A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 18

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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 18

No drama production is ever prepared this way.

Each actor interprets their role in their own way, prepares their acting with individual skills, and simply adjusts on set according to the director’s instructions.

This was possible because they were all unknown actors with no particular schedules.

And.

“Seon-ho is a friend who feels awkward when he’s with Su-cheol.”

“But conversely, Su-cheol feels comfortable when he’s with Seon-ho.”

“That aspect seems a bit unclear in both of your acting. For instance, the direction of your bodies when standing together.”

It was because CE Dohyeon-u always knew the ‘correct answer.’

That answer was so beautiful and perfect that even proud actors had no objections.

Through such times, the Accomplice actors came to know about each other’s circumstances…

“Ah, sorry. The breathing for that line just now was a bit uncomfortable, wasn’t it?”

And they came to know each other’s acting very well.

Confidence grew.

The burden gradually disappeared, and pleasant excitement filled the empty space.

After practice, while tilting soju glasses, they even united in determination to surprise everyone with the script reading.

But…

‘I’m screwed.’

The moment the script reading actually started, his mind went blank.

The reading began without proper immersion, and he became desperate just to follow the scene numbers flowing from the director’s mouth.

Self-loathing set in.

This wasn’t acting.

It was just a technique of mimicking characters in one’s own world.

Just like before receiving help from CE Dohyeon-u.

What was all that time spent working so hard for?

Looking back, it seemed he hadn’t exchanged a single word with fellow actors even after arriving at the reading venue.

‘Ah, I guess there’s a reason why someone who can’t make it just can’t.’

When the eight actors, more familiar with failure than success, were thinking such thoughts.

“Wait a moment. Shall we try this from the beginning again?”

An opportunity came.

“Let’s put away the scripts and try it. I’ll fill in the loose parts. We’ll proceed with readings of Part 1 and Part 3.”

The moment he heard CE Dohyeon-u’s voice, he felt his heart become at ease.

And so everyone put away their scripts as if enchanted by something.

“Scene number one, day, highway.”

“On a highway where dazzling sunlight pours down. A black eight-seater Carnival races along refreshingly.”

“Cheerful music flows inside the car, but the sounds of eight friends each chattering away…”

The location changed.

From a well-lit, neat meeting room to the theater basement practice room full of damp humidity.

Was it an illusion that Dohyeon-u’s voice opening the script seemed to carry the unique resonance of the basement?

“Hyeon-tae getting out of the car, stretching…”

And so they immersed themselves frantically in the reading.

It wasn’t just Park Seong-won.

Eum Seong-hyeon, So Jeong-hun, Moon Jae-won…

All the actors began to run forward using Dohyeon-u’s voice as their signpost.

And the result was amazing.

“…!”

The director, who had been wearing a dissatisfied expression since Dohyeon-u stepped forward, opened his eyes wide, and the writers looked at each other’s faces in surprise.

The same went for the staff who had wondered what kind of nonsense this was.

Of course, someone might think it’s natural to do better when doing the same reading twice.

But this wasn’t that level.

This was clearly Dohyeon-u’s power.

‘Why?’

Park Seong-won was frantically immersed while curious about how this happened…

When they entered Part 3, which was mainly emotional scenes, he realized something he hadn’t noticed before.

Dohyeon-u wasn’t reading the script as it was.

He was adjusting to the way they had felt comfortable while practicing until now.

Since actors are also human, there are stage directions that are really hard to read and lines that really don’t stick to the tongue.

So they often ignore the original stage directions or lines and change them to fit their own style when reading…

CE Dohyeon-u was accommodating all of that.

So.

“So what? I killed him? Just for something like that, a person kills another person…!”

Eum Seong-hyeon disappeared.

Only Hyeon-tae was visible.

“Just? You fucking… did you say ‘just’?”

Moon Jae-won disappeared.

Only Seon-ho was visible.

This place was no longer the script reading venue rented by SSK.

It was the Gangwon-do mountain cabin where the road was cut off.

* * *

Clap clap clap.

Hearing the applause that started from who knows where, CEO Han Seong-hun left the reading venue.

After completing the scheduled events and returning to SSK, he saw Manager Gong Seok-jun running barefoot.

Though he was wearing slippers.

“What’s so urgent?”

“I was too curious to work. How was it? The Accomplice reading?”

“What was said at the annual review?”

“The obvious. The script is good, but it seems like it’ll fail because of the casting. A common-sense reaction.”

“Are you defending yourself saying the manager thought so too?”

At CEO Han Seong-hun’s words, Gong Seok-jun shook his head.

“CEO, that’s really bad taste.”

“What is?”

“Do you really need to hear a subordinate say ‘I was wrong’?”

Han Seong-hun burst into laughter.

