Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 179: Beyond the Boundary Shooting Set (1)

"What is going on? Why is Tae-Poong carrying Mr. Baek Yoon-Sung on his back?"

Beyond the Boundary was an action movie depicting South Korean special agents helping the family of a North Korean nuclear physicist escape to Seoul.

In the movie, Lee Tae-Poong disguised himself as North Korean Army Lieutenant Choi In-Sol and orchestrated an escape from Pyongyang to Seoul. Currently, they were on a mountain filming the final chase scene before entering South Korea.

But on Lee Tae-Poong's back was Actor Baek Yoon-Sung, who was playing the role of the genius North Korean scientist Dan Myung-Han.

It must already be tough and dangerous to walk up the rugged mountain path alone, but Lee Tae-Poong was carrying someone on his back as he climbed up the mountain.

Surprised by the unscripted scene unfolding before me, I asked Pyo Eun-Mi what was going on.

"Oh, Mr. Baek Yoon-Sung sprained his ankle slightly during the morning shoot. So the script was quickly revised"

"Did...did Mr. Choi instruct Tae-Poong to do this?" I asked.

"Not at all. Mr. Lee Tae-Poong volunteered because he didn’t want the shoot to get disrupted."

Pyo Eun-Mi continued to praise Lee Tae-Poong without pause. However, the trail was steep and filled with overgrown bushes. Lee Tae-Poong could slip and get hurt carrying someone on his back.

I felt compelled to give a long lecture to Lee Tae-Poong later.

Then, Pyo Eun-Mi spoke. "By the way, Mr. Jung. Has Mr. Tae-Poong ever learned martial arts or something like it? His physical abilities are extraordinary."

"Tae-Poong has always been good with action," I replied.

"Even so, the martial arts director said Tae-Poong's skills are higher than the average person's," Pyo Eun-Mi added.

"Oh, he underwent training at an action school before filming this movie. You can't just casually appear in Mr. Choi's work, can you?" I remarked.

Pyo Eun-Mi's face brightened in an instant. "I knew there was something special about him. Mr. Choi was very pleased and said he really made coordinating easy."

It seemed Lee Tae-Poong's acting was recognized.

"Then how about Tae-Poong's vocal and emotional acting? I heard it has improved since the audition."

"Ha ha ha. You'll see for yourself in a bit," Pyo Eun-Mi said with an expression akin to a proud mother talking about her son.

Suddenly, I began to look forward to how much Tae-Poong's acting had improved.

***

"Cut~! Good job!"

Lee Tae-Poong gasped for breath at the sound of Choi Sung-Moon's cut.

"Huff, huff, huff."

Baek Yoon-Sung, who had been on his back, tapped Lee Tae-Poong's shoulder. "Tae-Poong, you can let me down now. You must have had a hard time carrying me all along."

"Not at all, sir," said Lee Tae-Poong as he put Baek Yoon-Sung down at the slope of the mountain.

Baek Yoon-Sung had twisted his ankle during an earlier shoot but insisted on waiting until after the shoot to get treated. He even tried to move on his own after applying sports tape, so Lee Tae-Poong stepped in.

-Mr. Choi. Wouldn't it be better if I carried Mr. Baek Yoon-Sung on my back? It seems to fit the narrative better.

-It will be tough. What if you hurt yourself by climbing the mountain with someone on your back?

-It's okay. I've read the script several times and carrying him on my back seems to work better in terms of visuals anyway.

-What do you think, Mr. Baek?

-If my hoobae is willing to try without sparing his body, how could I stop him? Let's give it a try as long as you're fine with it.

Thus, Choi Sung-Moon agreed to Lee Tae-Poong's request to continue carrying Baek Yoon-Sung up the mountain.

Baek Yoon-Sung looked apologetic. "I'm making things difficult for you, aren't I?"

"Not at all, sir. If anything, it helps me focus more on the character," Lee Tae-Poong replied humbly.

"That's true. This situation is exactly like the one in the movie, isn't it?"

Baek Yoon-Sung's joke made Lee Tae-Poong smile broadly.

Initially, Baek Yoon-Sung was hesitant to accept Lee Tae-Poong as he was displeased with the idea of a commercial actor being the main lead. But as the shoot progressed, he was repeatedly surprised by Lee Tae-Poong's rapidly improving acting skills.

Moreover, Lee Tae-Poong's sincere attitude gradually warmed his heart, especially after today when Lee Tae-Poong unexpectedly stepped forward to help after Baek Yoon-Sung had injured his ankle.

Baek Yoon-Sung gazed intently at Lee Tae-Poong's back which was soaked with sweat as if he had just got out of a shower. He must have been out of breath after carrying Baek Yoon-Sung up the mountain ten times, yet Lee Tae-Poong had not complained even once. Instead, his face was lively as if he was even enjoying it.

