Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 184

184. Top Star Luck – Episode 184

Right before full-scale filming commenced, a sudden script revision occurred, one that tampered with the very essence of the protagonist.

He went from a genius character who was humble despite his overwhelming talent to a perceived fraud who openly flaunted his genius, making others seethe with envy.

“How is it? Does the character feel more alive now?”

Director Shim Sung-bo asked with a smile.

In the revised script he held, there were detailed amendments to the protagonist’s lines.

[It just… worked -> Why doesn’t this work?]

Roughly, that was the nuance of the difference.

A small but significant difference. It was a change that could be said to overhaul the character’s identity.

To make an analogy, it was akin to the difference between Bucheon [a city in South Korea] and Incheon [another city in South Korea].

“No, weren’t you almost finished? I thought you wouldn’t proceed until you had a firm grasp on things.”

To Lee Min-ki, who was bewildered by the sudden declaration, Director Shim Sung-bo said in a calm voice.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

“How can I not misunderstand? If you change the protagonist right now, the entire work will change.”

“We’re not completely overhauling it. We won’t be drastically revising the script either. We’re just generally refining the protagonist’s on-screen persona. It’s like drawing lines on a Korean melon [a type of melon] to make it look like a watermelon.”

Isn’t that completely changing it?

It seemed like sophistry no matter how you looked at it, but they were the words of an expert, so I thought it was right to follow them, when.

“Min-ki.”

Director Shim Sung-bo said in a much more serious voice, as if his excitement had subsided.

“I believe that the best work is born when you come up with the best idea and then deconstruct it.”

“…….”

“‘ManManTo’ [a fictional movie title] also started as a simple survival story. A survival story imitating Robinson Crusoe or Fifteen Boys Adrift. A story about survivors stranded on an island cooperating to escape. The only difference was that there was a murderer mixed in.”

“I think I’ve heard that too.”

Joo Ha-na said with interest.

“I think the director often said that it originally started as such a work.”

“Yes, but in addition to that, just before we started filming, one more idea came to mind.”

So, what on earth was that idea? The next moment.

Director Shim Sung-bo said in a determined voice, as if opening a door to a secret passage in his study.

“What if the survivors killed each other? This was the true starting point of ‘ManManTo’.”

“…….”

“I believe that it is when such an idea is added that the true vitality of the work can be found.”

It was a voice full of unwavering conviction.

Like water being water, like alcohol being alcohol, it was like a conviction in the doctrines of religion.

No, to Director Shim Sung-bo, film was not much different from religion. As a martyr who willingly gave his life, it was only natural that he had conviction in the doctrine.

‘Leaving all that aside, it’s tempting.’

Lee Min-ki bit his lip.

A pretender character.

Come to think of it, didn’t he also express the need to change the character when he was doing a rehearsal with Son Hee-jeong the other day?

‘It was a bit bland.’

A genius who is just humble and has a good personality is not very stimulating. A likable person just ends up being likable.

If you want more story to unfold, if you want to go beyond likability and breathe life into the character along with humanity, you have to add an element that will divide opinions.

Just like the textbook for filmmakers, [what is scenario?], emphasizes that characters should be given weaknesses along with strengths.

‘What if the protagonist’s weakness could be unintentional deception?’

What if that could make the character three-dimensional?

It was as if a thought had just occurred to him.

“Isn’t it a bit similar to a wish-fulfillment novel?”

A sudden remark popped out from Joo Ha-na.

“Wish-fulfillment?”

“Ah, Director, I’m just saying…….”

“No. I’m asking because I’m curious, so please tell me.”

“……Well.”

At Director Shim Sung-bo’s request, Joo Ha-na hesitated for a moment, then coughed lightly and said.

“Well, the fun part of wish-fulfillment is that only the readers know the protagonist’s real situation. The characters in that world don’t know.”

“That’s where the misunderstanding arises?”

“Yes!”

Joo Ha-na nodded her head vigorously.

“Viewers outside the movie know everything. They know that the protagonist is really trying music for the first time and hasn’t really learned it from anywhere. But the viewers in the movie.”

“Don’t know.”

The next moment, Lee Min-ki opened his eyes wide as if he had realized something.

“Viewers in the movie frame the protagonist as a deceiver, so the protagonist is really frustrated, and the viewers accept that frustration as a comedic element. Also, they know the real circumstances of the protagonist in many ways outside of the broadcast…… but the viewers of the broadcast don’t know.”

That’s right.

The essence of a wish-fulfillment story was to give the readers an omniscient view.

Others don’t know, but the readers do. That’s where pleasure and laughter grow. That’s what Joo Ha-na was trying to say.

“That sounds fun.”

It seemed fun.

At the moment when the sweetest compliment for a creator flowed from Lee Min-ki’s mouth, Joo Ha-na said with a satisfied expression.

“Right?”

Numerous factors fell into place like gears.

Director Shim Sung-bo felt that the script was complete. But there was a small regret left.

It was here that Lee Min-ki sensed the change in the protagonist.

‘I came up with the amendment.’

Director Shim Sung-bo felt that he was somehow lucky in this situation.

