Chapter 108: Filming is Over!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: Filming is Over!
On the second day of filming, Louis Louis’s manager began sticking to me like glue, bringing me drinks and massaging my arms and legs as if she were my personal servant.
Seeing her serve me so familiarly made me wonder if we knew each other, but no matter how hard I racked my brain, this was the first time we'd met. I could only conclude she was just another simp trying to get on my good side.
More importantly...
“Alright, Yong-hwan. We’re about to start filming. Is there anything making you uncomfortable?”
“Don't you think there are more Elf sisters here than yesterday...?”
The director scanned the surroundings and let out a small, dry cough.
“Now, we’re going to start filming. You can do just as well as yesterday, right?”
“No, I’m saying there are too many Elves! There are three times as many! You said they were a rare species, but more than half the people here are Elves!”
“Noona is going to make sure our Yong-hwan looks super cute on camera again!”
It had been like this since yesterday; it felt like this woman and I were speaking different languages. Still, the filming itself was so simple it didn't really matter.
There were no scenes requiring explosive emotions or god-tier acting; my role was simply to play a pitiful, frail Young Master.
I was quite satisfied that there wasn't any of that trashy soap opera melodrama.
The scenes were met with a barrage of "OK, OK, OK" without a single hitch. It was so easy I felt like I could have just stood there and passed. But every time a scene ended...
—So that’s the one from the House of Degrain...
—Rune-nim’s grandson...
—To think I’d get to see him like this...
Seeing the Elf sisters whispering distractedly amongst themselves made my contrarian streak start to twitch.
In this female-dominated world—which was basically a gender-reversed world—seeing them look at me with such sticky gazes made me certain they were gulping down dry spit, imagining how they’d like to pass me around. Or so I thought.
“Um, is there anything uncomfortable during filming?”
“Huh? Nope!”
They seemed genuinely worried about me.
“It’s a bit hot. Stay still while I cast a spell for you, okay?”
“Thank you...?”
They would cast enchantments on me.
“Make sure to drink some water as you go. This is very precious water.”
“...This is actually delicious?”
I didn't know why water tasted so good, but they gave me a mysterious drink that was incredibly refreshing and had a hint of sweetness.
“If anything bothers you during the shoot, please feel free to tell me. I’ll speak to the director.”
“...Nothing really?”
They kept acting as if I should be uncomfortable.
Actually, things were better than I expected.
For instance...
“Um... I’d really like it if there was pork cutlet in today’s lunch box...”
As if they had a magic wand, pork cutlet appeared for lunch the moment I mentioned it.
“Well... those snacks that come with the Green Brachiosaurus Beta XII stickers...”
Dozens of snack bags were torn open before my eyes until the sticker I wanted appeared.
“Ugh... I don't want to walk. Hmm? You’ll give me a piggyback ride? Thank you~!”
When I felt too lazy to move to the next set, they even gave me piggyback rides.
“...This is actually pretty nice.”
My happiness levels began to soar as I settled into the life of a rich family's Young Master. If these people were truly suspicious, the Secretary Sister Morian assigned to me would have cut them off, but seeing as she just stood at a distance, glancing over occasionally, it didn't seem like a dangerous situation.
“Alright, Yong-hwan. Just two more hours of filming today and we’re done!”
“Didn't the footage we agreed to shoot finish an hour ago?”
The director was starting to pull a fast one.
Of course, we had finished about three hours earlier than the scheduled time, but I was a professional who got paid by the job, not the hour. It wasn't fun when she tried to pull stunts like this.
“No, well... the remaining work was supposed to take three days, but since we’re finishing in two, I guess you could say we moved things up a bit...?”
“Didn't we start with three days, and now it’s four? You added an extra day.”
The director guiltily avoided my gaze.
“Ahem, is there anything you want, Yong-hwan? I heard you saying you wanted the Green Brachiosaurus Beta XII S2 the other day.”
“I already have it.”
The director’s eyes began to dart around. Seeing her try so hard, I figured I could play along a little. Everyone’s just trying to make a living, and showing the director a little mercy wasn't difficult.
I honestly wondered why Alicia made such a mess of every film set and trashed her own image when it was this easy.
“Ugh... isn't there anything you want, Yong-hwan? Anything you want to do? Noona will do everything for you once the filming is over!”
This middle-aged woman was trying to act cute while referring to herself as "Noona." Well, since the "Noonas" in this world were all fundamentally beautiful, I could accept her claim, but that wasn't the point right now.
“Really?”
“Yes, yes, yes! Do you want to go to an amusement park? Or an aquarium? Since you’re a boy, how about a dollhouse?”
Her effort was almost cute. But if I just greedily accepted, the reputation and image I had built up would surely crumble.
“Director, what kind of movies do you want to make?”
“Me...? Well, movies that are cool, popular, and all that...?”
It was such a cliché answer that it was boring.
“Is that all?”
