Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 142

Music Monster Overnight! Episode 133

The crank-in date for ‘King of Arrogance’ has been set.

Interestingly, the term ‘crank-in,’ which is frequently used in Korea, isn’t commonly used in English-speaking countries. [Crank-in refers to the start of filming.]

This is because ‘crank’ originally referred to the part that was turned to adjust the film in older camera equipment.

Nevertheless, the reason it’s used in Korea is probably because the term ‘crank-in’ was introduced later.

Usually, these English words are transmitted to Korea via Japan.

“Anyway, I’m glad that the urgent schedules have been sorted out.”

Film shoots typically last between one to three months.

On average, it takes a day to shoot one or two script pages.

However, this is a general guideline, and the filming period can be significantly longer depending on the director’s vision or the scope of the movie.

Naturally, for a project like ‘King of Arrogance,’ with a production budget exceeding 400 million dollars, the filming schedule is bound to be extended.

Especially with Director Bell, who prefers to film in real locations whenever possible for the sake of authenticity, the process will inevitably take more time.

This is evident from the hospital explosion scene in his previous Dark Knight series.

While miniature models or CG [Computer-Generated Imagery] are commonly used for explosion scenes, Director Bell took a different approach.

He built an actual hospital and blew it up.

Constructing and demolishing a massive structure like a hospital just to capture a single scene is a scale that most people can’t fathom.

This was feasible because Director Bell had complete creative control over the movie, granted by D Corporation.

“Heh heh… At this rate, he’ll be blowing up an atomic bomb next.”

Uncle Kwak Dong-hoon chuckled at the story, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.

An atomic bomb?

No matter how detail-oriented Director Bell is, and no matter how vast Hollywood’s resources are, that would be going too far.

The international community imposes significant pressure and sanctions against the possession of nuclear weapons.

Regardless, given Director Bell’s commitment to detail, I was eager to see what extraordinary measures he would take for this ‘King of Arrogance’ project.

“How will the subway terror scene be executed?”

This event is the opening act of ‘King of Arrogance’ Part 1, ‘Genesis.’

Dark Knight, alongside specialized units like the police and the FBI, races against time to prevent a terrorist attack that threatens to inflict hundreds, if not thousands, of casualties.

They manage to save many lives, but they are unable to prevent the subway explosion.

Ultimately, Dark Knight is left in despair and rage at the horrific scene of mass casualties.

“Why on earth are you doing this!”

Neither Dark Knight nor renowned profilers can decipher the motive behind the attack.

This perplexing incident is the first move orchestrated by ‘Jin’ in ‘King of Arrogance.’

He achieves two objectives through this act.

First, the subway terror leads to the downfall of the colossal crime syndicate that controlled New York’s underworld.

They were the most affected by the subway explosion, and as ‘Jin’ anticipated, the organization crumbled, plunging the city’s nightlife into chaos.

Chaos is a devastating ordeal for the vulnerable, but it presents ‘Jin’ and others like him with an opportunity to consolidate their power.

By successfully executing the subway terror, ‘Jin’ quickly establishes himself as the new authority in the city’s criminal network.

Beyond dismantling the existing order, his second objective is securing funding.

Money is crucial, regardless of the era. This is especially true for those seeking power, and ‘Jin,’ aiming for the top, recognizes the importance of financial resources.

That’s why ‘Jin’ operates discreetly for several months.

Subsequently, he capitalizes on the stock market crash triggered by the subway incident, amassing an astronomical fortune.

His actions are carefully planned over several months to avoid suspicion.

With his newfound power and wealth, ‘Jin’ begins to wield considerable influence even among the elite, and in less than a year, he ascends to become a leading figure in ‘Terra,’ the world’s most glamorous city.

This comprises the first half of the movie Part 1, ‘Genesis.’

In the second half, Dark Knight grows suspicious of him and initiates a confrontation.

After countless readings of the updated script and rehearsals with Director Hong Ui-chan, I finally managed to embody ‘Jin.’

And around that time, ‘King of Arrogance’ cranked in.

“Are you feeling nervous?”

“……Why wouldn’t I be? I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Two more YC Entertainment actors are involved in this ‘King of Arrogance’ project.

Kim Ah-young from Blue Rose and Kang Ah-young, an actress striving for stardom.

Both portray ‘Jin’s lovers, with Kim Ah-young appearing in Part 1 as ‘Ran,’ a woman ‘Jin’ cherished 1,000 years ago.

As the one who revealed the secret of immortality to ‘Jin,’ she plays a significant supporting role, while Kang Ah-young appears as her reincarnation in Part 3 and takes on a prominent role.

Possessing knowledge of ancient secrets, she becomes a villain who brings despair to Dark Knight, posing a threat to ‘Jin.’

Kim Ah-young mentioned that she found it challenging to play the role of ‘King of Arrogance’ Jin’s lover.

She has to project an alluring image on camera.

The reason Kim Ah-young of Blue Rose was chosen to portray ‘Jin’s ancient lover was simple.

“It’s rare to find someone who embodies both decadent and innocent beauty, even with a global search.”

Kim Ah-young, with her meticulously cultivated image, was arguably the epitome of innocence.

In the past, Hong Ui-chan shared his thoughts on pure beauty.

“The funny thing is that women who are genuinely blessed with pure beauty are impossible for men to control. No matter how many problems they cause or how many questionable things they do, you can’t bring yourself to be angry when you’re face to face with them. How should I put it? You feel like you’re the one in the wrong if you get angry for no reason?”

