A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Director Who Dominates OTT

Episode 102

* * *

After Go Eun-a and Ji Seok-u got the hang of it, the filming set started running smoothly.

D.P Studio, which seemed a bit shaky at first, regained its stability as filming continued.

It became clear that President Yun’s confidence in selecting only talented people wasn’t just empty words.

Of course, there were minor mistakes since it was their first time working together.

“Huh? Is it because the Tivic executive who couldn’t even recognize Handtip Crawl is in charge? Making such basic mistakes?”

“You… really… I’ll kill you…”

Since they were minor mistakes, we could laugh them off by teasing Sung Tae-chang.

I also became somewhat closer with Director Lee Eun-su.

Among all the directors I’ve met, he has the strongest directing pride, so he doesn’t ask directly, but keeps sending signals with fake coughs.

“Ahem…”

“Does your throat hurt? Should I get you some water?”

“No. Cough-ahem.”

I didn’t realize at first, but he likes it when I go over to chat during break time.

But honestly speaking, Director Lee Eun-su was a casting choice I agonized over until the very last moment.

While this director films well, he doesn’t have any standout advantages compared to Director Im Un-jae.

In terms of sophistication, Director Im is actually better.

Of course, directing is like stage directions, so each director has their own unique feel, and to capture the original’s atmosphere, choosing Director Lee Eun-su was right…

But the difference in their fees was too significant.

It was almost double.

So I was deliberating until the end, but after receiving the 200 million investment from D.P, I cast Director Lee Eun-su.

While I won’t know how the footage will turn out until post-production is finished, I think it was an excellent choice.

“Seok-u, didn’t we have a similar composition to this in the past?”

“Ah, you mean the scene where we get trapped in the elevator?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You fell down back then. Want to try falling this time too?”

“Oh, that sounds good! I’ll look up how I fell back then.”

He’s starting to bring out subtle details that even Writer Hong couldn’t capture in the script.

However, perhaps because they’re working with the original director, Go Eun-a and Ji Seok-u seem to be getting younger.

Their words, actions, expressions, and gazes have returned to 10 years ago.

No, it’s not just that.

They actually look younger as people.

Thinking it might be my imagination, I compared the scenes shot on the first day with those shot yesterday, and there was a clear difference.

Director Lee Eun-su, who was reviewing the scenes with me, smiled.

“This is so good.”

“Right? On the first day, there were many scenes from before Destiny and U-yeon met.”

“Even when they met, it was before emotions developed. It seems like we can direct it so that when Destiny and U-yeon encounter each other, even the atmosphere returns to 10 years ago.”

“How many scenes are caught in between?”

“Not many. Two scenes?”

“Should we try de-aging (a technique to make actors look younger) on those scenes during the VFX stage?”

“Good. Very good.”

Since the results were satisfying, I could see the director gradually opening up.

But even during these times, problems arose.

Kim Tae-seong, who had shown unbelievable stability for a newcomer, was experiencing extreme condition issues.

“Cut, okay. Hmm… Director Dohyeon-u. Please have a talk with Tae-seong.”

This director, who had never directly asked me for help before, said this.

It wasn’t just one or two scenes, but throughout the entire morning shoot.

Normally when a newcomer creates such problems, you’d cut their scenes, but he’s the sub male lead, no less.

“…I’m sorry.”

I smiled and asked Kim Tae-seong, who had his head hung low.

“Do you suddenly think our drama will do well?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, at first you wandered around looking dazed like Seon-u. But today you’re Kim Tae-seong.”

“…”

I don’t know the reason, but he was putting in too much effort.

I could see the pressure to do well.

There was no such thing until yesterday, but suddenly acting like this means it’s probably personal matters nine times out of ten.

Not just newcomers, but veteran actors also have their acting affected by personal issues.

Considering Kim Tae-seong’s age, is it a career problem?

Maybe he got caught coming to the set without his parents knowing and this became his last chance.

