I Will Live As An Actor - Chapter 11

I Will Live as an Actor Episode 11

“The food is here!”

The more you focus on filming, the more hungry you become. Everyone, including the staff and actors, spends a lot of energy because they have to pay attention all day while someone is acting and someone else is paying attention to the subject. It is a series of delicate and meticulous work, which is why it is also called art or hard work.

“Jiyong, where did you order food today?”

“I ordered it from the Hamba restaurant in front of me, but it was cheap and the taste was good. I don’t know how many times I called to ask them to deliver it. They said they couldn’t do it because there was too much quantity, so I gave them the okay because of the circumstances. Oh my!”

It was shortly after the millennium that the food truck appeared on the filming set. Even these were used in places such as Chungmuro, where production costs were relatively higher than for broadcast filming, as there were only a few companies operating food trucks across the country. So how do we provide food for the drama filming team?

“Are you afraid that if your child’s hamba restaurant says no, you will have to make it?”

“Oh no. To be honest, what I made doesn’t taste good. Do you think everyone won’t want to eat it? Or are you going to make it right now and serve it to me?”

“It’s okay. Just thinking about the stomachache I had last time after eating the kimchi fried rice you made, wow.”

“Gogo says it’s because the director has a weak stomach.”

If it was downtown, it was okay. Even if it was a restaurant with a shabby sign, it felt just as good as a sumptuous meal, and having a hamba restaurant that could provide food directly to the filming location was just the icing on the cake. Since I am responsible for providing food for dozens of people, it is not my position to discuss this or that.

On a day when we were filming in a mountainous area with few people, there was absolutely no chaos. This is because the youngest members who were preparing for filming suddenly had to transform into chefs. Because of this, there was even a joke going around that the youngest member on set would be given preferential treatment if he or she had a Korean food certification.

“England, lots of radish. Would you like one of my sausages?”

FD Jeong Ji-yong, from Busan, was in a position to control the scene, so he was friendly with all the minor supporting actors and was also good at naughty skills.

“You should eat a lot, brother. You are going through such a hard time living in a foreign place. How can you eat with that? I can’t give you my sausage, so take this dalgal and go. I wonder if you have no strength, so you can take something as big as a quail and put it on whose nose.”

“Hey, I barely got this. Still, it doesn’t taste good at this level. Anyway, wasn’t it difficult to film in the morning?”

“What could be difficult? It was a short scene where I showed my face in class, but it’s harder for you than me. Controlling those little idiots is easier said than done, but once you try it, you’ll get tired of it. Moreover, one or two guardians came today, right?”

“As expected, you are the only one who understands my feelings. How do you know my hardships so well!”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s not good if the skirt is too long.”

The filming location was a school. We chose a small middle school located in the suburbs as the filming location, but since it was summer vacation, there were no people, so it was nice. However, instead of the small roles and supporting actors seen in Jagalchi Market, a large number of child actors appeared, which was a problem.

Child actors are good at acting irritably or naturally. Rather than acting that requires a very high level of skill, it would be closer to a natural reaction as I have been surrounded by my parents’ skirts since I was young. Therefore, it is these child actors who are more difficult to control than the main characters on set.

“Yeong-Kuk, in that sense, I am truly grateful to you. You are the most mature and dignified child actor I have ever seen. Even in Jagalchi, you saved me from almost having to stop filming because I couldn’t resist the backlash from the merchants!”

“I didn’t save my brother, I just got over a difficult moment. So, I have to shoot it really well and make Jagalchi or Namhang famous. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to go to Jagalchi again because I’m afraid I’ll be treated poorly.”

“Great. I hope everything will go well, so don’t worry! By the way, did you watch the training for the role of the child you were filming with today?”

“I saw it.”

“What do you think? Isn’t your heart pounding like an old child? You’re quite a famous child actor in Seoul. You’ve already filmed a few episodes in Chungmuro, and you’re well-known at broadcasting stations for being pretty and good at acting!”

How could you not know?

Yeonsu, an unusual last name, and a first name are foreign letters, so I don’t remember them.

In her past life, she was an actress who was chosen as a representative of innocence and cuteness. Moreover, her acting was also outstanding and she was popular enough to be counted among the number of domestic actresses.

