“…….”
The first day of filming.
Joo Seo-yeon stared in shock at the giant pig’s head in front of her.
“Okay, Seo-yeon. It’s your turn.”
“Ah, yes.”
Seo-yeon, along with a few other actors, bowed deeply to the pig’s head.
It’s common to perform a ritual before shooting a movie or drama. A kind of ceremony to wish for the film’s success.
Having never experienced this during her previous role in The Moon That Hid the Sun, Seo-yeon felt a bit fresh about it.
‘Pig head…’
Seo-yeon felt an indescribable mix of emotions looking at the smiling pig’s head.
It reminded her of the creature she had seen in If I Were King.
‘Am I, perhaps, scared?’
She had never thought of herself as mentally weak, but the fear she felt for the first time was a shock that lingered in her mind.
Time would heal, but for now, it is what it is.
“Seo-yeon, are you feeling okay?”
“Yes.”
Seo-yeon nodded at Park Eun-ha’s words.
Of course, to others, Seo-yeon seemed calm and collected, her expression unchanged.
Even though she was freaked out by the pig’s head, her eyes only slightly flickered.
‘Definitely…’
Park Eun-ha stared at Seo-yeon intently.
It’s clear that actors are different in some way.
Especially if that actor is something special.
The same could be said for Hwang Min-hwa, whom she had previously worked with.
Hwang Min-hwa had a different aura than Seo-yeon.
A luxurious presence that overwhelmed others.
So perhaps it was no wonder Park Eun-ha found it difficult to speak up in front of her.
As for Seo-yeon?
“If the shoot is going long, take a break in the van.”
Despite her cold appearance, Seo-yeon’s personality was incredibly kind.
The complete opposite of Hwang Min-hwa.
Wait, maybe not the opposite?
Hwang Min-hwa didn’t have the kindest image to begin with.
‘I thought Seo-yeon would be similar.’
When Park Eun-ha first saw Seo-yeon, she was taken aback.
With little change in her expression and hard to perceive emotions, she looked like a doll.
And like Hwang Min-hwa.
No, she had an aura even more captivating than that.
A child actor genius.
Proving that title was no exaggeration.
Seo-yeon brought a different presence compared to Hwang Min-hwa’s elegant aura.
Something that drew the gaze, an overwhelming quality.
That must be the greatest asset an actor could have.
And when she acted, that atmosphere shifted in an instant.
The surprise of seeing Hwang Min-hwa up close.
But Seo-yeon had something even more.
‘So that’s why Hwang Min-hwa couldn’t just carelessly dismiss her.’
As is common with actors at the top.
Hwang Min-hwa had an eye for talent.
She could spot rising stars as easily as detecting those who wouldn’t make it.
In her eyes, Seo-yeon must have been deemed passable.
So she just pretended to be a kind older sister while hiding her true self.
“It’s okay, I’ll be watching from here. Where would a manager go, anyway?”
“Hmm, I don’t think it would matter.”
“Just focus on shooting.”
Park Eun-ha said this with a smile.
The Chaser was Seo-yeon’s first movie.
And the release date coincided with Hwang Min-hwa’s leading film.
Utopia.
Just as GH Group sharpened its knives for The Chaser,
Utopia was funded by a massive corporation as well.
Actually, just looking at the budget, Utopia would be considered superior.
Especially since they had overseas investment.
Though the director’s reputation leaned in favor of The Chaser, there were more top-tier actors in Utopia.
While The Chaser wasn’t small by any means, Utopia was a colossal blockbuster.
‘Still.’
Watching Seo-yeon warm up, Park Eun-ha fervently wished.
She wanted Seo-yeon to outshine Hwang Min-hwa.
That’s what she believed.
*
“Today’s shoot involves detective Im Seung-cheol chasing after Cha Seo-ah, who is escaping after witnessing the murderer.”
The scene was scene number 30.
After meeting Cha Seo-ah at the bus stop, it’s a nighttime patrol encounter.
The first face-to-face meeting with the murderer, Cha Seo-ah.
‘So the style isn’t to shoot in order, huh?’
Upon hearing scene number 30, Seo-yeon checked her condition.
She didn’t expect to start off with running.
Generally, each director has a different filming style.
Previously, director Gong Jung-tae of The Moon That Hid the Sun filmed in order.
But Bae Jin-hwan of The Chaser filmed based on the day’s condition,
or even shot the tougher scenes first.
Perhaps today would be the latter.
“Are you okay, Seo-yeon? Are you sure you really don’t want a stunt double?”
“I’m fine.”
Typically, actresses use doubles for physically demanding scenes.
Not just for action acting but to make the scene visually appealing.
Especially crucial for high-speed chases like this one.
The Chaser‘s Cha Seo-ah often wore hoodies or raincoats, making it easier to use a double.
“Okay, just let me know if it gets too hard.”
“Yes.”
In reality, the running wasn’t that challenging.
It was the fourth murder case started by Cha Seo-ah.
Detective Im Seung-cheol, chasing after her, would encounter her just as she was slipping away from the scene.
“Oh man, it’s tough right from the start.”
“Tradition says the first one is always tough, it gets easier from there, right?”
Park Eun-ha heard someone with a dialect make that comment.
‘Good luck with that.’
A staff member familiar with Bae Jin-hwan’s style clicked his tongue, looking at Seo-yeon.
He was what one would call a perfectionist.
There was a specific image and scene he wanted, so things had to match as closely as possible.
