Top Star by Luck

Chapter 71

A change came to the filming site of the “Studio Shorts.”

No, rather than a change, it was a revolution.

The latter sounds better.

In any case, the origin of this revolution was none other than:

‘Wow, with just Min Ki here, the shoot is so much smoother.’

It all started with Bang Eun Young shutting her mouth.

“Actor, please tilt your head a bit more. Do you see the red dot on the camera? Look at that, please.”

“……Yes.”

At her unusually quiet demeanor, Director Kwon Ye Rin let out a small laugh.

Instead of acting bossy like before, she just quietly did her job, sneaking glances around.

Lee Min Ki was the reason.

Like a wolf running wild in the field, she found out there was a tiger, and her spirit broke.

‘This is annoyingly frustrating.’

She’s so cautious about someone in the same industry, yet we aren’t even in the same field.

Director Kwon Ye Rin looked at her with an expression of disdain.

‘If she was going to fold so easily, she shouldn’t have caused such a scene in the first place.’

She was completely deflated.

Her once proud charm seemed diminished, but what did it matter?

This could be fixed in editing.

What mattered more was that her interest in Lee Min Ki was growing.

Director Kwon Ye Rin glanced at him, then subtly smiled.

‘There’s a lot to like about him.’

She had carried an unnecessary prejudice.

From the start, he had been quietly doing exactly what he needed to do, nothing more, nothing less.

Observing the set while typing away on his laptop.

Sipping coffee diligently.

And without interfering with the work, he had a charm of his own.

‘I wish all rookies were like Min Ki.’

Her opinion of him had improved drastically.

It wasn’t like Lee Min Ki had done anything in particular, but that’s how the world works.

When you’re surrounded by incompetent people, those who do nothing wrong get praised.

Like Switzerland during World War II.

In this situation, Lee Min Ki was even acting as a deterrent, which made things better.

‘Ah, he saw me.’

She made eye contact with Lee Min Ki.

Their eyes widened for a moment, and then Lee Min Ki smiled brightly and waved enthusiastically.

“…….”

She almost got swayed.

He’s a dangerous man.

For a moment, Director Kwon Ye Rin felt a massive boulder drop onto her chest and quickly turned her head away.

It had been three years since she vowed not to fangirl over actors.

She had almost fallen for a rookie actor, someone she had once disliked.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

With that complex feeling, they finished Bang Eun Young’s shoot.

‘It was not nice meeting you, and let’s never see each other again.’

As she stretched, thinking that it was time to properly explain the set to Lee Min Ki, someone hurriedly approached her.

“Director!”

“……Copywriter?”

The copywriter.

It was the person who had been half-missing from the studio for the past few days.

* * *

A copywriter.

To sum up this job in one sentence, there was a phrase passed down from long ago.

[A person who writes sentences]

Just as it sounds, a copywriter is someone who writes sentences.

From the one-liner catchphrases typically associated with ads, to every single word shown in a commercial, it all falls under the work of a copywriter.

But it’s not as lofty as it seems.

[You don’t like it?]

[I spent all day writing this.]

[I’ll refine it.]

[Hmm, I don’t quite get it, but I’ll give it a shot.]

[I’ll go do some field research…….]

In fact, it’s closer to a general labor job.

Sometimes, a copywriter is tasked with writing the script for a commercial film, and other times, they’re responsible for the narration.

Planning is also the copywriter’s job.

The background music for an ad? Also the copywriter’s responsibility.

Packaging?

Copywriter’s job too.

The scope of what they touch is broad.

Once a direction is set, it’s like weaving a tight web of sentences in a textile factory, repeating meetings after meetings.

That’s the essence of being a copywriter.

Rather than a sentence maker, they’re more like a planner who handles a lot of sentences.

But just as you need to dig the first shovel to build a building, or start a fire to cook, copywriters also need that first sentence.

Whatever the ad, the first sentence that sets the direction often marks the beginning of the project.

However, for this ad, that first sentence had been delayed.

‘Right, that’s it.’

It was solved.

In the meeting room inside the “Studio Shorts” set.

Sitting on the leather sofa, Copywriter Hong Ui Joon’s heart was racing.

In front of him, Director Kwon Ye Rin was staring at her laptop screen, deep in thought.

She was reviewing the copy and the plans derived from it that Copywriter Hong Ui Joon had painstakingly written.

“Hmm.”

Director Kwon Ye Rin let out a sound that could not be deciphered.

Gulp.

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon swallowed nervously and opened his mouth.

“So, what do you think?”

