Chapter 74

Villain Only Acting 074

The First Thing to Be Shredded (2)

"Since you're a debut writer, it seems the burden was quite heavy, being broadcast at the same time as Kim Sang-hee's work."

"But it's not even on a different channel, just the same time slot but on different days, right?"

"It seems the writer thought otherwise. She kept comparing herself, even when the PD said it was enough, she kept revising the script, revising it, and revising it again."

"......"

"It's hard to say, but the PD is also a tough character. When the writer kept doing what she was told not to, the PD got angry and said something, and since then, the conflict has worsened. It's a situation where it wouldn't be strange if it blew up anytime......"

"So this time it blew up big and she went into hiding, right? Director Jang."

"Yes, that's the situation."

Jang Seung-won scratched his head and said, almost complaining.

"Really, what a PD. The writer should manage her mental state better, especially for a debut writer."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Nowadays, both PDs and writers are so stuck-up, they act like they never had a rookie era. Oh my."

"There's a rookie actor here who seems to have skipped that era."

"Hahaha, now that you mention it, Actor Jeong Seo-hoon, despite still being a rookie, doesn't seem like one at all."

"I thought the same thing while watching Illegel. Is this really a rookie? I wondered."

The weak attempt to change the topic and the forced laughter were due to the desire to avoid the current grim situation, even if just for a moment.

However, one cannot turn their back on problems indefinitely.

'If you run away from a large credit card bill, the next thing you know, debt collectors will be stalking you.'

"Can't you just replace the writer with another one?"

"I did check, but who would want to step in as a replacement for another writer's work? You never know what problems might arise later."

"True, if the original writer resurfaces and files a lawsuit, it would be a headache."

"I tried to schedule another production, but then we'd have to recast everything. We don't have the time. We might barely make the March 1st broadcast date if we start shooting now......"

It's impossible to continue the production or the schedule.

"What about the PD?"

"He just keeps apologizing, saying it's his fault for not managing the writer's temper. But what good does it do to blame the PD or the writer now? We need to fill the gap in the schedule first."

"You're right. This is really......"

Jang Seung-won was also at a loss.

It's hard to be harsh and tell him to handle it himself, given that the person he's talking to is the drama department director.

Even in an era where production teams might act arrogantly toward the broadcasting station because of a good script and good production, it's still a human environment and a small ecosystem.

Even if you refuse, you should do so as politely and considerately as possible.

"How could I come to the higher-ups and say such things? There's no way to fill the gap in the schedule. What, are we supposed to suddenly air National Geographic in that time slot?"

"Viewers who were looking forward to a weekday 9 PM drama would be furious."

"Is there really no way?"

"This isn't something I can decide alone......"

"The script is already complete. If we just adjust the shooting schedule, it should work, right? Who else would make that decision besides Director Jang?"

As the drama department director said, the decision was in Jang Seung-won's hands.

From the writer's perspective, it doesn't matter whether it's one episode or two per week, and the actors can just follow the more intense schedule.

"Someone said that the first thing to be shredded when a production is decided is the schedule."

Jang Seung-won sighed, and Jeong Seo-hoon added a word.

"In a battlefield, the first thing to be discarded when the battle starts is the battle plan."

"It's the same in any human environment. The writer who went into hiding is finished. She won't be able to work in this industry anymore. I wonder what she was thinking."

"Are there many people like that?"

"Actually, not many."

Jang Seung-won shrugged.

"You see all kinds of people in this industry. Actors who come to act drunk, writers who drink soju and cry because they can't write their side scripts, and actors who complain about how their scenes were edited despite their terrible acting. There are all kinds of villains."

The director then added, as if waiting for the moment.

"So, isn't it the guardian of balance who put Actor Jeong Seo-hoon with you, Director, to help maintain the center? A rookie actor asking for 300 billion won in production fees is a legend I've never heard of."

"Director, no matter how good you say it is, it won't affect the shooting schedule."

"Oh, why not? Just help me out once. No, help our CV Broadcasting Station. Ah! If you agree to produce it twice a week, I'll take responsibility......"

"Take responsibility?"

"Sure! I'll make sure you can use the Pyeongtaek Studio's LED virtual production and 16,000 square meter outdoor open set whenever you need it, with top priority."

Jeong Seo-hoon saw Jang Seung-won's eyes light up.

He didn't know what deal the director had proposed, but the PD's reaction suggested it was quite significant.

"Director, are you serious?"

"Of course. Do you think I'd bluff in this situation? I've already gotten the chief's approval. If Director Jang says okay, the Pyeongtaek Studio is yours from now on."

"Really? I can use it as I please?"

"Absolutely! Use it as you please!"

"Alright. Then we'll start airing twice a week from March 1st."

***

The Hageung production team entered the Pyeongtaek Studio.

Parking their cars in the parking lot, they carried only the essential camera and other important equipment into the LED production facility.

Several actors marveled at the sight of the giant cylindrical LED wall that surrounded them on all sides.