Who would have thought that the child role of the heroine, who played the first and last love of the main character Kim Ha-jin, was young Yeon-soo. It was amazing. But that’s it. After this act, we may never be able to meet again. He said while biting into a handful of savory Dalgal.

“Eunjiye is so short, she looks like a perfect baby.”

* * *

“Because the weather is cloudy, senior Choi uses Jupiter (daylight) to provide some lighting. Since you need to express the ripples of water when water overflows at the tap, please shoot with tungsten when you give the signal. Senior Kim draws pictures along the rail. Since it is a jump cut, go for a full shot (F/S), and then move from a west shot (W/S) to an extreme close shot (E/C/U) at the part where the two children meet. In particular, slowly move up from the fingertips to the temple. Edit “It’s a picture that can be used for montage.”

“When raising your fingertips to your temples, can I do it with a dally in?”

“As expected, you are a senior. If you miss it once, it will be difficult to take it again, so I will ask everyone to do a one-shot!”

“Ugh! Director Yoo. The props team should choose the location well. I’m listening to Director Yoo’s sermon because the lighting and filming is so intense.”

“Kim Deuk-hyung! Why are you leaving out the sound team? It’s a taproom scene, so we have more than one thing to worry about!”

“Oh my gosh, is the high sound director here? He’s as big as a bear and sneaks around without even noticing when he’s here.”

“Seniors, calm down, I did everything wrong. Aren’t you saying I should try my best at drawing well? Please take care of me.”

“Hehehe. So, is Director Yoo shooting a big pot today as well?”

It was difficult to overcome the part directors who had a lot of experience in the field. It was still the same now. Don’t they put pressure on Yumyeong as if they had joined forces and get a piece of the pot house? As if it had been edited in advance. Look, aren’t they already walking around, laughing heartily among themselves? Yoo Myung shook his head and motioned for FD.

“Jiyong, please pass on the script instructions to Son Yerin (Yeonsu). Don’t forget what I said, you know?”

“If you understand, just trust me!”

“You’re good at speaking, little one. I have to go see Kim Ha-jin for a moment.”

“The director himself?”

“Yeah man.”

Most acting guidance for child actors, including small roles and supporting actors, is delivered through FD. It was safe to say that the director rarely made any moves directly. However, this does not mean that the FD directly delivers instructions to the child actor.

Due to the nature of child actors, they are always accompanied by a parent, and the FD delivers the director’s instructions to the guardian, who then explains them once more so that the child can easily understand. In that sense, a child actor sitting alone at a filming location such as a parent observation meeting is bound to stand out more.

“England, you know that the next filming is a taproom scene, right?”

“Of course I was looking at the script.”

“You’re the best at reading a script that you’ve already memorized. I’m here to tell you a few things to watch out for in this taproom scene. Do you want to guess what I’m going to say?”

“How do I know that when I’m not the director?”

“But England is good at talking to tourists in your market. Instead of leaving them out, try saying it.”

“Hmm, since you’re making such a fuss, I’ll tell you what I think. When you turn your head to drink water from the tap, the light dazzles you, so don’t open your eyes, drink a little water, and just pretend the rest? I’m afraid I’ll pretend when I say my lines.”

“Then how should I get the handkerchief handed to me by the heroine?”

“The director has to tell me that. How can I know all the fingerprints that aren’t even in the script?”

“Okay, just hold on to the end of the handkerchief and say you don’t need it. The camera will zoom in, so just slowly miss it. Lose it slowly, but don’t be nervous, okay? You might not know this part because it’s not in the script. But.”

How can I know so much about something I wasn’t even told about? I was trying to listen to England’s thoughts first and give instructions accordingly, but I know him so well that I have nothing to say.

“How did you know the rest?”

“When I read the script, it seemed like that would be the situation.”

It’s like a ghost crying. Would you really be able to understand the entire situation if you just read the script? Are there one or two unknown actors in Korea who read a lot of scripts? Moreover, isn’t he a child actor with no acting experience? These are things that can never be learned without experience. However, the main character of the calm answer was a young boy. The more you look at him, the more mysterious he becomes. Jang Young-guk.

