I arrived at the KBS (Korean Broadcasting Station) building promptly at ten in the morning. After I had received the Announcement email from Professor, it was followed up by an email from the KBS staff to report to the office on Monday morning for a briefing.
The KBS building looked nowhere more impressive than an office building except that it was blue in colour. But this was the building where the korean stars walked in and out of for work. Cass had wanted to come along with me because she wanted to try her luck to see if she would run into any big stars here. Turn out, she had to meet her Professor and couldn't make it after all.
Thank goodness it wasn't that difficult to get to KBS although it did took me about an hour on the train and I had to squeeze with the morning working crowd. And since it was blue in colour. all the more made it easier to spot among all the neighbouring offices.
There was a small crowd of commotion when I stepped into the lobby and I turned to look curiously. As compared to Cass and Hailey. I wasn't a korean-star fan as much as them. And if these stars were turned up in their slacks and loose make-up, I probably wouldn't even recognise them. A couple of cars stopped to drop passengers and there were cameras flashing. The guys kept their head down buried in their hoodies as they hastened their steps into the lift lobby. Only when they were safe after the security gantry did they managed to lift up their heads.
"Taken your breakfast?" one of them asked to the other. I tried not to be overly interested in their conversation but since we were all waiting for the same elevator, I had nothing else to do.
"Not yet," his friend answered. "Overslept."
"I'm thinking of changing my hair colour," the first guy continued as he shook his hair with his hand. "Change my image a little."
His friend chuckled, "What image?"
Just then, the elevator came. I hesitated. I waited for them to go in first. "Please," the first guy offered politely with a hand gesture for me to go in first. I blushed slightly and thanked him. Once inside, I was asked the level which I wanted to go. All very polite and respectful.
They paid no additional attention to me, perhaps assuming that I was a staff in this building. This office was after all, a huge one, so it wouldn't be surprising that you didn't know everybody.
"Hyung," the first guy began again. "You think Shindong will be able to get exemption this time?"
My ears perked up. I recognized that name. Well, the only Shindong I knew was from Super Junior. I decided to take a closer look at the both of them. To my alarm, I realised they were Eun Hyuk and Lee Teuk from Super Junior! Sheesh, my palms began to sweat. I couldn't believe I was sharing an elevator with them! I could almost scream out loud!
They exited at level six, leaving the bewildered me alone in the elevator. I bit my lip before I let out a sigh of frustration. Jeez, what could I have done in that situation? I couldn't even take out a pen to ask for autograph. Damn...
The elevator finally arrived at level ten and I walked out absent-mindedly still thinking about the earlier situation when I bumped into somebody. The person held both hands on my arms in reflex.
"Sorry!" I apologised profusely. When I looked up, I almost choked.
"Are you okay?" he asked with a look of concern. I couldn't even utter a word. I simply nodded. Seeing that I was unharmed, he simply smiled before he released his hands. He rushed forward to catch the elevator and disappeared before I could thank him.
I couldn't believe my eyes. My heart rate had once again shot up to hundred-and-seventy, I believed. It hadn't quite recovered after the elevator encounter. The man whom I bumped into, I believed he was Choi Jin Hyuk. Oh my goodness me! He was even more handsome up close despite the little wrinkles that I thought I spotted. His skin was flawless which actually made me ashamed of myself since I was a girl. Except for the eyebags, he was really really perfect. I let out a sigh. And I let him slipped out of my hands, without an autograph once again. I must really pay attention to whoever that I came across...
I met up with Ms. Park. She was a lovely lady in her late twenties and petite just like me. She led me to a small conference room where she offered me a bottle of water out of kindness.
"Thank you for coming down today," she said after we had both sat down. "Thank you for choosing this production."
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be able to watch the process," I said in return. Formalities were very important in the Korean society.
"You don't look Korean..." she looked at me curiously.
I couldn't help smiling. "I am not Korean," I explained. "I am an exchange student from Singapore."
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "But you speak very good Korean." I bowed in modesty. She pushed a huge folder towards me across the table. "This is the script to our production." It was as thick as my dictionary except it was in A4.
