Chapter 016
These days, whether it was a movie or a drama, everything was filmed with digital cameras, so even if dozens of NGs happened during filming, they could simply shoot the scene again.
But film cameras were different.
Of course, the expensive price of film was a problem because every NG could cause the production costs to rise tremendously.
But more importantly, from the moment the film started rolling inside the camera, it became a race against time.
Movie films usually came in 400-foot and 1,000-foot sizes.
A 400-foot film could be used for roughly three to four minutes of shooting, while a 1,000-foot film lasted about ten to twelve minutes.
Because of this, the film often had to be changed during filming.
However, replacing a film roll took a considerable amount of time, so when it came to important emotional scenes, actors found it difficult because their emotions were interrupted whenever they had to wait.
That was why veteran cinematographers and production teams carefully calculated the timing of every single scene during rehearsals to prevent such problems.
However, even with all those preparations, if an NG happened during the actual filming, all the carefully calculated timing would become useless.
That was why rehearsals before the actual shoot were extremely important.
After about thirty minutes of rehearsal, they finally began the actual shoot.
“All right, we're going into the shoot.
Sound.”
At the assistant director's cue, the sound director pressed the audio recording button.
“Speed!”
This time, the assistant director looked toward the camera and spoke.
“Camera.”
The cinematographer pressed the camera's play button and shouted.
“Rolling.”
As the camera started rolling, Taesu from the production team, who was waiting in front of the camera, brought down the slate, commonly called a clapperboard, with a sharp smack!
“Scene 32, cut four, take one!”
After striking the slate, Taesu quickly disappeared from the camera angle.
Finally, Director Song shouted.
“Action!”
At Director Song's cue, the actors began acting.
However, not long after, the director shouted.
“Cut!
NG!”
Gil Boyoung looked flustered as she alternated her gaze between the camera and Director Song.
“Director, did I do something wrong?”
Gil Boyoung asked with a confused expression.
“Ah, Boyoung, remember how we set the movement earlier?
When you delivered that line, you were supposed to grab Seonwoo's face sharply while saying it.”
Only then did Gil Boyoung seem to remember.
She lowered her head with an embarrassed expression.
“Ah, I'm sorry.
I must have been too nervous.
I'm really sorry.”
“No, it can happen.
It's your first day of filming.
Don't be too nervous.
All right, shall we try again?”
The filming started again.
“Scene 32, cut four, take two!”
After Taesu struck the slate, he quickly disappeared from the camera angle.
Director Song shouted.
“Action!”
Gil Boyoung seemed determined to make up for her earlier mistake and continued acting with all her strength.
Without realizing it, I smiled at the sight of Gil Boyoung.
But then, as if she had suddenly been startled by something, Gil Boyoung's eyes shook violently.
Huh, what's wrong with her?
The director and the staff seemed to think even that change in Gil Boyoung's eyes was part of her acting, so they simply let it pass.
But I knew.
Something had happened to her.
Gil Boyoung tried to regain her emotions, but once her emotions had been disturbed, they did not seem easy to recover.
Before long, she stumbled over her lines and made another mistake.
At Gil Boyoung's mistake, Director Song shouted.
“NG!”
Gil Boyoung looked flustered as she glanced back and forth between the camera and Director Song.
“S-sorry.”
“Boyoung, what's wrong?
Is something going on?”
“Ah, no.
I just... forgot my lines...”
“Boyoung, you don't look well.
Are you really okay?”
“Ah, yes...
I'm sorry.
I'll just check my lines and do it again.”
Gil Boyoung hurriedly picked up her script with a face as pale as a sheet of paper.
What on earth is it?
She suddenly looked like she had been startled by something...
I was certain there had to be a reason, so I looked around.
Then, someone unfamiliar who I had not noticed earlier entered my field of vision.
A man who looked to be in his fifties was standing among the extras, watching Gil Boyoung closely.
Who is that guy?
Just as I became curious, I grabbed Taesu from the production team, who happened to be walking past.
“Hyung Taesu, do you know who that person over there is?
The one standing with the extras.”
“Who?”
Taesu followed the direction I pointed with my chin.
“Ah, him.
He's Manager Hwang.
He's the agency manager who brought and is supervising the extras appearing today.”
“An agency manager?”
“Yeah.
I heard he used to run a management company with a few actors a while back, but it went bankrupt.
Now he just manages extras.”
At that moment, something suddenly flashed through my mind.
No way...
Could that man be...
“Hey, we're starting filming.”
Taesu hurried away.
Once again, filming resumed.
“Scene 32, cut four, take three!”
Taesu quickly disappeared from the camera angle after striking the slate.
Director Song shouted.
“Action!”
But this time too, Gil Boyoung made another mistake during her acting.
