Chapter 36: Hanryang (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The bomb dropped on Director Woo Hyun-goo around lunchtime on the 23rd had become a nuclear bomb by the same night, scattered all over the internet. The quantity was overwhelming.
『Victims of the movie mogul, Director Woo Hyun-goo: ‘The director openly molested me’ 』
There had never been chaos like this before.
Woo Hyun-goo’s huge reputation added to the first filthy issue related to the entertainment industry this year. Thus, a booster was attached to the spreading flames, and the entertainment world was frozen in an instant.
Given the situation.
-Shocking!! The hidden vile side of Master Director Woo Hyun-goo! To him, sexual harassment was a drug?! All the victims wept.
-IssueKingTV
-Views 3,107,335 / 2020. 3. 23
The video of ‘IssueKingTV’, which launched the bomb, achieved 3 million views. The ripple was massive. Not only in various communities, but also on SNS and YouTube, etc., the ugly true face of Director Woo Hyun-goo was spreading very fast.
-Wow... I can’t believe I watched that bastard’s movie... so disgusting...
-LOL you old man, shouldn’t you act your age???? Idiot
-Please investigate properly so the victims get justice
Face reading is science, right? LOL! He looks just like what he is.
-Hope he receives several times the pain he inflicted on others.
-I’m going to throw up
-‘Master’ LOL... he’s just an old bastard.
-Take down all the criminal Woo Hyun-goo’s movies
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It has now gone beyond manageable levels. Director Woo Hyun-goo appeared in the TV news, marking the day’s finale.
『Victims claiming to have been sexually harassed by the so-called maestro, Director Woo Hyun-goo, are popping up everywhere. This is Kim Dae-bin reporting.』
Appearing not only on the internet but also on TV, it was clear that the situation would become more serious by tomorrow morning through radio and word of mouth. While the train to hell for Director Woo Hyun-goo was speeding up, various people were busy discussing about Kang Woojin.
Such as PD Song Man-woo and writer Park Eun-mi.
“Eh? Really? Something like that happened without my knowing??”
“That’s what I’m saying. I didn’t tell Writer Park so that you can focus on writing.”
“···Goodness.”
Even Choi Sung-gun and Hong Hye-yeon, from the same agency.
“Do you think Kang Woojin’s family is shamanic?”
“······Speak sensibly.”
“You never know! We don’t know anything about his past or personal matters.”
“Anyway, what if Woojin had impulsively joined that bastard Woo Hyun-goo? Why was such a guy hidden until now? I can’t ignore Woojin’s intuition in the future.”
On the other hand, some were unfazed by the uproar, focusing on their work. It was Director Shin Dong-chun, stuck in the editing room of the production company for ‘Exorcism’. Including the editors, Director Shin Dong-chun was in a state where his stubble was growing rough.
“Let’s rewind the last cut once more.”
“··Yes.”
All three were so engrossed in editing that they looked miserable. Dark circles under their eyes and all. They looked like homeless people.
“But Director Dong-chun, this guy Kang Woojin? He’s a rookie, right? The more I watch, the crazier his acting seems.”
“Hmm, honestly, the camera didn’t capture everything. If you see it directly on the spot, you’ll be speechless.”
“I can imagine. How does this expression come from a rookie? It feels pitiful and desolate, but his eyes are full of tension. It’s amazing.”
“The expression is intense. No, this should be seen as if he experienced the situation hundreds of times. That’s how much he analyzed the scenario.”
“I’ve only edited movies for over ten years, but even veterans rarely produce such expressions. He’s a promising rookie with a bright future.”
Director Shin Dong-chun, felt a bit regretful about the cuts that had just been completed. The more he saw Kang Woojin’s acting on the monitor, the more lacking the editing seemed.
‘Is it really okay to be satisfied with this?’
The ingredients were too good. It felt like the editing was killing the tone given the quality of the ingredients. Especially since ‘Exorcism’ was a short film and was to be entered in a film festival. The situation was different from commercial films that gathered tickets with star power. They had to put in multiple times the effort into editing.
There are many movies that get ruined in the later stage of editing.
Ultimately, a movie is born from the hands of a director. No matter how amazing the actor’s performance is, if the director’s competence is lacking, the movie receives the stigma of being a failure. Director Shin Dong-chun didn’t want to give Kang Woojin such a shoddy stigma.
It would be a betrayal of the affection and passion received.