“But Tae-seong, I’ve been curious since last time, have we met somewhere before? You look strangely familiar.”

It was a casual remark I made to help him relax, but Kim Tae-seong’s reaction was a bit strange.

He seemed flustered?

The comment about looking familiar wasn’t a lie though…

Have we really met somewhere before?

“No. This is our first meeting. I’m sorry. Director, I’ll work hard.”

“Alright. I talked to the director and we decided to shoot the cuts without Tae-seong first, so let’s practice acting together from now on.”

“Ah, yes. What should I do?”

“From now on, follow me around and try acting as Kim Tae-seong.”

“Pardon?”

“I said act as Kim Tae-seong. Not Seon-u.”

I started walking around the set with the confused Kim Tae-seong.

I’m a busy person too, you know.

After handling several matters with the staff, I called Kim Tae-seong who was following me around.

“Tae-seong, do you see that executive over there?”

“Ah, yes. That’s Executive Kim Seong-tae.”

“The three characters in your names are the same, but why do you look so different?”

“Pardon?”

“I told you to act as Kim Tae-seong. That’s Seon-u’s expression.”

“Ah, um… yes.”

“Try making it again. With Kim Tae-seong’s expression.”

After taking him around for about two hours, I pushed him into a scene.

“Director, for this scene only, could you shout okay even if Tae-seong acts terribly? With a bright smile.”

“Will that work?”

“Yes. We can shoot the terrible scene separately later.”

“Got it.”

Kim Tae-seong’s following performance was exactly 50 points.

Decent for a newcomer actor, but disappointing for a sub male lead?

Still, one thing was certain – it was better than the morning.

What followed was Director Lee Eun-su’s passionate performance.

“Cut! Okay! Very good! Tae-seong, you should have done it like that earlier! Let’s move to the next scene!”

Is this the skill of someone with set experience?

He acts well too.

But from then on, Kim Tae-seong immediately regained his acting stability.

To the point where Director Lee Eun-su was amazed.

“What did you do exactly?”

“Tae-seong has a somewhat set way of acting. You know surface tension, right?”

“When pouring soju, that thing?”

“Yeah, that’s not wrong. Anyway, he’s the type who acts by filling up to the brim without quite overflowing, but today something else was taking up space.”

“You emptied that out?”

“No? How could I empty something like that? I just lowered the level of the emotional line.”

“What are you talking about?”

After that, there were no particular problems.

* * *

Oh Ha-eun was contemplating the 121st season of ‘Is Dohyeon-u actually a good person’…

‘Oh, wait. The year changed.’

Then it’s the 3rd time in the new season.

Anyway, just like during Handtip Crawl, watching Director Dohyeon-u is somehow confusing.

First of all, the staff likes Dohyeon-u.

They say he’s humble despite achieving results that would justify being incredibly arrogant.

“But why did those rumors spread?”

“I don’t know. I heard he was incredibly rude.”

You could often hear the staff having conversations like this.

Honestly, Oh Ha-eun sees it that way too.

He doesn’t particularly seem like a bad person.

Of course, he did beat up Luhan to tears…

‘Maybe Luhan did something that deserved it?’

Couldn’t that be possible?

If Luhan, who was called to the studio, had confronted Dohyeon-u saying he absolutely couldn’t accept his directing…

‘But Luhan isn’t that kind of person, is he?’

Near the end of filming Handtip Crawl, she realized while getting an autograph for her cousin.

That Luhan was an angel.

When he found out her younger sibling was a long-time fan, he even did a video call, signed an album and sent it, and sent concert tickets too.

‘Then Dohyeon-u really is a scary person.’

It was still puzzling.

It was when Oh Ha-eun was sitting on a chair in the corner of the set, lost in deep thought.

“Hey, what’s this?”

“Huh? Then what are we?”

Suddenly the set became noisy.

No, it didn’t just get noisy – it turned into a marketplace.

