Ch.173Coming

Who leads the play?

The answer to this is predetermined.

The actor and the director.

Through the director’s guidance and the actor’s performance, the play reveals itself to the world.

But there is a gateway that must be passed through for that revelation.

That gateway is the camera.

No matter how good the directing may be.

No matter how impressive the acting may be.

If the lens fails to capture it, it all becomes meaningless.

That’s why the cinematographer plays such a crucial role.

The same goes for lighting.

In other words, a good film emerges when everyone works in perfect harmony.

But that’s an incredibly difficult task.

Having dozens of people coordinate to create a final product.

It’s a challenge on a completely different level from the group jump rope we did in school.

But if there’s a powerful leader.

If someone exists who can control everyone and manipulate them at will.

The difficulty decreases exponentially.

That’s exactly what was happening on the set of “The Real Hero.”

“…This is the first time I’ve been scared of an actor while working as a stunt performer.”

Even though the break time had clearly ended.

Everyone remained tense, their eyes fixed on the van.

The space where Kim Donghu was resting.

Everywhere else, the atmosphere remained stiff.

“He’s not just any actor.”

“Wow… really… even the cinematographers were filming while holding their breath, following him so carefully….”

Kim Hyunsu, the team leader of the stunt team LetsHit, nodded at those words.

“He calculated all of that.”

“What?”

“When filming action, as you know, everything has to be played within the camera lens.”

Action may look free, but in reality, it’s extremely constrained.

Having to move within the range that the camera can capture.

It’s like being told to dance your best inside an invisible cage.

“Actor Kim Donghu, I noticed he was precisely aware of the camera while coordinating his movements.”

“Is that even possible? While making those movements?”

The stunt performers recalled the recent scene with disbelief.

“When he was doing that knuckle combination… I thought he wasn’t holding back and was really going to hit me. I was terrified.”

“Wow, you too, senior? Me too, it was seriously scary.”

Not just any actor.

That statement wasn’t some kind of bait for effect.

He truly wasn’t just any actor.

Olympic boxing heavyweight gold medalist.

A monster who defeated a doped athlete.

A hitman who nullified the roles of bribed referees and judges.

That was Kim Donghu.

The stunt performers had just realized what effect it had when such an actor volunteered to do his own action without stunts.

“Really… it really felt like he had become the character?”

“Ah, I know… I think I understand what you mean.”

Stunt performers are actors too, but their focus is primarily on action.

But when Kim Donghu took the lead in the scene, a completely new sensation took over their bodies.

A feeling of truly being inside the movie.

A sense of becoming the character from the script.

That level of immersion was something they had never experienced before while working as stunt performers.

“I was just so scared… there was really no way around it.”

He’s a boxing heavyweight gold medalist, after all.

To put it extremely, he’s at a level where calling him one of humanity’s strongest wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

When someone like that acts like he’s hitting you? Honestly, it would be strange not to be afraid.

“He seems to be pulling his punches a lot, but the sound of him cutting through the air is so scary.”

“Even though I know the knuckles are props… wow….”

And among all that, the scariest thing was.

“His eyes, his eyes are just too much.”

Eyes of contempt, as if looking at garbage rather than a person.

A gaze like facing filth that must be removed.

When caught in that gaze, your knees weaken and your body freezes.

“Will it be one take this time too?”

“I heard they’re planning to do a one-take that’s about 7 to 10 minutes long.”

“Wow, they’re going to do that much action continuously?”

With that scale, it would rival Hollywood.

The stunt performers were thrilled that they might appear in such a scene.

Even the most clueless person would get a sense of it.

“This might become a clip that gets like 10 million views on YouTube.”

“Damn… that would be amazing, a career highlight. I’d brag about it forever.”

As the stunt performers were finishing their break and gathering at the filming location.

Slide.

The van door opened.

All eyes turned.

Everyone held their breath at the appearance of the cruel hero who would lead the scene.

“I’ll be in your care.”

The ever-polite words of actor Kim Donghu.

Somehow today, they seemed to say:

‘Don’t get in my way.’

++++++

While in the van.

‘That performance was definitely different.’

I felt like I was acting in a completely different realm.

It was a sensation entirely different from the immersive acting I had done until now.

‘Not immersion but… what should I call it, absorption?’

Beyond simply bringing out the character from the script.

It was like perfectly dominating everything around it too.

It seemed like the script of “The Real Hero” and

the experiences I had were combining to create that result.

Beyond the talent to embody a character.

It felt like all the numerous talents I had gained through Sims’ power naturally came together.

That different level of absorption naturally created the one-take.

“I’ll be in your care.”

After that light greeting.

I stood by the door again to prepare for filming.

‘Starting with kicking the door, breaking the light, and then the action that follows.’

All of this needs to be completed in one go.

Because everyone knows this.

I can see them organizing the camera’s movement path and surrounding props more thoroughly than before.

A situation where no mistakes are tolerated.

One-takes are battles of endurance and concentration, so it couldn’t be helped.

While observing the filming location.

