Ch.31Independent Film

The first meeting between Kim Suha played by Han Taegeon and the student soldier played by Kim Donghu.

Watching the scene, the other actors’ mouths went dry.

Just fourteen years old.

He clearly wasn’t from a generation that experienced war,

yet the look in his eyes was extraordinary.

‘Is this his second life?’

When Director Kang explained why the student soldier needed to appear,

the actors wondered how a child could possibly portray such a role.

A child who lost his sister in the war, fixated on her last words,

living with only the thought that he must survive.

Emptiness and longing, expressing both simultaneously seemed impossible.

It wasn’t something a young child could extract from experience.

Yet somehow, he was pulling it off effortlessly.

“When he gets a bit older, he’ll be a lead actor.”

“I agree.”

Actors Ko Changsik and Seo Myungwoo, who played supporting roles in the film,

were surprised in a different way.

“Presence isn’t easily created.”

“Especially when it’s innate.”

Having supported countless lead actors while being known as quality supporting actors themselves,

they understood.

Being a lead actor was something you had to be born with.

It wasn’t just about being written as the lead in the script or having good looks.

The power to carry an entire production alone.

The presence that consumes everything when captured on camera.

That was the biggest factor in determining a lead actor.

“When this movie comes out, it’s going to cause a sensation.”

“Chungmuro is always thirsty for new faces.”

Actors with ticket power naturally guaranteed success,

but the downside was that their price kept increasing.

After making a hit together, when trying to work together again,

the subsequent price often became unmanageable.

So the emergence of new lead actors was always welcome.

Moreover.

“I wonder how much more handsome he’ll become when he grows up.”

“He’s so handsome I can’t even say my son is better-looking.”

“Hey, you absolutely shouldn’t talk about that sort of thing right now.”

Comparing his looks to anyone else’s was simply absurd.

The two actors slowly watched the ridiculously handsome actor finish his performance.

Unbelievably good-looking, and a great actor on top of that.

Where on earth did someone like that come from?

+++++

After filming the student soldier scenes,

the shoot wrapped up smoothly and quickly.

“You worked really hard today.”

“Not at all, it was possible thanks to the great script.”

“Hehe, our actor Donghu, really? How do you speak so beautifully?”

Thank you even if it’s just flattery.

Director Kang, already excited about editing the footage they’d shot,

stroked his Guan Yu-style beard as he saw me off.

I heard the other actors were staying for a workshop in Gangwon Province.

‘I got out of it because I’m young.’

Graduating from school was definitely a necessary matter.

I wanted to attend at least high school, if not college.

Besides.

Buzz buzz buzz.

>Donghu, sorry for the sudden contact. Is everything okay in this cold weather?

>Actually, our Korea Arts High School brochure came out, and I thought you might be interested in seeing it.

>No pressure at all, just read it comfortably, and if you have any questions about admission!

>Please tell me, Edward Park, and I’ll sincerely help you.

>Also, our graduation concert is in February next year, and if you have the opportunity…

Someone had become extremely interested in my high school plans.

‘This is the first person who’s more interested in my education than my own mother.’

Usually parents look into these things,

but I had the principal of one of Korea’s top arts high schools personally explaining the admission process to me.

Didn’t he say I should learn piano properly and become a master, beyond my acting career?

He was such an interesting and nice person that I couldn’t help but smile thinking about it.

“Donghu, good work today.”

As I smiled and headed toward the van, Manager Seokho opened the car door as if he’d been waiting.

“Thank you.”

“No need for thanks, it’s only natural. What wouldn’t I do for our actor Donghu, the building owner?”

Saying that, as soon as I got in the car, Seokho stacked several scripts next to me.

“What are these?”

“I was thinking, what you’re appearing in now is impressive enough, but your screen time is relatively limited, right?”

You can make a strong impression on viewers, but you’re not carrying the entire show.

I nodded at Seokho’s words.

He certainly wasn’t wrong.

But I couldn’t just land a lead or supporting role right away.

I was a rookie, after all.

So Seokho said he changed his perspective.

“We should make an independent film!”

“An independent film?”

