Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 210

210. Audition (3)

May 29, 2022

Acting without a subject is harder than you think.

That’s why monodramas are difficult, and it’s also why the acting of actors who film movies that are mostly CG looks awkward. It’s like a one-man show.

‘Of course, it’s hard to concentrate. If there’s a partner, you can exchange lines and create chemistry.’

It’s not for nothing that there’s a story about a famous foreign actor who almost became depressed while filming a movie that was almost 80 percent CG.

In the movie, there was a scene where they sat around a large table, eating and chatting, but the actual filming set was not like that.

They put dummies with each actor’s face on them.

Still, it’s better to put something in the actors’ places.

It’s common to have to play all the roles alone in front of a green screen with nothing at all.

Would people who used to criticize actors’ bad acting watch the filming scene and say,

“These days, actors have extreme jobs… I acknowledge the bad acting.”?

The current era is one where actors are left alone in a situation where there is nothing, and the camera is turned on.

Even actors with solid acting skills who are recognized in Hollywood find it difficult to adapt to this phenomenon, so you can imagine how extreme acting alone is without me having to say more.

Moreover, this was an audition site.

A place where countless people were trying to score the acting with their eyes wide open.

“Don’t take it too hard? Everyone will recognize how hard Seok is working someday.”

Neat hands tapped the air.

It was as if someone was crouching there.

“What did I do… Why are you saying that? Seok is the one who’s working hard.”

A slightly different delivery from number 32 or 33, who acted first.

However, with the addition of actions, it seemed to flow more naturally and smoothly.

Yeonwoo even squatted down himself.

He acted as if he was nudging someone with his elbow.

“It’s very natural…?”

“Shhh. You’ll break his concentration.”

“Wow. That’s not a rookie’s acting?”

The staff who were watching from the side whispered quietly to each other.

They were not judges, but they were in the audition hall, so they unintentionally watched the other participants.

They didn’t have the qualifications to judge, but if they had the choice, they would have picked him right away.

Yeonwoo, who was vividly creating a non-existent person and acting in front of their eyes.

“Here, take this.”

“What else? This is what Seok likes.”

“Just drink it. Why are you being so *budeomseureop* [burdened/uncomfortable]? It’s not that expensive.”

The script only listed the basics, as if they were going to leave the character interpretation entirely up to the participants.

Yeonwoo easily added his own interpretation.

‘I have to comfort the insecure protagonist. It would be even better if I could show Kim Seonwoo’s characteristics here.’

He handed over the drink and deliberately emphasized that the protagonist liked it.

‘A few hundred won drink wouldn’t be anything to Kim Seonwoo.’

The protagonist, Kang Seok, trembling at a mere few hundred won, and Kim Seonwoo, who wasn’t.

Originally, it was part of the line to emphasize Kang Seok’s position of being nagged, but Yeonwoo added one more thing to it.

‘If possible, one plus one is better than one, right?’

It was a subtle way of showing that Kim Seonwoo was interested in the protagonist and had a thorough understanding of him.

“That’s right. Drink it all up and cheer up.”

“Anyway, everyone will recognize how hard Seok is working.”

“What are you thanking me for? We’re close. Call me again if you need anything.”

“Hahaha. Okay. Be sure to treat me when you get promoted.”

Acting that flowed like water without a single awkward spot.

The people watching were busy sticking out their tongues.

‘Is this the quality even though it’s just an audition?’

‘Ugh… Why did I have to get caught with that human being?’

‘Was he in a theater troupe? As far as I know, there was no rumor that Kang Yeonwoo did theater.’

In particular, the sense of loss was even greater for number 32, who had messed up, and number 33, who was proud of doing a good job.

‘Can he really see something?!’

Otherwise, there’s no way he could act so vividly.

His acting was at a level that made even the viewers able to guess who was there, what kind of answer they gave, and how they reacted.

Wouldn’t it be strange if they didn’t feel defeated?

Yeonwoo, the person involved, didn’t notice any of that.

If I had to say how I felt,

‘It’s a little strange to be talking to myself… but whatever. It’s not like this is the first time.’

To Yeonwoo, this kind of imaginary role-playing was not difficult at all.

‘Pretending to not see what you see, or pretending to see what you don’t see. It’s all the same.’

Yeonwoo thought nothing of the idea that others would say was completely wrong.

What does it matter what others think?

What mattered was that it was so natural for Yeonwoo, the person involved.

‘I’m glad I can help even in this way.’

Yeonwoo made full use of his experiences from the past to the present.

The vividness he had acquired and experienced by seeing a different world from others always played a big role.

The past experiences and current efforts were mixed together to create synergy.

Of course, no one in this place knew that fact.

“I can see why he’s confident about auditioning…”

It wasn’t just the participants who were shocked.

Even the judges who were conducting the audition were busy trying to hide their admiration.

The judges were people who had been in this industry for a long time.

