I Will Live As An Actor Chapter 48

I Will Live as an Actor Episode 48

Like a verse from the Bible, the voice of a young man entangles my mind. Director Shin Seong-hyeon, who left Songwon Entertainment, looks as if he is possessed by a ghost. Seeing the director half-fazed, the assistant director behind the wheel couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked.

“Director, what happened? Actor Min said he would do it?”

“no.”

“So are you so distraught now? Hey, since when have we been able to easily cast the actors we want? In times like these, you need to be more alert!”

“Seokcheol, how long have you worked with me?”

“It’s been ten years now. It’s rare for a talented assistant director like me to work under the same director for a long time while also working as a scripter. So, do your best. Get a license, okay? Do I have to be the driver like this every time?”

“I guess I’ve been dreaming this whole time. This work can’t go on like this.”

“I beg your pardon!”

Beep!

The car comes to a sudden stop with a loud sound of the brakes being applied. Fortunately, the signal was received late. The car behind me honks its horn irritably, as if blaming me for not passing the dilemma zone (orange light). But that’s not what’s important. Assistant director Kim Seok-cheol pays no heed and tilts his head to glare at Jo Seok.

“Director, no, Shin! Are you saying that you’re going to throw it out just because you got rejected once? No, it’s not just once or twice, so why do you mean so much? It’s a script you’ve been working on writing for years, but this easily? I can’t admit it! I can’t believe how much pressure is coming from investment companies right now. “A man you know is doing this! Well, if you don’t have an actor, there are no actors in Korea!”

“Hey! Stop yelling and drive. The light has changed!”

“So I said I would go in with you! What on earth did I hear in Songwon’s representative office that suddenly made me lose my mind? I started doing this and that. Have I reached menopause already?”

Assistant director Kim Seok-cheol scratches his head and takes the wheel again. Director Shin Seong-hyeon, who was silent for a while, finally spoke as if he had made a decision.

“Seokcheol, don’t get on the Olympic road, let’s turn the car around and go straight home.”

“Huh? There’s an investment company meeting today!”

“Even if I go there, they only put more pressure on me to cast an actor who isn’t good enough! If it wasn’t for that damn money, I would have kicked those guys’ butts right away! So I need to quickly turn around and use my emotions to regain my image as the main character.”

“You’re trying to capture the image again?”

“Literally, it hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it probably needs major revisions. I’ll tell you all the details later. For now, please go home quickly.”

“Wow, that guy’s hair is a testament to his superiority.”

Director Shin Seong-hyeon’s feelings right now were more complicated than anyone else’s. The psalm that flowed from England’s mouth reawakened the inspiration that came to mind when writing the screenplay.

Meanwhile,

“Psalms? What was that that made Director Shin so dumbfounded?”

CEO Seonghwan Kim asks with a puzzled expression. England smiles silently and stares at the empty seat.

I knew this because I was a college student who was crazy about the screenplay ‘Confessions of a Priest’ in my past life. Who would have thought that director Shin’s drunken complaint to a magazine reporter with whom he was close would be published in a column when the film failed at the box office and lost public interest? Who would have thought that a short article published in a magazine that no one would know about unless they looked it up would cause such a butterfly effect.

* * *

Time flows like running water. The filming of the drama ‘Youth’ has passed the halfway point and the long-awaited famous scene has finally been broadcast. The viewer’s reaction exceeded expectations. Stories about ‘youth’ are often heard not only in the mass media but also on the streets.

It was a scene that put emphasis on the image of ‘the nation’s first love.’ If it weren’t for summer vacation, Bonamana School would have been crowded. With such a famous scene that has garnered so much attention, the SBC Drama Department is almost in a party mood.

“Highest viewership rating per minute: 36.9%!”

The youngest PD, who has just become a PD from an AD (assistant director), shouts out loud. How long has it been since this lively atmosphere has been around? The atmosphere in each partition is exciting. Isn’t the original broadcasting station, like the metaphor of the jungle, a world of the might of the jungle? It was difficult to always be in a good mood. The situation here is that when lineups overlap, people peek into each other’s partitions and end up grabbing each other by the collar.

However, I am happy that we are of one mind and one mind now. The usually cynical editorial team leader is also busy expressing his emotions.

“How on earth have we won for the first time in so many years? I’m happier than when we won in the World Cup match between Korea and Japan.”

