Chapter 3
An audition hall in Gangnam, Seoul.
Three people are sitting in a simple audition room.
One woman and two men. Although they were dressed in comfortable clothes, they were people with an aura to them.
“Assistant director… no. “You’re a PD now, right?”
The man sitting in the middle said with a smile. In front of him was a nameplate that read, ‘Judge Representative Gayeon Yoon.’
“CEO Ai. If you keep calling me an assistant director, I’ll get upset. “This is my debut work, but I’m going to deny it.”
“Again, you are saying something unlucky. What do you get for cheating? “I personally help, and this project is sure to be a hit.”
PD Kim Mansoo muttered in response to CEO Gayeon Yoon’s words.
“You said that, but you didn’t support a single actor from your company…”
“Hey, Seokhyun and Minjun said they don’t like you. You also put pressure on the broadcasting station, so it doesn’t help a lot.”
“That’s true, but… And Lee Seokhyun and Kang Minjun kept saying that they didn’t like this role, but they kept appealing to me.”
“Ugh, fuck. Yuna, can PD Kim Mansoo really take charge of the project? “I don’t have eyes to see like this?”
Writer Lee Yuna, who was sitting next to him and quietly smiling, answered.
“But PD Kim Mansoo, all the works you’ve worked on so far have had good grades, right? “I guess I have a good sense of it in my own way, right?”
In response to writer Lee Yuna’s words, CEO Yoon Gayeon spoke as if that was not the case at all.
“What a persimmon! They’re all actors. And that work was done well by the main producer, but what did the assistant director do…”
“Oh my, Mr. President. Please save my face. “What should I do if you openly curse at me?”
“Hey. I’m saying this because Yuna is the author. Is Yuna someone who looks down on PD? All you have to do is just laugh it off… Ugh.”
People who don’t know much about their relationship might think they’re fighting.
However, the three of them got along well enough to talk comfortably like this.
After a while, the three started a pre-audition meeting. The first to speak out was CEO Gayeon Yoon.
“Producer Kim. How many people have we seen now? “Have we seen about 200 people?”
“Yes. To be exact, 214 people. But there isn’t an actor I really like…”
“Originally, if you use it for your own work, no one will like it. “It’s all about compromise.”
Gayeon Yoon is an actress and CEO of a management company.
He achieved some success as an actor and produced his own movies, which was a bit disappointing, but he eventually changed his career path to management.
As a result, he was treated as a senior among directors, and his actors were also well-received for their personality and skills.
“After···. That’s true though. “I see about 40 people today, and I’m worried about what I’ll do if no one passes the audition because of me.”
“What are you worrying about? Are you telling me to use Seokhyun and Minjun? “I like my babies’ masks, they’re perfect!”
There was one reason why CEO Gayeon Yoon continued to appeal to his actors. This is because he knew that this work would be a huge hit or at least a medium hit.
He’s seen a lot of scripts, but none have stuck with him like this one. Moreover, the production team members were all very talented.
Since he has also put his influence into the broadcasting station, publicity and promotions will be great.
A work that cannot fail.
‘If you go into the first episode or the most important scene of a drama like that, it will definitely pop up.’
Lee Seokhyun and Kang Minjun, promoted by the CEO, are new actors. Although they have not yet appeared in a drama properly, CEO Gayeon Yoon believes in their potential.
While CEO Gayeon Yoon was lost in thought, producer Mansoo Kim spoke.
“Oh, really. You’re making a huge appeal because you don’t think anyone would be a representative who cares about his actors. “Those auditioners don’t feel it.”
“Ugh… Okay, okay! PD, do whatever you want. So, is there an auditioner you’re interested in today?”
In response to the CEO’s words, Mansu Kim handed over a profile. At the top was written ‘Kang Jinseok’.
“This one.”
“Kang Jinseok? “His profile picture came out really well.”
It was an honest assessment as an industry worker.
“But is this all about Pilmo? Two web dramas? “He has no drama experience at all?”
While listening to CEO Gayeon Yoon, producer Mansoo Kim poured water into the cup in front of him. Producer Kim Mansoo drank the water, thought for a moment, and then opened his mouth.
“But since the profile picture is no joke, I’m going to give it a try. The CEO just admitted it too. “The photo came out good.”
“It could be Photoshop.”
“You can’t do that much with Photoshop, right?”
As Kim Mansoo spoke with a smile, Yoon Gayeon spoke in a passing tone, as if he had no expectations.
“I think it’s just a waste of time. I’d rather just have my babies… .”
“It’s starting again, again. all right. “If I don’t find an actor I like after the audition today, I’ll go with the one the CEO praises so much.”
“Did you just say that? Is that a verbal contract?”
“Yes yes. All right.”
When they’re talking like that. Someone knocked on the door.
“I will evaluate the audition for 4-01.”
Producer Kim Mansu spoke his words to the staff outside.
***
The door opened slowly. The atmosphere in the audition room also became cold in an instant.
Applicant’s steps. posture. The gaze upon entering. expression. atmosphere, etc.
This is because the audition begins from the moment the applicant enters.
Gayeon Yoon said while observing Jinseok.
“You had a hard time coming. “You’re Jinseok Kang, right?”