Come to think of it, it was Manager Park Han-mo who highlighted the material of deception. As a finishing touch, Joo Ha-na unexpectedly pointed out a clear direction.

And as a final blow.

“Director, I think this will work.”

Lee Min-ki decided.

“A protagonist who unintentionally deceives, and the viewers in the work make fun of him, but the viewers outside the work know all the circumstances.”

His one word was added.

“The protagonist is caught up in manipulation controversies from the beginning, and he doesn’t get much recognition in the work. But the viewers know. That the protagonist’s talent and skill are real. At the moment when we show this to the world.”

“Exploding the catharsis built up from the beginning all at once.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

The meaning of recognition in a movie was deeper than in other creative works.

The theory book [what is scenario?] emphasized that in order for the protagonist’s growth to be complete, the way others look at the protagonist must also grow.

What’s the point of growing up without anyone recognizing you?

“As the director said, this character will sell. It will be talked about a lot.”

“We’ll have to give him pain, then.”

“Yes, the more pain we give him, the greater the catharsis in the second half. We’ll also show him wanting to give up music in the middle because he can’t handle the pressure.”

There is no such thing as a movie without conflict.

The protagonist will have both external and internal conflicts.

The public’s attention is the external conflict, and whether he is ready to do music for himself is the internal conflict.

“But in the end, with the help of his helpers, he calms his mind.”

The last word was thrown by Joo Ha-na.

“He becomes a star with William Lockhart!”

“Correct.”

It was a story that was okay, but that was the limit.

Here, three people, one director and two leads, succeeded in landing a punch perfectly.

Character.

They molded a lump of clay into a textbook-like figure, and then created a three-dimensional figure.

What should we call the result?

“I don’t know yet, but it’ll be better than not doing it.”

From a result that had to be made, it became a result that they wanted to make.

Director Shim Sung-bo smiled and said for the last time.

“I’ll have to use some tricks in the trailer.”

* * *

After Lee Min-ki’s unexpected fan meeting incident in Geoje Island [an island in South Korea], he showed a rather quiet move.

[Isn’t Lee Min-ki a bit quiet these days?]

[He’s not being an attention seeker]

[I thought he used to be glued to social media, but he’s quiet]

It seemed that he was only focusing on filming the movie.

Shouldn’t he somehow utilize his outstanding musical skills and release a music video?

Like, what he’s especially good at in musicals. Making films or pre-releasing some of the sound sources.

[I’m worried because he’s quiet. Isn’t it because the work isn’t good?]

[He boasted that he was aiming for an Academy Award.]

Lee Min-ki was just quiet.

It was as if he was going to prove it with results, reminiscent of the calm before the storm. This was truly strange.

The live video from Geoje Island had already exceeded ten million views.

Moreover, Son Hee-jeong’s [Yeoubi] [a fictional song title] was charting in reverse, and it was even entering the top 5 of the mellow chart.

Why is there no reaction when things are going so well?

As much as that, news of Lee Min-ki’s new work has also become scarce.

[But what’s the title of this?]

[He said in the last interview that the working title is Lockhart.]

[Is it William Lockhart’s Lockhart?]

Come to think of it, he didn’t even reveal the title.

Is he even making it?

I heard that they rented an abandoned school deep in the mountains of Geoje Island to film, but what are they all doing there?

[I’m starting to miss his attention seeking]

[Anyway, he was excellent at entertaining us]

[It was the best…… in the world]

It was around the time when expectations were slowly rising.

[Lee Min-ki’s new special trailer! Exclusive release on MiTube! [a fictional video platform]]

A banner popped up on the MiTube main screen.

Just a white background with black letters written in Gothic font. It was simple, but the size of the banner was so huge that it seemed to catch the eye at once.

I can’t stand it. I can’t help but click on it.

[Lee Min-ki’s new work is out]

[What’s it about?]

[Watch it yourself. It’s a spoiler if I tell you]

[A trailer is a spoiler? lol]

The public hurriedly pressed play on the trailer, as if to quench their thirst.

And the result was.

[Title: Turns Out I’m a Musical Genius]

[Uploader: Maillard Pictures]

[37 minutes ago]

[Views: 112,000]

What should I say?

It wasn’t something that you could immediately understand from the viewer’s point of view.

In the low-quality video, which looked like a live broadcast from a small-time MiTuber, a man was standing awkwardly in the center of the screen.

‘It’s Lee Min-ki.’

It was Lee Min-ki.

It was ambiguous because of his shaggy hairstyle that covered his eyes and his loose clothes.

His muscles, which were famous as his ID card, had clearly decreased, perhaps for filming the movie, but you could definitely tell that it was Lee Min-ki from the silhouette.

[Ah, ah.]

He was holding a guitar in one hand.

Perhaps because he was not used to broadcasting, his posture looked very uncomfortable. No, beyond that, he was clearly shrinking, as if he was mentally cornered.

[Weeeeeee-]

[Rattattattat-]

In the interior where the sound of the air conditioner and the fan were rampant to the point of discomfort, I wondered what he was trying to do, and then he finally opened his mouth.

[There’s something I want to ask. I want to clear things up for sure in this place.]

The next word was a sight to behold.

[Why don’t you believe what I say?]