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The next day, we went for a meeting with the 'Spring Breeze' team.
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This is actually the first meeting with the director and writer. When I was cast, I only met with the casting director and some relevant staff.
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My role was insignificant enough to not warranty that much contact.
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My mom is accompanying me to this meeting as my manager.
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Lots of other child actors experience the same thing. Most of their first managers are their parents.
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As child actors gain fame and experience, they might get signed with a company, or the parent might employ a personal team.
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We went to the broadcasting company's reception area where we received passes and directions to the meeting room.
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Writer Kim Deokhwa is a man on the older side of middle aged who wears glasses and had a bookish image but stiff image.
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He seemed like someone that had a personal library and spent his days flipping through literary books and looking down on the masses.
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In contrast, director Jung Seungwon seemed a little younger and more outgoing. He greeted us first with a big smile on his lips.
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He gave the impression of a cheerful and loud uncle who constantly tried to act cool to the youngsters.
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I think I remember him directing a sageuk that got quite famous a few years later.
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As for Writer Kim, I haven't heard of him in a long time.
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In fact I haven't heard of him since I finished filming 'Spring Breeze' in my previous life.
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"Good morning to the two of you, I think this is our first meeting isn't it? I'm Director Jung Seungwon"
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"Yes, we haven't met before, I'm Actress Kim Hana's mother."
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I greeted and shook their hands. Director Jung told us to sit.
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"Actually, I was a bit shocked when our casting director told us that the girl that has been on the news all day is the actor for our Yeon-gyeong."
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My mom and Director Jung started to make some small talk, smoothing the atmosphere, making it less awkward.
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I wanted to put a word or two, but I couldn't find an opening that would not make this conversation awkward.
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"I was even more shocked when Writer Kim said that he wanted to change Yeon-gyeong's story. Writer Kim can you please show Kim Hana the plans?"
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Although Director Jung seemed quite casual with Writer Kim, but there still seems to be a rift of seniority.
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"Actually, the character Yeon-gyeong has always made me feel a bit regret. I keep feeling that something is missing from her character that I simply could not put into words. Actress Kim Ha-na's speech yesterday seem to give me an inspiration on how to proceed."
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"I realized that Yeon-gyeong as character seemed very...one dimensional. She seemed to be more of a plot device compared to a person. It is my own shortcoming after all."
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Huh?
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"Seeing Actress Kim Hana, who is confident and stands up for herself well seem to help me see a better direction for this character. This is the summary of the new script we have prepared, please take a look at it."
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I skimmed through the summary.
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Yeon-gyeong was different.
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Not too different, but these differences shifted her on the likeable range.
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Jo Yeon-gyeong is a student who is bad at her studies. She hates studying and likes to skip class, but she is someone who is outspoken and did what she believed in. She is righteous but playful.
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"The other actors have already been informed about these changes, and there is no disagreement."
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I guess they expected me to agree immediately since they even informed the other actors before meeting us.
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I have nothing to complain about though.
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I spoke up, "I also have no disagreements about these changes, if anything I should be thankful to Writer Kim."
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"It is through your actions that these changes are reached, you have no one to thank for other than yourself," Writer Kim smiled.
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It wasn't odd that he is appreciative of the younger generation, he is a senior writer with lots of experience.
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What was odd was that he readily changed his script.
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He is like an unmoveable rock when it comes to his script.
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Even back then...
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In that sense, that aspect of him was the one that probably drove him out of the industry in the end.
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Is appearing on the news enough to change him?
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I spent the rest of the year studying and preparing for entering high school and for my role.
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Yeon-gyeong is good at sports, and she is especially keen of archery.
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In order to not be a burden, I learned archery extensively until the new year.
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I practiced until my hands are callused.
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Suddenly it was already 22 January 200X, the script reading day.
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My first impression was that it was a big script reading.
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Some people weren't able to make it though, especially the veteran actors.
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If you are have that much influence and experience you can afford to do anything you want.
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The atmosphere is fairly quiet, a certain pressure on the air.
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Writer Kim and Director Jung have enough experience under their belt for these actors to not try to pull anything.
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"Good morning everyone, first of all thank you for coming here today on the this script reading day....."
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Director Jung is usually cheerful, but his voice on formal mode had the characteristic of the teacher that just puts you to sleep.
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"Good morning, I am Jang Hye-jin who will play the role Jo Yeon-woo..."
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Oh, it's time for introductions?
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Actress Jang Hyejin made it big through a thriller miniseries in 201X. She is known to do serious works while having a cheerful personality in real life.
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Well, about that...
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"Hello everyone, I am singer-actor Park Hyeon-do. I play as Heo Sang-woo....."
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He is definitely not a familiar face for me, maybe he did more singer activities.
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A few veteran actors introduced themselves after the first leads. They are soon followed by the second and third leads.
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It was quite interesting to see all these people when they are a bit younger and hasn't gotten their share of fame yet. Especially Jang Hye-jin, observing the current actress makes me understand why she is the way she is.
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Soon, it's my turn to introduce myself.
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The reading started.
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As a drama with 150 episodes, only a few episodes would be read.
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Thus, I didn't have to prepare much for this reading.
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The reading started with a back and forth between the two leads.
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It was dusk and Jo Yeon-woo just got fired from her job. She is usually strong and took hardships quietly, but it was just too much today. She stared at the glistening river as tears fell down her beautiful face.
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Despite her affinity with crime and thriller, Jang Hye-jin is also particularly good at making these moody crying scenes look heartwrenchingly beautiful.
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How do you say this? I guess she had an natural affinity with those types of roles.
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Back to scene.
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Heo Sangwoo loomed over the crouching Jo Yeonwoo, "Isn't the sky beautiful? Maybe even too beautiful to be crying like this."