I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 332

Several staff members, about six in total, swarmed around Kang Woo-jin. Three of them wiped away the blood and soot from him, while the other three touched up his makeup and hair. It was a long take scene that lasted a full eight minutes, but unfortunately, it resulted in an NG [No Good, meaning a failed take], so they had to film it again.

Returning him to his original appearance was essential.

Meanwhile, the female staff members attending to Woo-jin were making a fuss. What they had just witnessed was not something they could easily experience.

“Wow, Woo-jin! That was amazing!!”

“Totally!! I felt like I was watching a real Hollywood movie!”

“Right!! The tension and thrill were insane!!”

“No, how can you be so good at martial arts? Action?!”

Some of the staff members were quite experienced, but even they were amazed by Kang Woo-jin’s long take and ‘CQC’ [Close Quarters Combat]. Of course, Kang Woo-jin had been maintaining his cynical demeanor since earlier. Looking at the surroundings and what he had just shown; what a great environment to act tough?

“I just did a lot of mental rehearsals.”

Rehearsals? How can that be possible! Such words followed. It was contagious to Kang Woo-jin as well. Of course, internally.

‘It was seriously fun! I shot a gun, like, several times more than when I was in the military?? Shooting guns is so much fun.’

It might be a little lacking compared to the real thing, but it was close enough, so he was satisfied.

Around this time.

“······Special forces?”

The group of foreigners, including Joseph and Megan, were experiencing even more shock. Or rather, it was a misunderstanding. The pot-bellied executive from ‘Universal Movies’ repeated the words he had heard from the big-nosed Ethan Smith. He pointed at Kang Woo-jin with his index finger.

“Is that actor from the special forces?”

“That’s right.”

Ethan, the stunt coordinator of ‘Beneficial Evil,’ became the source of the misunderstanding and was spreading it in real-time. The set was too chaotic, and the conversation was in fluent English, so no one paid attention. It was only a conversation between the 20 or so Hollywood figures.

“Special forces······”

Here, Joseph and Megan didn’t react much. They had heard it before. However, the stunt team that Joseph had brought and the executives from the Hollywood film company were quite surprised. To them, Ethan calmly recounted what had happened in the past. It was when he first saw Woo-jin at the action school.

The explanation took about five minutes.

Only then did the film company executives, who now understood Kang Woo-jin’s absurd skills and abilities, begin to speak.

“Indeed, that’s why he’s so good at action and ‘CQC.’”

“I knew it; his gun handling and posture didn’t feel like he had just practiced. Did you see his movements during the long take? He looked like a real field agent!”

Among them, the pot-bellied executive cautiously asked, his gaze towards the giant Joseph.

“So, is Kang Woo-jin a professional action actor?”

Ethan’s answer was quick.

“No.”

Megan, who had swept back her brown bob, added an explanation.

“I told you that this is Kang Woo-jin’s first time filming an action project.”

“······Ah, I just wanted to ask again, just in case.”

The giant Joseph chimed in, recalling Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

“Actually, while his long take scene and action are captivating, Kang Woo-jin’s method acting is even more overwhelming.”

In an instant, all the executives from ‘Universal Movies’ widened their eyes.

“Method? His acting style is method acting??”

“Yes. He makes any role his own and embodies it in reality. I can confidently say it’s absurd, because I experienced it myself.”

Has Joseph, a renowned producer in Hollywood, ever praised someone like this? He was stingy with praise even for successful Hollywood actors. Joseph continued.

“And you can see Kang Woo-jin’s work at this year’s Cannes.”

“Cannes? Does that mean he’s been nominated?”

“That’s right. ‘Leech’ is in the ‘Competition Section’ of this year’s Cannes. Kang Woo-jin is the lead actor in that movie. By the way, ‘Leech’ is the only Korean film in that section.”

The expectations of those who were already blown away by Kang Woo-jin’s action skyrocketed. They could see the different kind of acting of that absurd Korean actor, and at the Cannes Film Festival, the best international film festival.

‘I see, now I know why Joseph visited here before going to Cannes. His entire plan was about Kang Woo-jin from the start.’

‘Nominated for the ‘Competition Section’ – this year’s Cannes was already crowded with many works, and there were rumors that it was quite tight. Does that mean the quality of that ‘Leech’ is significant?’

Joseph and Megan, as well as all the foreigners there, had a completely different mindset than at the beginning. At first, they were evaluators, but now they were clearly the audience. They wanted to see Kang Woo-jin, that absurd actor’s acting, not just his action. That was the look on their faces.

Soon, the leader of the stunt team that Joseph had brought slowly scanned the entire set of ‘Beneficial Evil.’

Song Man-woo PD [Production Director], who was in a meeting with the key staff, the dozens of staff members who were busy with the reshoot, the Thai actors who were returning to their positions, and Kang Woo-jin, who had finished his makeup touch-up and changed his clothes.

He muttered quietly, the eight-minute long take scene he had just seen replaying in his mind.

“It’s amazing that he did an 8-minute take without any NGs or cuts, but looking at the overall quality, it’s not much different from what we do in Hollywood. Is this the current level of Korean productions?”

