Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 36

36. Top Star Luck – Episode 36 (36/200)

Episode 36

Brum, brum.

On the way to the filming set in the car driven by Manager Park Hanmo.

Lee Minki couldn’t believe the screen he was holding in his hand and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

‘Did I see something wrong?’

But Lee Minki is not a psychic.

This world doesn’t change so easily just by rubbing your eyes a little harder.

The article on the smartphone was exactly the same, word for word.

[Today’s Star Magazine: Why We Should Pay Attention to This Rookie (Part 1)]

Today’s Star Magazine, also known as OS Mae.

It is a special section that introduces actors and is uploaded every week.

The characteristic of this section is that it analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of actors in detail and criticizes them with sharp words, truly representing the identity of Star Magazine.

In that place.

[Kim and Hong reporters went to JC headquarters last Wednesday to cover the rookie Lee Minki. The first impression of Lee Minki they met there was this: This is the one.]

Praise was plastered all over it.

Praise for Lee Minki.

It was written that he was handsome, had a good personality, had a good voice, and spoke softly.

Anyway, it was written that he was very talented.

[Kim Reporter’s Viewpoint: Pay attention to the next work. The true value of a rookie actor is more clearly revealed in the second work, not the debut work.]

[Hong Reporter’s Viewpoint: The video is better than the photo, and the real thing is better than the video. Face, voice, and personality.]

Of course, it’s not that there are no shortcomings.

But it was virtually no different from having none.

[If you had to find a flaw, it would be that he has a delicate image. However, this can be sublimated into a character, so it is not a big disadvantage. He has already shown a reversal charm in Campus Story.]

In a word, it was like looking at a propaganda poster from a totalitarian regime.

“…….”

Lee Minki covered his face with both hands, feeling miserable.

I don’t think I need to mention it again, but Lee Minki has been an avid reader of Star Magazine since a long time ago.

I know how Star Magazine writes articles.

If there is praise, there is criticism, and when there is only criticism, there is only criticism. That’s Star Magazine, and that’s why it had credibility with readers.

‘But to plaster it with so much praise like this.’

I wouldn’t say anything if it was just this one.

The problem was not the quality but the quantity.

In just two days, Star Magazine posted five exclusive articles about Lee Minki in a row.

“Hoo…”.

“Hahahaha, Actor Lee must be happy. It’s rare for Star Magazine to evaluate people so well. We also get nervous when we have an interview with Star Magazine.”

Manager Park Hanmo burst into laughter as if he couldn’t contain himself.

But that laughter only drove Lee Minki further into a corner.

“Praise is good. But if you praise people so blatantly like this…”

“Are you saying it can be seen as viral marketing?”

“…Yes, after all, I’m just a rookie who just debuted.”

As he said, similar reactions were already surfacing in online communities.

[Did you see this week’s Star Magazine?]

[They’re just uploading articles praising that JC rookie actor ㅋㅋㅋ]

[It’s the first time I’ve seen Star Magazine push a rookie actor so openly]

[Did they give a lot of money behind the scenes?]

[He is handsome, though. He’s not a pretty boy, but he’s not a sculpture-like handsome man either. He’s the guardian of balance.]

[Still, there are more than one or two special rookies, so why go so far?]

[JC is doing a good job]

[Why can’t our actor’s agency do that?]

[Star Magazine is not just Star Magazine. There must be a reason why they speak so well.]

Opinions are divided.

But one thing was certain.

[Let’s see how well he acts, how long he will be green (inexperienced).]

Expectations for the next work were incredibly high.

“It’s not easy.”

I know very well what kind of end rookies who have received excessive attention compared to their skills have met.

If you show mediocre acting, you will be met with disappointment.

If you show bad acting, you will be even more disappointed.

That was all burdensome.

“I’m worried that I’ll be overrated.”

“If it were any other media, that would be the case. But Star Magazine will be different. Rather, the readers will think like this. Um, let’s see.”

Manager Park Hanmo muttered while fixing his gaze on the car’s windshield.

“Oh my! Does that picky Star Magazine only say such good things? How solid is he? I can’t stand this. Woo! I have to check it out with my own eyes!”

“Who are you imitating?”

“I tried to imitate Trainer Kim Ah-sung.”

“Puh.”

Lee Minki burst into laughter at that.

I wondered why it looked familiar.

Trainer Kim Ah-sung used to make a fuss like that when making fun of others, and Manager Park Hanmo perfectly reproduced it.

“Hehehe, it was a joke.”

The laughing voice is a little more gentle, but that’s it.

There are no normal people around me.

Lee Minki shook his head and was about to indulge in the solitude of the crowd when Manager Park Hanmo continued.

“But it worked out well, didn’t it?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks to Star Magazine’s good coverage, other media entertainment departments are also quickly requesting follow-up coverage.”

“I don’t know what they’re going to do if they’re full of expectations and then actually meet me and get disappointed.”

“So what if they do? Bad attention is better than no attention. There are many people who disagree with this saying these days, right? But I think there’s a reason why classics are classics.”

Manager Park Hanmo continued in a soft voice.

“Even greater expectations will be placed on the actor in the future. You just have to prove it wonderfully. Then all of Star Magazine’s words will be true. That’s all.”

He meant that all he had to do was prove it with his acting.

In Manager Park Hanmo’s words of encouragement, there was not only belief but even some kind of conviction.

An infinite conviction that Lee Minki would do well.

I don’t know how long we’ve known each other, but he’s acting like that.

Lee Minki smiled without realizing it.

‘Still, it’s comforting to have someone who says that.’

When you live, you need someone who says bright things without any plan. At least it’s 100 times better than being despondent together.

