Flip the Script - Jenlisa Adaptation

Chapter 2

THE THUNDEROUS DRUMS OF THE OPENING CREDITS
match the pounding of my heart as the screen lights up with the opening credits of Fated Destiny. I've heard the theme song before, but I never realized how anxiety-provoking the epic orchestral song is until now.  The flute solo, which seemed beautiful before, now sounds shrill in my ears. And the harp-like twangs of the gayageum make the hair rise from the back of my neck.

I watch painted portraits of my co stars come to life and bleed into short clips of footage in time with the music. When my face appears, Mom and Dad clap enthusiastically, making me smile. Thankfully, they don't seem like they find the opening unpleasant at all.

Probably just my nerves, I think.

Hopefully my parents' energy will last for the entire episode.

Once the credits show all of the main cast members, the screen fades into a shot of Tae and me staring lovingly at each other from across the lake at the Royal Palace. I still remember how cold it was when we shot that moment, but I'm glad it turned out to be the perfect closer to the opening credits.
I write a quick tweet to my followers. Hope everyone enjoys the premiere!

As I'm typing, messages of congratulations from my classmates pop up on the top of my screen. One of the perks of going to a performing arts high school where lots of kids are actors and singers working in the industry like me is that I can take a break from normal classes when I'm working on a show. But the other really great perk is the community. My classmates and I have this tradition where we all watch everyone's videos the day they premiere and cheer each other on. I hit send on my tweet and make a mental note to thank everyone at the end of the show.

Before I put my phone away, I scroll through the notifications and find myself looking for Lisa's name. But of course, she's not there. Why would she watch Fated Destiny and cheer me on when I landed the lead part in the show and she didn't?

Lisa Manoban was the first friend I made when I moved to Seoul. We'd always hang out after class, even though, onstage, we were fierce rivals, always vying for lead roles in school plays. With how competitive we were with each other. Everyone thought we were mortal enemies, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. We were best friends. That is, until I started Fated Destiny.

Mom Laughs, bringing my attention back to ur how's premiere. By then, we're well past the exposition, which introduced Hyun, Tae's character, as just your regular high school student in Korea. I have to give it to Tae. For someone who didn't start off as an actor, e is really good. Whether he's sitting bored in class, daydreaming about life after school, or playing soccer with his friends, Tae's acting immerses me into Hyun's everyday life.

One of my theater teachers back at school always said that a sure sign of a good actor is when you forget their character isn't a al person at all. I'm definitely experiencing that as I watch Tae in the show. Even though I know what he's actually like, I find myself smiling and laughing along with my parents as Hyun Jokes around with his friends or epically fails to correctly answer the teacher when he gets called on in class.

And then, I'm on-screen, at this point just a female classmate that Hyun has a crush on. It's always wild to see myself on TV.  When you're painstakingly filming every scene shot by shot, you can have a vague idea of how your part fits in with other people's takes. And it's so easy to get caught up in that mircospicic view when, in reality, you're only one mall part of a much bigger thing.

I used to hate watching myself on TV. I'd spot every little thing I'd done wrong. A misplaced. Step, or a weird inflection of my voice. I'd feel really self-conscious. But now, I actually kind of like it. It's nice to see how I fit into the overall show, and how I interact with other actors. And the more I see yself act, the more I know how to improve.