A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 28

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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 28

* * *

What would it feel like if you could view a life lived in first person from a third-person perspective?

It would probably feel quite strange.

Most people live without even recognizing their own exact face.

In that sense, Accomplice approached me with an unfamiliar sensation.

The first-person life I had lived through my supernatural ability had changed to third person.

Moreover, with the narrator changed, there were sections where the atmosphere of moments I had experienced felt different.

But…

That wasn’t to say it was bad.

Rather, it was good.

Some scenes were much sharper than what I had experienced, and some sequences played a greater role by being omitted.

The acting in certain scenes felt more realistic than the actual people, and certain lines pierced sharply to the core despite being everyday language.

I finally became convinced.

That this was the best result.

That this was the finest work we could create at this point in time.

Thanks to this, I gained confidence about the internal screening, and I even had some slightly childish thoughts.

You know how it is, don’t you?

The sight of people who wanted me to fail being shocked, envious, and jealous.

Or if not that, the sight of people who believed in me doing somersaults and playing celebratory music?

I know it’s childish, but that’s the kind of motivation people live on, isn’t it?

Still…

“Coffee? I also have tea imported directly from England.”

“I’ll have coffee.”

I didn’t expect to be dragged to the CEO’s office right after the internal screening ended.

* * *

As I carefully sipped my coffee, CEO Han Seong-hun opened his mouth with a good-natured smile.

“I enjoyed the work, CE Dohyeon-u. The craftsmanship was much more excellent than I had expected.”

“Thank you.”

“There will be full support from the company. I won’t let you say there wasn’t enough marketing budget, CE Do.”

“Thank you once again.”

CEO Han Seong-hun smiled slightly and fiddled with his coffee cup before speaking.

“I’m curious about something – what criteria did you use to select the unknown actors?”

“Pardon?”

“I can understand rejecting Kim Ra-un. It must have been a difficult decision, but if you have good eyes, you might be able to predict the results in advance.”

This is somewhat unexpected.

There are still many people making a fuss about rejecting Kim Ra-un.

“But no matter how I look at it, I can’t figure out what criteria you used to choose as many as eight unknown actors?”

“Are you saying the casting was disappointing?”

“No. It’s the opposite. It was perfect. That’s what makes it even stranger.”

I didn’t need to ask what was strange about it.

“It’s not uncommon for directors to become fixated on specific unknown actors. That’s how Cinderellas are born.”

“Yes.”

“Then let me ask you something. Why do you think directors become fixated on unknown actors?”

What reason could there be for that?

Isn’t it just because they liked them?

When I cautiously offered this answer, CEO Han Seong-hun nodded.

“That’s right. Because they liked them. Because they matched the acting theory I embrace. Perhaps an actor’s appearance might not be important. What matters is whether they match my values.”

“That seems like a reasonable statement.”

“So when I saw actors Eum Seong-hyeon and Park Seong-won, I thought CE Do was a method acting believer. Both of them acted quite well too.”

CEO Han Seong-hun continued while tapping the desk with his index finger.

“But when I saw actors So Jeong-hun and Moon Jae-won, I realized that wasn’t the case. Those two are closer to Meisner technique.”

“Not only that. Actor Lee Seon-jae should be viewed as an action-centered actor, and actor Jeong Min-woo is closer to being a result-centered actor.”

“Actor Yu Won-sang is Chekhov style, actor Park Jun-ho is Brechtian… I think those two were heavily influenced by the Theater Troupe where they started acting.”

I don’t think these acting theories are meaningful, but I can agree with the classification of the actors themselves.

As you continue your acting career, you naturally develop what’s called a style.

“So I was curious. What criteria did CE Do use to select such diverse actors? And how did you have confidence?”

Looking at CEO Han Seong-hun with his good-natured smile, I made an embarrassed expression.

Because my answer was short for the end of such a long question.

“I’m sorry, but I just picked them.”

“Just?”

“Yes. I can only say that I was lucky to discover suitable actors.”

“Luck…”

Honestly, praise about casting is embarrassing.

I played quite a role in the script revisions going well.

It’s not like my supernatural ability told me about the time loop concept either.

Furthermore, I think I played a role in the filming set running smoothly and the actors’ performances gaining stability.

But I’m not sure about casting.

I did try to judge the actors objectively.

Even if my supernatural ability recommended them, I planned not to cast them if they didn’t meet my standards.

But was my judgment really objective?

When I had already seen the ideal result?

“If it’s really luck, then this kind of thing won’t happen next time?”

“Are you talking about newcomers?”

“I’m talking about appropriate casting.”

“About that… I’m confident.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m quite confident in visualization.”

“Visualization?”

“I mean I can predict how an actor will digest a script.”

“You rejected Kim Ra-un and found newcomer actors using that method?”

“Yes.”

It was slightly embarrassing, but I put on a poker face.

Because I had something I wanted.

