Chapter 349
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 349
Chapter Title: The Story Behind Survivors
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From 0 Years Old to Superstar Chapter 349
-An article like that came out?
-Just looked it up, it's there lol. But it's in English, so I can't read it.
-As expected of the Film Critic. To know about an article that just came out.
-Can't read English anyway, so I'll just have to watch the Film Critic's review.
-^ Film Critic, please explain!
“Yes. I’ll do my best to explain.”
The Film Critic smiled and began to speak.
“I’ve talked about an actor named Davis Garrett before, haven’t I? How he’s one of the most difficult actors to work with in Hollywood. That goes for actors, production companies, and directors alike.”
-For those who don't know, please watch the [Red Bone 2 Review]!
-Thanks!
The Film Critic burst out laughing at the natural guidance from his long-time viewers.
“To put it simply, Davis Garrett is an actor who values the feel of the set more than the script. He’s known for his improvisational acting, which stems from his detailed character analysis and the atmosphere on set. This has caused a lot of trouble, but because the results are always good, there are many who specifically seek him out.”
-Could it be… for *Survivors* too?
“Yes, that’s right. According to Director Jeffrey’s interview, *Survivors* wasn't originally much different from a clichéd disaster film. The plan was for only Raymond Wish and Ian Weaver to escape, after which Raymond Wish would join the rescue team to save his family and the other three.”
-Oh, the original Raymond Wish was amazing. The Raymond Wish we got seems more like a ticking time bomb, lol.
-Should we swap them? hahaha
-But it feels like I've seen that plot somewhere before.
-Totally a typical movie protagonist vibe, haha.
“Director Jeffrey said that if they had filmed it that way, the stories of the other characters might have been edited out due to the runtime.”
-True, watching *Survivors*, the escape scenes alone took up so much time. If the original had to film the escape *and* the rescue, a lot would have been cut.
-The edited parts could have been Lee Hyunwoo or Ian.
-Can't believe Ian 'Wish' would disappear!
-Escaping with Ian and then going back to rescue others… what a capable guy.
-But if Raymond Wish had escaped, I don't think it would have been as tense as it was with Lee Hyunwoo.
-^^^ The outcome would have been too predictable.
“The ones who changed that direction were actors Davis Garrett and Lee Seojun. As I mentioned in my *Red Bone 2* review, there aren't many actors who can keep up with Davis Garrett’s improvisational acting.”
-Why? Is the other actor not good enough?
“No, it's less about a difference in acting ability and more about an actor's style. Improvisational acting is difficult because it requires creating dialogue on the spot.”
-Right. It's not like you're a writer, so creating lines spontaneously would be hard.
-You have to deliver the lines and act physically at the same time.
“Exactly. And even if you manage to come up with a line, you have to consider how that line will affect the story's progression, whether the other actor will respond well, if the director will approve, and if the writer will understand. There are so many things to think about.”
-And Davis Garrett doesn't care about any of that, lol.
-I want to be like him!
The Film Critic and the viewers chuckled.
“This time, he apparently had it written into his contract. That script modifications were possible.”
-His dedication is incredible.
-This is how you succeed, I guess.
“Of course, Davis Garrett doesn't just act recklessly. It would be hard to make a movie if he did. He gauges the skill of his co-star and delivers an appropriate level of improv. Still, there’s bound to be some trial and error before getting an okay. But in this project, there was an actor who accepted his fearsome improv in a single take.”
Even without the Film Critic saying who it was, the viewers knew instantly.
-It's Seojun!
-Cooool (thumbs up)
-Our Seojun…! (covers mouth)
-Child (unbelievably so) actor Lee Seojun, lol.
-Whoa. He's still considered a child actor, hahaha.
“Yes. It’s our Lee Seojun.”
-Our, hahaha.
-Hahahaha.
-Welcome, sprout!
The Film Critic scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish.
He hadn’t meant to let his inner thoughts slip out. He must have gotten too excited after reading Director Jeffrey's interview, which was full of praise for Seojun Lee's acting.
“Ahem. Anyway, actor Lee Seojun apparently took on Davis Garrett's sudden improv in a single take. According to Director Jeffrey, Lee Seojun was the only one who wasn't surprised by Davis Garrett's improvisation at that moment.”
-Wow…
-I'm just in awe, lol.
“From that point on, Raymond Wish's personality and position began to change, as did Lee Hyunwoo's. Slowly, the original script started to transform into the *Survivors* we know now. There were many script revisions during this process.”
-Seems like they revised it a ton. The script's file name is even in the interview. [Survivors_Theatrical_rev7_8_Final_WrapUp_WrapUp2_Final2_Final3_END_REALLYTHEEND]
-Suddenly, the Hollywood director feels so relatable, hahaha.
-^ Feels like I'm looking at my own homework files on my laptop.
-I can just imagine how many revisions there were, hahaha.
“That change is most noticeably seen in the elimination of the adults. The protagonist who was supposed to survive until the very end, Raymond Wish, is the first to be left behind. He's followed by Jackson Miller. And then Cynthia Lindberg.”
