Chapter 10 : Auditions and Answers

The time until the audition day that Director Kim mentioned passed in the blink of an eye.  

In the meantime, I binge-watched  in one go using the free viewing rights given by GatFlix.  

Honestly, episodes 15 and 16, the last two, were the most worrisome parts.  

Because the drama ends with a tragic death of the twin brother.  

But whoever wrote it, the ending of  was perfect.  

It neatly tied up all the loose plot threads and finished with the bittersweet love story between the male lead Dong-sang and the female lead.  

And it was a story that anyone—from a twelve-year-old kid to an eighty-year-old elder—could like without exception.  

From the moment I first watched , I felt an overwhelming desire to create something like it.  

“Putting aside penalties and success bonuses, if this work came out under my name...”  

I felt it absolutely had to be that way. GatFlix was like winning the lottery for a writer.  

In the time left after writing the script, I watched the movies Director Kim had filmed.  

The cinematography, spatial direction, music, and editing were impeccable, adding so much to the direction.  

However, perhaps because my standards had risen after , there were still some regrets.  

*The actors’ emotional lines felt lacking.*  

I’ve often heard that the biggest role of a drama director is to capture the actors’ performances.  

Since shooting schedules often happen out of sequence—shooting the first meeting scene after filming a kiss scene, or moving abruptly from an angry outburst to a delicate emotional scene—the actors’ emotional lines frequently fluctuate wildly.  

Whether it’s a movie or a drama, shooting each episode costs money, so calling actors back, securing the filming location again, gathering the staff to reshoot—unless you’re a top director or a top writer, that’s basically impossible.  

Therefore, a good director is someone who can wrap their head around the scene list, script everything carefully, and be fully prepared.  

From that perspective, Kim Seung-pyo was definitely experienced.  

Probably knowing that the editors would criticize the emotional lines, he caught the editing points from various angles and laid them out clearly.  

He was an industry person, so although some emotional lines might stand out a bit, it was basically a flawless work.  

“Ah, I’m going to be late.”  

Watching about the third episode of  and analyzing it, it was suddenly time to head to the audition.  

I put on my single-piece suit and left the workspace.  

“Is writer Lee Jeong-hyeok here?”  

A taxi stopped in front of H Studio, located in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu.  

Hong Joo-hee had told me to take a taxi instead of driving.  

In front of H Studio, tucked away in a narrow alley, about a dozen or so men in their twenties and thirties were gathered.  

“Are all these people here for the audition?”  

“Yes. It’s their first time here. I’m Seo Sun-ae, the planning team leader at H Studio.”  

“Oh, yes. I’m Lee Jeong-hyeok.”  

Come to think of it, I’d never seen H Studio employees before.  

Hong Dae-pyo always came to the workspace personally.  

In hindsight, it made sense. No matter how small the production company was, usually the PD in charge or another staff member would handle this kind of thing, but he did it himself.  

I suddenly felt I was being treated very well.  

“You must be very tired. There’s a lot of work, right?”  

“Huh? Ah, well, that’s how it is once drama production starts. Hehe.”  

Seo Sun-ae, the gentle-looking H Studio employee with soft, round features, looked utterly exhausted at a glance.  

Maybe it was because her fair skin made her dark circles stand out so prominently.  

As she wove through the crowd to guide people, I felt like I could hear sighs escaping from behind her.  

“This way, writer.”  

In the first-floor lounge and in front of the second-floor office, young men sat or stood with tense expressions.  

All of them were holding scripts for .  

There must have been about thirty of them.  

According to Team Leader Seo, these were the morning batch, and in the afternoon and the second and third days, about 150 actors applied.  

All gathered to compete for the male lead’s friend role, which was a supporting role in .  

Of course, they probably came more because of Director Kim Seung-pyo’s name than mine, but I steeled myself to do my best in the audition and entered the audition room prepared on the third floor of H Studio.  

A desk and chairs had been pushed to one side of the conference room. Director Kim Seung-pyo, myself, Hong Joo-hee, and the assistant director sat side by side.  