“....”
The director, who had crouched down to meet my eyes, looked like she didn't know what to say.
“Do you only like making movies that make you look cool to people, gain popularity, and make lots of money?”
“...Yo-Yong-hwan?”
I was just curious. Even if she said she wanted to make those kinds of movies, I wouldn't be disappointed. I didn't have any expectations to begin with. It’s a hassle to drag dreams into a story where everyone is just trying to survive.
The director’s lips parted a few times before she let out a long sigh. Now was the time for her to tell me about the soul of an artist dreaming of an ideal.
“A popular movie.”
Wait, that’s it?
“I want to make a movie that is super popular. To the point where everyone knows my name the moment they hear it. A movie that advertises itself because people trust the director enough to watch whatever I make.”
This wasn't what I expected.
“And I want to make a ton of money so I can stop dealing with those damn investment company bastards and pack the film with all sorts of massive explosions.”
I had hoped for the soul of an artist to wash over me...
“And I want famous actors to line up and beg me for a single role. I want to see people like Alicia de la Vega actually being sincere and hardworking, at least while they’re on my set.”
...and to be inspired by that to perhaps dream a little of being an actor myself.
“I want to make so much money that I can buy up all the interesting movie rights in the Colonies and remake them exactly to my taste.”
That’s what I had hoped for, but...
“I want this movie to be that kind of movie. Can you help me?”
This crazy director wasn't telling a young child about the hopes of the world, the beauty of art, or the agony of an artist; she was just revealing what a total materialist she was.
“It—it’s hard... I—I don't really know what you’re talking about, but! I—I’ll try my best!”
“Great! There was something I wanted to tell you, Yong-hwan!”
Personally, I wished she wouldn't, but since I’d already seen the bottom of this director’s character, I figured I could listen.
“When you’re acting, focus on plausibility rather than immersion. You’re cute, tiny, and lovely enough just by appearing on screen, but that won't make the movie I want. Understand?”
Understand, my foot. With her eyes flipped, the director "requesting" this of me definitely seemed to have lost her mind.
“Plausibility is what makes actions feel natural. If you try to immerse yourself too much, it becomes excessive and uncomfortable to watch. If you’re going to go wild, just do it; we can always reshoot if it doesn't work. Let’s give it a try, okay?”
I felt like I shouldn't have talked to her. Seeing how she tried to force her demands without any consideration for my fragile and precious mental age, the right move was to cut ties and run. But it felt weird to run away when a third of the filming was already done.
“It’s good if emotional scenes are poignant, but it’s better to cry and get angry beautifully and coolly. With sincerity. You don't need to immerse yourself in the feeling of being a drunkard running wild, right? We don't need to wail. It’s enough if the person watching the scene wails. To achieve that, we don't actually need to be sobbing our hearts out.”
It was even more flustering because what she said wasn't wrong. It was just that the acting education I was receiving on-site was so intense I was speechless.
“But Director... for my role... there’s nothing to immerse in. Don't I just throw a few tantrums, steal some things, ask for help, and rub my face against people saying I missed them and to please help me?”
“Exactly. Here, these are cookies bought in bulk from a Colony. Have one and let’s find some strength.”
The director gestured in the air, and a large container filled with chocolate cookies popped out of nowhere. She opened the lid and gave me one; as soon as I ate it, I thought, This is definitely bad for my health.
“Can you do it?”
“Yeth...!”
My answer sounded weird because my cheeks were stuffed with cookies, but the director nodded as if satisfied.
“Hey, you lot! Filming starts in ten minutes, so get ready! I’m going to be even more ruthless today!”
The director began harassing the assistant directors and camera operators, kicking them in the rear.
The cookies were so delicious that I just hugged the container and started stuffing them into my mouth one by one. It was a sweetness that truly felt like a sin against health. Salty, sweet, and chewy. Once you ate something like this, you could never go back; ordinary snacks would never satisfy you again.
—Wow, he’s so cute. Can I take a photo?
—Guard-nim, may I step a little closer to see?
People approached and babbled something, but I couldn't answer because of the cookies—which were basically junk food like nothing I’d ever tasted since my reincarnation.
The Noonas approached, touching my hair and hugging me gently, but I couldn't stick to my rule of biting people who bothered me.
“Everyone, get out of the way! We have to film! I don't care if you’re investors!”
“No, Director, look at this. Isn't he just too cute?”
“This is perfect for a cookie video. I’ll just do a quick shoot.”
“No, that’s not what a 'cookie' means...”
“It’ll sell well, right?”
People started talking amongst themselves. My tongue felt like it was melting from the addictiveness of the cookies, which were clearly loaded with MSG and all sorts of things bad for the body.
The filming continued for three days, and I was truly exhausted. But every time I struggled, they stuffed cookies into my mouth, allowing me to proceed with the shoot without too much suffering.
It was just as I was starting to get tired of chocolate cookies.