-When I watched the movie, I kept wondering when they would all be gone, lol.
-I really didn't expect not a single adult to be left.
-What were the kids supposed to do? T_T
“Just like that, all the adults were gone, leaving only two children. Escaping is still not easy. It’s no simple task for exhausted children to crawl through an uncertain escape route.”
-It's true, they don't know if it'll take an hour or two hours.
-And they don't know when it might collapse again. T_T
“There’s a photo I want to show you here. It was released during this interview; it's a picture of the *Survivors* set.”
The Film Critic displayed a photo on the monitor.
Viewers gasped in admiration at the picture of the set, which looked like a cross-section of the collapsed Galleria Mall, as if a cake had been sliced. In particular, the ant-farm-like set for Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver’s escape route showed no green screen at all.
It was breathtaking to see again.
“I thought it was all CG, but they apparently built the entire set. The materials were special, so there was no risk of injury. From down here,”
The Film Critic pointed to the very bottom of the set in the photo. Viewers who had seen *Survivors* multiple times recalled a similar location.
-That's where Cynthia Lindberg disappeared.
-You're right. That dress and the plastic bottle in the back look familiar.
-…These people are scary… lol.
The Film Critic’s finger slowly traced the empty passage. The winding tunnel was familiar to the viewers. It was Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver’s escape route.
The Film Critic’s finger reached the end of the set.
“All the way to the top here. They filmed actors Lee Seojun and Andrew Walker acting out the slow crawl scene as is. That was one scene. The rest of the escape scenes were filmed on similar sets. And apparently, no two sets were identical in shape.”
-They did an amazing job.
-Not a single one was the same. If it were me, I'd have reused one set multiple times.
-As expected. The scale of Hollywood…
“And this is the set where they filmed the final escape scene.”
The new photo on the monitor showed a set that looked divided into a first and second floor. The first floor was the basement where the survivors were trapped, and the second was a part of the collapsed Galleria Mall. Unlike the other sets, which had open ends, this one had a blocked passage.
“This is where Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver were, and this much was blocked off.”
The Film Critic pointed to the dead end of the passage, then to the thick pile of rubble blocking it from above.
“During filming, the actor playing the rescuer went up to the second floor, broke through the blocked passage, and acted out the scene of rescuing the two actors. It seems that made it feel even more real.”
-Of course it felt real, they were actually being rescued, lol.
-The immersion must have been incredible.
-I want to visit that set. I wonder if they'll make a *Survivors* experience course or something.
-^ It would be great to take a picture next to it.
-Wearing some ragged clothes and with makeup on.
The Film Critic smiled at the viewers’ comments and said.
“If Bearound creates an experience like that, I’ll be the first to post a review. Now, let’s get back to the movie. Lee Hyunwoo and Ian Weaver travel through this narrow, dark place for a full 30 minutes.”
-But didn't they rest a lot in between?
-^^^ If that's the case, they wouldn't have covered much distance in 30 minutes.
“He probably said that excluding the rest time. If he included the rests, the rescue team might have descended further than the estimated location. Saying they were ‘crawling’ was likely a way to ask them to consider their travel speed.”
-Wow… he's so smart.
-Watching the movie again, Lee Hyunwoo kept checking his watch whenever they rested. T_T
-I thought he was just checking the direction. T_T
-He was looking at the compass and the watch. T_T He was so busy.
-But if they couldn't escape, it was all for nothing. T_T
-That's what's so sad yet so admirable. T_T The fact that he kept trying, not knowing if they'd make it out or not. T_T
Seeing the chat filled with tears, the Film Critic’s eyes also grew moist. It was a scene that made him choke up no matter how many times he watched or recalled it.
“Just as the adults had done, Lee Hyunwoo tries to act cheerful to reassure Ian Weaver. Conversation is one way he does that.”
-T_T His acting was so good, I cried.
-But what did he mean by living with Raymond?
“He was probably thinking of the worst-case scenario. A time when both Raymond Wish’s family and Lee Hyunwoo’s family were gone. He was likely saying that if they escaped, they, as people who had lost their loved ones, could endure the sorrow and live on together. In other words, he was telling him not to give up.”
-T_T I'm crying again. T_T
-T_T
-The Weaver couple dying is no biggie.
-lol
“After they talk, just as Lee Hyunwoo is about to lose consciousness, he hears a sound. I heard it in the theater too, but it was so faint I could have easily missed it.”
-I missed it. Because of some inconsiderate person in the theater (cursing).
-^ Someone's alarm went off. At that exact moment!!
-I heard it after watching it multiple times, but the first viewing is always the most memorable.
-It gave me chills!
“Unable to speak, Lee Hyunwoo tries to make a sound somehow. How loud could the sound of two rocks hitting each other be? I was on the edge of my seat, worried it wouldn't be heard outside.”
-Right. If it had been a steel plate, maybe.
-^^^ A steel plate would have been louder.
-I cried again at that part. T_T
-When that small rock fell, I thought the whole thing was collapsing again and couldn't breathe.
