“I think my expression isn’t that good.”
Gyungjin looked at himself on the monitor. Was there a way to display Cheonho’s emotions more expressively? The character would become immensely frosty against Gukji, but he wanted to show the contrast.
“Oppa, you look okay. I’m the one who looks strange,” said Yoojung, who was checking with him from the side.
She wished that ‘Maehwa’ would look a little more vulgar.
“You look passable. Don’t you think I’m the one who seems off in the scene?”
“Aren’t I the strange-looking one?”
They were each claiming that they were worse, which made him laugh. As they had been staying in the same place for a while, he felt close to Yoojung as though they were long-time friends. The same could be said for Maru. Once they were done with the shoot, they would go back to the hotel together, so they talked to each other longer. Whether they liked it or not, they were in an environment that pulled them closer.
“It just occurred to me, but we’re going to have to spend New Years together with the people here, right?” said Yoojung.
Gyungjin nodded without hesitation. It was probably going to be like that. When director Park first offered him this job, he added just one condition. It was to not accept any other appointments until the end of the shoot. This was an opportunity to participate in director Park’s film as a supporting cast, so what problem could there be? He wasn’t even that busy, so he could take half a year off if need be. Though, he didn’t know that he would have to stay here like this.
“It feels like we’re on a membership training[1], and yet it also feels like a prison.”
“If it goes well, it’ll feel like an MT, and if we start going down the bad route, it’ll become a prison. Hey, Maru. How were you in this scene?”
Maru, who was monitoring himself without a word, said that he was satisfied. Gyungjin sighed in relief. During the get-together, head manager Moon told them to be wary of director Park’s persistence, but now that they were actually at the shoot, there was a hidden element of danger. It was Han Maru.
Director Park only gave them the bigger frame and let the actors create the detail, just as he announced before the shoot. Between cuts, director Park would give out simple pointers, and the actors themselves would decide whether they should reshoot or go to the next cut. It was Maru who requested reshoots endlessly in that process. If he was just being needlessly greedy about acting and was wasting time, Gyungjin would’ve told him to stop it already, but Maru’s opinions were all plausible when he heard about them. If Han Maru found a scene acceptable, then director Park would also go to the next cut without a word.
“Let’s keep this one and do that once again, can we?”
“I don’t really mind. How about you, hyung?”
Gyungjin picked up the jacket he threw on the ground instead of replying. Just as Yoojung was feeling rather unsatisfied, he also wanted to try more. Like what Maru said, the cut was satisfactory enough that they could just move on to the next cut, but watching Maru’s acting made him feel greedy to take one more step.
At first, he thought he was being overly greedy. He thought that it was a step that looked like it was within reach, but was actually unreachable. However, the acting he did under director Park’s lead and alongside Maru definitely had something different from his usual performances. He didn’t just vaguely feel that he could do it, he could actually see the changes when he did. Every moment and every cut was better than the one before. Although it wasn’t always like that, they would more likely create a better picture if they exchanged opinions and did the shoot again.
When he did shoots at other places, those kinds of moments sometimes did come. It wasn’t arrogance. He would truly feel confident that he would be able to create a better picture if he tried just one more time. Here, however, that kind of feeling came very frequently. The thing that he couldn’t even glimpse a shadow of when he so longed for it, was infinitely merciful in the shoot for this film.
“Director, we’ll do that once again,” he said to director Park, who was watching them.
Director Park seemed to have predicted that answer as he started to point something out. He was very smooth and clear-cut about it.
“Although the basic of acting is to relax your strength, sometimes, there’s a need to tense up your shoulders. If that’s what you find lacking, Mr. Gyungjin, it shouldn’t be a bad thing to do it once again.”
The pointers he tossed in passing were of great help to Gyungjin. Director Park only gave suggestions, as though he meant to say that the decision was ultimately up to the actors, however, he was practically forcing them to do as he said because his advice was too good. That kind of forcefulness was always welcome.
