Episode 113: Mise-en-scène
Kang Lim moved to the Bluea Castle area with the art team.
It was relatively close to Paris and a place where an industrial exhibition set was built.
The filming site was already filled with actors, directors, and staff who had arrived early in the morning.
The bustling atmosphere felt as if it were a dawn labor market.
It was impressive to see so many people working together to create a single movie.
‘This is exactly what I’ve heard about…’
An operator holding a microphone to capture sound following an actor caught his eye.
Next to him, a staff member carrying lighting equipment looked exhausted.
‘I’d feel bad if I made too many NGs. It’s amazing how actors immerse themselves with so many people around.’
After the props team finished setting up, a new scene began.
Kang Lim’s eyes sparkled when John Ford appeared. It felt like a dream to watch his performance up close.
The protagonist, Christian, whom he played, was an incredibly ugly person in his past life, but was now insanely happy with his new appearance.
Simply put, it was a scene where John Ford goes wild with joy looking at his face.
‘That scene was a meme… Maybe because it’s a funny scene, the atmosphere on set is definitely lively.’
In fact, this movie was more popular in Korea than in North America.
This was because the female lead opposite John Ford, Estelle, had an innocent look that Korean audiences liked.
The visuals of the main characters were excellent, so many people watched the movie.
‘Sure enough, actors stand out even from a distance.’
Christian, with his golden hair flowing, exuded an aristocratic aura as if framed in gold… throughout his appearance, he was treated with utmost respect.
People naturally assumed he was from a noble family without asking.
In reality, he had nothing but a reincarnated body.
The movie starts with John Ford’s comedic performance.
Even if he walked awkwardly, as long as he dressed well, everyone was favorable towards him.
The only one who recognized him as a fake was his rival Percy, competing in art investments.
Kang Lim observed Percy’s insulting performance and drew it in his notebook.
It was a scene where he lost the painting “Luncheon on the Grass,” which had been rejected at the salon.
Percy, smirking, adjusted Christian’s disheveled collar.
His eyes, a deep chestnut color with a subtle reddish hue, gleamed.
As he removed a small breadcrumb from Christian’s chin, he said,
‘You can always tell the lowborn. It shows in the way they walk. No matter how much you dress up and change your appearance, the essence doesn’t go anywhere.’
Kang Lim repeated the character’s lines and laughed.
Watching the set was fun since he had the script in his head.
‘The rival role is really well done. His walk feels like a snake slowly coiling.’
However, acting is said to be a combination of action and reaction.
John Ford, who responded to the counterpart, was also impressive.
While he was furious at Percy’s words that wounded his pride, he was also afraid that his pathetic past life would be revealed.
‘His trembling muscles simultaneously convey two emotions.’
Kang Lim sketched John Ford’s facial muscles in his notebook.
The fine tremors… he was using the surface of his skin in detail for his performance.
After the shoot, John Ford came over to Kang Lim.
It felt like being a cosplay fan dressed in the same clothes as him.
Charlotte introduced Kang Lim to John Ford.
“Great job. This is Kang Lim, who will be your double in the next scene. We’ve checked the movements with the cinematographer, so you just need to match the timing.”
“Got it, thank you.”
“No problem.”
After Charlotte left, John Ford offered a handshake.
The weight of his firm hand was transmitted through the silicone.
“Hello, I’m John Ford, the most handsome man in the world.”
‘Did he just say that about himself…’
Kang Lim was a bit taken aback, and John Ford burst into laughter.
“Haha, just kidding.”
His mischievous laughter lifted his eyebrows slightly.
Even the wrinkles on his forehead added to his charm.
His blue eyes sparkled under his thick eyebrows. His gaze was sharp yet soft.
Kang Lim sincerely admired the aesthetic standard and said,
“Wow. That’s a fact, not a joke.”
“No way, you’re even cooler, Kang Lim.”
“……”
John Ford looked curiously at Kang Lim’s hand, even noticing the yellow fur that had grown on it just like his own.
“Wow, that’s amazing. So, shall we match our movements for the makeup team?”
“…But what exactly does matching movements mean? We don’t have an action scene.”
Kang Lim asked, and John Ford smiled kindly.
“This is your first time with a movie, right? Practical work is different, even if you read a lot of theory. There’s more to consider than you think.”
