rounds the corner, the whole room bursts into a chorus of “Hi, Z!” Mari, Becka, and Gigi rush forward to greet her, and Erica appears right behind them, beaming. She explains that they spread the word, and Z realizes the three girls she met earlier were only the beginning.

Mina and Jordyn step up next, and Z learns that nearly fifty members of Z’s Crew have turned out to meet her in person. Looking around at the packed room, Z can hardly believe it, and for a second she imagines what would have happened if she hadn’t shown up at all. Relieved, she admits to the group that she was half-afraid she’d missed them.

Since Jordyn’s laptop is the only camera on hand, Erica apologizes for how low-tech the setup is, but Z tells her it’s not the tech that matters, it’s how you use it.

Nearby, a fan named Amy, a blonde girl clutching a small notebook, jots down everything Z says. When Z introduces herself, feeling a little silly since Amy obviously already knows who she is, Amy confesses she’s been watching Z’s videos since the very start and admits she feels starstruck just standing next to her.

Once the interview gets going, Z insists her friends deserve credit, too, since none of it would exist without them. Mari handles fashion and styling, and Lauren usually manages the props, though she’s stuck at soccer camp today. Becka and Gigi serve as her toughest critics, the ones who tell her the truth about her films instead of just what she wants to hear, recalling their honest opinion of her CloudSong film. When Erica asks about the hardest part of filmmaking, Z talks about needing that kind of honest support, and about how easy it is to get so wrapped up in the online world, and in planning what she’ll post next, that she forgets to actually live in the moment she’s supposed to be capturing.

Mom always says that in interviews, authenticity is key, so Z decides to actually take her advice and tell the group everything, from forgetting to turn off her phone to dropping the mic, and even about posting the pictures that cost Mom an interview. She tells them the good news is that she’s learned a lot of every single mistake this summer. Every time she messed up, it was because she’d gotten so caught up in the online world, or in what she’d share about it afterward, that she forgot to really be present in the moment. And no matter how it might look online, going on a filmmaking road trip with your mom is quite an adventure all on its own.

Partway through, a ripple moves through the crowd. Winter Costello has arrived, and word spreads through Z’s Crew before Z can even turn around. Winter works her way across the café, stopping for photos along the way, until she reaches Z herself. She explains that she’s putting together a VidCon edition of her own Girl Power vlog, and that watching Z bring her followers together in person is exactly the kind of story she wants to feature. Z looks to Mom in confusion, but Mom, already in on the plan, tells her to go ahead.

Winter asks Z what advice she’d give other girls interested in filmmaking, and Z answers honestly: stay in the now, and don’t get so distracted by the online world that you forget to be present for the real one. Winter calls it excellent advice, agreeing that the virtual world is exciting but shouldn’t replace living in this one. When Amy shouts for Z to say yes to the vlog, the crowd breaks into a chant of “Go, Z!” and Z, flushed and thrilled, agrees on the spot. Mom offers to film the segment herself, and the interview flies by in a happy blur. Afterward, Winter thanks Z, shakes her hand, and passes her a business card before stepping away to talk with Mom.

Once Winter’s gone, Gigi groans about forgetting to ask for an autograph, and everyone agrees Z has to tell Lauren everything. Becka tells Z that turning her rocky summer into a comeback makes for a much better story than getting everything right from the start, and Z has to agree. With Amy and the rest of Z’s Crew in tow, the whole group heads off together to explore the VidCon exhibition floor.