Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 31

Drama and Movie (4)

There’s no one here.

The waiting room, which should be bustling, had empty chairs scattered like missing teeth in a gum.

Of course, it’s not a dramatic scene where there are no actors at all, making the audition impossible.

But… they’re all duds.

The final audition confirmation list I received the day before yesterday, the ‘potential candidates’ on it were practically wiped out.

Maintaining his composure, CEO Tae passed through the studio and whispered to the assistant director.

“PD [Production Director] Han, you made sure to get the message across properly, right?”

“I even got confirmation. Kim Mi-hoon, Oh Joo-han, Lee Yeon-chae, and the Big Three, including the supporting actors, all said they’d be here.”

“We’re screwed, really screwed.”

Inside the studio, Director Kim Ryul was already sitting and waiting.

Tae Jong-beom slumped into a chair as if collapsing and pointed behind him.

“Director Kim, did you see outside? What the hell is going on?”

“I expected as much.”

“What, that the actors would collectively not show up?”

Kim Ryul calmly replied.

“They did come, didn’t they? Enough to hold an audition.”

“No, those people…!”.

He might be overheard. CEO Tae lowered his voice with desperate effort.

“What can we do with those people? None of the main or supporting actors came, only small fries. Are we just going to cast them as extras and put them next to Actor Park?”

“What else can we do? They say it’s beneath their dignity to work with us.”

CEO Tae’s mouth stopped. It was because the worst-case scenario came to mind.

From the top league to the lower leagues, most actors who shoot movies have a prejudice against dramas.

The reason is the production environment.

Due to the nature of the genre, it is difficult for dramas to pre-produce all episodes. At best, 6 to 8 episodes. That’s only possible when the schedule is relaxed, and usually, they start running right after filming 4 episodes.

But what if you work with a slow writer and the filming site is delayed?

You fall into the hell of 쪽대본 (jjokdaebon) [script pages written just before filming].

From the middle of the drama, the writer sends the script in the morning, hastily edits the footage shot during the day, and broadcasts it in the evening.

On the other hand, movies are all done within a well-organized framework.

From the perspective of movie actors who shoot comfortably in a few months to a year at most, they tend to look down on dramas as a lower culture.

“No, still, this isn’t right! We’re paying them and the script is well-written, and it’s not like movie actors don’t film dramas…”

“It’s not about moving to a different field.”

“Then why!”

“The actor is a flash-in-the-pan star who rose to fame in a drama, from a non-trained, ordinary background. The director is an idiot who ruined several movies. They wouldn’t want to tarnish their careers with a combination that has no foundation.”

“No, maybe the auditions overlapped. It just happened to coincide with a mega-project.”

CEO Tae tried to turn on the happy circuit, but even he didn’t seem convinced.

The assistant director, who had cross-checked other audition communities, muttered gloomily.

“There’s nothing, CEO. You know they don’t flock to auditions anymore.”

“So that makes even less sense! It’s not a collective boycott, why aren’t they coming to the audition?”

“They probably said they’d come out of courtesy. They know they’re not busy, so they’re afraid of being rude if they refuse. And then they all didn’t participate with the same thought.”

Director Kim Ryul said in a dry voice, typical of someone who had foreseen the situation.

“Let’s proceed with the audition for now. Maybe there’s a diamond in the rough among them?”

No. The skills of the people there are obvious. The case where a sharp nail sticks out is a prepared new face… and that’s only possible in a big field.

CEO Tae, who knew it all too well but couldn’t let the morale drop, finished it off.

“PD Han. Send our script to the actors who didn’t come today again. Check if there’s anyone who says they’ll come late.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After the assistant director, who answered without enthusiasm, left, CEO Tae Jong-beom covered his forehead and groaned.

“Please, please, let’s just shoot movies…”

*

The entertainment industry’s physiology is survival of the fittest.

The strong ones hold their heads high, and the weak ones cower like rabbits, watching their every move.

There are industry etiquette for reputation, but they don’t bother to do considerations that don’t need to be kept.

Especially if the other person is below them, far below them, groveling.

“Sister, they sent the script again?”

Movie actress Bae Ji-na, who heard the news from her manager, scoffed.

“Are they a tiger or just a pushover?”

“Yes. They said if you don’t have time, you can look at it personally and give them a comfortable answer.”

“Fools, they don’t know their place and are being clingy.”

Bae Ji-na had also read the script sent by ‘Keunbeom Studio’.

The genre is a rather unique occult. The role they want her for is the main character, but the work doesn’t matter.

How many works and advertisements does an A-list actress get in a month?

Someone like her has to be picky about everything from the actors she appears with to the director’s name value.

“I’m Bae Ji-na. Even if the top stars of the drama world came out and asked me, it wouldn’t be enough, but a rookie from cable… who debuted as a supporting role? I’d rather film another vlog than act as the main character with her.”

The manager also grinned slyly and chimed in.

“Right? Plus, the director is Kim Ryul.”

“Kim Ryul?”

“Why, you know. The minus touch of Chungmuro [Korean Hollywood]. The human who ruins everything he shoots, so no one wants to work with him.”

Bae Ji-na’s beautiful forehead crumpled as if she had seen something dirty.

“Anyway, they play with each other. If they didn’t go, they should have noticed on their own, why are they sticking their feet in again?”

“But they matched the minimum guarantee. Actresses with acting skills and unique masks are rare.”

“Yeah, tell them to screw off.”

Entertainers who take off their masks don’t pretend. Since it can’t be moved as it is, it is also the manager’s job to add some seasoning and deliver it to the other party.

The manager threw the script bundle into the waiting room trash can.

“It’s a waste of paper, really.”