John Ford moved with Kang Lim to a place with a tree.
The large boxwood was used in a scene showcasing the protagonist Christian’s sculptor skills from his past life.
Since an actor couldn’t do it, Kang Lim would appear in the scene carving the tree.
John Ford spoke with a serious expression.
“You saw the shoot earlier, right? Movies are about cut acting. Even if it’s one scene, it has to be shot repeatedly.”
“Yes, even in dialogue scenes with two people, you have to shoot alternately from opposite directions. The camera shouldn’t be in the frame.”
“Wow, that’s right! Exactly! So, it’s better if the acting is consistent. Since scenes are cut and edited together, inconsistent emotions can be problematic.”
Kang Lim was mesmerized by his words. This moment felt like a movie.
John Ford took a fountain pen from his coat pocket and said,
“For example, if I’m talking and Kang Lim suddenly says, ‘That pen is mine.’ How would a really detailed actor handle it?”
“……”
“If they decide to touch the pen while saying ‘mine,’ they’ll do it the same way even after five takes.”
“Wow……”
“It’s the same for a dining scene. They’ll replicate the exact position of lifting and placing a wine glass.”
“I didn’t know it was to that extent.”
“That’s how it’s easier to find editing points. That’s why directors recognize great actors.”
Kang Lim nodded.
“Indeed, it’s better if the emotional flow is consistent for editing.”
“Right. Even if it changes, it should be very subtle. Static scenes can’t be changed much by ad-libbing. It would inconvenience the counterpart.”
“Aha.”
John Ford pointed to the tree they had to carve.
“It’s the same with us now. Though we won’t appear in the same shot, we need the same editing points. Unlike dialogue scenes, it doesn’t need to be exact. The director will make it seamless.”
“Okay, I’ll remember the order in which you carve the tree.”
John Ford was pleased with Kang Lim’s confident gaze. It was the first time he saw someone not trembling on their first shoot.
Didn’t he seem like a natural-born actor?
“Haha. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same. This is more complex than a dialogue scene. We need to match movements for special scenes.”
“Special scenes?”
“Scenes you want to direct. Like suddenly sweeping your arm to carve out hair… some big action.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not good at sculpting, so I’ll just gesture, but when you do it, everyone will be amazed!”
“Yes, I understand.”
Kang Lim took out his notebook and started drawing the scene.
As the tree-carving scene was detailed frame by frame, John Ford’s eyes widened.
Indeed, there was a reason why he was urgently called… the reason he joined at the last minute.
Kang Lim spoke in a serious voice.
“I believe good visuals and mise-en-scène breathe life into a script. So, I’d like to lay the groundwork for the story in this early scene. The protagonist Christian betrays the count later, right? We can subtly hint at that through the sculpture.”
“Oh… That’s unbelievably good.”
John Ford placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head. Hinting at betrayal like that, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Kang Lim wasn’t just someone who would step in for a separate scene and disappear.
He sharply analyzed the script and created important turning points.
He nodded and said,
“Kang Lim, you’re really different from other artists.”
The next shoot was a location shoot, not on a set.
Since it was hard to build Ronald’s castle, they rented a French castle.
Kang Lim tilted his head back to look up at the building. The roof was so high it made his neck hurt.
The walls were really thick. It looked like a fortress surrounded by solid armor.
Next to the windows, marble statues of angels blowing trumpets were carved.
It was a luxurious mansion you wouldn’t believe was an old castle.
‘It’s a 19th-century rich house.’
The protagonist Christian decided to become a gardener at Robert’s castle.
He had no money to compete with his rival Percy, so he needed to save up first.
‘What I need to do is show my landscaping skills as a gardener…’
“Shooting starts-!”
As people gathered, Kang Lim quickly moved with his notebook.
‘Wow… The staff is opening the main gate from inside. They’re pulling both sides with wires…’
As the enormous castle gate opened, Christian entered.
As an endless expanse of green unfolded before his eyes, his mouth dropped open.
The small breeze starting from the distance turned into a strong gust right in front of him.
His radiant blonde hair fluttered in the fierce wind.
The camera smoothly followed the protagonist to showcase the grand castle.
They laid tracks on the grass, and smooth wheels rolled over them.