Director Hong Ui-chan paused for a moment before continuing to explain to me, who didn’t quite grasp his meaning.

“You know how it is? It’s obvious that the woman did something wrong, so the man gets angry, but then she suddenly starts crying, and he’s busy comforting her.”

Kim Ah-young possessed both pure and decadent beauty.

Perhaps that’s why Kim Ah-young’s merchandise is the second best-selling, after Jamie’s, among YC Entertainment’s current offerings.

Recognizing her potential, Kim Ah-young has been developing as an actress through various projects.

She started with supporting roles that emphasized her visuals and progressed to supporting roles with increasing significance.

Many fans were first introduced to her as an actress. Now, she can confidently be called an actress.

“……She will achieve worldwide recognition through this opportunity.”

She is already a key member of the globally recognized Blue Rose group, so Hong Ui-chan’s statement wasn’t entirely accurate.

However, the fame he is referring to pertains to her career as an actress, not as a singer, so it’s not entirely incorrect.

And I agreed with his assessment.

In stark contrast to her cheerful demeanor beside me, ‘Ran,’ as brought to life under Director Hong Ui-chan’s guidance, was truly captivating.

‘Maybe this is what S+ visuals are like.’ [S+ is a high visual ranking in Korea.]

Even with a global search encompassing actors and models, there are few who evoke this kind of feeling.

“At this rate, Kang Ah-young must be feeling a lot of pressure.”

Once the movie is released, interest in Kim Ah-young will undoubtedly skyrocket.

To portray her reincarnation, Kang Ah-young will need to exhibit an equal level of charisma.

The ideal scenario would be for Kim Ah-young to play the role of the reincarnated character, but her acting skills are not quite at that level.

Only an actress of Kang Ah-young’s caliber could convey the complex emotions required.

“Can I take a picture with you?”

“Yes? Uh……. Sure.”

“Haha. Thank you.”

The role of Dark Knight in this ‘King of Arrogance’ is played by Chris, who starred in the previous series.

Chris excels at action sequences, and since he had already collaborated with Director Bell, there was no reason to recast the role.

In fact, Chris was eager to reprise his role as Dark Knight.

As an ardent fan of his portrayal of Dark Knight, I made no secret of my admiration and enjoyed taking pictures with him from our first encounter.

“Actually, I’m also a fan. Please sign here…….”

“Ah! Hahaha.”

Fortunately, Chris also seemed to be a fan of Black Tiger, as he brought our albums for us to sign.

I was relieved that we seemed to get along well.

Given that he plays a hero and shares many scenes with me, it was important for us to have good chemistry, and there were many aspects to discuss in that regard.

Time passed, and finally, the day arrived for me to film ‘Jin’s first scene in ‘King of Arrogance.’

Chris visited the set.

“What brings the busiest person here?”

Calling Chris busy was not an exaggeration.

In his previous role, he played a character suffering from a nervous breakdown, and he looked so emaciated that the word ‘gaunt’ suited him perfectly.

He had to rebuild his physique in less than six months to resemble Dark Knight, making this project particularly challenging for him.

However, despite the difficulties, he always maintained a smile and never showed any signs of weakness.

“Director Bell has been praising you so highly that I became curious. More importantly, I need to gauge how good this ‘Jin’ is so that I can prepare accordingly…….”

“That’s Chris for you. Anyway, you can look forward to it. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Hoo?”

Chris, aware that this was my first significant acting role, looked at me with keen interest.

In the past, I might not have said such a thing, and I would have felt intimidated by his gaze.

But things were different now.

This is because Director Bell and Director Hong Ui-chan had repeatedly confirmed that my portrayal of ‘Jin’ was flawless.

“Don’t be too surprised.”

I said those words to Chris and stepped into the camera’s view.

The first scene was filmed at the subway station.

Jin, emerging from the subway where the same routine unfolded day after day, quietly observes the people boarding the train.

They are about to enter the nightmare he will create, but Jin’s expression as he watches them is serene.

As if he were just another person going about their daily life, like the people riding and exiting the subway.

Even though he is about to commit an act that will lead thousands to their doom, the audience can’t help but feel uneasy, even without knowing what is about to happen, because of Jin’s demeanor, which betrays no hint of guilt.

It was not a strange thing.

It was because they were facing a monster that regarded not only the subway passengers but also the audience watching him as insignificant insects.

That’s right.

Jin had to convey this message to the audience in this first scene.

Whatever expectations they may have, the ‘King of Arrogance’ they were about to witness was not about a human being but some other kind of creature.

“…….”

His first scene appearance lasted less than a minute, but no one who witnessed his performance made a sound.

It’s a natural reaction.

This is because they were confronted with such a monster in reality, not through a lens.

No matter how brave you are, facing such a transcendent being in reality will leave you paralyzed.

That was the case for Chris, who had come to support me, but for the movie.

“What is that……?”

Despite his words, ‘What is it,’ the answer was already forming in his mind.

‘……It’s ‘Jin.’ King of Arrogance!’

‘Jin’ of ‘King of Arrogance,’ who might have made it impossible for him to film other works for at least three years, was alive and breathing before his eyes.

-Tremble, tremble!-

Even though he was watching from afar, Chris couldn’t stop his body from shaking.

This was because he was overwhelmed by Young-chan, who had instantly transformed into ‘Jin’ himself, even without displaying any overt emotions.