Because of that, even actors who initially volunteered for physically challenging scenes began to drop out one by one.
If the action performance is clumsy, it’s worse than not showing it at all.
A criminal that can’t run properly?
Bae Jin-hwan would never accept that.
Especially for late-night shoots.
For Seo-yeon, it was a welcome shooting time slot due to school, but for others, it felt like torture.
‘If things go wrong today, I might be pulling an all-nighter.’
This wasn’t an issue of acting skills.
It might just be better to leave it to a double.
But if the actor insists, what can you do?
“Slate ready!”
One of the crew members held up the slate showing the scene for the film.
That meant shooting was about to begin.
“Camera, sound!”
They declared readiness in order.
Bae Jin-hwan surveyed the alley where the shoot was taking place.
There were two actors in this scene.
Joo Seo-yeon as Cha Seo-ah.
And Kim Dae-heon as Detective Im Seung-cheol.
‘Finally.’
Bae Jin-hwan swallowed hard while looking at the two actors.
Directors can’t help but feel nervous.
Especially since this time GH Group handed complete control over to him.
With better actors.
It allowed Bae Jin-hwan to assemble a cast of actors he felt were the best, who had great careers and were not prohibitively expensive.
Kim Dae-heon was an acting powerhouse, though he hadn’t had much leading experience.
Most of his roles were antagonists, often showing up as a general in historical dramas.
But Bae Jin-hwan believed his acting ability was more than that.
He was an actor full of potential and latent talent.
It was Bae Jin-hwan’s job to bring that out.
‘And then, Seo-yeon.’
Her career consisted purely of being a child actor.
To be honest, she was an actress who had been mentioned by the production team with some doubts.
Wasn’t it a bit much to assign a significant role to an actress with only two credits?
Even if her acting was acknowledged, high-ups often spoke in numbers.
She had only appeared in a hit drama three times.
And while her play was a huge hit, that wasn’t enough for the higher-ups to take her seriously.
Sales.
How much money could she bring in was chiefly what they looked at.
Ironically, it was only because of the influence of Looking Back at the Past that she got a pass.
Though ultimately, on public broadcasting,
Seo-yeon, who hadn’t even filmed a single commercial, was just a scratch-off lottery ticket to them.
‘Yes, a lottery ticket.’
Sounds nice, but the chances of winning a lottery are low.
It would be great to hit it big, but there’s a high chance of it being a bust.
‘I believe in my eyes.’
The acting of Hong Jeong-hee that she had seen in Close Your Eyes.
And Seo-yeon’s performance that she witnessed during script reading.
That glimmer.
“Action!!”
S# 30.
The first chase scene.
The scene most vividly represented The Chaser.
Filming began under the moonlight in the late hours.
bump!!
The sound of a pile of garbage carelessly stacked next to a utility pole toppling over echoed.
Detective Im Seung-cheol, chasing the recent murder case, anxiously looked around.
“Where is it? Where the hell are you?”
He peered down at his old flip phone.
Checking the time of the reported call.
It had been a late-night call to the police station.
A terrified voice, saying it seemed someone had entered the house.
Half-finished with the address, the screaming started.
Without a moment to wake up his sleeping colleagues, Im Seung-cheol bolted outside.
In a dark alley,
the address mentioned by the victim’s call must have been nearby.
Wagon-ro 49-gil.
Navigating through the housing that lined the streets, Im Seung-cheol ran blindly.
It had already been over ten minutes since the report was made.
They might be late.
He shook off the thought, trying to clear his head.
And just when he turned a corner he had crossed several times.
“……”
He came face to face with a person in a yellow raincoat.
Someone dressed in rainwear despite it not raining.
A small physique.
It was hard to tell the gender.
Almost like a presence that swallowed the darkness.
Im Seung-cheol’s eyes widened.
Because he could see the red blood staining the yellow raincoat.
Whose blood was it?
There was no doubt.
“You bastard!!”
With a roar that echoed in the alley, Im Seung-cheol charged at the criminal.
Leaping over the garbage sprawled on the ground, the criminal turned away.
Having already disposed of the murder weapon, it was evident the size difference favored the criminal, who opted to run rather than fight.
And then.
“……?”
In an instant, they vanished.
Detective Im Seung-cheol, who was sprinting, or rather Kim Dae-heon’s feet, came to a halt.
‘What, how can they be that fast?’
Ah, with legs like that, it’s no wonder they haven’t been caught.
It was the kind of speed that made him think that way.
“Cut, cut, cut!!”
Director Bae Jin-hwan shouted hastily.
He called out to Seo-yeon, who had already raced out of the alley.
“Seo-yeon!”
“Yes?”
“Umm… could you run a little slower?”
It made sense for a criminal to flee swiftly,
but there’s a limit to it.
“Have you done any track?”
“Ah, no.”
Seo-yeon denied it, but it felt like she had.
There was a reason the stunt double wasn’t used.
The staff shared similar thoughts.
“Alright, let’s sync it this time!”
Clap, clap, Bae Jin-hwan clapped loudly.
And the re-shoot commenced.
Everyone was tense after that shocking sprint.
“Wow, that scene was well-shot.”
“This is it. It really fits perfectly.”
S# 30.
With everyone’s compliment, the filming came to a close.
Without pulling an all-nighter, just like that.
The first chase scene symbolizing The Chaser.
With its successful start, a smile stretched across Bae Jin-hwan’s face.
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