Chapter 121: Shootout (1)
Chapter 121: Shootout (1)
Cheonghong Action School.
The cradle of stuntmen, founded by Korea’s top martial arts director, Kim Hong-baek.
Lately, Professor Kim Hong-baek had been receiving all sorts of calls. It was all because of a certain variety show he had agreed to appear on.
“They said you can start from the next shoot.”
“Hmm…”
To be honest, he had originally intended to refuse. Variety shows weren't really his style. However, this time, his interest had been piqued for several reasons.
Actors who passed through our academy are appearing, after all.
Most prominent action actors in Korea were alumni of Cheonghong Action School. But this time, the focus was on actresses. Specifically, the cast was centered around young actresses, which caught his attention. Generally, in the world of action, female actors were often sidelined.
But there was a reason for that. Action acting is, ultimately, ‘acting.’ Therefore, during filming, male actors were often preferred because their movements were larger and more powerful.
“Power, huh…”
The strength of the performance. That was what action acting needed most. The power only truly came alive when the emotions and the body moved in sync.
“But these days, filming techniques have improved so much that stunt doubles are used more often than not,” Professor Seong Ho-cheol remarked.
As he said, in the past—specifically during the height of Hong Kong cinema—it was customary for actors to do everything themselves. But nowadays, who would actually perform their own stunts? It was easier to just leave the action to someone who used their body better. That was the current trend, and yet…
“I should probably make an appearance for something like this.”
It was a chance to push for a traditional action actor for the first time in a long while.
“I’m also worried since Seo-yeon is participating.”
“…That’s another reason.”
In fact, Seo-yeon was scheduled to visit today. It was likely because of Hyper Action Star. Many of the calls Kim Hong-baek had been receiving lately were for that very reason. Those appearing on Hyper Action Star were rushing to Cheonghong Action School to receive acting coaching, especially since Kim Hong-baek himself was set to appear on the show.
Of course, he turned most of those requests down. Action acting wasn't something that could be mastered through a day or two of cramming.
Did they get scared once they actually signed up?
While Hyper Action Star had scouted a few actors directly, most participants had applied externally. Many in the industry held a negative view of the show, seeing it as a risky venture. It was a variety show with a higher probability of failure than success. The public audition format was considered past its prime, and since it focused on acting rather than singing, there were fewer elements to keep viewers entertained.
That was the general consensus. Thus, many participants had joined simply to raise their profile, figuring they could get by with mediocre action.
But then, she showed off that rappel action from the very first meeting.
The show had suddenly begun to capture the public’s attention. The view counts were breaking records every day. The actors who had joined with a lukewarm attitude now found themselves in a desperate hurry. The scales had tipped from failure toward success; if they didn't show something impressive on the show, they would miss a massive opportunity.
“Ah, they say Seo-yeon is already here warming up.”
“Is that so?”
Professor Kim Hong-baek headed toward the stunt training grounds with a familiar stride. Previously, many actors had looked at Seo-yeon with cold or judgmental eyes, but things were different now. Whenever they crossed paths with her, they were busy averting their gaze.
That was because…
“Is there no one who can spar with me today?”
“…”
At Seo-yeon’s request, everyone looked down at the floor. There was certainly a lot to learn from acting alongside her. However, when one is thrown several meters through the air, those lessons tend to fly out of one's head along with their breath.
The vanity of life. One becomes detached from worldly desires and sees their life flash before their eyes. Regardless, it was acting that teetered on the edge of life and death. Thanks to her, they had become capable of performing most stunts with a smile, which was a satisfying outcome in its own way.
Still, doing it too often is a bit much.
The way Seo-yeon stared intently in their direction reminded them of a puppy sitting by the front door with a drooping tail, desperate for a walk. They felt that if they accidentally made eye contact, they would end up grabbing the leash and heading out for a ‘walk’ with her, so they had no choice but to look away.
Amidst that strange atmosphere…
“Ah, Master.”
Seo-yeon spoke as she spotted Professor Kim Hong-baek. All the actors at Cheonghong Action School called him ‘Master.’ There was no particular reason other than the fact that their work involved physical discipline, and he viewed them as his disciples.
“I received word about the mission today.”
“The mission?”
“The mission for Hyper Action Star.”
Professor Kim Hong-baek nodded. It seemed the general outline of the mission was being shared with the cast before filming.
So that’s why I’ve been getting so many calls lately.
Now that they knew what they were filming, they only needed to learn that specific part quickly. Of course, Kim Hong-baek had no intention of helping them with that.
But shouldn't they have told me what we’re filming too?
The thought crossed his mind, but he figured they either trusted him or it was because he was only playing a demonstrator role.
“What is the mission?”
“A shootout, apparently,” Seo-yeon murmured, sounding a bit unsure.
It wasn't that she had never fired a gun. She hadn't in this life, but she had in her previous one. She hadn't been able to serve in the military because a soldier with a similar condition to hers had gone on a shooting spree. In other words, she was exempt. However, she had at least received six weeks of basic military training, so she had experience firing a weapon.
But that’s different from being active duty.
To be honest, it had been so long that she couldn't even remember exactly how to do it. Some memories from her past life were definitely starting to fade.
“A shootout…!”
Professor Kim Hong-baek’s eyes widened.
Then she’ll be safe.
He had worried about what might happen if it were a brawl or something similar. The genre might have shifted entirely.
“They said the acting will be done with guns loaded with paintballs.”
Just like a survival game center. But, of course, this shoot wasn't a survival game. It was strictly about evaluating the acting. Specifically, action acting.
“So, shooting at the face is prohibited. They need to see the acting.”
