Aura of a Genius Actor

Chapter 21: If that's an Amateur

༺ If that’s an Amateur ༻

Zing—

In a dark classroom, the light from the projector cut through the room, extending in a straight line.

Jae Pil had already watched the nostalgic recording of Group 1 several times, which made the memory of that time thrilling even just by watching the video.

Method Acting class. Today’s analysis subject was Group 1.

Clap Clap Clap Clap—

As the lights in the classroom turned on, hearty applause erupted once more.

It felt as though they were witnessing the character of Freddie Mercury himself, not the performance of their fellow student. They all burst out in admiration again.

“The performance of Group 1 that we will analyze today is a piece of art too precious to be broken down into theories of acting, but let’s enjoy dissecting it for everyone’s development.”

Hahaha—

At the professor’s light-hearted joke, the heightened tension in the classroom eased a bit.

“Before we get into the analysis, let’s learn about the Viewpoint Method, one of the acting methods.”

[Viewpoint Method]

The professor, who wrote large letters on the board, smoothly started the lecture.

“The Viewpoint Method is a training program for artists created by Mary Overlie, a professor at the New York University Department of Drama in the 1970s, which was later developed into a method for the theater genre by Anne Bogart. It’s a training technique to artistically perceive and naturally express six viewpoints in acting: space, shape, time, emotion, movement, and story—”

The professor’s gaze lingered momentarily on Yoomyeong, who was sitting in one corner.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but the use of the time viewpoint was evident in Group 1’s short play. Time consists of four elements: tempo, duration, kinesthetic response, and repetition. Of these, you particularly made frequent use of tempo and duration.”

The professor called on a student at the front to stand.

“Turn around and give us a smile.”

The student awkwardly grinned.

“Now, make the same expression slowly.”

The corners of the mouth slowly rose.

“Is that the same expression?”

Hahaha—

“Well, anyway, you get the point I’m trying to make. Even if it’s the same expression or the same line, the mood or the meaning in the play can subtly change depending on the tempo. An example of this is the cross scene between Freddie and Mary in Group 1’s performance.”

The professor played a specific scene. Mary leisurely walked towards Freddie.

“The movement tempo of Freddie, who is impatient and full of youthful passion, is quite fast. This contrasts sharply with Mary’s leisurely movement, right?”

The students nodded their heads.

“By being conscious of these viewpoints, you can create more diverse characters and scenes. And there’s one more astonishing part that’s hard to believe…”

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The next scene played was the turning transition scene.

The professor slowed the playback speed of this part to 0.5x.

Swooosh—

After watching the slow-motion scene at a slower pace, the students narrowed their brows as if they had discovered something strange.

“The first amazing thing is that the expressions before and after the transition are completely different. The face of an ambitious and self-obsessed boy and the face of a young man in love. The realism of the expressions themselves is, of course, remarkable, but what’s extraordinary is that the two expressions naturally connect in slow motion.”

Ah— the students exclaimed in surprise.

“Method acting often focuses solely on ‘immersion in genuine emotions’, but as important as capturing the emotion is how well you express it. Your muscles need to be well-trained for freeform expression. You, as acting majors, would know better how difficult it is to freely contract, relax, and maintain even the facial muscles, which are the most frequently used.”

Nod Nod—

“Not only that but when you watch the turning scene, you can sense a slight pause every 0.5 seconds. Right here. When I first saw it, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Student Shin Yoomyeong, is it?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“You practiced this on purpose, right?”

“Yes.”

There was a buzz of disbelief.

“What was your intention?”

“Even if the character undergoes a rapid transformation, internally, it goes through stages. I wanted to represent the passage of Freddie’s internal time in a film-like manner, transitioning through distinct still cuts.”

Seemingly amazed even though he had expected it, Jae Pil shook his head vigorously.

“If we interpret this from the viewpoint perspective, he had deliberately combined tempo with duration. By taking a brief pause at each stage of the facial expression to indicate the inner change in slow motion, do you understand how much practice is needed to naturally connect these fragmented expressions?”

The students turned pale.

“Freddie’s performance was also the best in terms of emotions. However, I want to emphasize that what is as important as emotional immersion is the method of training to have perfect control over one’s body.”

“…”

“I had a lot to say about the ‘female’ Mary’s performance that added to the high-quality script and Freddie’s immersion without disturbing it, but I got carried away talking about the protagonist. Anyway, let’s give another round of applause to Group 1 for providing the best textbook performance.”

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap—

Amidst the resounding applause, Yoomyeong lowered his slightly flushed face.

*

“Actor Yoon, take a look at this.”

Jae Pil was at a big table with Yoon Hansung. He rubbed his mischievous eyes at his friend’s request and leaned in to see the screen.

There was a video playing on the laptop.

“What is this?”

“It’s a student project I filmed when I went to lecture at Gwanak University.”

“Is there a decent one?”

“Just see for yourself.”

During the 15-minute video, Jae Pil had another drink. He relished seeing the face of his friend, who was also an actor whom he respected, slowly change.

Yoon Hansung, who had not said a word during the 15-minute viewing, gulped down the melted water in the ice bucket as if his throat was burning.

“Who is this guy?”

“Impressive, isn’t it? It’s even more astonishing when you see it in person. And this is his first acting experience.”

“You’re kidding. That doesn’t make sense.”

“He’s 23 years old, and he just finished his military service not too long ago. He joined the theater club in his first year but only worked as part of the crew. I’m not sure if he was part of a theater club in high school, but according to him, this is his first time acting.”

