Chapter 8

Villain Only Acting 008

Making of, Not Included - Solo Camera (1)

Jeong Seohoon signed the acting contract.

The per-episode fee was 900,000 won.

As he stared at the amount, Song Jeong-woo, looking somewhat embarrassed, defended himself, saying, "This is for a rookie actor. Usually, they get between 500,000 and 700,000 won. Special A-class rookies can get over 1,000,000 won. 900,000 won isn't a small amount. I did put in some effort for you."

"But I'm only filming for one episode. Am I getting paid for the entire series?"

"Even after you're gone, you'll appear in flashbacks and such. You're not an extra; you're a significant supporting role.

The total fee is 10,800,000 won.

Seohoon's shooting schedule would be two days at the earliest, and at most, a week, according to Song Jeong-woo.

"Thinking about it, working for a week and getting 10,800,000 won isn't bad."

"Plus, you'll get 20% and 12% for reruns and third broadcasts, respectively. It's quite profitable if you stack up your works. If it gets exported overseas, it's like a pension."

Song Jeong-woo said the casting was almost complete.

They would start the script reading as soon as everything was ready and begin shooting right after.

"You don't have an agency yet, right? Oh, my, what's wrong with me? There wouldn't be one, of course."

Song Jeong-woo laughed in disbelief and continued.

"If this drama does well, Seohoon's acting career will be on a smooth path. The role of Private Lee Jin-wook is particularly impressive. You might get over 500,000 won per episode for your next role. The more, the better."

"I'm not sure if I'll get another role. Actually, I'm quite nervous since it's my first time."

"You don't need to be. Just do what you did during the camera test. Did you say you've been to the military?"

"Yes, I have."

"Then, what are you doing now...?"

"Nothing. I was preparing to return to school."

"Return to school? You're a college student. What's your major?"

"Electrical and Electronic Engineering."

"Oh, an engineering student. Surprising. For some reason, I thought you were in the Department of Theater and Film. You said you hadn't acted before, but that was just my intuition."

"Our school doesn't have a Department of Theater and Film. I've only heard they plan to create one soon."

At that moment, Kim Sang-hee, the screenwriter, appeared with a thick new script.

Though her face was haggard and her hair was unkempt, her eyes were bright.

"PD Song, the new script is ready."

"What? The script was revised?"

"Yes. Please take a look. I rewrote the plot, so it'll be easier to understand if you read it together. Seohoon, you should read it too."

Kim Sang-hee had printed out two identical copies of the new script.

Song Jeong-woo reluctantly took one.

"Everything is set, but now you're changing the script? Didn't you touch it much?"

"I did more than just touch it."

"Oh dear. Here we go again, Ms. Kim Sang-hee."

Song Jeong-woo sat down and opened the script.

His expression stiffened as he read, and his pupils trembled slightly.

After reading up to Episode 2, Song Jeong-woo looked up.

"Are you saving Private Lee Jin-wook?"

"Of course. How can you throw away such a good character after just one episode?"

"But in the original, Private Lee Jin-wook confessed his grievances to Lawyer Go Je-man and then committed suicide, which shocked him and led him to investigate corruption."

"Does a lazy lawyer need a death to be shocked? That's why I'm against it. Are you saving him?"

"No. As long as the flow isn't broken, it's better for Private Lee Jin-wook to stay alive longer."

"What about you, Seohoon?"

Kim Sang-hee looked at Seohoon with excited eyes.

The mid-30s star screenwriter's eyes were more hopeful than scheming.

"Will the shooting period be longer?"

"His role will be more significant. Why are you so calm? Other actors would do anything to get more lines."

"Kim, you understand. He had no interest in entertainment before. His major is engineering, after all."

"Engineering? Wow, you don't look like it at all."

Episode 1 didn't change much.

But the ending was completely different.

Originally, the episode ended with Lawyer Go Je-man in shock after hearing that Private Lee Jin-wook had been found dead.

In the revised version, Private Lee Jin-wook leaves a message hinting at suicide and disappears, and the episode ends with Lawyer Go Je-man urgently searching for him.

"Private Lee Jin-wook was actually a serial killer."

"..."

"..."

"Ah, what's that look for?"

Song Jeong-woo, looking somewhat displeased, asked cautiously.

"Isn't this a bit of a stretch? Kim, you must have been really inspired by Seohoon's acting. You even tore down the basic structure. But you know, the building's framework is already up. You can't make last-minute changes. That's shoddy work, shoddy work. Or is it illegal construction?"

"Ugh."

Kim Sang-hee sighed deeply and said, hanging her head.

"It's not a design change. I'm reviving the original concept."

"Original concept?"

