Become A Star

Chapter 17

"That's nonsense! Who exactly said that? Perhaps they said it out of jealousy?"

"She's a middle-aged woman, so it's definitely not jealousy. The truth is that she probably has really high standards. That's why I am going to work even harder, to please people like her."

Woo-Jin clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance to show that a small setback like this would not make him collapse. Song Jae-Hee struggled to hold back her laughter upon seeing that. She had kind of guessed what kind of person he was during the get-together - he was not stupid, but he was rather slow-witted and naive when it came to his own matters. Hence, she was slightly worried.

"Woo-Jin, which agency are you from?"

"I am not signed with any agency right now."

"Then, have you decided which one you are going to sign with?"

"No. I am planning to be on my own for now."

Song Jae-Hee shook her head upon hearing Woo-Jin's answer. Even for famous celebrities, it would not be easy for them to land as many jobs without an agency. Not being signed to an agency might have been fine in the past, but in present times, the entertainment industry worked very closely with agencies. The presence of marketing and management had been a measure of one's status as a celebrity for the longest time.

"It's not a bad thing if you are satisfied with continuing with minor or supporting roles like you are right now. But if you want to succeed, or if you even want to continue taking on various roles in the future, you will need an agency. Information and details about auditions for drama or movie roles are first delivered through agencies. Actors who aren't signed with any agencies, such as yourself, will only be able to come into the picture and take on those roles when no one can fulfill those roles. Naturally, there's bound to be limited roles for you in the future."

Of course, if one was lucky enough to be in a one-hit-wonder movie, their chances of success would increase. But how long would sudden, lucky fame last? Public opinion changes very easily, and they tend to have a short memory span too. Furthermore, huge agencies had a tendency to trample on rookies that did not belong to their agency without remorse. So many actors who were meant to make it big had ended up disappearing from the entertainment industry as a result.

"It's a world where a single line in an article can destroy you. Agencies can protect you as much as possible from such external threats. It's not just about acting for actors. There are so many things to deal with, do you think you can do it all by yourself?"

Song Jae-Hee continued to praise agencies. Above all, she specifically highlighted sponsorship and styling management. For example, if an actor were to play a role of a wealthy person in a drama or movie and the clothes did not match the role, the blame would rest solely on the actor. There was a limit to what the production crew could prepare for them.

"Fortunately, for this movie, CEO Choi had already prepared the styling and clothes from start to end according to your taste for each scene. In the case of Actor Kwon, he would have been very concerned about sponsorships because of his role as the son of a wealthy family. Agencies are the ones who do all the troublesome and difficult work such as styling behind the scenes."

When she saw the way Woo-Jin looked at her, Song Jae-Hee could feel that she had almost convinced him. Hence, it was dangerous to leave him as he was, without an agency. He looked like someone who could be won over very easily by any random passerby.

"However, not all agencies are good," said Woo-Jin.

His past experience was the reason behind his hesitation.