That's when Baek Yoon-Sung admitted to himself that he had held onto outdated prejudices.

'He's not just about looks,' Baek Yoon-Sung reflected silently.

Baek Yoon-Sung realized that the actor before him was a genuine talent. Feeling sorry, Baek Yoon-Sung thought of an idea to convince other actors who, like him, had yet to acknowledge Lee Tae-Poong as a main lead.

"Tae-Poong, the next scene is the one-on-one fight with Yang-Seop, right?" Baek Yoon-Sung asked.

Lee Tae-Poong nodded. "Yes, sir."

"How about we do that in one long take? What do you think?"

"Pardon? But how could I possibly..."

"Why? Think you can’t do it?"

Choi Yang-Seop, who had also aimed for the lead role and continued to persist in wanting to be in Choi Sung-Moon’s movie despite failing the audition, was eventually cast as the main antagonist, North Korean Army Colonel Kang Ill-Rok.

Lee Tae-Poong felt a weight on his shoulder to have a performance showdown with Choi Yang-Seop, the winner of the acting grand prize two years ago.

Suddenly, hesitation appeared on Lee Tae-Poong’s face, a rare sight that had not been seen up to now. A long take meant that it was easier to make mistakes which could ruin everything. As the pressure got to him, Lee Tae-Poong’s hesitation grew longer.

Watching Lee Tae-Poong contemplate, Baek Yoon-Sung clicked his tongue. "What's there to fear for a guy who overcame dyslexia? Don’t be afraid of NGs and just try it as I suggested. I guarantee it will be a good experience."

After much hesitation, Lee Tae-Poong finally nodded. "I'll try my best."

At that moment, Baek Yoon-Sung raised his hand to call over a nearby staff member. "Yung-Min, give me the walkie-talkie."

"Yes, sir."

When AD Jo Yung-Min handed over the walkie-talkie he was holding, Baek Yoon-Sung spoke into the walkie-talkie. "PD Choi. For the next scene, how about we have Tae-Poong and Yang-Seop do it in one take without cuts?"

-A long take?

"Yes. You know I respect the director’s authority, right?" Baek Yoon-Sung added.

-Of course, sir.

"But still, I want to ask for a favor today. I feel bad for making Tae-Poong work so hard and I really want to treat him like a main lead just this once."

-Hmm...I understand the sentiment, but will it be okay? Long takes are quite difficult and what if they get hurt?

"Would you agree if the actors are fine doing it?"

-Well, if they agree, that's fine by me.

"Then it’s settled. I'll persuade the two of them."

-Understood, sir. We’ll make the preparations right away.

The moment Choi Sung-Moon graciously gave the go-ahead, the staff on set began to move.

***

Choi Sung-Moon started giving sudden instructions.

"We're going to do it in one shot. We won’t set up separate angles, so it needs to go right the first time. Set up three more cameras and shoot the lights from a distance. Even if other cameras and lights overlap in the angle, we can erase them with CG. So don’t worry about using multiple ones!"

"Yes, sir!"

The cinematographer and the lighting director began setting up additional cameras and lights on the mountain. This scene was a fierce acting duel in a combat scene originally planned to be shot in five cuts, but the plan had suddenly changed.

"Why the change all of a sudden?" I asked.

Pyo Eun-Mi replied, "Just a moment, I’ll find out."

After checking the situation via walkie-talkie, Pyo Eun-Mi started to explain. "The next scene will be done in a long take."

The performance they were about to deliver was a grueling five minutes long. It required breathtaking action and emotional acting in a challenging single-shot take.

'And they’re really going to do it in one take?' I wondered.

"Did Tae-Poong agree to this?" I asked.

"Yes. Mr. Baek wanted to give Mr. Tae-Poong a chance to shine, so he agreed... But a performance duel with Mr. Yang-Seop? This is going to be tough," Pyo Eun-Mi remarked.

'A performance duel with the winner of the acting grand prize from two years ago?'

My palms got sweaty and damp without realizing it.

Normally, there would be no reason for Lee Tae-Poong to be outshone by Choi Yang-Seop. Choi Yang-Seop was an actor known more for his keen choice of roles than his innate ability, and he was able to win the acting award because he landed a good role.

However, a five-minute long take was a different story. Having to maintain control throughout five minutes of continuous acting would put the experienced Choi Yang-Seop in a much more favorable position.

'What on earth is Tae-Poong thinking?' I thought to myself.

Pyo Eun-Mi urged me, "We shouldn't be here; let's go to the tent to see Mr. Choi and watch the shoot together."

There was still some time before filming started since the staff was still preparing for the shoot.

Pyo Eun-Mi explained there was a display for monitoring in the tent where Choi Sung-Moon was, so we could closely watch Lee Tae-Poong's performance.