The second recruitments that went to other places met similar fates.

A male actor from the movie world, who recently raised his stock with a hit, burst into laughter with his manager.

“What, are they a phoenix? They sent it again?”

“I know. What are you going to do?”

“What else can I do, throw it away. I heard that only scraps came to the audition there, what are you going to do?”

“Hehehe, that’s what I heard. Scraps are a bit much, let’s just say small fry.”

Entertainment news travels fast. A thousand miles, ten thousand miles in one night.

The fact that the ‘Black Priest’ scenario was originally planned to be worked on under C&J investment.

The fact that the internal situation has changed completely with Park Geon’s joining.

So even the supporting roles who were supposed to be at the main audition didn’t come, and the CEO grabbed the back of his neck.

The agency head clicked his tongue.

“It’s a bit of a shame. The scenario was great.”

The male actor waved his hand as if chasing away a fly.

“That’s only when it’s the main role. Look, hyung [older brother/term of respect]. If Park Geon is the main, no one will want to go.”

*

“Why aren’t they coming!”

10 AM, Keunbeom Entertainment.

An emergency countermeasures meeting was held by the ‘Black Priest’ officials.

CEO Tae Jong-beom, whose eyes were dark, turned his gaze from his smartphone and asked.

“PD Han, did anything come from that side?”

The assistant director, whose face was covered with sleepiness, replied.

“Nothing at all.”

“I knew it. These immoral bastards!”

CEO Tae finally slammed the table. Director Kim Ryul said stiffly.

“I expected it. Even if it’s just once, a no-show is openly screwing us over, so they’ll cut it off in advance so their reputation doesn’t get worse.”

CEO Tae asked with a look of frustration.

“Director Kim, aren’t you angry? We’re all in the same boat, this is almost a boycott!”

“Actors live by tearing apart their own pride. We need to come up with a plan instead of getting angry.”

“How can we come up with a plan when people don’t come? What, are we going to dress PD Han in a suit and send him out for street casting?”

“…CEO, why me all of a sudden…”

While the assistant director was horrified, Director Kim Ryul, who was rummaging through his bag, took out a thick file.

“These are the actor candidates.”

“Candidates? Other than the people we contacted?”

“Anyway, they won’t come even if we grab their pants and beg. New people are better.”

He pulled out this much list in a few days, as expected, Kim Ryul. CEO Tae’s expression changed subtly as he quickly took it and flipped through the profiles inside.

‘What is this?’

If they were current people, they would know, but even he, who had been rolling in this field for a while, was seeing all the faces for the first time.

Did he just pick out raw rookies from somewhere?

“That… are these all our candidates?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not doubting Director Kim’s eye, but it’s a bit much to fill it with only new faces, right? Still, there’s such a thing as actor power.”

“They’re not rookies.”

“Huh?”

“They are actors belonging to theater companies active throughout the country. There are some in Seoul, but most of them are based in the provinces.”

“Oh my….”

A groan naturally leaked out. Whether he did or not, Director Kim Ryul said bluntly.

“Anyway, we’re a foreign legion. Instead of thinking about getting on the mainstream, it’s right to compete with new people.”

“That’s right.”

Far away, Park Geon, who was playing a game in a corner seat, suddenly intervened.

“You have to carefully build a team. I also thought a lot about choosing my colleagues.”

The movie’s only lead actor arrived about ten minutes ago.

As soon as he came, he sat down in one place, saying ‘Don’t worry about me’, and has been in that state ever since.

It is an extremely common combination for the lead to attend the production company’s countermeasures meeting, so it is not common.

People’s eyes went back and forth diligently.

‘…Why did Actor Park come?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Director Kim doesn’t know either?’

‘I asked about the production schedule, so I just told him the meeting date and time. I thought only the manager was coming, but he came with him.’

CEO Tae, who was scratching his head, asked carefully.

“Um… do you not have filming today? Of course, we’re happy, but I was worried that we might have worried Actor Park Geon…”

“I came because I was curious about the production environment. It’s my first time in a movie, and I thought it might be helpful to study.”

The person who came to study is only breaking the game without even participating in the meeting.

The next work is in danger of being completely overturned, but neither the actor nor the agency seems to have any sense of crisis.

‘Is there something to believe in?’

In CEO Tae’s position, who was secretly hoping that Roman would do something, all sorts of imaginations came to mind. Noh Joong-man, rookie, ostracized, abandoned child…

“Everyone, have some coffee!”

Park Geon’s manager, who had gone out for a while, put a coffee tray full of both hands on the table.

“Oh my, you didn’t have to buy all this.”

“There was a cafe in front. We wanted to eat too, so I sent my brother up and bought it together.”

“Thank you. I’m a production company, and I’m causing you trouble before the crank-in with this kind of thing…”

“What are you talking about? We’re on the same boat now. We need to work together to make things go better.”

CEO Tae and the assistant director put straws in the iced coffee with touching eyes.

It’s a natural monument level in this industry where even if you’re a actor who’s been floating as much as you can, you put strength on your neck, but the manager is so kind to a small production company.

“By the way, Director Kim, did you call me from this morning because of the audition?”

Director Kim Ryul, who received coffee from Park Seon, answered as if it were natural.

“We’re not holding auditions.”

“Huh? Then those people…”

CEO Tae’s expression, who was tilting his head, suddenly turned cloudy. Kim Ryul nodded.

“You saw it last time, right? People won’t come if we just sit still and turn the script around. We have to go and scout them ourselves.”

“Wait a minute, you said most of them are local theater companies!”

“That’s why I came early.”

The CEO can’t not go where the director goes. Today is a local tour without fail.

“…I’m in trouble.”