All kinds of staff started burying their faces in smartphones and chattering.

“What is everyone doing!”

Director Lee Eun-su shouted angrily, but soon after looking at the phone the assistant director brought him, he became the same way.

“What? What’s going on?”

Oh Ha-eun, who had left her phone with her manager, approached Kim Tae-seong, whom she’d been getting along with quite well lately.

There was a reason for the staff’s behavior.

[SBX premium drama 【Push and Pull】 Season 2, production confirmed.]

[Push-pull syndrome revived after 10 years? What about Season 2 casting?]

[SBX official: ‘Our will for Season 2 is firm, but nothing is decided. We’re reviewing from all angles’]

[‘0% Algorithm’ PD Oh Ji-tae to direct 【Push and Pull】 Season 2?]

-Huh? What does this mean? They’re making Push and Pull Season 2? With the original cast?

-There’s no mention of original cast though?

-But if it’s not the Push and Pull actors performing, then it’s not Push and Pull, right?

-That’s true but… aren’t Ji Seok-u and Go Eun-a too old now?

-Yeah, the push-and-pull thing was probably when they were in their early thirties? They’d be in their forties now lol

-Wow time flies so fast. I really enjoyed watching it in my senior year of high school… I thought once I got to college I’d get a boyfriend like Destiny…

-How’s reality?

-Suffering from inevitable credit card debt

-Hahahahahaha

-But why are the articles so vague? There’s no proper content at all?

-Oh Ji-tae??? That Oh Ji-tae who randomly destroyed Youngpal with ‘The End of Human Era Has Come’?

-Turning an AI startup drama into Terminator was the most shocking plot twist in K-drama history lmaooooo

-No, but if you actually read the article, it doesn’t say Oh Ji-tae is doing it.

-Right. It’s asking if Oh Ji-tae will do it?

-Is Hong Writer working hard because Oxygen Warning was disappointing?

Articles about SBX’s Push and Pull Season 2 confirmation and netizens’ reactions were pouring out.

Actually, there had been continuous talk on set about rights not being sorted out.

Nevertheless, the dominant reaction was ‘they must have some idea since they started production’.

Oh Ha-eun, who knew more than the staff, knew that Dohyeon-u had some kind of plan…

‘Isn’t this the sound of that unknown plan falling apart?’

Should Director Dohyeon-u, not me, choose between tteokbokki, malatang, or deli manju?

That’s when Dohyeon-u came into Oh Ha-eun’s view.

She hadn’t intended to look.

Dohyeon-u was walking into the set from outside, standing there holding a smartphone.

At that moment, goosebumps rose all over her body.

“…!”

Grin.

Dohyeon-u was wearing a bright smile he had never shown before.

‘Why, why is he smiling?’

What on earth is he thinking?

I don’t know that, but one thing is certain.

Scary.

That person is too scary!

That day during night filming, Oh Ha-eun delivered a performance of her lifetime that drew applause from the staff.

* * *

Late January, when the word 2030 was starting to become familiar.

Filming finally ended.

The staff wondered what I was thinking throughout filming, but it wasn’t a big problem.

Seong Tae, who knew my plan, soothed people and sent them back to the set.

In contrast, the director and actors showed no interest in the intimate details.

“It obviously looks like you’re fighting for control with SBX, but you don’t need to explain it to me.”

“If you don’t know, you can say you don’t know, but if you know, you have to pretend not to know.”

It wasn’t that they weren’t really curious, but their attitude was that they didn’t need to know.

As soon as we finished filming, we entered post-production.

Originally, 6 weeks were allocated for post-production, but we spent money to pull it down to 4 weeks.

It was thanks to Director Im Un-jae, who was incredibly fast with his hands, joining for reasonable pay.

And so it became late February.

“It’s so good?”

“I don’t see anywhere else to touch it either.”

“It’s somehow moving.”

The final internal review was finished.

Now all that remained was the launch.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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