“Writer Woo? ......No, Writer Woo-nim?”
I had ended up approaching Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong first by mistake, acting familiar.
I had known that she was the main writer of
After all, when I borrowed the script from Lee Jin-muk, the very first thing I saw was the writer’s name.
It was simply a habit from my previous life.
Whenever a script came in, I always looked up the director’s and writer’s names first.
I figured if I knew who I was working with ahead of time, I wouldn’t make mistakes later.
Of course, I had also used it as a reference when selecting scenarios.
Anyway, I had expected to meet Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong at least once before the drama finished airing.
But I hadn’t known it would be today.
She was looking around the filming set restlessly, as though searching for someone.
Then she met my eyes.
A faint smile soon rose to her lips.
“Did you call me just now?”
“Ah... yes.”
“You know me?”
“Well, you see, I’ve liked your work, Writer-nim. Since a long time ago.”
I glossed over it.
“Really?”
Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong cast an interested glance.
And as if testing me, she asked,
“What’s your favorite?”
“I like all seven works, but I especially enjoyed the drama
“You know that drama?”
“It was really famous, after all.”
“Even so, it must have been hard for a teenager to understand.”
That was true.
The original Kang Ha-jun had been only fifteen at the time.
I smiled instead of answering.
Because if I said I wasn’t a teenager but in my thirties, I’d be taken for a madman.
Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong continued.
“Thank you for taking an interest, anyway. You’re actor Kang Ha-jun, right? The one playing the loan shark.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I saw you at the preview. You expressed the character with quite an impact? Thanks to that, I’ve gained inspiration after a long time.”
“Thank you for viewing it favorably.”
I bowed my head.
‘An interesting kid.’
Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong thought.
Without realizing it, she was recalling Ahn Dong-jin.
Ahn Dong-jin had once been her benefactor, her star, and a longtime friend.
That she had been able to achieve her dream of becoming a drama writer, which she had long since given up on, albeit late, was all thanks to him, in a sense.
The drama
Woo Yeon-gyeong, who had been an ordinary office worker at thirty, won the grand prize in a drama script contest with that work,
and at thirty-five, she participated as the main writer in a production where ‘Actor Ahn Dong-jin’ was cast as the lead.
Her connection with Ahn Dong-jin began then.
Since their close relationship had continued ever since, she had lived a life that was, in its own way, that of a successful fan.
Until he died.
“I’ll look forward to today’s filming.”
Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong encouraged Kang Ha-jun and then left.
Having achieved her goal of speaking with Kang Ha-jun, who had given her inspiration for the first time in a full fifteen years.
She was a writer of some renown in her own right.
After drama
Unfortunately, she had been unable to break into the top class during that long period.
Because her third work had been her last hit.
After that, she had barely managed to stay afloat on the reputation she had built in the past.
But for some reason, Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong felt that she might be able to reclaim her past glory through the drama
Her deep-seated slump was also saying goodbye as of today.
She came outside, let out a short sigh, and looked up at the sky.
“Is it a bit more livable over there? Actor Ahn.”
Her face furrowed in the bright sunlight.
**
Kang Ha-jun’s filming turn came after mealtime had ended.
The time was early afternoon, and the location was an alley in a commercial district near a forest of buildings.
It was the time when nearby office workers were either coming out for lunch or returning to their companies after eating.
“They really scheduled this at a shitty time.”
The boom operator complained in a voice small enough that no one could hear.
And with good reason—there were quite a lot of people walking around.
There were even people hovering nearby, whispering among themselves after seeing the filming equipment.
If that happened, no matter how good a directional mic was, noise would inevitably get mixed in.
That was why the boom operator’s nerves were on edge every time they filmed on the street.
Even if they obtained advance filming permits for the area, there was a limit to blocking civilians from passing through.
After all, they had received a ‘permit,’ not paid to monopolize the place,
and if they tried to use the permit as a weapon to control people for no reason, unnecessary disputes could arise.
The best method was to avoid times with heavy foot traffic like lunch hour,
but unavoidable circumstances always arose.
In times like this, the best policy was to proceed with filming as quickly as possible and move to the next location.
“Alright, this is simple, so let’s shoot quick and get out. We’ll start with the rehearsal.”
It was a small mercy that this was at least not a main road.
At least there were no cars.
PD Kim Yeong-jin called the rambunctious crew to attention.
“What are you filming right now?”
Unable to contain their curiosity, a passerby who approached during the rehearsal asked the assistant director.
“A drama.
The assistant director, who was on high alert, forced a smile and answered, prompting the passerby to let out a small exclamation and stamp their feet.
“Gasp! Isn’t that the one that premiered yesterday? Wow, I really enjoyed it! Can I watch?”
“Yes, but please stay quiet.”
“Yes!”
The passerby answered, struggling to close their gaping mouth.
“What are they doing?”
“A drama, a drama.
“OMG, really?”
“What’s that?”
“The one that had its first broadcast on DLB yesterday.”
“Wow, it’s my first time seeing a drama being filmed. Let’s text the deputy.”
But his companions didn’t seem to have any intention of being quiet.
“Directing team, shot incoming!”
PD Kim Yeong-jin’s shouting was heard from afar.
It was a signal to keep the set under proper control.
“Shh, shh, just a moment please.”