"Yes. This isn't a completely new script. This is the original. I did make some adjustments this time. And this is content for around Episodes 4 or 5, which I wrote in advance."

Kim Sang-hee handed over the script again, and Song Jeong-woo took it quickly.

"Is this the original too?"

"Yes. It's the prince sleeping in my laptop. Seohoon, read it too."

"Okay."

It wasn't a complete script but a version with selected scenes.

Seohoon and Song Jeong-woo read it quickly.

S#???. (Lawyer Go Je-man recalls Private Lee Jin-wook's testimony)

Senior1: Lee Jin-wook! You brat! Follow the order!

Lee Jin-wook: I, I can't! Massacre of civilians is a war crime!

Senior2: What? Do you see them as civilians? If you can't tell the difference between rebels and civilians here, you'll be the first to die, brat!

Senior3: Shoot, brat! You're not getting out of here alone today!

Lee Jin-wook: Aaaah!

(Seniors force Lee Jin-wook to shoot the blindfolded and tied civilians, but he has a seizure and shoots the seniors instead.

The gun jams and stops.

The last surviving officer, bleeding from the leg, aims at Lee Jin-wook.)

Officer: The gun jammed. Private Lee Jin-wook... Why didn't you follow the order, Private?

Lee Jin-wook: You, you deserve to die!

(Officer pulls the trigger at Lee Jin-wook. Lee Jin-wook dives into the bushes and escapes)

S#???. (Lee Jin-wook's real flashback)

(Dead South Korean soldiers in front of blindfolded and tied prisoner corpses, the only surviving officer, and Lee Jin-wook standing calmly in front of him)

Officer: Lee Jin-wook... Why... to this extent...?

Lee Jin-wook: Massacre of civilians is a war crime. So, it's okay to kill you. I'm just following my own rules.

Officer: This will ruin your life...

Lee Jin-wook: Who? The friends you sent across the Jordan River? Or you? Or me?

(Lee Jin-wook lowers his stance in front of the officer)

Lee Jin-wook: Do you know how much I wanted to kill you? How many nights I imagined peeling your skin and held back?

Officer: You... are insane...

Lee Jin-wook: Do you know how many times I screamed inside, wanting to join you when you killed prisoners to relieve stress? This trained conscience is a headache. I can't live as I want.

Officer: Spare me...

Lee Jin-wook: Why now? Why didn't you let me join before! Why!

(Gunshot sounds, and Lee Jin-wook stands up, feeling ecstasy)

Lee Jin-wook: This is the feeling. Killing.

After finishing the script, Song Jeong-woo swallowed hard and looked at Kim Sang-hee.

"Lee Jin-wook was originally a serial killer?"

"Yes. I was inspired by the TV show Dexter. He always has fantasies of how thrilling it would be to see people beg for their lives and cry when they're on the brink of death."

"..."

"But he absolutely doesn't want to die or go to jail. He suppressed it until he saw the seniors killing civilians, which pushed him over the edge."

"Like offering barbecue in front of a hungry person... "

"Originally, Lee Jin-wook was a key character driving the plot. He's the trigger for Lawyer Go Je-man's awakening, but also someone Go Je-man has to deal with."

"So the murders Go Je-man encounters throughout the series...?"

"Originally, they were all committed by Lee Jin-wook. But since I made him commit suicide, I distributed the crimes among different killers. Now, there's no need for that."

"Turns out he was the main villain. Why did you change the character in the planning meeting?"

"I didn't change the character, just the script."

"It's the same thing."

"It's different. The script only shows the actions and lines of the character at that moment. It can't capture the entire life of the character."

Song Jeong-woo nodded in agreement.

"Scenery that doesn't appear on screen, but exists off-screen."

"I originally wrote the role for Yoo Si-wook."

"Oh, Yoo Si-wook. Now that you mention it, he fits the image. That's why the name ends with 'wook'."

"But when I saw Seohoon's acting during the test, I realized this character was meant for him. That's why Yoo Si-wook didn't work out."

Kim Sang-hee smiled and looked at Seohoon, hoping for praise.

It's not easy for a top-notch screenwriter to be so gentle with a rookie actor.

It means Seohoon really impressed her.

"You would have had to revise the script if you wrote it for Yoo Si-wook. Another actor wouldn't have satisfied you. You hate that."

"Exactly. If Seohoon hadn't shown up, Lee Jin-wook would have been just a one-episode trigger and discarded. It's really fortunate."

"What happened?"

Seohoon, puzzled, looked at Song Jeong-woo, who explained.

"Yoo Si-wook was caught drunk driving. He can't appear on TV for a while."

"I told him to either sell his car, quit drinking, or cut off his thumb, but he didn't listen! Oh, what a fool."

Making of, Not Included - Solo Camera (2)