Chapter 021
When the assistant director announced the notice loudly, everyone on each team began moving their hands faster.
“Hey, Jaehoon, install one more HMI light behind the veranda over there.”
Following the lighting director’s instructions, the lighting staff quickly got to work.
On one side, the special-effects makeup team and the makeup team, who were applying wound makeup to the actors’ faces and hands, also began working faster.
The way they used an airbrush to draw tiny bruises over the silicone-made wounds was so delicate that it looked like they were painting on a blank sheet of paper.
The rehearsal began.
“Okay, think of this as the real shoot and let’s do it properly.”
At Director Song’s words, strength returned to the actors’ eyes.
For the so-called handheld shot, the cinematographer placed the camera on his shoulder and held the grip with his hand.
“Make sure the focus is right.”
The cinematographer firmly warned the focus puller standing beside him while he adjusted the focus and aperture.
“All stand by. Action!”
At the director’s shout, the actors began performing an intense action sequence.
The cinematographer moved the camera on his shoulder from side to side, adding a flashy feeling to the actors’ movements.
“Cut! Okay!”
Confidence could be heard in the director’s voice as he called cut.
The feeling was good.
He had a strong feeling that they were going to get a really good scene.
Only then did the actors, who had just finished the exhausting action sequence, begin breathing heavily.
“How’s the camera?”
“Good.”
Director Song stared at the monitor connected to the camera for a moment, as if thinking about something, before speaking again.
“Cinematographer, what do you think about shooting this in one take?”
“You mean connecting scenes 6 through 13 together as one long take?”
“Yes.”
“The handheld movement is really good right now. It feels like a waste to divide all of this into separate shots.”
“Hmm…”
“I agree that the footage looks much better this way, but if we try to shoot everything at once and get an NG, can we recover from it?”
“At least if we divide the shots, even if we get an NG, we’ll be able to deal with it…”
Despite the cinematographer’s concern, Director Song still seemed reluctant to give up on the idea.
“That’s true…”
“But when we shoot it all at once as a long take, the actors’ emotions don’t get interrupted, and the action also feels much more alive.”
“Are you thinking about the action mise-en-scène from Oldboy or No Mercy?”
“Not exactly.”
“It just feels like it would create a contrast with the scene we expressed earlier through montage.”
“Hmm…”
“If we shoot the long take handheld and separately shoot a few close-ups, we could insert them between the scenes.”
“Yeah.”
“I think the footage would be much better that way too.”
“But if we get an NG, it’ll be a headache.”
“So let’s do a few more rehearsals until we can get an okay sign in one take, no matter what.”
“Yes!!”
Several more rehearsals followed.
Perhaps because of the pressure of having to finish the actual shoot in one take without an NG, Moon Hyunbin seemed even more nervous than during the previous rehearsals and repeatedly made mistakes during the action.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
Director Song patted Moon Hyunbin on the shoulder, seemingly trying to ease his tension.
“No, Hyunbin.”
“You did well.”
“Just get the timing right and I think it’ll be fine.”
“You’re doing well, so don’t be too nervous.”
And then the actual shooting began.
“Rolling!”
“Scene 134, cuts 6 through 13, take one!”
“Action!”
At Director Song’s signal, the actors began their action.
Perhaps because of the countless rehearsals, their movements matched perfectly.
Moon Hyunbin snatched the knife from the opponent who was trying to stab him and immediately stabbed the opponent’s leg.
At exactly the right moment, the blood pouch installed inside the pants by the special-effects team burst open.
The knife was fake and the blood was fake, but once the blood flowed onto the floor, it looked incredibly realistic.
As Moon Hyunbin fought desperately against the members of the organization trying to kill him, he finally drove his knife into the neck of one of them.
At precisely the right moment, the special-effects team activated the blood-splatter device.
The effect of blood splashing across Moon Hyunbin’s face was perfectly executed.
“Cut! Okay!”
“Waaah~!”
At the director’s okay sign, cheers erupted from the staff who had been holding their breath.
“Okay, next we’re shooting the close-ups that will be used as inserts.”
“Actors, change your clothes again.”
“Team leader, how long will it take to reset the blood pouches and blood-splatter device?”
The special makeup team quickly answered Director Song, who was checking the situation.
“You’re only doing close-ups of the leg stabbing and the blood splashing on his face, right?”
“Then thirty minutes.”
The cinematographer, who was gathering the camera equipment and preparing to move, spoke.
“That works.”
“We have to change the film now anyway, so let’s start in thirty minutes.”
“Yes.”
“Okay!”
However, not long after the cinematographer went to change the film, he hurried back onto the set.
“Director Song!”
The urgency in his voice was completely different from usual, causing everyone on set to turn their eyes toward him.
“I think there’s something wrong with the film.”
“What do you mean the film is wrong?!”
Realizing how serious the situation was, Director Song quickly approached the cinematographer.
“The thing is…”
“The film got tangled inside the magazine.”
“I think it came off the roll and was just spinning freely.”
“Then… none of it was recorded?!”