Sure enough, CEO Han Seong-hun, who had been looking into my eyes, let out a small laugh.

“If my ears aren’t mistaken, you’re saying you want to hold full casting authority for the next work too?”

“Honestly, yes.”

Accomplice was in the middle of hot potato passing, so I was able to receive F.E.M.

But it won’t be the case starting from the next work.

Having to go under Senior Ju Yeong-hun and discuss from the casting stage…

Honestly, I really hate that idea.

Apart from emotional conflicts, it doesn’t seem like working would be fun.

This isn’t something that would change by switching companies.

Even if I went to another company’s Creative Line, I couldn’t become a senior CE, right?

The only person who could make this possible was the person in front of me.

“CE Do is on a one-year contract, right?”

You’re bringing up that topic here?

“I think there’s a misunderstanding, but conversion to permanent employment has already been confirmed. When you’ve elevated a troublesome work to that level, we should be the ones asking favors.”

CEO Han Seong-hun said with a good-natured smile.

“Then this meeting would be a kind of experienced hire interview.”

“Experience, you mean…”

“Wouldn’t this be a place where you can show how much show business experience you have?”

President Han Seong-hun took out a file from his drawer and handed it to me.

“A major media company is preparing a feature article.”

It was out of the blue.

A feature article?

The main points of the article written in the file were three.

First, the relationship between Ra-un and me.

That we were colleagues during our acting days, and that Kim Ra-un rose to stardom by appearing in a work I had dropped out of.

Second, that I cut Kim Ra-un from Accomplice out of jealousy.

Third, that the actor I chose instead of Kim Ra-un was an unknown idol named Unpack.

“I didn’t call CE Do here because of this. I was thinking of asking your thoughts, but this was entirely meant to be a meeting to thank you for making Accomplice well.”

“I understand.”

“I blocked the article. The representative here owes me a debt. What do you think this means?”

I pondered President Han Seong-hun’s question for a moment before speaking.

If it hadn’t been Director Jang, I would have thought longer, but he was someone familiar.

“He’s probably drawing lines.”

“Lines?”

“It means Director Jang Ki-un, who’s in charge of Kim Ra-un, is drawing lines that shouldn’t be crossed between Tivic and SSK.”

Director Jang deliberately contacted a media company that has connections with President Han Seong-hun.

At the same time, he probably contacted media companies close to Tivic with the same content.

This way, he can feel the temperature difference in Tivic and SSK’s reactions and decide his course of action.

“If he touches Tivic’s nerves, it won’t be good for Kim Ra-un either.”

“…CE Do, you’re more skilled at this kind of thing than I thought?”

“It’s just something I heard in passing.”

“Do you have a solution too?”

“I’ve prepared one.”

“‘Prepared’ means?”

“I think it’s a method the company would find hard to accept.”

“Interesting. Why did you think that?”

I hesitated for a moment, but then went all in.

“I thought it was a direction Tivic would dislike. As a latecomer in OTT, they’d want to avoid excessive power struggles with existing established players.”

“And SSK has to watch Tivic’s mood?”

“That was my thinking.”

It was a kind of provocation.

I have a very good idea, but do you have the confidence not to worry about Tivic’s reaction?

It was presumptuous talk for a mere employee to say to a president, but…

I didn’t charge in without any thought.

There was something President Yun had told me.

“Han Seong-hun?”

“Good personality. Doesn’t mix personal feelings with work, no prejudices, doesn’t act stubborn.”

“But could just a nice guy have climbed to that position? It’s not something you can do by pushing aside just one or two people.”

“I don’t know for sure, but what Han Seong-hun probably wants to push aside most right now is Tivic.”

I’m confident I can thwart Director Jang’s schemes.

But to do that, I’d have to use an excessively aggressive method.

Ultra-high risk, ultra-high return that a normal company would never choose.

So I bet on President Han’s ambition.

If he really wants to become independent from Tivic, he’d want big success even if it means bearing risks.

Fortunately, President Han didn’t look displeased at all.

“CE Do. Why are you going this far? Wouldn’t it be good to toss it to the marketing team and avoid responsibility?”

“Right now, I’m the supervising CE.”

Director, writer, actors, staff…

It’s a work filled with everyone’s hopes and aspirations.

“I didn’t want to turn away from something I could do just because it was dangerous.”

“Something you can do… Let me hear it once. What’s this plan that Tivic would dislike?”

I looked at President Han Seong-hun and slowly opened my mouth.

“In my opinion…”

When the long story ended, the president’s reaction was simple.

“Well, that’s the kind of thinking only a crazy person would have.”

That’s a bit flustering.

He seemed like the type who would never use rough language in his life.

Did I get dissed?

But that wasn’t it.

“Let’s try it once. If there’s any traffic control needed with the established players, I’ll step forward.”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“Difficult work should have rewards, right?”

Rewards?

“If that plan succeeds, the next project’s supervision will also be CE Dohyeon-u’s.”

What?

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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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