As the NGs continued one after another, the atmosphere on the set quickly became heavy.
Anxiety was clearly visible on Gil Boyoung's face as she repeatedly made mistakes.
Filming began again, but before long, the cinematographer stopped the shoot.
They had to change the film.
“Will twenty minutes be enough?”
The assistant director seemed accustomed to this situation as he asked the cinematographer.
The cinematographer nodded.
“We'll resume filming in twenty minutes.
Everyone, please gather again by then!”
The filming had been interrupted once again, and embarrassment appeared on Gil Boyoung's face.
Despite the pressure from making several NGs, she had barely managed to calm herself down and regain her emotions.
But because the film had to be changed, her emotions were interrupted once again.
“Boyoung, are you okay?”
Moon Hyunbin comforted Gil Boyoung.
“Huh?
Ah, I'm sorry.
Because of me, even you...”
“Hey, don't say something like that.
And I made tons of NGs on my first day of filming too.
Enough to feel sorry about it.”
“Thanks.
Even just hearing you say that makes me feel better.”
At that moment, Gil Boyoung noticed Manager Hwang slowly approaching her.
Her expression immediately stiffened.
“Ah, oppa, I'm going outside for some fresh air for a moment.”
“Oh, sure.
All right.”
Gil Boyoung hurriedly left the filming set to avoid Manager Hwang.
Manager Hwang narrowed his eyes as he watched Gil Boyoung leave, then returned to his original position.
I watched the two of them from a distance so neither Manager Hwang nor Gil Boyoung would notice me.
Around the time I was discharged from the military, Gil Boyoung had already returned to acting and was working as an actress.
At the time, reporters had noticed that Gil Boyoung was working without an agency.
They began speculating that perhaps she had some kind of problem with her former agency and that this was why she had returned to acting without signing with another agency.
However, Gil Boyoung never released any official statement.
In the end, the rumors remained nothing more than rumors and eventually faded away.
Seeing the strange atmosphere between Manager Hwang and Gil Boyoung, I suspected that Manager Hwang might have been Gil Boyoung's former agency CEO.
I needed to check the facts.
I called the head of the extra actors' agency and subtly asked whether Manager Hwang was really Gil Boyoung's former agency CEO.
“How did you know that?
Ah, that's right.
One of the actors appearing there is Gil Boyoung.
Damn, I just gave myself away.
Did Manager Hwang do something to Gil Boyoung?”
“No, it's nothing like that.”
According to what the agency head had heard, Gil Boyoung had suddenly announced that she would temporarily stop acting without even consulting Manager Hwang.
Because of that, Manager Hwang apparently held a grudge against Gil Boyoung.
Once my suspicion was confirmed to be true, I immediately decided to take action.
If things continued like this, it was obvious that Gil Boyoung would be unable to concentrate on her acting.
After taking a moment to organize my thoughts, I approached Producer Jung, who was talking with Director Song.
“Excuse me, Producer.
There's something I'd like to tell you for a moment.”
“What is it?
Go ahead.”
“Well...
I'd like to talk to you separately for a moment...”
I subtly glanced toward Director Song.
Director Song looked at me as if asking what was going on.
“Oh, are you excluding me right now?
That makes me a little sad.”
Director Song said it jokingly.
I had wanted to quietly tell only Producer Jung because I did not want the situation to become bigger than necessary.
But since things had turned out this way, I thought it would be better to explain the situation to Director Song as well.
“It's nothing major.
I was just thinking that perhaps we should ask everyone except the actors and staff to leave the set.”
Director Song and Producer Jung looked at me in confusion at my unexpected suggestion.
“What are you talking about?
Why suddenly ask everyone to leave?”
“Well, I thought that if there are too many people watching, the actors might become more nervous.”
I vaguely explained the reason.
But Director Song seemed to have noticed something and persistently pressed me for an answer.
“Are you saying this because of Boyoung?
I also thought it was strange that Boyoung was acting like that.
Do you know something?”
“Actually, that Manager Hwang who brought the extra actors here used to be Gil Boyoung's management representative.”
“Her former management representative?”
“Yes.
But it seems there was some kind of problem between Gil Boyoung and the agency representative when she left the company.
So the two of them are currently on bad terms.”
“Is that really true?”
Producer Jung asked in surprise.
“Yes.
I just spoke with the head of the extra actors' agency and confirmed the facts.”
“But Gibaek, how did you know that Manager Hwang was Gil Boyoung's former agency representative?”
This time, Director Song asked again.
“Ah, well...
As for how I knew that...”
While I desperately tried to come up with an excuse, Producer Jung suddenly stepped in.
“You really are a fan of Boyoung, aren't you?”
“Yes...?”
Damn, what kind of ridiculous situation is this now?!