‘Better to be arrogant than to earn a disgraceful name.’
Director Shin Dong-chun was envisioning a picture where Woojin’s nose would be lifted high due to the high quality of the work.
“We can’t do this. Let’s make some revisions to this cut and the one before it.”
“···Yes?? Director, this is already the third time we’re editing here. Aren’t we running a bit tight on time?”
“No. Even if it’s ten or hundred times, if it’s not good enough, it has to be fixed. The actor has shown such sincerity in his acting, how can the director ruin it with editing?”
“Hmm.”
“We’ve only prepared the top and bottom for now.”
Director Kwon Ki-Taek, who had been looking down at the concept for a while, was focusing intensely on something important. Then Director Kwon Ki-Taek raised his index finger.
“Let’s narrow it down to these three. This one, this one, and this one.”
“Understood.”
The man with small eyes who was collecting the concepts nodded and changed the subject abruptly.
“Director, what about tomorrow’s schedule? You said you’re going to the first shooting site of ‘Profiler Hanryang’.”
“I have to go. I got the time and place, and I’ve already told PD Song, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“How about the number of people?”
“Just the three of us, including you and me. We can’t disturb someone else’s important site. We need to be unnoticeable. We just need to quietly watch Ryu Jung-min’s performance and leave.”
“But do you really need to go and see it yourself? The rumors about improving acting quality might just be rumors.”
“Well, I have to go and check. Seeing Ryu Jung-min in person might alleviate my concerns.”
Director Kwon Ki-Taek crossed his arms and smiled.
“It would be nice to know if he has really improved his acting skills, and if so, why.”
On the 25th, early in the morning.
Around 8 a.m., the location was a massive set complex in Ilsan. A place where seven studios, each looking like a warehouse at first glance, were combined. Each studio was huge. Despite being early in the morning, the front of ‘Studio A’ was crowded.
Numerous minibuses and vans.
There were at least ten vehicles, and all had ‘Profiler Hanryang’ attached to their front windows. Dozens of people poured out of these vehicles.
“Let’s start with the shooting team setting up! Please prepare while checking the shooting storyboard!”
“Our team doesn’t have a walkie-talkie!”
“Ah! Here’s the walkie-talkie!”
At a glance, there seemed to be more than 50 people. As soon as they got out of the cars, they started moving around frantically. Although not orderly, their eyes all looked the same – a passionate one.
Around this time.
-Swish.
A goateed man got out of the van in the very first parking space. He looked tired. Of course, it was PD Song man-woo. He was holding a script in one hand and, while looking at the large studio set in front of him, stretched out.
“Ugh! Hooh- It’s starting.”
What was starting was an easy answer.
The first shoot.
Starting from today, Wednesday the 25th, the lid is lifted on the first shoot of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, which major actors have participated in. That’s why all dozens of staff members had determination in their eyes. Of course, the overall person in charge of the scene, PD Song man-woo, was no exception.
At that time.
-Beep!
A voice from a staff member came from the small walkie-talkie clipped to his waist.
“PD! Please check the props in the interrogation room!!”
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
PD Song man-woo and his directing team entered the set.
An hour later.
-Squeak!
A familiar black van arrived at the parking lot filled with staff cars. Following that, a man with a cynical expression got out of the back of the van.
“......”
He looked emotionlessly straight ahead. But his feelings, as he looked up at the large set studio, were not so calm.
‘Wow- this is insane, isn’t it huge?’
He was Kang Woojin, the actor playing the role of ‘Park Dae-ri’, and he was the first actor to arrive on the scene. Anyway, as he was admiring the large studio without showing his awe.
‘It looks exactly like a logistics center, doesn’t it?’
Three men naturally brushed past Woojin. Of course, Kang Woojin didn’t notice as he was looking at the studio.
However.
-Swish.
Of the three, the one in the lead, a man with a warm aura, wearing a mask, i.e., the Master Director Kwon Ki-Taek – glanced back briefly at Kang Woojin, who was looking up at the large studio set expressionlessly.
‘He looks surprised. Is it his first time at a large set complex? He seems like an actor, but I’ve never seen his face before.’
Then, moving his steps again, Director Kwon Ki-Taek let out a faint smile.
“Is he a newcomer? How cute.”
He muttered to himself quietly.
“I wonder if he’ll make a mistake while acting out of nervousness.”
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