“Hmm, let me take another look.”

Director Kwon Ye Rin reviewed it once more with her sharp gaze.

Then she lifted her head and looked at Copywriter Hong Ui Joon, saying:

“It’s good.”

“……!”

She said it was good.

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon’s eyes grew as big as saucers.

His candid reaction made Director Kwon Ye Rin chuckle as she added a final remark.

“You could’ve done this all along. Why did you delay it?”

“Haha…….”

She was pointing out how he had practically disappeared, using his recent slump as an excuse.

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon, knowing he had been irresponsible, gave an awkward smile and said:

“I’ve been stuck recently. You see, this doesn’t happen often, but every few months, there’s a period where my brain goes completely blank, like a blue screen, and I can’t do anything.”

“And that just happened to be this time?”

“Yes, but I’ve solved it.”

His voice was confident.

Not only his voice, but Copywriter Hong Ui Joon was truly full of confidence.

That’s because the mental block that had stifled his thoughts for the past few days had cleared.

And that was all thanks to:

“The moment I saw Actor Min Ki, it was like divine revelation from the heavens.”

Lee Min Ki was the reason.

“Min Ki?”

“Yes!”

When Director Kwon Ye Rin asked back in surprise, Copywriter Hong Ui Joon nodded enthusiastically and said:

“I saw him argue with that female model earlier.”

“You mean Actress Bang Eun Young?”

“Ah, yes, her, the one who was screaming for water like a ghost dying in the desert.”

“Haha…….”

He’s good with words.

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon, unable to contain his excitement, stood up and spread his arms wide like wings, shouting:

“The moment I witnessed her being crushed by Lee Min Ki, a scene struck me like lightning in my mind, and this is what I came up with!”

“Hmm.”

Director Kwon Ye Rin read it again slowly, and she couldn’t help but smile.

‘Somehow, imagining that situation makes this all connect.’

It wasn’t a groundbreaking plan.

In fact, the copy echoed many clichés of the existing market.

But it certainly suited Lee Min Ki perfectly.

“Seeing this has sparked a lot of good ideas in my mind as well.”

“Right?!”

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon exclaimed in an excited voice.

“I think we should jump into a meeting right now.”

“Ah, about that.”

Director Kwon Ye Rin replied with a sheepish smile.

“If it were this evening, sure, but right now might be a bit difficult.”

“Excuse me?”

“I have something to do for Min Ki.”

“Something for him……?”

“He’s here for a tour. I was planning to show him around.”

“A tour?”

“Strange, right?”

“No, it’s not uncommon.”

She understood what he wanted to say.

It was likely a negative comment.

Something like, what could a rookie actor possibly do on a set tour?

But Director Kwon Ye Rin shrugged and said:

“I thought the same thing at first, but now that he’s here, he’s been doing the best work.”

“Doing work? But it’s a tour?”

“Yes, surprisingly.”

He’s been more helpful than expected.

Since he’s already made things run smoothly, shouldn’t she do something in return?

“Let’s meet in the evening. In the meantime, polish this up one more time.”

“Yes! Got it!”

Copywriter Hong Ui Joon replied with vigor.

His voice was so enthusiastic that Director Kwon Ye Rin couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘He’s a lucky charm.’

Everything was falling into place.

Just a few hours after Lee Min Ki arrived, everything that had been stuck was now flowing smoothly.

* * *

The day after Lee Min Ki’s tour at Studio Shorts.

‘Ah, that was fun.’

Lee Min Ki arrived at the set of the drama [Café del Dia] for the shoot.

The staff were lined up in front of a car.

“Iced Americano, please.”

It was a coffee truck.

Lee Min Ki’s fans had pooled money together and sent it.

‘This feels a bit satisfying.’

It was a fan tribute.

There came a day when he would receive tributes.

As he stood back and watched quietly, the staff passing by each gave their thanks to Lee Min Ki.

“Thanks to you, we’re enjoying this coffee, Min Ki. Although we’ve always enjoyed it.”

“I’ll try it myself.”

The staff, who had grown friendly, even joked with him.

But this was the end now.

According to the schedule, today would be the last day of filming.

‘Ah, it was fun.’

But this drama [Café del Dia] had a rather interesting twist even at the end.

‘After touring the CF studio yesterday, I’m now shooting a CF in the drama.’

That’s right.

The storyline of the drama coincidentally aligned with Lee Min Ki’s real-life experiences from the day before.

The protagonist of [Café del Dia], [Sung Jin Woo], had teamed up with [Cha Young Hwan] and [Oh Yoo Na] to compete in the World Coffee Championship and successfully win.