Yes, that’s it.

Lee Minki sighed as if he couldn’t help it and said.

“Manager, you’re right. I’ll prove whether Star Magazine was right or wrong with this work. That’s all there is to it.”

“And you’re buying beef. Korean beef, two-plus tenderloin. Hehe.”

That damn Korean beef, two-plus.

You still haven’t forgotten.

As I was about to laugh at the absurd persistence, Manager Park Hanmo’s car stopped.

“Then have a great day today.”

“Thank you for the ride.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

I’m the one who’s grateful.

What is he grateful for?

‘Did he just say that out of courtesy?’

Lee Minki, who got out of the car, felt bewildered by Manager Park Hanmo’s words and headed to the filming set.

In fact, he didn’t know well.

He didn’t know that there were surprisingly few rookies who thanked their managers every time they got in and out of the car when they dropped them off at the site.

* * *

How will the movie be filmed?

Will it proceed in the order that the audience sees it?

Or will it proceed in the order that is easy to film?

The answer is.

‘It’s up to the director.’

It was up to the director.

Ignoring the script order is basic.

If there is an overseas location, the parts to be filmed in Korea are finished half a year in advance.

There are also directors who occasionally shoot in order from the first scene of the script and gradually immerse the actors.

There was also a director who disassembled all the scenes into minute units and then assembled them through editing.

But the major premise is this.

No matter how you shoot it, it’s all good as long as the result is good.

Director Yeom was also such a person.

[What should I say about Director Yeom’s working method? He’s a genius.]

There was an interview with an actor.

[It’s like he has the complete version of the movie in his head. He puts the directing together piece by piece on set. Should I say he ignores the script? I have no idea how the scenes filmed in which scenes will be completed later.]

[Doesn’t he explain it?]

[He’s not very kind. He can’t convince everyone while filming. I just trust him and go. But when I see the results, yes, I understand.]

Director Yeom is a great design master.

He has everything in his head, so even if he shoots impromptu, the big picture fits.

In fact, it was a misunderstanding.

Director Yeom was entirely a mood person.

There is a script, but if he is *kkochida* [fixated] on one scene he wants to shoot, he *byeonjuhanda* [alters] everything to match only that scene.

Still, the results are so good that they are *pojangdoel dwineujege* [packaged belatedly].

Therefore, this filming schedule was also entirely left to Director Yeom’s discretion.

“Okay, let’s start filming scene 23. Minki, please get ready first.”

He was going to film the scene that Lee Minki was filming alone first.

‘……Me first?’

Lee Minki’s eyes twitched.

His first appearance in the movie was from scene 9 based on the script.

In terms of time, it was from about 10 minutes after the screening started.

Besides, I thought I would be *tuiip* [involved] later because it was the first day, but he suddenly declared that he would *tuiip* [involve] me from the beginning.

“Do you have the storyboard that I handed out at the last reading?”

Director Yeom said, walking around the middle of the filming set with a *paljageoreum* [swaggering gait].

“We’ll start right after we check the lighting for the last time, so memorize it in your head at least three times before going into action.”

At those words, Lee Minki’s gaze hurriedly turned to the storyboard.

Is Director Yeom doing this because he wants to quickly check Lee Minki’s acting skills?

It could simply be a coincidence.

If we think rationally, there is a high possibility that he judged that it would be efficient to shoot from this scene for convenience.

But the eyes of the people on the set were not like that.

‘I guess the director is also curious.’

Their thought was that they wanted to see the reality of the rookie Lee Minki.

‘That person, Star Magazine wrote a lot about him yesterday, right?’

‘I was almost *nanjadanghada* [torn to shreds] there.’

‘Is Actor Lee Minki that good at acting?’

‘He did well at the reading, but I wonder how he will do in the field?’

The proof was today’s scene.

All the cast members were surrounding the set without exception.

It was an expression of their desire to see Lee Minki’s acting.

In particular, Choi Yoo-chang was like that.

‘I guess that person is also curious. He’s not the kind of person who hangs around on set when it’s not his turn.’

Kang Do-won thought, glancing at him.

He was sitting in a chair on the set with his name on it, smiling and fixing his gaze on Lee Minki.

But he’s not the only one who’s curious.

Kang Do-won was also curious about Lee Minki’s real self.

About 10 minutes later.

When everyone’s eyes were on Lee Minki and the tension was high.

“Ready.”

Director Yeom finally shouted.

“Action.”

The action in scene 23 is like this.

The scene where Lee Minki’s character, Detective Goo Hak-jin, gets angry at his senior for not recognizing his reasoning and talks to his friend on the phone.

Of course, it’s just talking on the phone, but in reality, he’s holding the phone on the rooftop and *baetneun honjatmal* [spitting out a monologue].

‘I wonder if he can properly digest this kind of acting?’

Expectations slowly rose in Director Yeom’s heart.

If a rookie’s acting is with a partner, it’s okay, but in this kind of monologue acting, it’s inevitable that it will be awkward.

Isn’t practicing monologue acting what rookies do until they’re *jillidorok* [sick of it], but it’s a different dimension from the audition.

There are dozens of pairs.

This was because he had to be able to fully immerse himself in acting in a situation where dozens of pairs of eyes, including the staff and actors on set, were watching.

‘Can a rookie stand out and show his presence without being *muthiida* [buried] among these many industry people?’

Director Yeom’s entire nerve was focused on Lee Minki’s actions.

This monologue acting is not just a good opportunity.

In a way, it was like putting him on the *siheomdae* [test stand] naked.

And.

“Ah! Shi-bal! That old man, he really doesn’t listen!”

Lee Minki thought that it was *hal manhada* [manageable] compared to the baseball field.