“Yes, and I’ll invest in it to expand the scale.”

If you make an independent film, you can lead the entire production and aim for film festival awards.

“That way, our goal is to target the 2011 film festival’s New Actor Award.”

The New Actor Award.

In some ways, it’s an award with fewer chances to win than even the Grand Prize.

It means becoming the brightest gem among countless newcomers.

Seokho continued speaking while opening the scripts one by one.

“So I’ve already selected some good ones. About five of them.”

“You selected them all?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

That’s when I noticed Seokho’s face again.

Unlike before, his eyes looked hollow.

With slight exaggeration, he looked like he could be friends with a panda, or play jump rope with dark circles.

I roughly knew that hundreds or thousands of scripts came out each year.

He was saying he had read them all.

“These five are what I consider A-grade, and there are about twenty B-grade ones. Look through them all first, and if anything seems questionable, let me know.”

With those words, Seokho quickly headed to the driver’s seat.

‘He really worked hard for me.’

While feeling grateful, a worry arose in my mind.

‘But I don’t have an eye for scripts.’

In the case of “High Dream” and “Endless Frontline,”

I was able to gauge their success using information from my previous life.

But these independent film scripts were completely unknown territory.

‘Why are you quiet at times like this?’

Shouldn’t a smooth road give me this kind of information?

Just as I thought that, as if waiting for those words:

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Messages from [Sims – Real Life] arrived one after another.

-[One of the most important things for an actor is their career]

-[What kind of career you’ve built is also a measure of how successful you are as an actor]

-[How nice would it be if you could pick only successful scripts from the many available?]

-[We’ve prepared something for you!]

-[Downloading application ‘There Has Never Been A Script Like This’]

-[From now on, you can check a film’s success potential through the grade next to the script.]

Though the messages came flooding in, their meaning was clear.

‘You can know the success rate?’

What did “grade next to the script” mean?

With that thought, I picked up a random script.

<I Might Have Forgotten What Happened That Day, C>

There really was a grade next to the title.

‘I wonder what a B grade means.’

Wanting specific information, I immediately pulled out the “Endless Frontline” script.

<Endless Frontline, B (grade rising)>

‘Grade rising?’

I was trying to get objective information, but this made things more ambiguous.

‘As far as I know, Endless Frontline wasn’t an exceptionally successful film.’

It was an enjoyable film, but not one with outstanding results.

Yet now it was labeled “grade rising,”

and there was only one difference between the film in my previous life and now:

‘Me.’

It meant my existence had a significant impact on the film’s grade.

‘So even if the current grade is low, I can raise it with my presence.’

Flip, flip.

I looked at two more, but they were both graded C.

‘Is this due to the limitations of independent films?’

I was hoping for at least one B-grade.

With that thought, I checked the last script.

<The Real Hero, B>

A simple title and the grade I was hoping for.

‘It’s unreasonable to expect everything from the first try.’

Frankly, it would be nice to star in a ten-million-viewer film from debut,

but I wanted to build a solid foundation by working my way up from the bottom.

‘Successful people all had strong foundations.’

Anyway.

In that sense, this script was excellent.

Moreover.

Rustle.

<The Real Hero, B (grade expected to rise)>

The moment I touched the script, the words “grade expected to rise” appeared.

There couldn’t be a more suitable script for me right now.

‘Thank you, Seokho.’

After sending my gratitude to Seokho who was working day and night,

‘Immersion.’

I immediately dove into the script.

+++++

The first thing I stabbed to death was a wild dog that charged at me.

There were always wild dogs in the quiet slum.

They probably lived in abandoned houses since they couldn’t go to the apartments across the way.

Such wild dogs were always objects of fear.

And I was the hero who stabbed and killed such a dog.

No, I thought I was a hero.

Drip, drip.

Blood drops fell.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

The children ran away.

I was clearly a hero who defeated a villain,

I skewered and killed the wild dog with my sword of justice,

so why were they afraid of me?

“Hey, why are you running away?”

I didn’t understand.

Why were they doing this? I’m a hero.

One who brutally kills villains,

and ultimately emerges victorious,

a hero.