“Yes, representative. “I was able to take a taxi today, so I came right on time”
In response to the short answer, the three judges quickly looked at each other and exchanged opinions with their eyes.
‘Voice···.’
‘Out of 10…’
‘10 points.’
A manly voice that is neither low nor high.
However, it was not a macho strong voice, but rather a soft one.
Above all, I felt a confidence that was unusual for a rookie actor. If you’ve never appeared in a drama before, you might be nervous during a drama audition, but I didn’t feel that way at all.
‘In order to be confident like this, you have to have something to believe in, such as outstanding skills, a good agency, or whatever. what?’
While Gayeon Yoon thought to himself as if it was strange, PD Mansoo Kim asked this time. In his hand was Jinseok’s profile.
“Mr. Kang Jinseok… You don’t have any drama skills. “Did you not even have a small role?”
“I filmed a few web dramas. “You can probably see the list of works at the end of the profile.”
“Ah, here it is. sorry. “I’m looking at your profile now.”
It was a lie.
It is the natural role of the PD to familiarize himself with the profiles of all applicants in advance.
The reason I said this was to show off.
‘Let’s see how they react.’
From an actor’s perspective, it’s quite a blow to his pride that the audition judge didn’t even look at his profile.
However, new actors sometimes experience even more humiliation on set.
Not only the abuse of power by established actors but also the subtle disregard of the staff.
‘If my mentality is shaken at that time, I won’t be able to act.’
But Jinseok was different.
“···.”
Expressionless.
No, maybe it felt like I didn’t care at all.
It seemed natural to have such an attitude toward oneself, but it did not appear that self-esteem had diminished.
Producer Kim Mansoo pretended to look at the profile and spoke again.
“Hmm···. All right. “You appeared in a web drama here, how many views did it get?”
“ <Rotting Hill> was released about 52,000 times. “Pretty Woman” has about 61,000 views.”
52,000 and 61,000 times.
For a low-budget web drama, it’s not a very low score.
The general public only sees famous web dramas and thinks that other web dramas will receive tens or millions of views, but the majority of them receive less than 100,000 views.
However, from the perspective of casting actors for public broadcast dramas, this is a disappointing figure.
‘What···. I wasn’t even expecting it in the first place.’
“All right. Then, let’s see the acting. Just look at the camera in front of you.”
“Yes.”
In a way, the actor selected in this audition can be said to play the most important role in the entire drama.
Although it is a role that appears briefly at the beginning of episode 1 and then leaves, it is the role that creates the biggest opportunity for the main character ‘brother’ to become a doctor.
In order to win such a role, what the applicant must show at this audition is a younger brother suffering from end-stage renal disease. ‘He attempted to receive a kidney transplant from his mother, but gave the kidney to his older brother, who was suffering from the same disease.’ is the act of the scene.
There aren’t many lines.
But that’s why it’s difficult. The most difficult thing for actors is to convey their emotions in short-acting and dialogue.
The reason why a new actor was used rather than a proven actor for such an important role is because producer Kim Mansoo wanted to show off his directing and casting skills.
‘I want to succeed in my debut film with my skills, not just as an actor. And if you succeed by using a rookie, there will be no better success than that.’
When PD Kim Mansoo was thinking like that.
Jinseok said.
“Then let’s begin.”
***
An applicant who has nothing special about him other than his appearance.
I didn’t have much expectations as to whether the sentiments of CEO Gayeon Yoon and artist Yuna Lee were similar.
Producer Kim Mansoo casually turned his gaze back to look at Jinseok.
‘···What?’
Suddenly, actor Kang Jinseok, who was sitting in front of him, looked different.
Since the features of his face have not changed, it would be more accurate to say that the atmosphere has changed.
His expression earlier was full of joy. But it was not joy anymore.
His eyes were full of tears, but they didn’t flow.
That may be because there was no sadness in Jinseok’s acting.
A younger brother who decided to give up his kidney for his beloved older brother.
What feelings does the younger brother have?
In response to this question, PD Kim Mansoo said that this younger brother thought, ‘It is sad to lose hope for a kidney transplant, but he will think that there is nothing he can do to save his brother.’ He guessed intuitively that he was right.
However, as if he were ridiculing PD Kim Mansoo’s thoughts, Jinseok was showing completely different emotions.
This thought crossed Producer Kim Mansoo’s head after seeing his acting.
‘The younger brother who sacrificed himself for his beloved older brother… ‘I’m glad!’
Usually, when I’m at the auditioning, I focus on the actor’s performance and then look at the expressions of the other judges next to me.
This is because you can tell by looking at their facial expressions whether your thoughts are the same as theirs, even without asking.
But PD Kim Mansoo couldn’t afford to do that right now.
Because the ‘younger brother’ in front of him was eagerly waiting for something to say to his mother.
After a while.
It was a short time, but when there was silence that felt like years had passed, Jinseok’s mouth opened.
“Mom… “I’m really fine.”
“… .”
“I hope my brother is healthy.”
At the low line that flowed from Jinseok’s mouth.
‘···This is crazy.’
Producer Kim Mansoo was so immersed in Jinseok’s acting that he even forgot to breathe.