The assistant directors scattered throughout walked among the passersby, holding their index fingers to their lips and repeatedly bowing.
Even then, word of the filming continued to spread.
Onlookers gradually gathered.
‘Ah, seriously, why do they keep crowding around!’
The youngest assistant director grumbled inwardly.
It was peculiar.
Civilians didn’t often have opportunities to see filming sets.
Therefore, while many would show up out of curiosity, usually, if there were no famous actors, they would quickly lose interest and go on their way.
But today, there were unusually many people who couldn’t tear themselves away.
“Alright, aaand cue!”
Filming began amid a subtle commotion.
Kang Ha-jun and Go Hyeon-su came out of a real estate agency side by side.
Go Hyeon-su’s bodyguard followed behind them.
“Do you really think there’d be the property you’re looking for at a neighborhood real estate agency like this?”
“Han-ho. True gems are always hidden, you know.”
Kang Ha-jun gave a gentle smile at Go Hyeon-su’s question.
“I’ll handle my business, so you worry about acquiring DL Media.”
“Ah, that. I don’t think it’s going well.”
Kang Ha-jun stopped dead in his tracks.
The smile still lingered on his face.
“Why?”
“You know my sisters. They should be a little more strict. When grandfather said he’d give it to me, the two of them just went absolutely crazy together.”
“So you’re just going to give up?”
“If grandfather can’t push it through, there’s nothing to be done, really. Honestly, I didn’t even want it that much. I’m just most suited to spending money.”
When Go Hyeon-su shrugged, Kang Ha-jun turned around and stood in front of the bodyguard.
“Is there a problem...... Ugh!”
And he kicked him in the shin.
The bodyguard’s body hunched forward, and the full-fledged beating began.
With a completely expressionless face, Kang Ha-jun kicked him wildly.
Even in his unfocused eyes, no emotion whatsoever could be read.
“Ah, why’s he doing that again, shit.”
Terrified, Go Hyeon-su stepped backward.
“Cut!”
A sharp call rang out.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Kang Ha-jun helped the bodyguard up first and dusted off his clothes together with him.
And he turned to PD Kim Yeong-jin, whose face was full of irritation.
The reason he had called NG wasn’t because of the actors’ acting.
It was because the noise had grown markedly since Kang Ha-jun’s beating scene began.
“Hey, directing team! Get your heads straight......”
PD Kim Yeong-jin, who had turned around and was shouting neurotically, momentarily lost his words.
In that short time, quite a crowd had gathered.
The assistant directors, and even crew members who had nothing particular to do during filming, all joined in trying to calm people’s excitement, but they were insufficient.
“What the hell, why is everyone just watching? Shouldn’t we call the police? Why is he suddenly beating someone up?”
“It’s a drama filming, you idiot.”
“Ah, really? What the hell, I didn’t know because all the actors are nobodies. Let’s just go.”
“That guy acts amazingly well. Do you know who he is?”
“Don’t know, first time seeing him. Should I ask what his name is?”
“What drama is this?”
“It says ‘Money Bubble Filming Team’ on the broadcast vehicle over there.”
“Oh, Money Bubble? I saw it in an advertisement.”
People were clustered in groups, buzzing among themselves.
“PD-nim, it’s impossible to control them.”
The assistant director approached with a tearful expression.
Now that it had come to this, PD Kim Yeong-jin had two choices.
Stop filming and wait until the office workers’ lunch break completely ended,
or film a different scene first and return here again.
Either way, it was a waste of time.
PD Kim Yeong-jin checked his watch.
“It’s only 1:15.”
It was unreasonable to wait about 50 minutes for a scene that would take only 10 or 20 minutes to finish.
But moving to the next filming set would take at least 30 minutes.
Calculated as a round trip, they could end up wasting nearly an hour on the streets.
“Where is Manager Song?”
“Yes! Right here!”
He found the location manager.
“Manager, by any chance near the set......”
PD Kim Yeong-jin trailed off.
“Yes?”
“There wouldn’t be a real estate agency, would there?”
“Ah...... there? Haha.”
He had asked just in case, but he too knew full well.
The fact that it was a filming set complex, and the only commercial establishments nearby were sporadic 24-hour restaurants.
Manager Song laughed regretfully.
“Excuse me, PD-nim. How about using the onlookers here as extras instead?”
I added carefully.
Broadcast content ultimately depends on how you manipulate the ‘frame.’
The reason noise shouldn’t get mixed into a drama?
It’s simple. Because the ‘source of the noise’ isn’t included in the frame.
Conversely, if the source of the noise enters the frame, it becomes a concept in itself.
“Out of nowhere?”
“If a violent incident broke out in this big alley and no one paid attention, that would be even stranger.”
“Realistically speaking, that’s true.”
“I think it’s a good idea.”
Writer Woo Yeon-gyeong, who was nearby, raised her hand.
“This scene is used later when the fact that Choi Han-ho is being pushed around by the loan shark reaches his sisters’ ears.
Rather than complicated documents, a single video taken by a civilian and uploaded to social media would be more intuitive and better.”
“Have extras act like they’re taking videos?”
PD Kim Yeong-jin, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, didn’t take very long to make a decision.
“Is the extra captain nearby?”
“They’re waiting over there. Shall I call them?”
“Tell them to bring all the extra appearance contracts they have.”
“Yes.”
The assistant director moved briskly.