A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 27
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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 27
Action 4. What’s More Interesting?
Post-production is the process of turning filmed footage into a complete drama.
Video editing, sound, music, color correction, VFX/CG, subtitles, and mastering.
Once this stage begins, the CE’s role is greatly reduced.
I give input up to video editing, but the rest is entirely the technicians’ time.
So I was starting to feel something called leisure for the first time in a while.
No, honestly, I’m a bit idle.
Normally this would be a timing where I couldn’t be idle because of marketing, but the company issued directives.
Don’t establish marketing strategies until the internal screening is over.
Since filming ended 3 weeks early and we have time, let’s postpone everything until after seeing the final product.
Thanks to that, I’ve been spending time lately doing salary thief activities.
Pretending to work hard, pretending to go on external business and leaving early, pretending to research materials while binge-watching dramas I’d put off…
But hey, I’ve been a salary Holmes until now, right?
I should do some thief activities too to balance the office police and thief dynamic.
So what kind of thief activity am I doing today…
“God, please allow me to be a righteous corporate card thief today too.”
“Are you crazy? In front of the general director?”
I was drinking with Seong Tae for the first time in a while.
Seong Tae wasn’t the only one at the table.
“Seeing an employee recklessly wielding a corporate card makes me think our company needs better oversight, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean recklessly?”
“Then is this an extension of work?”
“Of course. If it weren’t work, would I need to meet with President Yun?”
“…I’m hurt.”
President Yun from D.P was also with us, whom I was meeting for the first time since my first paycheck.
But today’s gathering really is an extension of work.
Out of the 8 child actors needed for Accomplice, we cast a whopping 4 from D.P.
As general director, isn’t it natural to buy a drink for the manager of the agency representing our cast members?
It’s not natural that the president came instead because the team leader was busy, though.
Same goes for Seong Tae.
SSK made a work for Tivic’s contest.
Shouldn’t I visit high-ranking Tivic people to request head office-level marketing support?
And Seong Tae is the highest-ranking person at Tivic Korea.
In terms of position alone, there are many people above Seong Tae like branch managers and directors, but they’re not working-level staff.
“So, this gathering is an extension of work.”
“Got it. I’ll overlook this corruption just this once, so calm down.”
“It’s not corruption.”
“Is it okay to drink this? Then I become an accomplice, right?”
“It’s not a crime.”
“Accomplice!”
“That’s not funny.”
Of course, I didn’t actually think this gathering was work.
“You two stop bickering and listen to my story.”
“What is it?”
“How old do I look to you guys?”
“Suddenly?”
“No, I met the Surfer Entertainment president last time, and he called me senior at first meeting. That guy’s in his mid-50s.”
“Maybe it’s because you’re an industry senior, President?”
“What are you talking about? That guy entered this field before me.”
How old is the president again?
Late 40s? Has she reached her 50s now?
“You look like you’re in your late 30s, President. Maybe early 40s when you’re a bit tired?”
“Oh my, look at Hyeon-u. You really have good eyes, that’s why you pick good works too.”
“Can I call you noona?”
“Totally possible.”
Sung Tae-chang interrupted.
“President, at your age, saying ‘totally possible’ is a bit…”
“Want to die?”
“‘Want to die’ is also a bit…”
“Look at this annoying guy nitpicking everything. A traitor who sucked up all the industry know-how from our company and ran away.”
“Hey, I’m being called a D.P spy, you know? I always push hard for you guys!”
“By dissing Kim Ra-un?”
“Hyeon-u was the one who dissed him!”
“Hyeon-u was manipulated by you, wasn’t he? Used for dirty office politics.”
“Hey! You bastard!”
After laughing and chatting like that for a while, President Yun changed the topic.
“Hyeon-u, I heard rumors that your work turned out well.”
“Really? In what way?”
“The bracket will make box office success difficult, but it’ll be well-received among thriller enthusiasts? Oh, and there was talk that the unknown supporting actors’ performances are worth noting.”
It seems like rumors leaked through Director Jeong’s network.
Well, it’s not wrong.
The actors’ good performances are getting tiresome to mention, and the bracket is definitely unfavorable.
SBX has top star Kim Ra-un’s 【0% Algorithm】.
KBX has the webtoon-based rom-com 【Thirty-Something High Teen】 with a solid existing fanbase.
MBY has 【First Pick】, a rookie writer’s work but with a directing PD famous for excellent foresight.
Of course, OTT doesn’t directly clash with channels.
Many people believe OTT works and channel works are almost unrelated.
But I thought differently.
Consumer time is finite.
Just like reading one book means giving up another, content consumption time is also a limited resource.
Of course, reading enthusiasts would read multiple books, but there are more people who don’t, right?
Dramas are the same.
Moreover, Accomplice is a work with high viewing fatigue, so if we can’t break through early, it might get tiring.
“Seong Tae, Netflix really has no June releases, right?”
“Yeah. On the OTT side, there are no original competitors except movies. For sure.”
Since Seong Tae and I were having a conversation we already knew about, President Yun added her input.