Joseph pointed to Ethan next to him.

“Ethan’s involvement has been a great help, but in reality, the current Korean productions are at a very high level. But the one who pushed that level to the extreme is…”

-Swish.

He pointed upwards with his index finger. Kang Woo-jin, who was silently checking his weapons, was visible.

“It must be because of that alien-like actor.”

Meanwhile, Miley Kara, with her blonde hair down, was also looking up at Kang Woo-jin. For some reason, a smile was spreading across her lips.

‘My expectations keep rising; I was already looking forward to seeing his work at Cannes, but this is getting too exciting.’

Then, she imagined as she pleased. Not just the 200 or so people from Hollywood there, but Kang Woo-jin in front of tens of thousands of people at Cannes, including global filmmakers and actors.

‘Why am I getting chills?’

Kim So-hyang, the general director standing to her right, felt the same electric current. Kim So-hyang observed the expressions of the excited Joseph and other Hollywood figures.

“That’s it.”

“Huh??”

“Even those big shots from Hollywood are making a fuss. That means…”

She whispered to writer Choi Na-na.

“‘Beneficial Evil’ will be a hit worldwide.”

About an hour later.

Gunshots were rampant around the abandoned factory and buildings where the long take filming of ‘Beneficial Evil’ was in full swing.

-Bang bang bang bang!!

The filming had been going on for about three hours. The actual filming time of the long take itself was just over 10 minutes, but the reason why they had been filming for over three hours was simple: NGs and reshoots.

This was the fourth time.

Since a lot of personnel, equipment, and props were involved, if there was an NG, it took a lot of time to reset everything. Which set wouldn’t be like that, but long takes, in particular, require more effort in setting up than in actual filming.

Of course, it wasn’t Kang Woo-jin who caused the NGs.

“Cut!!”

“I’m sorry!!”

“It’s okay! Let’s go again!!”

A Thai actor missed the timing, the cameraman following Woo-jin tripped, there was a problem with the prop gun, and so on. No matter how much they checked, there were numerous variables in filming. Nevertheless, there were no shortcuts in long takes. If there was an NG, they had to start over from the beginning.

Gradually, hundreds of staff members began to groan.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

“Are you okay? This long take is several times harder than I thought.”

“I know, right? It feels like we’re grinding through a game quest.”

Not only the camera crew, who were moving with heavy cameras, but also the sound team, makeup team, art team, and many others. As the NGs continued, they were feeling the pain of long take filming. But the main character, Kang Woo-jin, was as fresh as a daisy.

“It’s been a little over three hours, right? But why does Woo-jin look the same as when we started??”

“Right? But Woo-jin was like that even when he was a slacker.”

“Is this the same? He’s been shooting, rolling, running, and doing all sorts of things for three hours. But he’s the only one who’s fine, only him.”

No, that was just how it looked from the staff’s perspective. Kang Woo-jin, who had started preparing for the reshoot, was feeling quite tired.

‘The filming intensity is insane, I couldn’t have done this without the subspace. It’s so hard to maintain the concept.’

Still, thanks to the grace of the subspace, he was maintaining his mental state smoothly. Anyway, the entire staff of ‘Beneficial Evil’ generally maintained a sensitive tension. The filming difficulty was high, but there was also the risk of accidents at every moment. Therefore, the expression of the general manager, Song Man-woo PD, was constantly serious. The onlookers around him were the same.

At that moment.

“Action!!”

The long take filming resumed.

-Bang bang bang!!

A barrage of gunshots. And ear-splitting screams.

“Kkyaaaaak!!”

“Uwaaaak!!”

Kang Woo-jin and the camera moved as one through the abandoned building. The repetitive filming was exhausting, but it was also practice. Gradually, everyone’s skills improved, and they were able to proceed smoothly up to about 7 minutes of the sequence.

Finally, Kang Woo-jin, with an AK47 rifle shouldered, wearing a gray t-shirt stained with blood, reached the end room on the second floor of the abandoned building.

-Thwack!!

As soon as he kicked the door open.

“Eyaaaak!”

Two people rushed at him. A gang member with a long knife. One from beside the door, and one from the front. Woo-jin’s gaze was more on the side than the front. A knife flew towards his face. Kang Woo-jin ducked.

-Clang!

The knife hit the wall. Two short gunshots. The bullets pierced the neck and face of the guy on the side. He collapsed. The guy from the front who was rushing at him was flustered. He hesitated and then ran away.

-Bang bang bang!

Two holes were made in the back of his head. Woo-jin, slightly out of breath, wasn’t going to let him go. He wiped the blood off his face. The camera, from the front to the side. Woo-jin, having checked the bullets in the AK47 rifle, searched the room. He found a child tied up in the corner of the bathroom, with a cloth covering her face. When he removed the cloth, a familiar face appeared.

“Check.”

It was the drug lord’s daughter he was looking for. The problem was that the child was unconscious. The good thing was that she was thin and didn’t look too heavy.

“Tsk!”