Though CL Team 3 didn’t know this story, Manager Gong had been the first to confront the CEO about the Accomplice casting.

“CEO, this really isn’t right, is it?”

He could somehow tolerate up to Eum Seong-hyeon.

Gong Seok-jun had also thought that fresh faces might suit the Accomplice script after reading it.

But filling all the supporting roles with unknown actors didn’t make sense.

Whether persuading with rhetoric, offering high appearance fees, or lying about double casting.

Somehow they needed to set up key supporting-level figures in the second roles.

And work was needed to lower the grade step by step according to the script’s weight distribution.

If they really didn’t want to see the drama fail miserably.

CEO Han Seong-hun’s answer to this was simple.

“Then bring me the realistic best casting that Manager Gong thinks of.”

“If it makes sense, I’ll step forward myself.”

The CEO wasn’t someone who spoke with a forked tongue.

Knowing this, Gong Seok-jun began analyzing the Accomplice script from that day.

Though it was a script he had already read, he dug into it tenaciously with the thought that he held full casting authority.

‘Park Seok-won for the Jeong-hun role? Ah, but he’s not at the level to take supporting roles. He’ll have a solo movie coming out soon too.’

‘Among actors one level below Park Seok-won… Woo Tae-hyeon?’

‘Does Woo Tae-hyeon suit Jeong-hun? He acts well, but isn’t his image too cheerful?’

‘Then Cha Seol-u?’

‘He also has too much of a romantic image…’

That’s how a strange thing happened.

No matter what role he considered, actors with established status didn’t suit Accomplice.

Having ‘status’ means they’ve established their own image with the public.

And all those images are positive.

Charming, sincere, romantic…

But when such images enter Accomplice, you can feel the story’s density drop significantly.

Eventually, Gong Seok-jun lowered the status by one level, then another, then again to find suitable actors.

In the end, it seemed like he finished casting based on image rather than recognition.

He finished casting seven people excluding Eum Seong-hyeon, but…

“Are you confident?”

He couldn’t give a confident yes to CEO Han Seong-hun’s question.

Eventually, he had no choice but to confess his true feelings.

“Why is this happening?”

“I’ve done it too. It’s a habit of producers. Virtual casting.”

“Did you struggle too, CEO?”

“Yeah. And I came to a conclusion. Unless you cast 8 S-class actors who became S-class through acting, this script would be better with unknown actors. CE Do knew that.”

“Why is that?”

“The script’s power is too strong. If actors have established images, they’ll diminish the script somehow. That’s also why he rejected Kim Ra-un.”

Realistically, setting up 8 S-class actors is impossible.

So that means unknown actors would be suitable.

“The problem is this.”

“Why did CE Do choose those particular actors among countless unknowns?”

Even unknowns have their levels.

They may lack current recognition, but there are those their agencies are pushing as future stars.

But Dohyeon-u didn’t choose such people.

He composed the cast with those who had struggled on sets, fallen, and failed for nearly 10 years.

“Whether CE Do’s choice was in the realm of preference, compassion, or the best option, honestly I don’t know either.”

“If you don’t know, shouldn’t you call him to ask or stop him?”

“How can we do that? We’re people who realized this after casting was complete, while CE Do had enough confidence to reject Kim Ra-un.”

“Ah…”

“Since it’s come to this, let’s trust him. It’s not like we have alternatives.”

“When will we see the results of this trust?”

“Well. The script reading, I guess?”

That conversation was about two months ago, and today was the script reading.

If it weren’t for the annual lineup review, Gong Seok-jun would have followed to the Accomplice reading venue.

“Stop beating around the bush and just tell me. How was it? The Accomplice reading?”

“It was disappointing.”

“What? Was it that bad?”

“It was disappointing that we didn’t invite a single reporter.”

“Oh, really.”

Han Seong-hun chuckled and shared the detailed story.

“When the reading started, I thought this. This is pretty good. At least they won’t be criticized for poor acting.”

So when the reading was interrupted, Han Seong-hun was quite bewildered too.

Of course, the actors did feel a bit unfocused.

But since it was the first reading without veteran actors, he considered that natural.

If they showed this much in the first reading, they’d do better on set.

“I thought maybe an amazing work could emerge.”

But for some reason Dohyeon-u wasn’t satisfied, so he stopped the reading and took direct control.

“Wait, the director just watched that happen?”

“The writers think very highly of CE Do.”

“Even so, that’s a bit…”

“I thought the same at first. That I’d have to say something after the reading ended.”

Regardless of results, you can’t undermine a director’s authority.

But after seeing the resumed reading, his thoughts changed.

It’s not that maybe an amazing work could emerge.

An amazing work had already been born.

Through Dohyeon-u’s casting that no one had anticipated.

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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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