A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 17

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

The Genius Director Who Dominates OTT

Episode 17

Of course, it wasn’t like the actors were ruining the reading with terrible acting.

Everyone had basic acting skills, so they were creating at least a minimum flow.

After all, script reading wasn’t an acting showcase, but a place to check whether the director and actors were looking in the same direction.

As long as we could see the character’s tone and chemistry, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

But….

‘It’s not special at all.’

For the past three months, I had shared joys and sorrows with the actors while preparing their roles.

Sometimes I became their scene partner to deliver lines, sometimes I became a writer to interpret the script, and occasionally I became a director to give direction.

I felt embarrassed being a failed actor giving advice, but those thoughts quickly disappeared.

I was someone who had seen the ‘finished product,’ and I could feel the actors evolving in real time.

“I’ve been acting my whole life, but this work is a bit different.”

“How should I put it….”

“It doesn’t feel like creating and acting, but more like bringing out another version of myself?”

I was moved, amazed, and thrilled by the actors’ performances.

And I became certain.

This work would succeed.

Even if the work completely flopped by some chance, at least the actors’ performances would be highlighted.

This was the best casting I could do.

But right now, I couldn’t see any of that.

This wouldn’t do.

Everyone had opposed this casting.

If we couldn’t show proper performance here, we couldn’t avoid hearing things like ‘See, we should have used famous actors.’

If we were really unlucky, CEO Han Seong-hun standing among the staff might try to change the casting.

And most importantly….

“Stop talking nonsense! Is this some uninhabited island?! Why can’t we go to Seoul!”

I could feel the actors were dissatisfied.

The eyes of the actors I had seen until now weren’t like this.

After much deliberation, I made a decision.

“Wait a moment. Shall we start over from the beginning?”

People’s cold gazes immediately focused on me.

I knew it was a risky move.

Reading was entirely the actors’ domain, and only the director could give direction on it.

Even writers would be accused of overstepping if they interfered carelessly, let alone a CE.

Sure enough, Director Jeong Hee-su opened his mouth with an incredulous expression.

“CE Dohyeon-u? Is there a problem? I mean, even if there is a problem, stopping the reading?”

“The actors seem very nervous. Since we haven’t done much yet, how about starting over from the beginning?”

“Ah, what the….”

He seemed about to say something harsh, but the writers mercilessly poked his side telling him not to.

At least those two were still on my side.

I wanted to repay that trust.

However, except for the writers, everyone’s eyes weren’t kind.

But hey, getting cursed at won’t kill me, right?

Having gone around audition halls as an unknown actor and experienced all sorts of things, I could easily handle such gazes.

The actors themselves were letting out sighs of relief as if it was welcome news.

“Would that be okay?”

“Ah, damn. Do whatever you want.”

With the director’s permission granted, I turned my gaze to the actors.

“You’ve memorized even the other characters’ stage directions, so why are you burying your noses in the script like this?”

I don’t know how to make someone act well with just a few words.

But I trust our time when we devoted ourselves only to the script, regardless of weekdays or weekends.

“Put away the scripts and let’s try it. I’ll fill in any loose parts. We’ll proceed with the reading of Parts 1 and 3.”

* * *

Three months ago.

A dream-like moment came to Park Seong-won.

To him, who hadn’t even been properly given opportunities for minor roles, a third lead role in a Tving Original had come his way.

CE Dohyeon-u, who gave him the opportunity, looked like an angel, and Tivic looked like a stairway to heaven.

But the joy was brief.

When he actually started preparing for the role in earnest, the burden came calling.

‘What if I can’t do it well?’

An enormous opportunity coming meant that if you ruined that opportunity, everything would be over.

When an unknown actor like himself ruined the third lead role in a Tving Original, could another opportunity really come again?

That was impossible.

He would be turned away with people saying that those who don’t make it have reasons for not making it.

The probability of not being able to return even to minor roles due to his ambiguous career was also very high.

This industry was thorough about invisible rules.

If that happened….

Would he have to quit acting?

‘No. Let’s not think bad thoughts. I just need to do well. I have to do well. I absolutely must do well.’

But the more he thought he had to do well, the greater the burden became.

That’s how he came to regret.

He shouldn’t have told his mother, who prayed daily with water offerings despite having no religion, that he had landed an important role.

He shouldn’t have told his father, who walked on tiptoes to avoid disturbing his script analysis, that it was a Tving Original.