Kang Woo-jin clicked his tongue. He couldn’t use the AK47 rifle anymore. He had to hold the child with one hand. When Woo-jin took out the Glock 17 pistol from his waist.

“%)(&%@*&)*@~!!!!”

The shouts of the gang members were heard again.

“Damn, there are so many of them. Where are they producing them? Well, it’s fun for me though.”

Woo-jin, who had a smile on his lips after saying a short line, wrapped the girl around his left waist. The child was limp because she was unconscious. He couldn’t go through the door. It would be easier if both hands were free, but he could have an accident while holding the child. Woo-jin turned his gaze towards the window. He saw the silver car he had come in below. It was close.

“Oh.”

A metal ladder attached to the window.

-Thwack!

Woo-jin kicked the window and immediately reached for the ladder. He quickly landed on the first floor. He roughly placed the child in the passenger seat of the car and fastened her seatbelt. The camera, which had already boarded the filming truck on the rear rail. As soon as Kang Woo-jin got into the driver’s seat, he stepped on the accelerator.

-Vroom!!

With a rough exhaust sound, the silver sedan sped off. From here, it was a car chase. That is, a pursuit. The car that Woo-jin was in was in front, and the truck carrying the camera was behind. After driving for about 10 seconds, Woo-jin passed the abandoned building and reached the abandoned factory.

At that moment.

-Bang bang bang bang!!

-Vroooom!!

Three cars appeared with gunshots. Two vans and one sedan. The cars of the gang members who were at the factory. The camera was filming all four cars, with Woo-jin’s car at the very back. The cars, which were jostling back and forth, entered the outskirts of the town.

The cityscape was visible.

Woo-jin’s car, which was driving, suddenly braked.

-Screech!!

It was because of another car of the gang members who had set up a blockade in the middle of the road. The sedan that Kang Woo-jin was in quickly reversed. He turned the car around with the smoke coming from the tires. And then.

-Bang bang bang!!

Woo-jin, who had come out of the window, fired at the rear sedan’s window, and the staggering sedan crashed into the building right next to it. The truck carrying the camera arrived before the cars that were chasing him. The camera naturally got off the truck and got into the back seat of Woo-jin’s sedan. At the same time, the car sped down the alleyway.

The camera captured Kang Woo-jin, who was driving roughly, and the unconscious girl in the passenger seat, alternately.

The shaking vibrations were vividly captured by the camera.

The alleyway was quite long. It took several tens of seconds to get out. The dust behind them became thick. Woo-jin quickly turned the steering wheel. A right turn. The car skidded and barely changed direction. The shaking camera filmed the back. Two vans were chasing through the dust.

The camera, back to the front.

At the same time.

-Crash!!

The car shook violently. It felt like it was going to flip over. No, the car was spinning. In the chaotic angle, Woo-jin was captured clenching his teeth. The car barely stopped shaking. The camera, which had been filming Woo-jin’s side, quickly came out. Two motorcycles that had blocked Woo-jin’s car were smashed. Kang Woo-jin also got out of the car.

He hid himself. He held the Glock 17.

“Hoo-”

The vans that were chasing him stopped one after another. About four people got out. The guy with the AK47 rifle rushed forward first. Gunshots rang out.

-Bang bang!!

It was Kang Woo-jin’s, not the guy’s. The head of the guy who was running was shattered. The camera, behind Woo-jin’s back. Again, the empty cartridge cases flew from the Glock 17. Two more shots. His face exploded. One more guy fell over.

At that moment.

“Uwaaak!!”

One guy stuck to Woo-jin’s side. He swung a short knife. Kang Woo-jin quickly grabbed the guy’s wrist with his left hand.

“Kuh!”

He pinned the guy to the car door. Bang bang. Two shots to the chest. Blood splattered on his face. A breathing sound was heard from the right. It was another guy. Woo-jin grabbed the barrel of the AK47 rifle. He twisted it slightly to the side.

-Bang! Tatatatatang!

The excited gang member fired his gun. Holes were made in the car door. His ears were ringing. Ignoring it, Woo-jin raised the guy’s AK47 rifle into the air. A low kick to the knee. As they fell together, Woo-jin pressed the barrel of the gun against the guy’s chest.

-Bang bang bang bang!!

His heart burst. He spat out blood. The camera, covered in dust, moved two steps away from Woo-jin, who was standing up.

“Hoo!”

Kang Woo-jin looked at the corpse leaning against the car door. He saw something attached to his waist. Two grenades. Soon, Woo-jin kicked the corpse and pulled the unconscious girl out of the car.

And then.

-Thud.

He threw two grenades into the passenger seat. Kang Woo-jin, who was carrying the girl, wiped the blood off his face. He picked up the AK47 rifle from the ground. He put the earphone radio he had taken out of his pocket into his ear and muttered in English.

“I need a car.”

Kang Woo-jin was smiling.

The camera that was filming him from the front. Kang Woo-jin brushed past that camera. The camera did not follow Woo-jin but continued to film the car with the corpses piled up and the white smoke billowing out.

It was that moment. The car exploded as the grenades detonated.

-KABOOM!!!

It was the finale of the long take.

End