"Wow, it's really impressive to see it with my own eyes."

"Right? I was also stunned when I saw it for the first time. I thought this kind of thing only existed in Hollywood."

"The broadcasting station is really pushing our drama. They said we'd have priority access to this facility."

"An 800 billion won drama, of course they should give us this much support."

Those who didn't know the truth felt relieved and whispered among themselves, while Jang Seung-won gave Jeong Seo-hoon a meaningful wink.

Jeong Seo-hoon slowly walked along the LED wall, which was displaying various historical drama backgrounds in a loop.

The micro-LED wall, which cost a fortune, vividly recreated the backgrounds, but they still felt far from real.

"Acting in front of a green screen, pretending to interact with something that isn't there, is harder than you think. It's like shadow boxing with an invisible monster."

"Definitely, it would help more with emotional expression."

"Exactly."

The casual chatter of the cast didn't really resonate with him.

'How impressive is this really?'

No matter how grand it is, compared to the scenery the camera lens shows him, it's like a firefly in front of a full moon.

The camera lens has evolved to a new level, now accurately dressing the scene and pulling him and his co-stars into it.

The vividness and realism he experiences inside it are so intense that they make him forget the 'outside' world.

'What will it be like to act here?'

Will the new scenery provided by the lens be even clearer, or will the LED wall just be swallowed up by it, becoming meaningless?

He saw Han Se-hee, who was diligently focusing on her script.

Han Se-hee, among the actors she had worked with, including Cha Do-jin, Yoo Jeong-a, and Chae Ji-hyun, was the one most sensitive to the lens's power.

"When I act with him, it's strange. I can't see the camera. It feels like I'm in another world, acting with him alone. It's hard to explain, but it's different. I don't believe in the aura concept, but he definitely has that kind of presence."

Partially, he agreed with her. He had experienced it himself during the Illegel production.

When acting with Jeong Seo-hoon, he was less aware of the camera and the production crew around him.

He thought it was because of Jeong Seo-hoon's unique presence, which drew his attention.

The incredible immersion, where his eyes changed and he became a different person in front of the camera, seemed to steal his focus.

'Still, it feels different from an outdoor set.'

He calmly observed the vast augmented landscape created by the surrounding giant screens.

While it lacked the piercing realism of a real forest, it had a commanding presence that firmly held his gaze.

It felt like watching a grand movie of a forest rather than being inside one.

A prince in hunting attire stood before him with five men.

The forest scenery created by the LED wall, which was on the side of the prince, seemed detached from the rest of the scene, as if it were playing separately.

From the camera on the right, it would look like the left minister and the prince were standing side by side, facing off in the forest.

"Standby, cue."

The PD's signal dropped, and Lee Min-soo slowly took a step, trying to embody the left minister.

'Hmm?'

At that moment, Lee Min-soo's brow furrowed as he felt the scenery before him distort, as if in a hallucination.

The LED wall, which had been detached from the prince's side to the back, began to extend to the floor, engulfing the surroundings.

'Could the floor be part of the LED wall too?'

No way. He hadn't heard that.

But the plywood floor the prince was standing on began to transform into a rugged mountain slope, as if the hidden LED was finally revealing itself.

The left minister narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the prince.

Water droplets from a massive waterfall splashed onto the prince's shoulder.

- Prince, how can you enjoy hunting at such a precarious time for the nation?

- I came to check on the rabbit traps. Hunting? That's absurd, Minister.

The prince's calm voice made Lee Min-soo shiver suddenly.

It wasn't just because the acting was good. It was something else.

The sound of the waterfall, which shouldn't have been mixed in, was blending with the prince's voice, making it feel like they were really in the mountains.

- You came to check the rabbit traps, but why do you carry a bow and arrows?

- This? I brought them in case I encounter a tiger in these rugged mountains. Just like this.

The prince mockingly aimed the bow at the left minister and pulled the empty string, then released it.

The left minister's gaze was caught by the shadow of the arrow, which seemed to be shot from the empty string.

A cool breeze from the majestic ancient forest could be felt at the edges of his focus.

- Prince, even with an empty bow, how can you mock me like this......

As the left minister moved, suppressing his anger calmly, he suddenly felt a rock under his foot.

Feeling a texture that shouldn't have been there, he involuntarily looked down.

The moment he saw his right foot stuck in a crevice created by a rock pressing into the soil, he involuntarily groaned.

"Cut! NG!"

Ah, it was an NG.

Lee Min-soo, feeling helpless at the absurd mistake, saw the LED imagery on the floor disappear instantly.

The small rock that had tripped him was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a flat piece of plywood.

Stunned and looking down at his shoes, Jang Seung-won cautiously asked,

"Teacher, is your right foot uncomfortable? Should we change the shoe prop?"

Lee Min-soo slowly raised his head, burst into a dazed laugh, and shook his head.

"No, I just thought I saw something for a moment."