“That can’t be. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that his ability to immerse himself in the character is innate. But he knows how to use his body, his voice is in control, he’s aware of the audience, and knows how to use the stage. If someone like him is an amateur, there would be no one in Korea making a living from acting.”

“Mozart composed his first piece at the age of five.”

Jae Pil savored Hansung’s discomposure with the malicious joy of a high school senior who has just finished the college entrance exam teasing a junior.

“Have you shown this to anyone?”

“No. It’s my treasure. I just showed it to Actor Yoon.”

Jae Pil had no intention of circulating this data. Even if he didn’t release something like this, that guy would write his own legend. If he kept it well, it might become a treasure someday.

“Is he from Oedipus? Is he participating in this workshop?”

“Why? Do you want to teach him?”

“If that video is real, then he’s already surpassed the level where anyone can teach him. I want to verify if it’s real, and…”

“And… what else?”

“I feel like I have some advice to give him as a fellow actor.”

“What advice?”

“Do you see anything wrong with that performance?”

“No? I praised it as the best method acting I’ve ever seen. Oh, sorry. Your acting isn’t in the method acting category, so don’t get upset.”

“I don’t see it either. It’s too perfect. Therefore, I guess there’s a problem with that actor. I’m probably right.”

Despite Jae Pil prodding to understand what he meant, Hansung didn’t provide any further explanation.

“But he’s not from Oedipus.”

“…He’s not?”

“No, he’s a business major. He’s probably affiliated with Changcheon.”

“Then he’s a real genius. You’re a professor, right? Find a way to cast him and bring him in.”

“Hey, I’m not a professor. I’m just a guest lecturer.”

“Anyway. I’ll support Oedipus, so don’t worry about it.”

“Hmm. Anyway.”

Jae Pil chuckled upon seeing Hansung, who was even more passionate than him.

These actors were all uncontrollable.

*

One day near the end of the semester, Professor Lee Jae Pil called Yoomyeong after class.

“The Oedipus workshop?”

The Oedipus Summer Workshop.

It was a prestigious workshop held every summer by Oedipus, where renowned senior actors were invited to participate.

A while ago, Ryu Shin had asked about it as well. At that time, Yoomyeong politely declined. He appreciated the goodwill but claimed that it was burdensome for an outsider to participate.

He speculated that Jae Pil was asking him on behalf of Ryu Shin, but the professor mentioned an unexpected name.

“Yoon… Actor Hansung?”

“Yes. He’s a friend of mine. He saw the recording of your one-act play, and he said he had concerns.”

Yoon Hansung, nicknamed the Tragic Emperor.

He was an actor who patiently endured a long period of obscurity, building a solid acting skill set, and only began to shine in his mid-thirties.

His emotional performances moved audiences to tears, especially when it came to tragic roles. Hence, he earned the nickname of Tragic Emperor, the king of tragic acting.

However, there was a different reason why Yoomyeong was surprised.

— Although small, you have a fiery performance. Keep it up. Someday, you will shine.

He was one of the few people who had given Yoomyeong strength.

When Hansung spoke to Yoomyeong, he was at the height of his stardom as the tragic protagonist of the 2007 KBY drama <Sunshine>, which won the Grand Prize.

The encouragement from a top actor who emanated a brilliant aura gave Yoomyeong great strength throughout his obscure days.

Because even that top actor had a long period of obscurity, Yoomyeong thought, ‘Just a bit more!’

“I showed him a video of the class. After seeing it, he said, ‘I have something to advise him.’ It’s not because he’s my friend, but because he’s an incredible actor. If he says that there’s something he wants to advise, I’m sure that it will definitely help the student.”

Upon hearing those words, Yoomyeong made a decision.

“Actually, I’d like to ask you a favor, Professor.”

Yoomyeong bowed his head slightly.

*

The semester ended.

As far as acting was concerned, the regression was very much appreciated, but the task of taking exams again was a real challenge.

He had racked his brains over what the exam questions from the second semester of 2003 were, but he couldn’t remember a single one. As a result, he utterly flunked the final exam.

However, there was one shining grade on his transcript littered with Cs.

[Method Acting] A+.

He remembered getting a C- before his regression. After confirming the starkly contrasting transcripts between his past and current life, Yoomyeong closed the internet window.

‘It starts today.’

Just after the start of the vacation, Ryu Shin contacted him.

Ryu Shin conveyed that he would be able to participate without any problems thanks to the recommendations of Professor Lee Jae Pil and actor Yoon Hansung, and shared the schedule of the workshop.

— I hope you get to experience the charm of Oedipus this time.

He had said before ending the call.

Yoomyeong took a purposeless rest for one week after the vacation started. He only had a week-long sweet holiday, yet his body was itching to read a script. He then thought to himself, ‘I really can’t help myself.’

He left his house and headed to school.

[Moebius Hall]

The building was rather empty as it was during vacation.

Following the lit parts, he could hear some murmuring noises. It seemed like he had found the right place.

In front of the hall, there was an A4 sheet printed with <Oedipus Summer Workshop>, and when he opened the door slightly, he saw that several people had already taken their seats.

He saw a few familiar faces. Hye-Seon, a schoolmate whom he had talked to during Group 1’s practice, and senior Suho who, even though he was in Group 4, had become acquainted enough with him to exchange greetings.

“Yoomyeong, you’ve arrived? Let’s have fun together.”

“Isn’t Oedipus going to be reduced to ashes? Be gentle.”

Amidst their conversation, a sharp voice interjected.

“Are you the outsider who ousted senior Ryu Shin to get in?”

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