He shouldn’t have shouted to his theater troupe colleagues who genuinely supported him that he would definitely succeed.

Park Seong-won was consumed by such burden.

Much more seriously than he himself realized.

Was that why?

One day, while drinking soju alone at a pojangmacha, he unconsciously called Dohyeon-u.

Even knowing that showing weakness to the executive director wouldn’t be good, he had poured out all his inner feelings while drunk.

“I know this sounds really stupid, truly stupid….”

“The moment I’ve dreamed of countless times every night, I know such a moment has come!”

“I’m scared. I’m scared! Why am I so scared!”

He hadn’t even explained his emotions coherently, but drunkenly threw a tantrum.

If CE Dohyeon-u had hung up with clichéd words like ‘I still believe in you, actor. Cheer up,’ he might have kicked off his blanket the next day and wailed in self-loathing.

But CE Dohyeon-u didn’t do that.

Even though it was Friday evening, he immediately came over, paid the drinking bill, and listened to Park Seong-won’s complaints.

It seemed like they did that all night.

When he opened his eyes the next day, he was in CE Dohyeon-u’s apartment.

“Gasp! Sorry! I’m sorry!”

“How’s your hangover?”

“Sorry, I’m really sorry!”

“Your voice projection is so clear, you seem fine?”

CE Do smiled and made him dried pollack soup, then….

“Let’s go.”

He headed to the theater troupe.

That’s how the two of them acted in the empty theater.

At first, he was startled thinking it might be to check his acting, but it wasn’t that.

CE Dohyeon-u created a playground for the character ‘Su-cheol’ to run around in.

Sometimes he became Hyeon-tae, sometimes he became Jeong-hun, and sometimes he became Yeong-su.

At first, I was amazed by his acting skills, wondering why on earth he had retired, but gradually I began to feel something strange.

All the parts I had agonized over while analyzing the script…

“I basically think Su-cheol looks down on Hyeon-tae. It’s a continuation of their school days’ inertia, thinking of him as someone a level below himself.”

“But this emotion isn’t in his consciousness. It’s in the realm of the unconscious.”

“So if we put it into words, Su-cheol would never admit ‘I look down on Hyeon-tae.’ Absolutely not.”

“Only Hyeon-tae and their friends can feel it.”

It was effortless for CE Dohyeon-u.

“You need to create a gap. You shouldn’t express superiority too easily.”

“Earlier when you were acting, you said ‘police officer,’ right? Because that’s how it’s written in the script.”

“How about trying to act it once by changing it to ‘people’s guardian’ or ‘cop’?”

“Even if his consciousness uses the term ‘police officer,’ his unconscious thinks ‘cop.’ You need that nuance.”

The depth of understanding about the role was different.

Moreover, the scope of the picture he was looking at was different too.

“It’ll barely show in the first two episodes.”

“But the moment the main flashback between Su-cheol and Hyeon-tae appears, viewers will think:”

“Now that I look at it, it seems like Su-cheol was looking down on Hyeon-tae?”

I snapped to attention.

I thought this was an incredible opportunity.

And so Park Seong-won poured out everything he had been curious about to Dohyeon-u, and Dohyeon-u answered without hesitation.

Every casual word he threw out was precious like a jewel.

That day, Park Seong-won felt hope for the first time that he might be able to do well.

It felt like seeing a shining path.

But when he prepared for acting alone, anxiety crept in again.

Eventually, he risked being rude and contacted him several more times, and only when Dohyeon-u watched his acting and smiled saying ‘good’ did his mind begin to ease.

“Our drama contains time loop elements, so dead characters can come back to life depending on Hyeon-tae’s perspective, right?”

“Yes.”

“From what I can see, Seong-won, your tone when dealing with Jeong-hun in parts 3 and 5 seems a bit different.”

“Ah! That’s right. Hyeon-tae knows that Jeong-hun died and came back to life, but Su-cheol doesn’t know…!”

“Right. When you read the entire script, it’s bound to influence you.”

And I could always learn something new.

During this time, Park Seong-won discovered something surprising.

-I have a prior engagement today.

“Ah, I see. Then it’s fine…”

-Would it be okay if we practice together with actors Eum Seong-hyeon and So Jeong-hun?

He wasn’t the only one doing this – other actors were similarly relying on CE Dohyeon-u in the same way.

Eventually, they created a group chat and began meeting regularly to practice.

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