By this point, Sung Jin Woo had risen as a star in the drama’s world.

The final episode’s plot revolved around him starring in a CF to promote [Café del Dia].

‘How ironic.’

It felt like acting within acting.

As he sat there reviewing the script, Director No Ho Yeon called him.

“Min Ki, we’ll start soon, so get ready.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll do well, right? CF acting.”

Director No Ho Yeon’s voice carried both expectation and unease.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have added the CF shoot scene.’

It was because of the scene they were about to film.

CF scenes were tricky.

Even with seasoned actors, the performance often came off stiff, making even directors avoid them.

Sometimes, if they felt it wouldn’t work, they’d just cut it from the storyboard altogether.

Why do actors struggle with CF acting?

It’s because acting in dramas and acting in commercials are fundamentally different.

The target audience is different, and thus the approach must also be different.

‘In a drama, the actor becomes fully immersed in the character, living in that world, but in a CF, they must break the fourth wall and directly address the viewer.’

Though the two seem similar at first glance, they’re starkly different.

‘You not only have to adjust your gaze differently but also change the tone of your voice.’

Is this Lee Min Ki the character or Lee Min Ki the actor?

Or is it Lee Min Ki the actor playing Sung Jin Woo and promoting the CF to the audience?

The nuances needed to be distinguished and performed clearly.

It was far from easy.

The gap between drama and CF acting was as vast as the difference between a musical singer and a ballad singer.

But why do actors often seem to give competent performances in CFs?

That’s because the studio team works tirelessly to craft the perfect sequence from the material.

Actors would shoot for hours, sometimes ten hours or more, only for the best seconds to be extracted for the final cut.

But dramas were different.

As they neared the end, actors would be exhausted from sleep deprivation and rushed scripts, making it hard to maintain the same level of focus.

‘Fortunately, we’ve been lucky, and the filming’s almost done, but still, I hope we can finish on a high note.’

I didn’t want any blunders at the very end.

As he caught a glimpse of Director No Ho Yeon’s slight unease, Lee Min Ki smiled and said:

“I’ll try my best.”

“CF acting is never easy, but I trust you. Feel free to ad-lib too.”

“Haha…….”

Was he trying to express trust or anxiety?

Lee Min Ki pondered it briefly before walking onto the set.

They had rented an entire CF studio for this shoot.

There were even two layers of cameras.

And in the middle of all this, Lee Min Ki had to act.

“Hoo.”

Lee Min Ki calmed his breathing and blinked his eyes three times.

‘Let’s recall what Director Kwon said.’

What was it again?

[The most important thing in a CF is to be aware that viewers are watching beyond the camera. It’s the exact opposite of dramas, where you immerse yourself in the character and forget about the audience.]

Be aware of the viewers.

That means I need to perform as if I’m speaking to the audience.

Unlike in dramas, where naturalism was key, here, exaggerated gestures were necessary to convey emotions clearly to consumers.

Exaggerated stretching.

A voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

A gaze that seemed to pierce through the camera.

All moves that would fit in a Japanese drama.

And there was one more layer to this.

‘It’s Sung Jin Woo performing CF acting.’

This was the challenge Lee Min Ki had to overcome now.

“Hoo.”

Wait.

Didn’t the director say I could ad-lib?

‘Sung Jin Woo’s acting, huh?’

Wait, I think I get it.

Something flashed in Lee Min Ki’s mind.

It was like he almost understood something, but if he tried to articulate it, the words would fail him.

‘Ah, what is this?’

Instinct told him it would work.

But logic wasn’t so sure.

‘Should I do it, or not?’

He was at a crossroads.

But then, a memory came to mind.

From the time at the baseball stadium when he yelled out.

What if he hadn’t yelled then?

Sure, it might’ve passed quietly, but he wouldn’t have gained anything either.

When his thoughts reached that point, Lee Min Ki made up his mind.

‘Even if I regret it, I’ll do it.’

Might as well go for it.

As his uncertain gaze crossed the spotlights, he saw Director No Ho Yeon signaling from afar.

A signal to let him know it was ready to start.

Lee Min Ki nodded.

And five seconds later:

“Ready, action.”

The signal was distinctly different from the usual “standby, cue” used by drama PDs, fitting for someone with a film background.

As soon as it rang out, an unfamiliar expression settled on Lee Min Ki’s face, like a mask layered over his features.

Then, with a stiff, puppet-like voice, he exclaimed:

“Wow―― This is really delicious――.”