“Director’s standby is complete!”

At the assistant director’s shout, Yumyeong stood up, ruffling the boy’s hair. It didn’t matter because my hair was matted and it wasn’t noticeable. A guy who takes care of minor roles and staff like an old man. I turned around and was already walking away when I heard a single word in the back of my head.

“The director’s mother said she was grateful that she enjoyed the pork belly. Thank you so much for feeding my mother and son all day. Can I repay you with acting?”

I don’t hate that guy.

“Scene number 13: A relationship that begins at the tap!”

The sound of slapstick hitting is like a warning bell that heightens the tension on set. Like a painter’s brush delicately painting a picture, the filming equipment was organically interlocked with each other and keeping an eye on the actors. Tap water flows continuously, as if showing the rolling waves of the South Port, and the sound team captures the rhythm of the tap as if it were a calm classical music.

“Are you Kim Ha-jin?”

He speaks clearly and has an accent that is difficult to find in Busan. The boy, who was holding tap water flowing softly like Arisu, shook his head and lifted it roughly. A boy with a completely different appearance than a girl with white skin and flowing hair. Although they were similar in height, their appearance was completely different.

What about the outfit? Compared to the girl wearing a flowy dress, the boy’s clothes are shabby, as if they had just rolled through a construction site. Short-cut hair and shiny eyebrows added to the image. However, the boy’s eyes are as clear as the waves of South Port.

“But come on.”

“My homeroom teacher said that he would give me a tour of the school during lunch time. The class president said that today’s class will be you…”

“Why am I doing that? Talk to the class president!”

“Then why are you drinking water and not eating lunch?”

“This is my first time seeing you fill your stomach with water. Thank you, don’t stand there looking ugly and just shut it out. If an old guy says something, just drink my water and scold me!”

The girl seemed to hesitate, then took out a handkerchief as white as her own skin from her pocket and handed it to her.

“What?”

“I asked you to wipe it, but there was water all over your mouth.”

“Chiara ma!”

The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment at the kindness he had never felt before, but then nervously shook his hand away. As a result, the white handkerchief ended up falling into a puddle of water near the tap. When the girl didn’t know what to do, the boy picked up the handkerchief again as if he was annoyed, shook it off loudly, and handed it to her as if throwing it.

“Kasuna doesn’t have much strength in her wrists, so she has to carry a school bag.”

“The driver is taking me…”

“You have good spirits, so your skin is as pale as if you’ve been exposed to the sun for three days and nights. Thank you, don’t just stand there, go quickly.”

The girl seemed to turn around, but then she saw the boy opening the tap as if he wanted to fill his tank with water again, and she gathered courage and spoke.

“Hey. Do you want some chocolate? I like it so I carry it around.”

“What? Jjokolet?”

The boy swallowed his saliva without even realizing it. A small piece of chocolate made my throat tighten. After all, since my stomach was full, it was natural to want something sweet. The boy took the chocolate as if taking it from him and nodded humbly.

“Take the lead.”

“uh?”

“I’m already so tired of asking you to show me around the school, but it’s such a waste of time!”

The filming was absolutely perfect. Now, all we had to do was capture the scene from the rear angle of the two child actors silently walking up the stone steps above the water tap. However, the girl who arrived in front of the stone steps was hesitant. Her eyes were anxious, and Yoo Myung could immediately tell why.

‘Shoelaces!’

The shoelaces were untied. The scene was too precious to throw away NG like this. It was possible to find editing points and connect the pictures, but in that case the camera work would not be as enjoyable. Moreover, the lighting level during outdoor shooting varies from moment to moment, so the picture could be subtly distorted. It was then. An unexpected voice came out.

“Tsk, Gasnaga is getting hit hard. Seoul’s son can’t even tie his shoelaces properly!”

“uh?”

“Wait a minute. Who cares what you think!”

“Thinking of me? Who?”

The boy bends one knee over the mud and ties the girl’s shoelace tightly so that it does not come undone. It was an ad-lib that wasn’t even in the script at the end of the scene’s dialogue.

“My mother said that the reason my shoelaces become untied is because someone is thinking of me.”