“Writer, are you nervous?”  

Hong Dae-pyo asked as he noticed me asking many questions.  

Though I had worked on two projects, this was my first time at an actor casting.  

“Take it easy the first and second days.”  

*Why?*  

“I save the finalized actors for the last day.”  

Director Kim Seung-pyo said this with his usual cynical tone.  

“Are there already confirmed actors?”  

“Didn’t the representative give you a list?”  

“Oh, I deliberately didn’t give it to you, just to get a feel for things.”  

“If they’re already decided, is there any reason to hold auditions?”  

If I were to borrow the director’s expression, it’s like a real estate listing.  

If you audition a great actor from the start, it’s hard to tell if they’re truly good.  

Only by seeing many average actors can you find the true gem.  

In other words, those who come to the audition are like the understudies of understudies.  

As a writer, creating a single work is already really difficult, but as an actor, doing even one project is even harder.  

“But for those guys, it’s not completely useless. Even if they don’t get the role of the male lead’s friend today, they can help when minor roles are needed.”  

“Eh.”  

Well, there’s also a reason for the production company to spend time and money holding auditions.  

And for the agency, there’s a reason to distance those guys.  

After a brief chat, the audition began.  

Production staff ushered one rookie actor after another into the room.  

“Hello. I’m So Donghui from Ai En Entertainment.”  

“Yes, please start.”  

“Are you okay? You must have been very tired, right?”  

“I was doing homework, but the scenes are so different before and after!”  

“…Yes, thank you. Next, please come in.”  

The acting skills of these unknown actors coming to audition for supporting roles were mostly miserable.  

Even with my limited knowledge of acting, I could clearly feel it.  

Lack of basic voice projection causing cracking voices was expected, but many couldn’t grasp the flow of the script and ended up acting like completely different characters.  

Still, as a writer, I couldn’t give feedback saying, “You don’t even have the basics of acting.”  

So I kept my mouth shut and said nothing.  

“Writer, aren’t you tired?”  

“Ah, yes. A little bit.”  

“Usually auditions are like this. Don’t be burdened. Just watch comfortably.”  

Hong Joo-hee looked at me with pity.  

Like a senior watching a new employee who joined a top company but keeps overexerting himself unnecessarily.  

Meanwhile, Director Kim Seung-pyo only gave short comments like “Yes,” “Good job,” or “Thank you,” while busily jotting notes on the script.  

Noticing everyone was exhausted from the sluggish atmosphere, Hong Joo-hee quickly suggested a break.  

“Director, don’t you need a short break?”  

“I just needed a smoke break, so... okay, let’s take about ten minutes.”  

“Yes, after ten minutes, we’ll resume.”  

I also headed toward the window by the hallway for some fresh air.  

There, temporary waiting seats had been set up, and the audition participants sat in a line.  

Looking at them, it felt chaotic.  

“They all came from far away to audition and have been waiting for quite some time.”  

For some reason, it didn’t feel like someone else’s problem.  

Passion is full, but the skills and ability don’t follow...  

Working as a drama assistant writer, I had seen many similar feelings.  

Back then, I thought it would be better if someone just told me the correct answers.  

“Do this like this, do that like that.”  

But whether script or acting, there are no easy answers anyone can immediately apply.  

That’s why the world of creation is difficult.  

*But  is different. It has answers.*  

Ten minutes later.  

When the audition resumed after returning to the conference room,  

I thought there might be feedback only I could give.  

“Participant number 24, please come in.”  

 has answers.  

The character Osong-taek, played on GotFlix, doesn’t exist in reality, but he was exactly Osong-taek himself.  

Knowing the answer, I could give these actors clearer directions.  

“If you’re ready, please start acting.”  

As Director Kim Seung-pyo nodded, a plainly dressed actor in a gray sweatshirt and jeans began to perform.  

“What? You think I made it obvious? Couldn’t you tell? Haha!”  