“You guys feel it too, right? There’s going to be a marketing war?”
“Probably so.”
The three terrestrial networks probably don’t see us as competition.
But we have no choice but to consider the terrestrial networks’ works as competitors when planning our marketing strategy.
“How about it? Wouldn’t it be better with D.P backup? You guys know better than anyone that our kids work well.”
It was an out-of-context random comment, but Ra-un and Seong Tae quickly understood the situation.
“Who are you interested in?”
“Honestly, I’m not specifically interested. I’d have to see their acting to know.”
“Then?”
“Hyeon-u, I’m trusting your eye.”
The hidden meaning in President Yun’s words was simple.
Among the Accomplice cast members, connect her with those who don’t have agencies or whose contracts are ending soon.
If the cast actors sign contracts with D.P, D.P’s publicity team will be mobilized for the drama.
Honestly, it’s a very generous offer.
President Yun is trying to recruit actors who are evaluated as having no market value, trusting only my judgment.
We get reliable allies without spending a single penny.
This should be seen as goodwill.
But….
“No.”
“What? Why?”
President Yun’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected to be rejected.
“Right now it’s hard to get their proper market value assessed.”
“Look at this kid? Are you criticizing me for being a merchant right now? Do you think I’d lowball the actors you discovered?”
“No. I don’t think that at all.”
President Yun is also a businessman, so he becomes endlessly cold when he needs to be, but he’s not someone who would miss something bigger over small money.
Rather than lowballing unknown actors, he’s the type who would pay generously to create a debt of gratitude.
“Then why?”
“The difference in perspective would be huge.”
“What kind of difference?”
“The number you think is the best would be my bottom line.”
“…That much?”
“That’s how I see it. But even if you’re the president, you can’t bet that freely.”
In the end, Accomplice needs to appear in the world to narrow the difference in perspective.
“Hmm….”
“Still, one thing’s certain – if the actors are considering multiple companies, I’ll tell them D.P is a really good company.”
Because D.P really is a good company.
As the company grows bigger, there are more employees like Director Jang who are distant from the president’s management philosophy, but it doesn’t change that it’s a good company.
Of course, which company the actors sign with isn’t my jurisdiction.
But I hope everyone does well.
If I can help, I’ll help.
“Well then. In this case, it would be better to approach it with time.”
“You’ll be shocked when you see the drama.”
“Then you got me a priority 0 waiting ticket, right?”
“Of course. If a 1st priority appears, I’ll grab them by the collar and throw them out.”
“Looks good. People confident in the process make that expression when they’ve done their best.”
As the conversation about casting seemed to wrap up, Seong Tae, who had been just listening, chimed in.
“President, this guy’s crazy. Even though he’s general manager and on-site assistant, he followed the entire filming site!”
“Not the entire thing though?”
“What, did you miss like a week?”
“5 days?”
“Crazy bastard. When I made you the job offer….”
“Oh, right!”
“What’s right?”
“Hyung. You already told Seo Jae-yeon everything, didn’t you? That you decided on SSK right after retiring from acting?”
“He asked so I answered? I have no reason to hide it.”
“Anyway. Loose-lipped Seo-stat-chang.”
“…What?”
“What?”
“What did you just say? Seo-stat-chang?”
“I said Sung Tae-chang.”
“No, no. It wasn’t Sung Tae-chang. The nuance was closer to stat window than status window.”
“….”
“Don’t tell me…. Did you get another System Message?”
“….”
“Who is it. What kind of window.”
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Just tell me who it is.”
“Chae Seo-hui… Assistant CE….”
“Ah? So that’s why it’s Seo-stat-chang?”
“….”
“No wonder you’ve been properly calling me Seong Tae hyung today….”
“Sorry, I must have been crazy! Wait, wait, I was just curious about the other System Message…!”
“Forget it, disconnect the link.”
“Please…!”
While we were immersed in the situation comedy, the room door burst open.
“Dohyeon-u!”
It was Go Team Leader, who said he’d join after finishing urgent business.
“Team Leader!”
D.P’s foursome who had been together since Mangwon-dong had gathered after a long time.
“For the success of Accomplice!”
“Wait wait, Go Team Leader should be cheering for 0%’s algorithm, right? Company work comes first?”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
It was a pleasant time.
* * *
Accomplice’s internal screening edit was completed.
Music and post-production sound weren’t added yet, but the video itself was finished.
SSK’s high-ranking officials gathered in the 1st Editing Room to check the results of Accomplice, which had been much talked about.
The atmosphere was half and half.
“I heard the production quality is excellent.”
“Word about the good on-set atmosphere reached even me.”
“Is someone with an acting background not bad to work with? Where did Dohyeon-u go to school?”
Half curiosity.
“Will that casting work?”
“It’s casting like they’re praying for failure.”
“From when they dissed Kim Ra-un, it was questionable….”
Half negative opinions.
But when the screening ended, everyone’s faces had become exactly the same.
“What is this….”
Everyone was making expressions like they’d been possessed by ghosts.
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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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