They had seen all kinds of actors and had more than once made a big hit themselves.

But.

“Um… that’s the end of the script. Can I continue?”

Even those people were unconsciously drawn in.

Even in the audition hall, not in a formal performance.

“Oh… yes. Hmm. Ahem… Please continue with the next performance.”

The first to answer was PD [Production Director] Gil Sang-jun, who was the most senior in this position.

PD Gil was conducting the audition and giving the whispering judges a look.

“Oh, did you see that just now?”

“At least there’s no way Seonwoo will be criticized for suddenly appearing as a murderer.”

“I was wondering how he would pull it off, but he did it again…”

This was because more than one of the judges felt a sense of incongruity even in the first scene, where the most psychopathic aspects were least revealed.

The expressions Yeonwoo made while delivering his lines were truly impressive.

Whenever Kang Seok, the protagonist who was not in this place, showed a sullen expression, Yeonwoo’s gaze turned cold.

It wasn’t a simple change of hardening his expression outright.

His insensitive eyes, which sometimes appeared while saying kind words and gently patting his shoulder, were like those of an inanimate object.

The inorganic expression that seemed to be looking at an inanimate object appeared and disappeared from time to time.

The gap made Yeonwoo’s character not just look kind, but also alien.

“Then let’s start the second scene.”

Leaving behind the people who were whispering with sparkling eyes.

Yeonwoo once again put on the mask of Kim Seonwoo.

*

Audition.

In other words, it was nothing more than taking a practical exam to select a role.

However.

“What’s wrong? Ah. You’re saying it’s strange that I didn’t hold him back?”

A handsome man smiled brightly.

Normally, it would have been a pleasant sight.

A rare mask was smiling brightly.

However, the venue was frozen by the smile.

‘Why do I feel colder when he smiles?’

‘That smile isn’t a smile?’

Why does it feel colder than a blank expression even though he’s smiling?

This place was just a place to hold an audition.

However, people were already mindlessly immersed in the character of Kim Seonwoo that Yeonwoo had created.

‘He’s smiling…?’

‘He’s smiling…?’

The only two people who were not moved by this situation were number 32 and number 33, who had auditioned right before Yeonwoo.

“We weren’t even close, so why would I have to hold him back? Um? Why are you angry…?”

The lines flowing from his well-shaped lips.

They were lines that number 32 and number 33 were also familiar with.

Because they were the lines from the second scene that they had also performed.

However, even though the words were the same, the atmosphere and expression were very different.

It was natural that different people did it, but Yeonwoo’s acting was not the kind of difference that could be explained that way.

‘Why… is he smiling…?’

Number 32 and number 33’s second scene was performed very expressionlessly.

They deliberately emphasized the expressionless face in order to better reveal the psychopath part.

‘This is the part where I have to reveal the character’s creepiness…?’

This is the part where the protagonist first feels the strangeness of the serial killer.

So, they deliberately remained expressionless in order to further maximize the gap from the usual.

But.

Yeonwoo’s acting, who was auditioning for the third time, was completely different from their acting.

“Hmm…?”

Yeonwoo was constantly smiling on his face as he entered the second scene.

As if he knew that doing so would be good for gaining people’s favor.

Number 32 and number 33 thought that Yeonwoo’s acting was completely out of place.

However.

“Were you close? Ah, is that why you’re angry…?”

The situation, which was completely out of place, created an even greater sense of incongruity.

The lines he spat out with a faint smile in such a natural manner.

The lines, which did not match the atmosphere, lowered the temperature of the situation itself.

It was definitely a likable attitude, but the content of the words he asked without any care was very alien, creating a tremendous dissonance.

The effect of the disharmony between words and attitude was not the end of it.

‘A type of human being I don’t want to meet in real life…’

Even though I know it’s acting and I’m watching it.

I even had that thought.

‘It’s definitely not supposed to fit, but why does it look more psycho?’

Number 32 and number 33 thought that they would never want to meet such a human being if they existed in reality.

It’s a little strange when a strange person makes strange noises, but you can think of it that way.

Why?

Because I already have the idea that that person is strange, so I can take some normal circumstances into consideration.

But a person who I thought was perfectly normal in every way.

Even a person who I thought was close to.

Imagine that he smiles as usual and says alien words that don’t fit at all.

And this is,

‘The incongruity due to the gap from the usual will further emphasize the alienation.’

That’s why Yeonwoo continued to smile brightly in the second scene following the first scene.

Rather, thanks to the attitude of acting as usual, there was also one more side effect.

It was to subtly instill a sense of incongruity in that ‘usual’.

Kim Seonwoo, who is usually a good and kind person.

But Kim Seonwoo, who ignored and passed by without any care even when he saw someone stumble and fall in front of him.

These two things can never coexist.

Yeonwoo solved this disharmony that anyone could feel very simply.

By maintaining a smiling face.