“…It must have been an extremely difficult decision, thank you for stepping forward.”

“Pardon?”

Suddenly, Director Lee Seongdeok’s unexpected words of gratitude came flying.

“For the sake of the film, to develop to a better level…! This was truly one of the things I wanted to do, collaborating with an actor and director becoming one… making a good film…!”

I quickly caught what Director Lee Seongdeok was talking about.

‘This isn’t a flow where I can just say it happened by chance?’

Then I’ll have to make something up.

As I was thinking that and about to open my mouth.

“Indeed, indeed. I felt it during ‘Traitor’ too, but actor Kim Donghu really has… a passion for this profession, right? I need to learn from him.”

“Right? I felt it too. As expected, Seonghwan, you noticed right away.”

“Well, we’re both actors. It’s just something you feel… Donghu’s passion for acting? One-takes aren’t easy, really… I’ll put my all into it too.”

Senior Ju Seonghwan, who had been listening quietly, chimed in to support Director Lee Seongdeok’s words.

“What? Ah… ah.”

This wasn’t a flow where I could vaguely make something up.

Then there’s no choice.

“That’s right. I really want to make this film the best.”

I had to put on a brave face.

+++++++

After finishing the brief conversation.

Actor Ju Seonghwan moved to his designated position and exhaled deeply.

‘Bought a little more time, about 3 minutes.’

He had no choice because his still-pounding heart hadn’t calmed down.

‘A one-take action scene, I’ve never done this before.’

Despite being a seasoned actor, Ju Seonghwan had never done a one-take action scene.

Especially not one lasting 7 to 10 minutes.

It was a truly risky attempt.

If something went wrong, they might waste time with no results.

Or they might compromise and settle for mediocre results.

Action scenes without CGI were even more prone to this.

Pure action without any embellishment.

It would be great if they could pull it off, but.

‘No, he said we’re doing it because we can do it.’

About 20 seconds before filming began.

Ju Seonghwan thought of Kim Donghu who would be outside the warehouse.

He’s a monster of an actor.

He couldn’t help feeling nervous.

His heart was racing.

At the thought of experiencing an action scene like no other.

The excitement wouldn’t stop.

And at that moment.

“Cue!”

The signal to start filming echoed through the set.

Bang!

The rusty metal door crumples like paper once again.

And Kim Donghu, no, Hero enters.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Hero.”

More concise dialogue than before.

Followed immediately by.

Crash!

A baseball and the instantly shattered light.

The moment the baseball is thrown and the moment it hits the light.

The camera captures all of these scenes.

Not any kind of manipulation.

Actions 100% performed purely by the actor.

Honestly, it’s unbelievable.

Why is he even good at throwing baseballs?

‘How many things is he good at?’

The admiration was brief.

Creak.

The sound of Hero putting on leather gloves and knuckles is heard.

It was nothing short of a death sentence.

“Wait, what happened to the lights! What’s going on?”

“That bastard! That bastard turned them off!”

“That crazy son of a bitch! Get him!”

At the words of Ju Seonghwan, or rather human trafficker boss Ji Hyuntae, everyone rushes toward Hero.

Many against one.

If his legs are caught and he falls, it’s over.

If he gets hit from behind, it’s over.

An overwhelmingly disadvantageous moment.

Crack!

Thud!

Unreasonable violence overturns the numerical advantage.

Movements perfectly calculated to kill humans.

A weapon to send people to hell.

“Save me, save meeeee!”

“Ah, don’t, don’t come!”

Cold weapons are cruel.

Because a person can kill another person while looking into their eyes.

That’s exactly what Hero did.

In a desperate and painful way.

Driving his fist into broken ribs again.

Twisting his wrist to make the bone pierce the lung.

“Kuh, kuhuk….”

No words can be spoken.

Yet Hero calmly looks into the eyes of the criminal spitting blood.

“Ugh, uhhhhh….”

The criminal, no, the stunt performer, trembled as soon as he saw Kim Donghu’s eyes.

It was clearly acting, but.

‘This isn’t acting.’

The special makeup would make liquid that looks like blood flow from the knuckles.

But it looked like real blood was flowing.

A killing intent that made you wonder if he had really killed someone before.

Even while dying, his hands naturally came together.

“S-save me… huh… ugh….”

He wanted to beg.

Despite knowing he shouldn’t make a sound.

He naturally wanted to beg for his life.

But.

“Too late.”

Hero resolutely crushes the criminal’s cervical spine.

A person kills another person with his hands.

With knuckled fists, he minces a person horribly, methodically.

“You must be the head here.”

After repeatedly butchering people like that for who knows how long.

Finally, Hyuntae and Hero face each other.

Hero covered in blood and.

Hyuntae trembling in fear, holding a gun.

Who is the criminal and who is the judge?

In the middle of that horrific scene.

‘Here he comes.’

Hyuntae’s eyes fix on Hero.

Is this what a true hero looks like?

No, it wasn’t.

The hero he saw as a child didn’t look like this.

This is.

The embodiment of terror.