A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Director Who Dominates OTT

Episode 101

* * *

Kim Seong-tae, who had joined the 【Push and Pull】 Season 2 project, had one curiosity.

‘I wonder how Hyeon-u will work?’

There were many rumors.

He controls actors like catching mice, gaslights directors, wins over staff first to dominate the set, and so on.

But to Kim Seong-tae, who knew Dohyeon-u better than anyone, it sounded ridiculous.

Of course, Hyeon-u sometimes acts coldly toward people who aren’t on his side.

But fundamentally, he’s a warm-hearted guy with a lot of affection.

So he couldn’t imagine at all how he would work.

Moreover, to be honest, while he was the one who pushed Dohyeon-u into the OTT industry, he didn’t know he’d do this well.

He knew he was good at fixing problematic works, but he didn’t know he’d completely elevate the weight class itself.

Because that’s never an easy thing to do.

The filming that started in such circumstances was quite interesting.

First of all, the actors act well.

While the regular supporting actors he brought from who knows where solidly laid the foundation, the performance of the four lead actors was brilliant.

Oh Ha-eun seemed to show she had no intention of ending as Yu A-yeon from Handtip Crawl, and Go Eun-a and Ji Seok-u also had amazing stability from their long careers.

But the most surprising was Kim Tae-seong.

Honestly, when he first saw the profile photo, he tilted his head.

Because his looks were too ordinary.

Compared to ordinary people, he’d have a handsome face, but among actors, he’d seem to get buried.

Overall, his facial features were faint, making him look bland.

However, the moment the camera started rolling, the feeling Kim Tae-seong gave changed 180 degrees.

You know, there are actors like that.

Not incredibly handsome, but actors who seem like they should be protagonists.

Actors who, as they say, even act being handsome.

That feeling suddenly emanated from him.

Maybe Hyeon-u chose the wrong profession?

Should I scold him to start an actor entertainment company with the incentive money he received?

If he could sign just a few actors like that, it would be a huge hit.

However, as he kept watching Kim Tae-seong, he realized that wasn’t it.

‘He picked him because of the Seon-u role.’

Kim Tae-seong is an actor who’s very selective about roles.

Roles with excessive images don’t suit that actor.

Roles that seep in quietly and then have charm pop out occasionally are perfect.

Does he have some kind of scouting ability?

How does he cast so easily like this?

Picking an unknown actor for a lead role is something you have to do betting the project’s survival, and this is already the third time.

At this point, it’s definitely skill, not luck.

However, Kim Seong-tae’s expression, which had been watching the filming with satisfaction, gradually became serious.

Since D.P Studio was in the stage of coordinating, the front part was arranged with light scenes, but once they moved past that section, one problem became visible.

‘The two don’t match?’

The chemistry between Ji Seok-u and Go Eun-a, the male and female leads of this work, wasn’t good.

Rather, the chemistry between Ji Seok-u and Oh Ha-eun, and Kim Tae-seong and Go Eun-a had no problems.

He was worried because of the considerable age difference, but there was an older woman-younger man chemistry feel that made the 9-year age gap in the work meaningless.

Then this isn’t a problem of acting skills.

Could it be that the two don’t get along?

Looking closely, it seemed that way.

It was when Kim Seong-tae was thinking such thoughts.

He sees Dohyeon-u, who had been standing on one side of the set, walking toward the director.

At the same time, the staff’s gazes focus on Dohyeon-u.

They were just as curious as Kim Seong-tae.

They say Dohyeon-u is so good at directing.

Even directors who would normally throw a fit about overstepping boundaries accept it without much complaint.

Will it work this time too?

Those were gazes filled with such curiosity.

But Kim Seong-tae, who knew Director Lee Eun-su’s sensitive personality, was a bit worried.

Given what Dohyeon-u has accomplished, the director would give him a chance at least once.

But atmosphere problems, not acting skill problems, can’t be easily solved.

Because even if you film Ji Seok-u and Go Eun-a’s acting with the camera, there wouldn’t be much to point out.

Meanwhile, Dohyeon-u, who had talked with Director Lee Eun-su, headed toward the actors.

Carrying the staff’s curious gazes on his shoulders.

* * *

Why are they staring like that?

Are they giving me looks to do well?

The actors’ performance wasn’t that terrible.

Thinking such thoughts, as I approached Go Eun-a and Ji Seok-u, both their expressions weren’t very good.

Originally, actors know their own acting best.

Ah, of course, excluding newcomers.

Newcomers are more often problematic because they mistakenly think they know their own acting well.

Anyway, it’s fortunate I talked to Director Lee Eun-su in advance.

When I said such a problem would occur on the first day of filming, he had an unwelcoming expression, but when the same thing actually happened, he readily gave me directing authority.