Not to mention KBC, the SBC drama department has always suffered crushing ratings losses from the MBS drama department. Therefore, over the past few years, the atmosphere has been like a funeral home. To make matters worse, isn’t there an example of a drama that was only promoted as a luxury drama the year before last and then flopped? PD Kim Jin, the person responsible for the incident, walks straight to the director’s office.

“You heard the news, Director!”

PD Kim Jin bursts into the director’s office.

“Anyway, I’m the director. Just knock and come in!”

“Ah, anyway, you all saw me coming through the glass. By the way, did you see the viewership ratings yesterday? The highest rating per minute is 36%! A whopping 36%! Are you sure you didn’t know?”

“How could I not know? I was informed about it earlier!”

“I called it a termination of the contract. I got revenge for the insult I suffered the year before last. MBS also put up both hands and feet. The fact that the programming time was advanced is being restored to its original state. In fact, the viewer ratings are worse. How about that? “You did well, right? It’s been a while since you praised me.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thanks to you, I received a congratulatory message from the boss. It’s all thanks to you, thanks to you! Is that okay? The boss gave me a special bonus for a dinner party for the entire drama department. I’ll give you a separate card, so I’ll use that. “We also have company dinners with actors. Top contributors cannot be left out.”

“Also, you personally drop me off, so there is no reason or need to refuse. Then, I will leave.”

“Wait! Stop. How are the extension discussions going?”

PD Kim Jin’s face distorts as he turns around. However, he quickly changes his expression and turns towards the director.

“You know that. Tools are never in Writer Hwang’s dictionary. Even if it wasn’t, I had a sneak peek the last time I came to the filming site. But as soon as the word ‘yeon’ in the tool came out, it turned into seven colors and eight colors, so what can I do?”

“Man, why can’t you coax writer Hwang when you’re usually so chatty like a sparrow at a mill? Be honest. It’s not like you don’t want to extend the contract, right?”

“Well, just because I extend my salary doesn’t mean I’ll get a higher salary.”

“This bastard is real!”

“No, actually, in terms of the quality of the work, it’s right to end where writer Hwang gave the ending. Huh? Why are you holding up the nameplate now? Are you sure you can throw it? Yes, throw it. As much as you want. Before that, if I get injured and can’t film, think carefully about who will lose it. yo. this.”

“Kim Jin, you are so true! They say you can pay off a thousand nyang debts with words, but the more you talk, the more the debt increases. Oh, it’s nothing else, I got an offer from Japan. They want to buy the copyright.”

“Really in Japan?”

“Yes, it looks like they paid a lot of money for the rights per episode. It wouldn’t have mattered if it only reached my ears, but it has already reached the CEO through the Vice President’s line. So, do you think those people are going to give up and not extend it?”

“But first of all, the writer can’t convince me, so what can I do? Oh, I don’t know! I don’t know!”

In later years, there were many cases where Korean dramas were sold overseas, but at this point, there were only a few works. Even that failed to satisfy overseas tastes, resulting in poor results. However, it is surprising to hear that ‘Youth’ received offers from Japan from the beginning.

“From now on, Jang Young-guk’s salary should be at Seo Min-hye’s level. Of course, only he and we know this, and Seo Min-hye’s agency will make sure to keep track of her participation so that no one knows about it.”

Appearance fees vary greatly from actor to actor. While child actors receive hundreds of thousands of won per episode, star actors receive more than 10 million won per episode. After all, isn’t the appearance fee a barometer of an actor’s popularity?

In that sense, it was great to place England, who was no different from a new actress, on the same level as Teen, who was the most popular actress among actresses.

“Yes, yes. Does it matter? I have to do as I’m told.”

“And just in case, try trying to get some luck with the actors. No matter how much of a writer Hwang is, you don’t know if the actors want it, right? Lastly, let’s hold tight to Jang Young-guk. So that he can work with SBC on his next project as well. No matter how you look at it, he’s a beginner. “Not that friend.”

It’s a big fish.

* * *

“England, even cold water has ups and downs, so these egg rolls are mine.”

Ahn Jung-hyun picks up the last egg roll on the breakfast table with chopsticks.

“No, by that logic, my grandfather should eat it. Why does my uncle come first?”

“You don’t know that Grandpa doesn’t eat more than three egg rolls, right? Brother?”

Director Baek Jang-hoon watches the two people bickering with a happy smile. In the meantime, the housekeeper secretly brought out more egg rolls, putting an end to the egg war that had broken out. After the meal, it was time to enjoy the after-dinner view of the summer flowers blooming in the garden with warm tea.