They decided to restart the shoot from coming into the room. Maru, who stood in front of the entrance, loosened his entire body. He would just flop down on the ground if Gyungjin didn’t hold him upright, so he had to grab him tight. Roll the camera, sound speed, and then the slate.
“Cue.”
Director Park waved his hand. Gyungjin jumped into the character ‘Cheonho.’ He brought the smelly Gukji and tossed him onto the floor. When he did, Maehwa glared at him, as though to ask why he was being so rough.
“You should also just stop here and take your interest off of him. He’s someone who’ll definitely commit something bad. I’m telling you this because we’ve known each other for a while, so listen to me.”
He took off the jacket he was wearing and tossed it next to Gukji.
“Like hell this ill kid will do something like that. Why are you so scared?”
“Little missy. It’s been fifteen years since I’ve been getting into fights. Do you know what’s most important if you want to use your fists to make a living? It’s to correctly determine if the guy in front of you is someone who will smack you with a fist or will stab you with a kitchen knife.”
“So, you’re saying this kid will swing a knife or something?”
“A knife will be the least of it.”
Although the lines were slightly changing, he felt considerably good. Director Park didn’t shout cut either. Gyungjin glared at Maru until the moment he left the room before opening the door and leaving. Inside, the two people continued their acting. Yoojung mumbled while looking at Maru sleeping like a dead log. She started showing why she said they should reshoot the scene. She continued her act while making use of the various props around her. She would wipe the floor with a wet rag, drag Maru over, and smile for a while before getting angry. In a cut that lasted less than 15 seconds, it displayed what kind of woman ‘Maehwa’ was. It was very cleanly organized.
Yoojung also left the angle. The only one left now was Maru, laying on the ground. He was placed in the center of the screen that the camera director was looking at. Although this cut did not contain any fancy techniques, the sheer stillness and the heavy atmosphere could be felt through the screen. It was a depth created by the camera director’s exceptional angling and Maru’s still acting of laying down like a patient.
Usually, the difficulty of acting would increase with the fewer changes there were in a scene and the longer it lasted, especially if the nature of the character had to be displayed in that process. Gyungjin tapped on his chin and looked at the Maru on the screen and the Maru laying on the floor. He became convinced about the reason why director Park was using Maru as the main cast after seeing this scene. Although he saw that Maru was good at acting from the very first shoot, he didn’t find anything special enough for him to be chosen as the lead character.
What could have shaken that director Park’s heart? It was probably that face. Director Park probably wanted that face, complex with all sorts of worries mixed amidst the tranquility. Someone without that face wouldn’t be able to become Gukji.
“Cut.”
Along with the cut sign, Maru jumped on his feet. He didn’t even take a breather and came over to have a look at the footage.
“It’s much better than before. I think the lines were better in this one too.”
“Looks like you’re all satisfied. But Mr. Gyungjin, if you keep throwing away the lines I wrote, I’ll feel disappointed.”
Director Park grinned. Gyungjin did not hide the corners of his lips twitching. It was the best kind of compliment possible. This was only possible because no one pointed out if someone changed the lines ad-lib. Director Park was the complete opposite of the rumors. Gyungjin couldn’t believe that director Park was mechanically precise and detailed, to the point that he would treat actors as props. It was clear that director Park’s ‘own’ pieces were very different from what he did for commercial movies.
He found Kang Giwoo among the staff members who were going over the equipment. Ever since he came down to Ulsan, he showed up at every shoot without fail. Just like his first impression, he was a very passionate fellow. He was also the textbook example of ‘goodness’, enthusiastic, kind, and not arrogant. However, Gyungjin also found out that there was something iffy about him. Although it happened only once, he saw Giwoo looking at Maru with a frosty gaze. Although it only happened for an instant, it was too striking and he couldn’t get it out of his memory. He didn’t know what that gaze entailed, but there was one thing he was sure about. It was that he would never look at a close friend like that.
“We’ll go to the next location.”
Gyungjin turned around. Anyone was bound to have a secret. He had no plans on digging deeper.
[1] It’s more like an outing, but I found no English alternatives. Even on wikipedia