‘Camera 1 is on a dolly, and cameras 2 and 3 will move side to side. The left and right cameras will edit as if they’re the protagonist’s point of view. They need to flaunt the unique mix of Renaissance arches and Gothic pointed roofs…’
Kang Lim checked the floor plan he had drawn while reading the script.
It was thrilling to see it match the actual layout on site.
After walking endlessly over the vast green,
He saw a huge tree providing a large shade.
Under the tree was a table with a white tablecloth.
Count Ronald welcomed Christian there.
Christian, an orphan with nowhere to go, earnestly asked to be hired as a gardener, boasting about his landscaping skills.
The count raised one eyebrow at his abrupt request.
“Follow me. I’ll check your skills myself.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Charlotte called for Kang Lim.
It was time to prove the artist’s skills.
Lighting director, cinematographer, sound director… dozens of staff surrounded the garden, waiting.
Among them, Fraser’s eyes shone brightly.
It was a spot so overwhelming that even famous actors would find it difficult.
The props team artists giggled while watching Kang Lim from the corner.
Little felt good, thinking that he would soon be scolded and brought to tears.
“Scene number 38. Under the Garden!”
As the slate clapped, the Count Robert and Kang Lim appeared.
A young man walked beside the middle-aged actor, who seemed to embody rules and formality.
Contrary to Little’s expectations, there was no tension on Kang Lim’s face.
He could not believe he was not nervous in front of a middle-aged actor known for his dignified and majestic presence… Louis was famous for his predator-like gaze.
Little momentarily swallowed and looked around.
Everyone was watching Kang Lim, holding their breath.
His black-and-white eyes revealed an intellectual side.
In the garden, there was a large fountain.
Three marble goddesses drawing water were sculpted. The water streams were not flowing.
In the middle of the fountain, there was a huge boxwood tree.
Since it was an evergreen tree, it was often used as a boundary plant, and various shapes of sculptures were possible.
The count sat with his legs crossed on a chair.
With his eyes slightly lowered, he ordered Kang Lim to sculpt his face.
His silent gaze was chilling. It felt like his head would be chopped off if he didn’t prove his skills properly…
Just the fact that he was testing in this cold winter gave a hint of the count’s personality.
Kang Lim slowly began to observe his face.
‘From the front, there’s enough space for an additional eye between the eyes.
From the end of the forehead to the eyebrows, from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose, from the tip of the nose to the chin…
The proportions are all close to the golden ratio of 1:1:1, but the tip of the nose is slightly long, covering a bit of the philtrum.
But because of that, the nostrils don’t show from the front, giving off a sophisticated vibe.
The ears are quite thick and big.
They are positioned high above the eyebrows, with the earlobe end above the tip of the nose.’
Kang Lim mentally noted the count’s features.
Next, he circled around him and captured the head shape and the ear’s position from various angles.
He didn’t forget to grasp all the facial heights created by the forehead, cheekbones, nose, lips, eyebrows, and beard.
‘It’s almost like the David statue’s proportions. Except for the more pointed earlobes and nose tip…’
Kang Lim looked back at the boxwood tree.
He saw the parts of the tree that would remain as the count’s face and those that needed to be cut away.
He immediately ran to the boxwood and started carving.
He had to describe it delicately while retaining the large volume.
Since it wasn’t clay, once he cut it away, he couldn’t reattach it.
In other words, it was sculpture, not modeling.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Fraser’s eyes were already filled with the count’s face he had always seen.
The intricate sculpture on the boxwood was so detailed it gave him goosebumps.
All the staff silently cheered, looking at Kang Lim.
They wondered why the director hadn’t shouted ‘cut’ yet.
“……”
Kang Lim stepped back and observed the count’s face as if something was missing.
While capturing his unique sharp gaze, he had to lay the groundwork of the story.
Everyone was waiting for his choice, and then.
Kang Lim quickly approached the count’s face.
‘The eyelids and pupils are already trimmed to a delicate thickness by cutting away the small branches. It seems there’s nothing more to describe…’
As if lightly overturning Fraser’s thoughts.
Kang Lim inserted both hands into the center of the count’s eyes.
Crack.
There was a sound of a branch attached to the center breaking entirely.
He had hollowed out the pupils.
“Cut!”
At Fraser’s shout, everyone watching him applauded.
The wooden pupils had an unusually deep layer… the count’s intense gaze seemed alive.