“Brother, do you know that England has become more popular than me these days? This little guy is now called the nation’s first love. He stole the title that I was called when I was young.”

“Your uncle was not the nation’s first love, but the nation’s playboy. They say he was famous because he played the role of a playboy so well in weekend dramas. My mother knew that, right, grandfather?”

“There was a time when I went to a gun carriage with Junghyeon and got kicked out. To be precise, he was a bad guy for the people. Because he abandoned Jo Gangji and cheated on him.”

“Brother, what are you talking about in front of your child? You’re going to look bad.”

“If you want to keep your appearance, you should first change your habit of swinging open the bathroom door. I can’t comfortably do my business at home. By the way, Young-Kuk, I asked the priest for the favor I asked you the other day.”

“Really?”

“You are a close friend of my grandfather, so if you have any questions, please ask.”

“Bride? Why are you suddenly a bride? Are you trying to eat a bird’s nest at your age?”

Leaving Ahn Jung-hyun’s sincere joke behind, England busily completes preparations. I expect a busy day as I have to stop by the agency and then go to the precinct. Eventually, the sound of a car driven by manager Lee Bong-chun is heard arriving in front of the palace-like mansion.

As soon as you arrive at Songwon Entertainment, you hear unexpected news.

“An increase in appearance fees?”

“Yes, the broadcasting station said they would put you on the same level as Seo Min-hye. Usually, they don’t change the contract details like this during filming. It seems that England was anxious to keep you at SBC. Still, you don’t want the word to leak out, so you have to be careful. .”

England nods briefly. After all, it is natural. Keeping secrets regarding appearance fees was a tacit practice in this area. That’s because the ransom (guarantee) can stimulate the actors’ pride. In severe cases, problems often arise from casting.

“CEO, then why did you call me today? Have you even received a call from Director Shin?”

“That guy is also an unusual guy. England has appointed you and has already revised the script, but they are asking you to audition separately again.”

“I’m sure it’s not just because of my own greed.”

The situation is such that the leader suddenly revised the script. It would be strange if the production department below did not raise questions. These questions need to be resolved by the UK. But the real problem was different.

Actually, it’s not a big problem, but it seems that Director Shin is in a difficult situation in many ways. It seems that one of the investment companies that promised to invest earlier has withdrawn. Director Shin took quite a bit of time due to casting issues and even revised the script this time, so I think the investment company semi-forcefully pushed out the actors they were pushing. Director Shin was caught in that situation and grabbed the investor by the throat. I wonder if any of the recommended actors actually act.

“Just be patient.”

I never thought it would grab investors by the collar.

“Director Shin is not that kind of a flexible person. At the same time, England asked me to wait for you to change your mind. Once the investment case is resolved, we will properly audition for the lead role. Anyway, it seems there is some financial pressure because of that.”

Film production costs vary greatly. Moreover, as the times are changing, the average cost of film production these days exceeds 1.5 billion won. This is a steep growth compared to the year before last, when the average production cost per movie hovered around 1.2 billion won. Because of this, some even expressed pessimism that it was a transitional period.

However, how will pessimists react when they learn that movies worth tens of billions of won are being produced frequently in Korea in the future?

“CEO, how many advertisements have been sent to me now?”

After the apple drink commercial, no commercial filming was done at all. Because I had no connection with advertising in my past life in the first place, I felt stuck, as if I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit. A rare and famous line for something like that? Thanks to the creation of , love calls from advertisers were flooding in.

Due to the recent surge in popularity of ‘Youth’, the guarantee is also an unimaginable amount for a rookie.

“Why are we suddenly shooting commercials? The company is almost paralyzed these days because of advertisers contacting us.”

“If I need to, I have to film it. Also, why don’t I invest all of my advertising guarantees and drama appearance fees into director Shin Seong-hyun’s work?”

“What!”

“It won’t be a loss-making business anyway. If that’s the case, at least the amount that will be settled to me, excluding the company’s profits.”

CEO Kim Seong-hwan appears to be trying to stop him. When it comes to investments or stocks, you should never move just because you feel like it.

“Yeong-Kuk, think again. Do you know how much the advertising guarantee you just raised and the appearance fee for this drama are worth? You can easily buy a house in Seoul. Should I at least hire a property manager?”

“It’s natural for the CEO to be worried. But I told you, I have no intention of taking any losses, right?”