They would only wear minimal protective gear, like goggles, on their faces. That way, their expressions would be visible.
Combining action and acting into one.
Seo-yeon’s specialty was emotional acting. A shootout didn't seem to fit that in many ways. Since there was no narrative provided for the scene, she had to craft a character on the spot.
“You probably know this to some extent, Seo-yeon. First, you need to think about what you want to show in this shootout.”
“What I need to show… the character?”
“Exactly. This movie is a supernatural action film. It’s a shootout, but you mustn't forget that.”
He was right. The mere existence of superpowers broadened the scope of ‘acting’ that could be added to a simple shootout.
My superpower is regeneration.
It wasn't a power she had agonized over. She chose it because it seemed easy to handle and felt appropriate for her personality. Honestly, she had considered physical enhancement, but…
There would have been too many people with physical enhancement.
The rappel action had been sudden. To jump while acting in that state, she had instinctively chosen something simple. Out of a hundred participants, thirty actors had claimed physical enhancement. Naturally, with thirty people having the same power, the competition would have been much fiercer.
So, Seo-yeon chose regeneration—similar, but slightly different. It allowed her to perform most of the actions a physical enhancement user could, while making it easier to create specific points of impact.
But does this carry over to the actual movie filming?
She was curious about that. If the protagonist’s superpower wasn't strictly defined in the script, the power chosen during this audition might carry over.
As Seo-yeon pondered this, Professor Kim Hong-baek spoke.
“If it’s regeneration, there’s a lot of action the viewers will want to see. However, from an acting perspective, it will be tricky.”
“Because the ability is meaningless unless I actually get hit.”
“Exactly. You have to show that in the shootout. Acting that can only be done by getting hit.”
It was a difficult type of acting for an actress. If any other actress had chosen that ability, Kim Hong-baek would have tried to stop her. He would have told her to ask the production team if she could change it to something else.
Well, it should be fine.
Kim Hong-baek nodded. Seo-yeon’s skin wasn't so fragile that it would be scarred by something like a paintball. In fact, he had never even seen her get injured. When he had asked her about it…
“Uh… it’s because my cosmetics are really good.”
He didn't know when cosmetics had started having such effects, but he just let it go. What could he even do by denying it?
“Let’s try practicing first. We have model guns with paintballs here.”
Regardless, Kim Hong-baek intended to coach Seo-yeon with total sincerity. He knew just how serious she was about her acting.
If…
If Seo-yeon could elevate her acting skills while mastering the action…
The success of this movie might just depend on her.
Kim Hong-baek didn't believe for a second that Seo-yeon would be eliminated from Hyper Action Star. If she were to fail, it would only be because she couldn't properly adapt to action acting. But even then, there wasn't a director alive who wouldn't want to use her in a film. If she couldn't be the lead, she would at least be given a role with equivalent weight. He was certain of it.
No.
Kim Hong-baek shook his head. He erased the assumption of failure from his mind. This time, she had to be the protagonist. He wanted to see Seo-yeon lead the story as the star, not a supporting character. He meant it quite sincerely.
“Alright, let’s start with target practice.”
And so, Kim Hong-baek planned to pass everything he knew down to Seo-yeon. Korea’s greatest action star—Seo-yeon had the potential to become exactly that.
*
The auditions for Hyper Action Star were, in principle, conducted live. Everything from the preliminaries onward. Twenty people would be eliminated in each round. And in the semi-finals, ten more would be cut. The one actor selected after the final showdown between the top ten would become the lead in the new movie being prepared by the GH Group.
Because Seo-yeon had been emphasized so much in the teasers, she attracted a lot of trolls. Of course, her defenders argued that she jumped without safety gear. Others countered by shouting that there was an air mattress, so how could there be no safety gear? Regardless, Seo-yeon was the most talked-about person amidst the buzz.
Comments about other participants surfaced occasionally, but they were mostly passing mentions, reflecting their screen time in the teasers. At most, Jo Seo-hee was being discussed, simply because she was the only one who had taken the elevator down.
“Alright, then.”
Lee Gi-tae spoke as he looked at the members of Hyper Action Star Group A. Twenty people. Each of them, dressed in comfortable clothing, spoke with nervous expressions. As the camera panned across them…
“…Huh?”
Seo-yeon caught his eye. She couldn't help but stand out.
“Um, Seo-yeon?”
“Yes?”
“Why… the school uniform?”
Seo-yeon was standing on the set wearing a breezy, short-sleeved school uniform. Among those dressed in athletic gear for ease of movement, her outfit was exceptionally conspicuous.
To PD Lee Gi-tae’s question, Seo-yeon answered as if it were obvious.
“My character setting is a high school girl.”
Ah, so that’s the setting.
While those around her snickered, Jo Seo-hee, standing nearby, immediately understood Seo-yeon’s intention.
Character.
Lee Gi-tae’s eyes were filled with bewilderment. He probably hadn't expected anyone to show up in a school uniform. However, he was only flustered because it was a school uniform. Unique costumes were something the production team had intended from the start.
The dress code was free-form to begin with.
Any clever actor would have realized the intent. Clothing is the most basic way to visually represent a ‘character.’ In a situation where the scene and scenario aren't fixed, there’s nothing better than a costume to imprint an image of the character onto the viewers.
In other words…
Telling them to prepare their own costumes was a prompt to dress according to the character they had defined. That was why Jo Seo-hee had also come in a rather flashy outfit, decked out in luxury brands.
…A school uniform is much better than luxury brands.
Jo Seo-hee smirked as she watched Seo-yeon, who seemed strangely excited. She had already monopolized everyone’s attention from the very beginning.