The finals of the 3rd Show Me the Acting competition, where 20 rising actors compete fiercely solely on the basis of a single 90-second monologue performance, grandly opened on September 19 at the Central University Seoul Campus Small Theater in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. This event, which proves potential purely through short-form delivery and dialogue handling without a lengthy audition process, has firmly established itself as a breeding ground for new talent, marking its third year. Given the intense interest from hundreds of applicants every year, this final stage continued to yield significant results in discovering the next generation of leading actors. The 20 finalists performed both self-prepared free performances and high-difficulty combinations of randomly assigned professions and genres, capturing the full attention of the on-site judges. The competition features a robust system that connects participants directly with affiliated directors, serving as a practical stepping stone rather than just a ranking and prize-giving ceremony. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the competition’s unique evaluation methods, the profiles of the professional judges, and the new opportunities awaiting these rising actors.
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20 Rising Actors Compete in 90-Second Monologues at the 3rd Show Me the Acting
1. Show Everything in 90 Seconds: The Show Me the Acting Format
Show Me the Acting is a unique talent discovery competition that, true to its name, relies solely on the actor’s performance skills without elaborate stage setups or long directing sequences. The core of the event is providing exhausted newcomers with a short yet intense 90-second window to fully reveal their true worth. The 20 finalists who survived the fierce preliminary rounds in August showcased their honed skills to the fullest, eliciting awe from both the audience and the judges. Participants had to perform two consecutive pieces without a break, requiring meticulous preparation and immense stamina. Amidst the nail-biting tension that held the audience in its grasp, the newcomers poured out their explosive energy and hidden potential without reservation. This method of pouring everything into a short time is a microcosm of real-world auditions where directors and production teams must be captivated instantly. It is the most suitable structure for identifying true talent by evaluating the ability to convey a character’s emotions instantly, even without long dialogues or complex narratives.
It adopts a unique format where actors compete on performance skills alone within a short 90-second window, replacing lengthy auditions.
2. The Meeting of Free Performance and Combination Performance: Unique Evaluation Criteria
The most notable feature of this final stage is that each participant must present two distinct performances. The first task is a free performance where the actor meticulously prepares the character’s personality and situational setup entirely on their own. The second task is a high-difficulty performance where the organizers randomly select one profession from a list of ten and one genre from a list of six, requiring the actor to combine them on the spot. The key lies in the chemical reaction that occurs when various character settings, ranging from ordinary professions like firefighters, brides, and taxi drivers to internet broadcasters, intersect with genres such as thrillers, comedies, and melodramas. For example, combining the comedy genre with the profession of a firefighter could create a situation that is both serious and quirky, directly revealing the actor’s improvisational skills and interpretive ability. The judges closely observed how naturally and persuasively the actors digested these complex combinations, delivering sharp evaluations. This allows them to gauge on-site adaptability by seeing the quick-wittedness required to build a character in unexpected situations, going beyond stereotypical acting.
It evaluates both a self-prepared free performance and a performance created by on-the-spot combination of a profession and genre.
3. Sharp and Warm Judging by Film Industry Masters
The most powerful weapon adding credibility and depth to this competition is undoubtedly the presence of judges boasting brilliant careers. Producer Shin Chang-hwan, who produced films such as *Marathon* and *Hansan: Rising Dragon*, served as the head judge, offering advice born from extensive field experience. Veteran actor Jung In-ki, who left a deep impression in films like *The Beeswax* and *The Day*, was also present, watching his juniors’ every breath with both sharpness and warmth. Director Kim Su-jin, who rose as a rising star in Chungmuro after her film *Noise* was nominated for Best New Director awards at various film festivals, also joined the judging panel, adding a director’s perspective. Additionally, the head professor and faculty members of the Film and Video Production department at the Central University Graduate School of Advanced Imaging joined to verify the participants’ qualities from multiple angles. The judges were divided into four groups of five participants, providing immediate, vivid critiques and practical guidance after each stage completion. Beyond simple scoring, the affectionate advice from senior film professionals served as lifelong nourishment for the rising actors on stage.
Famous producers, actors, and directors participated directly as judges, providing on-the-spot critiques.
4. Five Criteria and the Audience-Selected Director’s Choice
The judging process to determine the winners was conducted fairly based on five rigorous and detailed criteria. They meticulously examined the accuracy of voice and vocalization, the depth of sincerity in the character’s emotions, the expressiveness that draws the audience into immersion, and the commanding presence that dominates the stage. Alongside this, a special audience jury composed of 20 Central University students watched intently from the seats, adding separate scores to select two “Director’s Choice” winners. The Grand Prize winner received a prize money of 500,000 won, and the Best Award and Judges’ Special Award recipients also received prize money, boosting the participants’ morale. The two rising stars chosen as Director’s Choice also received modest prize money, resulting in a total of five individuals receiving the honor of trophies and prize money. All awards carry symbolic meaning beyond praising good acting; they recognize the potential to lead Chungmuro and the broadcasting industry in the future. Since the winners delivered performances that resonated with both the student jury and the expert panel, high expectations are gathered for their future careers.
Winners were determined by combining five criteria such as voice and immersion with the evaluation of the student jury.
5. A System That Goes Beyond Prize Money to Actual Casting
The point that clearly differentiates Show Me the Acting from other common acting competitions is its impact after the event concludes. The organizers share the realistic performance videos and detailed profiles of all 20 finalists with numerous directors and producers affiliated with the university. This serves as an excellent talent database that creators looking for new faces in the production environment can access at any time. For participants who consent, their performance videos are widely published on the competition’s official social media accounts, providing opportunities to introduce themselves to a wider public and industry professionals. This is the background that makes it possible for a rising actor performing an unfamiliar character on today’s stage to miraculously act as a lead or supporting role in a major commercial film or drama on a Chungmuro set tomorrow. The robust production network and system built within the university’s framework directly reach out to rising actors. It functions as a sturdy bridge connecting true talent who will shoulder the future of the Korean video industry directly with the field, rather than being a one-time event that is consumed and forgotten.
It directly leads to actual work casting by sharing the videos and profiles of finalists with producers.
6. Continuous Efforts to Discover Rising Creators and Future Prospects
In addition to Show Me the Acting, the Central University Graduate School of Advanced Imaging has consistently operated various year-round programs such as Show Me the Pitch and the Blue Film Festival, serving as a lighthouse for the video art community. This effort to quickly exchange new technologies and discover hidden talents to inject them into the field is a strength that firmly supports the foundation of the Korean cultural content industry. This is also why government agencies and research foundations, including the Ministry of Education, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Creative Content Agency, have joined forces to sponsor the event. Although it is a short moment of 90 seconds, the eyes of rising actors who stake their lives and give their all within that time clearly show the bright future of Korean video art. We sincerely hope that such practical stages will become more active in the future, allowing countless raw gems who have been searching for a place to shine to freely radiate their own light. We ask our readers to watch with a warm gaze to see in what works these 20 rising actors, who are taking their first steps into the rough sea of Chungmuro, will appear in the future.
The university’s continuous talent discovery programs and government support combine to brighten the future of Korean video art.
Frequently Asked Questions
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