It’s not wrong. If the UK were confirmed as the main character, it was obvious that all the investors who had left would return. But Britain had no intention of being satisfied with not suffering any losses.

The reason why Confessions of a Priest was a box office failure was because of the lead actor’s acting skills, and the second reason was pressure from investment companies. The directing changes depending on the investor’s taste, but will the movie be successful?

However, this Confession of a Priest will be different from the casting to the direction of the production.

so that.

England was confident. Clearly, this decision will have a greater return than any other investment strategy.

* * *

Priests in priestly uniforms can be seen around the archdiocese. In the archbishop’s office, where the traces of time are clearly visible, the chorus of deacons practicing chanting rings out beautifully, two people are sitting facing each other.

“How is Jang-hoon doing these days?”

The crimson soutane, neatly dressed with an impression full of kindness, shows signs of age. He smiles at England like a kind-hearted grandfather.

“Yes, your grandfather is in good health, Archbishop.”

I couldn’t have guessed that the priest my grandfather (Director Baek Jang-hoon) introduced me to was an archbishop. What’s more, they call me by name in such a friendly way. The voice continues as if to resolve the question.

“This is the 60th year I’ve been in a relationship with that friend. We’ve been friends since we were very young. We were both really naughty, but now one of those naughty kids has become a priest and the other has become a movie director. “I heard that Law is a very famous actor?”

“That’s too much praise, Archbishop.”

“Okay, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Priest’s confession.

What is the sin the script talks about? For example, if there is evil mentioned in the Bible, does it reside in the perpetrators? Or did it belong to the main character who commits merciless murder? Curiosity based on this primal thing must have led me here.

“Archbishop, how do you define evil? From what I heard, there is one among the priests who holds the title of exorcist.”

“If we are talking about exorcism ceremonies, then all priests and laymen can be called exorcists. They all have faith. However, when asked if there is a position called an exorcist, “I don’t know. It may or may not be possible. I didn’t know that this question would be asked and I wasn’t prepared. If I talk about evil from the perspective of an ordinary person, not as my priest.”

As a cool breeze flows through the half-open window, the pages of the Bible on the table turn over by themselves. Maybe that’s why, for some reason, a chill runs down my spine.

“I think we can see evil not only in invisible beings, but also in our neighbors even if we just look around us. How many people commit evil deeds and live their lives without repentance or regret? In fact, they are more evil than invisible beings. You might think it’s the same. Of course, they too will eventually find out about the sins they have committed. Isn’t there a psalm about receiving retribution for an evil life?”

It’s been about an hour. I asked questions and listened to answers without stopping.

“Instead of that, why don’t you go to a cathedral to pray? A first-hand experience is more authentic than a thousand words.”

It is a cathedral with a solemn and reverent feel. You can see long chairs stretched out on both sides of the aisle in the middle. A cross is visible above the altar, and the gorgeous colors projected through the stained glass capture the eye.

How much time has passed? The bell installed on the steeple rings. As we continued our conversation, it was already time for mass.

“Archbishop, I am truly grateful for today.”

“No, brother. When you get back, please give Jang-hoon my regards. If you have time, be sure to stop by. You know you always call, but you’re so busy that you never show your face.”

England, who turned around and walked away, bowed briefly to a young priest who was entering the cathedral just in time. He looks at England’s face and arrives in front of the archbishop with a bewildered expression.

“Archbishop, what about that young man?”

At that moment, the archbishop smiles slyly at the young priest, as if he had an interesting idea.

“He’s tall, isn’t he? He’s my friend’s grandson, and he’s a solid student with a focus on theology. Who knows, maybe in the future he’ll become a deacon and take on an apprenticeship at our diocese. Antonio, why are you looking so surprised?”

“Yes? Archbishop, that’s not it, that young man.”

A young priest who has just passed through the ranks of deacons and entered the path of becoming a priest knows who the young man he just passed by is. Because he was the main character of a drama that is currently causing a stir in Korea. However, the archbishop’s next words make me wonder if I was mistaken.

“Is there a law that says you can only become an actor because Antonio is outstanding? If you have faith, you can also walk the path of a priest. I don’t know about you, but I also heard many stories that I was good-looking when I was young. However, I exist today because of the Lord. Tej. The same goes for that young man named Jang Young-guk. Aren’t you already looking forward to seeing the young man in priest’s clothes?”

The brilliant colors of the stained glass are projected into the cathedral preparing for mass. Only he watches the back of the young man walking down the long central path under the cross.