I nodded. "Yes, let's go right away."

I hurried up the mountain following Pyo Eun-Mi.

***

After greeting Choi Sung-Moon, I exchanged greetings with Talent Agent Lee Dae-Ho who had arrived earlier at the site.

"Long time no see, Mr. Jung." Lee Dae-Ho greeted me.

"Hi. How is Tae-Poong doing?" I returned the greeting and asked.

"I checked on him earlier and he seemed fine," Lee Dae-Ho replied.

Lee Dae-Ho continued with Lee Tae-Poong’s message.

"Oh, and Tae-Poong asked me to tell you that he’s fine and confident he could do well when you arrive."

"He always makes us worry but he's a smooth talker," I said as I shook my head.

Lee Dae-Ho scratched his head.

Then, I continued, "Anyway, I understand. Please continue to keep an eye on him."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

After that, I focused my attention on the monitoring screen behind Choi Sung-Moon.

Soon after the staff gave the okay sign, Choi Sung-Moon grabbed the microphone and began giving instructions.

"Alright! Scene 83. The fight scene between special agent Choi Sung-Ha and Colonel Kang Ill-Rok. Let’s be careful not to get hurt!"

The staff stood at a distance, their tension palpable. During a long take, they couldn't intervene unless the director called "cut."

After checking the framing several times through the monitor, Choi Sung-Moon finally picked up the megaphone.

"Nobody interferes until I call cut, okay? Alright, let's do this in one go. Ready—Action!"

Simultaneously, Choi Yang-Seop started swinging his fists with a wild scream.

『Die, you traitor!』

Choi Yang-Seop's expression turned ferocious as he launched into his attack. But something about his actions was off.

'Is this really just acting? He seems overly aggressive!' I started to worry.

***

Normally, action scenes were rehearsed thoroughly beforehand to ensure nobody got hurt. Unlike regular acting, any spontaneous movements in action scenes could lead to serious injuries when not pre-choreographed.

That's why ad-libbing was strictly off-limits in action scenes—uncoordinated moves could lead to severe injuries.

However, Choi Yang-Seop threw a punch that wasn't part of the choreography. His unexpected move almost seemed to spell the end of the shoot.

But astonishingly, Lee Tae-Poong didn't change his expression and started to deftly block Choi Yang-Seop's attacks. Thanks to him, the filming continued without interruption.

Lee Tae-Poong calmly dodged the punches and kicks that came his way. Soon, the sound of their hands and feet colliding could be heard.

Thud!

The impact was so strong that it shook the dust off their clothes. Even though they were wearing protective gear on their forearms and shins, I clenched my sweaty hands, worried that Lee Tae-Poong might still get hurt.

That's when Choi Yang-Seop deceived Lee Tae-Poong with a feint and then launched a kick to his face.

Thwack!

Lee Tae-Poong turned his face away hastily, but the harsh kick grazed his face.

Instantly, the side of Lee Tae-Poong's cheek turned bright red. There was no bleeding but it seemed like the skin was slightly scraped.

'How dare he!' I fumed.

Accidents were not unexpected during filming. But it was a different story if it happened because someone didn't stick to the rehearsal.

I clenched my fists in anger. 'Choi Yang-Seop, how dare you scratch my actor’s face?'

I felt like rushing over to knock Choi Yang-Seop to the ground right then. Lee Dae-Ho, who was watching the scene beside me, was also on the verge of bursting out in anger.

But since we were in the same tent as the director, we couldn't say anything.

All I could do was glare at Chief Lee Chan-Dong who had come with Choi Yang-Seop.

I wondered, 'Could this have been intentional from the start?'

The main lead actor’s face was the billboard of the movie. In a different setting with a different director, I might have stepped in to claim a foul and pulled out of the shoot. That would indeed make the offending actor pay for his action.

But this film was directed by the esteemed Choi Sung-Moon.

It was a project Lee Tae-Poong had desperately wanted, so I barely managed to suppress my anger.

I hardened my resolve. 'Choi Yang-Seop, I'm gonna get back at you at dinner later.'

Hundreds of ways to get back at Choi Yang-Seop flashed through my mind. Fortunately, Lee Tae-Poong's expression remained unchanged despite everything that happened.

'Tae-Poong has truly become an actor,' I remarked inwardly.

A sense of pride welled up inside me.

Meanwhile, Choi Yang-Seop paused to adjust his stance after moving continuously.

『You're pretty fast. But you won't be able to dodge my attacks forever.』

『Stop the bullshit and come at me.』

『Is that so? Then try to block this too.』

With a bizarre scream, Choi Yang-Seop charged again and attempted another feint.

This was also not in the rehearsal.

That's when an ambiguous smile rose on Lee Tae-Poong’s face.