“Are you two very nervous?”

“No. I’ll try again.”

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Go Eun-a and Ji Seok-u’s contrasting reactions were just like U-yeon and Destiny, making me smile slightly.

Right, since their personalities matched well, they got their life characters.

“Would you listen to what I have to say for a moment? Do you know why I told you two to quit drinking and exercise?”

“Well, because we look old…”

“And gained some weight…”

“No. That’s not the reason. If I was going to make weight an issue, I would have set a contract weight. If not that, I could have requested skin care or short-term procedures.”

Only then do the two properly look at me.

“I think you two are making one mistake right now.”

“A mistake?”

“Yes. You’re acting Destiny and U-yeon wrong.”

* * *

Acting wrong?

Actually, it was a somewhat offensive way of speaking.

If Ji Seok-u or Go Eun-a weren’t desperate, they might have gotten angry at Dohyeon-u.

But the reason Ji Seok-u wasn’t particularly angry was because of Jeong Gi-jun.

Recently, he had received contact from senior Gi-jun.

It was contact after a very long time, and the first words he blurted out were this.

-That Dohyeon-u kid, he’s really good.

-It’s not hype, it’s skill.

There was a lot of conversation in between, but the conclusion was this.

-This might be your last chance, so work hard.

-I’m a bit envious.

Because that memory was vivid, he was listening to Dohyeon-u’s words.

“You two probably watched Push and Pull several times after confirming your casting, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you can’t act like that. Time has passed.”

“Are you saying we should acknowledge that our characters have aged and act accordingly?”

Dohyeon-u shook his head at Ji Seok-u’s question.

“No. You two are already acting that way. Destiny and U-yeon were thirty in Season 1. They’re forty in Season 2. Your acting suits forty-year-olds very well.”

“Then what do you want us to do?”

Dohyeon-u answered Go Eun-a’s slightly sharp question.

“Why do you keep acting toward the thirty-year-old version of each other?”

“…!”

“You’ve aged, so naturally your appearance won’t be what it used to be. It would be awkward to call yourselves young now, and that vitality—or should I say life force?—won’t feel as abundant.”

“….”

“So do U-yeon and Destiny fall in love again while ignoring their current selves, just because of the wonderful thirty-year-old versions in their memories?”

“That would be… fake.”

“Yes. Exactly. It’s fake. Even with wrinkles, worse stamina, and looking a bit less attractive, they fall for each other. Why do you think that is?”

Ji Seok-u finally understood why Dohyeon-u had made him quit drinking and exercise.

“…Anticipation for tomorrow.”

“That’s right.”

Dohyeon-u smiled brightly.

Ji Seok-u thought that smile looked good.

“The viewers have aged just like you. If they watched Push and Pull at twenty, they’re thirty now. If they watched at thirty, they’re forty. I don’t think what they want to see is ‘U-yeon and Destiny are still pretty and handsome.'”

“….”

“For viewers to immerse themselves in their love story once again, please naturally accept that time. Even so, show the same anticipation for a better tomorrow that they had when they first fell in love.”

Dohyeon-u said.

“And stop acting like forty-year-olds.”

“What? Why?”

Dohyeon-u smiled at Go Eun-a’s retort.

“Nostalgia isn’t actually missing those memories themselves.”

“You miss who you were back then.”

“When U-yeon and Destiny look at each other, they won’t think of their younger selves.”

“They’ll think of who they were back then.”

* * *

Coach Lee Eun-su had a dumbfounded expression.

Just moments ago, he had thought this shoot wouldn’t be easy.

What he saw through the lens didn’t feel like U-yeon and Destiny.

It was hard to express in words, but they definitely weren’t the U-yeon and Destiny he treasured in his memories.

The problem was that this wasn’t a matter of acting technique, but the influence of the actors’ psychology.

This kind of thing can’t be easily directed.

The actors would have to realize it themselves as they continued filming.

If they never figured it out until the end….

‘Did I make a mistake agreeing to this?’

He would have needlessly dragged out a work from beautiful memories and ruined it.

But….

“Cut! Okay. Very, very good!”

Suddenly, he began to see Destiny and U-yeon through the lens.

‘Wait, this actually worked? Just from going over and saying a few words?’

The coach quickly turned to look at Dohyeon-u and hurriedly checked the scene they had just shot.

It definitely wasn’t his imagination.

What he saw was U-yeon and Destiny appearing for the first time in ten years.

Along with that, the image of someone else came to mind.

That someone was….

Himself from ten years ago, running around drenched in sweat on a summer day because he wasn’t satisfied with the composition.

That moment full of passion.

For some reason, he felt good.

Lee Eun-su jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“Okay! Let’s move to the next scene!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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