"I think it might be useful for you to understand the plot before you come on filming," she said. "However, I do need to have you sign the P&C agreement to ensure that you do not reveal a single detail of the script to anybody even your best friend or Professor until the entire drama has been broadcast. Please note that this will be a legal binding document." She handed me a letter and a pen. "Please read through the content and make sure you understand it well. You may ask if you have questions."
I took the paper from her hands and read through the agreement. It clearly stated the terms which she had laid out to me and the legal consequences if I should breach the agreement. Well of course, they wouldn't want any silly person to be indulging the public or worse, the press, with the juicy bits of the script else it wouldn't be interesting anymore. I signed on the line giving my consent of agreement.
"Great," she smiled. "Here is the filming schedule which you can refer. We will try to follow as closely to the schedule as possible but sometimes filming might overrun or end earlier than scheduled. At least, you get a rough idea."
I nodded as I took the time-table from her.
"You need to accumulate up a minimum of hundred hours on scene which the assistant crew producer will sign against your time-table," she handled me another folder. "It is very easy for hundred hours since we'll be filming all the way up to November at least and every day.... You must remember to get it signed since this will be your attendance sheet. You will meet Miss Yoojin on site."
"Of course you can continue to come to site after the minimum hundred hours," she continued. "It's really up to you. Especially depending on the subject of your assignment." According to my assignment, I was to submit a paper studying a particular scene and thus focusing on the character play and plot that went on at the selected scene.
"You can ask questions to the crew be it the Director or the Producer or even the actors themselves if they willing, as long as you do not disrupt the filming progress." She paused. "Any questions so far?"
I shook my head. Everything was quite clear to me. "No..."
"This is my name card," she pointed to a name card attached in the time-table folder. "You can call me if you have any questions. Let me know when you have decided when you want to turn up so I can inform Miss Yoojin the first time and she can expect your appearance."
"Okay..."
"If you look at the schedule, if case you are unaware, filming can take place anytime. Sometimes through the night too. And sometimes out of town where transport is not so convenient. You will need to arrange your own transport." She flipped through her folders. "Let me see if I have missed anything...," she dug around for a minute. "Ah... this. I forgot. Your pass," she handed me an identification pass which had my face on it. It was the picture I submitted a week back. I took it proudly. On it was written - Yong Ashlyn, Understudy, The Heirs.
"Okay if there's nothing else," she stood up. "I need to go for a meeting." I stood up as well and gathered up all the folders. "Oh yeah, the filming will not start until another week or so because the entire crew is in LA filming now."
"LA?" I was surprised.
She nodded. "Yes, so they will only be back next week. Once you confirm which scenes you want to understudy, I will inform you of the exact timing and location."
"Okay."
She smiled and shook my hand. "I hope you will enjoy your time on site."
"I'm sure I will."
I spent my entire week working on the script studying the plot and what would be the best assignment subject to study. The story was about a group of high school students who were at the top of the society. Their parents were great entrepreneurs or rich businessmen. Then there was this girl - cast by Park Shin-hye who came from a single parent family. Her mom was mute and worked for a rich family as a housekeeper. Because they had to pay off debts, they eventually moved into the house. And a romantic relationship developed between Park Shin-hye and Lee Min-ho who was the youngest son of the owner. And of course there were many other underlying plots that went on.
I was very interested to see how they would do the kissing scenes so in the end, I opted to understudy scenes in the house which actually was quite a number. I was debating between the school scenes or the house scenes. There was one kiss scene in school and one at home. So I guess it wouldn't matter that much. I only hoped that the house wasn't some deserted place which was difficult to get to.
I sent out an email to Ms Park immediately the following week telling her of my intent. To my horror, the filming of the house scenes, okay, the house was actually located in Gyeongi-do which was about three hours away by bus. Damn. That would mean if filming had to end late, I probably had no transport to get home. Either I took a taxi home which was ridiculous or as Cass suggested, try staying overnight at a nearby inn... which was going to burn a hole in my pocket. I only hoped that the filming would be done in the day. But I did say a couple of night scenes. So...
Anyway, I was really looking forward to be on scene. I had to drop a class as a result of my hours out of campus. I was allowed a special term in December to complete the credits though which would take me back home just in time for the January semester. It would be cramped up but I figured worth it. How much chance would I get for being on a live film scene? None, I figured. So, I was going to do it no matter how difficult it would be.
I couldn't wait for next week to come.