Osong-taek, the most important supporting role today, is the friend who owes money to the main character, a comedic character who knows the conflict and secret the protagonist has with his twin brother.  

He looks like a carefree joker but can tell honest stories at crucial moments.  

“Hey, Seong Jaeil, guess what I want to eat now.”  

“Wrong! See, I gave hints that I wanted ice cream, but you never get it.”  

The Osong-taek in the second part’s script always makes lighthearted jokes at drinking parties.  

But in the next scene, meeting the protagonist outside the bar, his jokes shouldn’t be merely light—they must have weight.  

Because it’s Osong-taek’s words that give the protagonist the courage to find the female lead.  

“So, until I say it directly, you can’t know. You’re going to give away hints forever?”  

Participant 24 finished his performance.  

He captured Osong-taek’s lively traits well, but his acting felt superficial, missing the core.  

Director Kim Seung-pyo made him repeat the last scene several times, then muttered thoughtfully.  

Then, catching my eye, he asked with a knowing look,  

“This is where I stop. Writer, do you have anything to say?”  

“Ah... if it’s not a bother, may I say something?”  

“Sure, please feel free.”  

I carefully addressed participant 24.  

“Could you soften your last line a bit?”  

“Well... I thought this line was important, so I tried to act it as seriously as possible. Did I misunderstand?”  

“Hmm... no, it’s not that you’re wrong, but Osong-taek’s character can deliver serious lines without being serious. That’s why I thought it worked better if the protagonist seemed to take the advice lightly.”  

*Oops.*  

I found myself giving acting directions to participant 24.  

I worried this might be stepping on the director’s territory, but seeing Director Kim Seung-pyo listening intently with bright eyes, I continued.  

“So, I think it would be better if you deliver important lines lightly, as if letting them pass by.”  

After I finished, Director Kim Seung-pyo snapped his fingers sharply and grunted approvingly.  

“Ah, exactly. That’s refreshing! The interpretation of Osong-taek is just as the writer said.”  

With proper direction, participant 24’s acting improved noticeably.  

Of course, whether he gets cast or not is up to the director.  

I felt much lighter knowing I could offer some useful feedback.  

Looking at the scene outside the window, Director Kim Seung-pyo shot me a meaningful glance.  

“Writer, no matter how I look at it, you’re suspicious.”  

“Huh? What do you mean?”  

“You seem like someone who knows the answer for sure.”  

*Giggle.* I cleared my throat nervously. Had I said too much? I’d have to be careful.  

“But, writer, they all know too. That they won’t be cast. It’s hard to switch acting styles according to your comments.”  

“That makes sense.”  

“But I have things to learn, so please keep going. I’ll use it as a reference on set.”  

The director busily wrote something on the script again. Successful directors were humble and honest.  

No matter that this was his first drama, it was easy for him to disregard a younger writer who had already failed two dramas.  

“Thanks to the writer, my throat is saved.”  

Ah. So maybe he was just someone who saves his voice.  

“Last actors, please come in.”  

Project team leader Kang Sun-ae, exuding a black aura, said dryly.  

Until the very end, the young male actors’ acting skills remained pathetic.  

It would be greedy to expect a few words of advice to drastically improve their skills.  

The audition ended late.  

“Tough, right?”  

“Yes. Quite... very tiring.”  

“But you still have to come tomorrow. Don’t give up.”  

“Got it.”  

That night.  

After saying just a few words, I dragged my exhausted body back to the workspace.  

After freshening up, I quickly prepared a simple dinner and sat on the sofa. It was already almost midnight.  

I was about to decide that I would have to find some excuse to skip the other auditions.  

*Ding!*  

The cheerful notification sound I always heard when running GotFlix’s app.  

I hurriedly checked my phone screen. I’d never received a sound like this from GatFlix before.  

I thought maybe an urgent quest had dropped, but instead of a “Main Quest” notification, it was something new.  

[Update in progress.]  

New category.  

“A documentary part has opened!”  

“What? An update?