“Me too. So many people had disappeared just like that. But thankfully, that wasn't the case.”
The Film Critic paused for a moment before speaking.
“‘Survivor found.’ Just thinking about it again gives me chills.”
-^ When they said 'Survivor found,' I was truly overwhelmed. T_T
-I was so grateful. T_T
-If I wasn't in a movie theater, I would have screamed, lol.
-When Hyunwoo had them get Ian out before him, I cried again. I just kept crying. T_T
-Thinking about it again… T_T
“Finally rescued and carried out on a stretcher, Lee Hyunwoo musters all his strength to speak. He pulls out the method he had prepared with a sliver of hope to save everyone. Honestly, I had never even considered that method, so I had given up on the three adults.”
-I really couldn't have imagined it. T_T
-I thought a subtitle like [A few days later] would pop up, followed by a video of the rescue team saving them, lol.
-^^ Like a happy ending, but they barely survived.
-As expected of the national English speaking contest grand prize winner! His memory is amazing.
-But there's also the directions.
-Directions?
At someone’s comment, the Film Critic nodded.
“Yes. The directions. That’s important too. The group of survivors headed north. But Lee Hyunwoo never mentioned north. South. West. East. He changed the directions, explaining it from the rescue team's perspective, not the survivors'.”
-Wow… that's right. If the escape route was north-west-north, he would have said south-east-south.
-If it were me, I would've been too busy just trying to speak at all;;;
-I wouldn't have even thought of giving directions.
-The scene where Raymond Wish shows up is also touching. And funny, lol.
-lol. He's thinking he's about to die, and then the rescue team shows up calling his name, lol. Like they're taking attendance.
-He must have been so confused, lol.
-He would never have dreamed at that moment that it was the safely escaped Lee Hyunwoo who told them where to find him. T_T
“That’s why I loved this part. Lee Hyunwoo, who started as a nuisance character and barely survived with the help of Jackson Miller, Cynthia Lindberg, Raymond Wish, and even the younger Ian Weaver, ultimately saves Ian Weaver and the other three through his own will. I really loved that.”
-T_T That's so true. T_T
-Come to think of it, they were all saving and being saved by each other. T_T
-I need to rewatch the movie. T_T
-I thought it was a disaster movie, but it was Lee Hyunwoo's coming-of-age story, lol.
The Film Critic and the viewers burst into laughter at the comment about it being Lee Hyunwoo's coming-of-age story.
“Finally, the camera shows the collapsed Galleria Mall and the rescue efforts for the survivors.”
The Film Critic said, still smiling.
“Come to think of it, if you just added a waving American flag in there, it would be the perfect American propaganda film.”
The viewers who understood the Film Critic’s words erupted in laughter.
-Ahahaha, I know what you mean, lol.
-We have faced this crisis, but we will overcome it (solemn).
-But if you look closely, there is a waving flag near the rescue team, lol.
-At least it wasn't huge, that's a relief, lol.
“But don't you think it was probably in the original script?”
-Probably, lol. They said the original escape protagonist was Raymond Wish, hahaha.
-Raymond Wish is American, lol. He saves the survivors, the American flag waves, and then they show Raymond Wish with his family, that would be so typical, hahaha.
-Since the protagonist changed to Lee Hyunwoo, adding the American flag must have become awkward, lol.
-It's better without it (serious).
-For real (dead serious).
The Film Critic nodded repeatedly, as if agreeing with the comments.
“I think so too. The movie ends with that scene, and then a post-credits scene shows a perfect happy ending. It was a really great post-credits scene.”
-Ian Wish… T_T
-I was fine up until ‘Ian Wi’… but the moment he wrote the ‘sh’ I started crying again. T_T
-The subtitles in the theater also appeared one letter at a time: I, a, n, W, i, s, h.
-^ Until ‘Ian Wi,’ I was just thinking, ‘Oh, looks like Ian is doing well.’
-I never expected his last name to change from Weaver to Wish there!!
-Be happy with your new family, Ian Wish. T_T
Seeing the chat filled with tears, the Film Critic smiled and changed the subject.
“And so, starting with the improvisational acting of Davis Garrett and Lee Seojun, the story of *Survivors* was completely changed. I haven't read the original script, but I much prefer the changed story.”
-^^ Much better.
-^^^ I don't think there could be a better story than this.
-It's a good thing Davis decided to improvise!
-And it's also thanks to Seojun matching him so well!
“But did you know?”
The Film Critic smiled mysteriously and opened his mouth.
“Director Jeffrey said that the work he thought of while watching the two actors’ improv was the *Survivors* Director's Cut.”
At the Film Critic’s words, the chat, which had been buzzing with praise for Davis Garrett and Lee Seojun’s improvisation, suddenly fell silent. The unusual emphasis on ‘Director's Cut’ surely wasn't just their imagination.
After a few seconds of silence, a single comment appeared.
-...Why is that coming up here?
“Yes. Now, I will begin the review of the *Survivors* Director’s Cut!”
The chat was thrown into a state of shock by the Film Critic’s seamless transition.
-No! Why is that coming up here!?
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