A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 74

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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 74

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Netflix, Dayz.

Giant corporations that have maintained their 1st and 2nd place rankings in the OTT industry for several years.

However, the gap between 1st and 2nd place was larger than expected.

-Netflix, 25% global market share, 40% Korean market share.

-Dayz, 12% global market share, 19% Korean market share.

Almost a double score.

That said, the production status wasn’t positive enough to close the gap either.

Last year, Dayz’s 【Can Love Be Hacked Too?】 was a hit, but that felt like a work produced without high expectations that happened to succeed.

So Gong Seok-jun thought Dayz would welcome 【Caught at Fingertips】 with open arms.

A title featuring Jeon So-ra’s comeback would be worth drooling over.

But the negotiations that actually began were difficult.

Selling broadcasting rights wouldn’t be difficult, but the problem was the revenue distribution ratio.

SSK paid 100% of the production costs, yet they’re proposing revenue distribution beyond broadcasting rights?

It was absolutely unacceptable.

The problem was that Dayz had accurately seen through SSK’s situation.

To gain negotiating advantage over Tivic, they had no choice but to launch in August.

They could go with terrestrial broadcasting, but given the E-sports subject matter, OTT would inevitably be much more advantageous.

Dayz was being stubborn, believing in that fact.

Of course, they couldn’t say this outright…

“We’re concerned about the moral risk. Even though things have quieted down a bit, there’s still the matter between actor Kim Ra-un and director Dohyeon-u, isn’t there?”

It was just an excuse.

Both Gong Seok-jun and Dayz knew this was an excuse.

The controversy had long since died down below the surface at this point, and looking at the cause and effect, it was ambiguous to even call it a controversy.

Dohyeon-u introduced Accomplice actors and received kickbacks to take care of Kim Ra-un too?

Was this real or bullshit?

For this to work, D.P would have to think ‘Dohyeon-u’s works will definitely succeed,’ but does that make sense?

If that were the case, they would have given him bundles of money and scouted him to set up a production company.

The hatred of unspecified masses wanting to attack others had simply been directed at Dohyeon-u through a flimsy causal relationship.

But refuting such excuses wasn’t easy.

Hidden within the term ‘moral risk’ was the meaning ‘it’s not about the facts, but the problem is that the public sees it that way.’

Eventually, frustrated Gong Seok-jun gulped down water and organized his thoughts.

‘Should we go to another OTT?’

But if it wasn’t Dayz, there was no particular reason to leave Tivic.

While Watchout and And And had higher market shares than Tivic, Tivic had the image of being a hotspot for original dramas.

Excluding variety show rights and sports broadcasting rights, the original series fanbase would be similar for both places compared to Tivic.

It was when Gong Seok-jun was having such thoughts.

He saw his phone on the table, set to silent mode, blinking.

“Sorry, I forgot I had a call to make. Could I take just one call first?”

“Of course.”

He quickly left the meeting room.

Not really to answer a call, but to try contacting CEO Han Seong-hun.

‘Hyeon-u?’

The caller was Dohyeon-u, so he answered the phone.

When deciding on a channel, he needed to consider the opinion of Dohyeon-u, the general CE.

“Yeah, Hyeon-u.”

-Manager, are you available to talk?

“Go ahead.”

-Our channel hasn’t been decided yet, right?

“Actually, I had something to ask you about that…”

-How about Netflix?

“What?”

-Fingertips, wouldn’t it be good as a Netflix original?

Gong Seok-jun let out a chuckle.

“That would be nice. But it’s not possible, that’s the problem.”

In the past, Netflix also had cases where they only purchased broadcasting rights to stream works.

Works like Woo Young-woo had huge hits that way.

But a few years ago, Netflix began managing their business partners through precise tiered partnerships.

Tier 1.

Subsidiaries or pro-Netflix affiliated production companies.

Tier 2.

Terrestrial broadcasters or S-grade giant production companies.

If you don’t belong to these two categories, it’s impossible to sell only broadcasting rights while retaining 100% IP ownership.

SSK was giant-level in terms of size alone, but too distant from Netflix.

With an exclusive supply contract with Tivic still remaining, they want to hold 100% IP and only sell broadcasting rights?

It was an impossible story.

It was the moment Gong Seok-jun thought ‘As expected, Hyeon-u lacks experience too.’

-They say it’s possible though?

“Huh?”

-Director Cha Seong-u is next to me… Oh, why don’t you talk directly?

“Now? Next to you?”

-Yes.

“Sw-switch me over.”

Gong Seok-jun, who took the call, heard Cha Seong-u’s proposal after a brief greeting.

It wasn’t a 100% equity contract.

Netflix’s share would be 5%.

But they promised top-tier promotion in their maintained marketing chain.

That alone would save at least 3 billion won in marketing costs.

Top-tier promotion included all routes like outdoor advertising, subway advertising, and SNS viral marketing.

Moreover, if the work did well, would Netflix just sit still?

They would push more promotion.

Especially overseas.

5% was an extremely reasonable proposal and an attractive offer for SSK.

“Good. Let’s meet tomorrow.”

Gong Seok-jun, who hung up the phone, confidently opened the door to the Dayz meeting room.

“Did your call go well?”

The Dayz representative smiled as if knowing he had talked with CEO Han Seong-hun.

Gong Seok-jun also smiled back.

“Fuck off.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, sorry. Where should we start talking?”

The representative who had been causing stomach pain just minutes ago now looked cute.

* * *

The channel was decided.

Netflix Original.

Official title, 【Caught at Fingertips】.

August 23rd, Thursday launch.

According to Manager Gong Seok-jun, a Dayz employee who belatedly grasped the situation came directly to SSK and grabbed onto his pant legs.

They said they wouldn’t be greedy about the percentage, just sell them the broadcasting rights.

Naturally, from our position, it was a rejection.

If it were a drama targeting only the domestic market, maybe, but E-sports absolutely has to be sold worldwide.

5% wasn’t a low percentage, but there was no reason not to join hands with Netflix.

Especially since it was a project directly pitched by Director Cha Sang-woo, the series supervisor.

Even if not crown prince treatment, wouldn’t they at least treat him like a neighboring country’s prince?

If Dayz ended up clutching at trouser legs due to unreasonable greed, there was also a side that ended up clutching only the phone receiver due to unreasonable stubbornness.

That was Tivic Korea.

I now know enough about the power games surrounding our work.

In that sense, when the launch of Oxygen Alert was moved up, moving Fingertips to August was a kind of declaration of war.

A move that revealed to the world the intention to test the waters for contract renewal with Tivic.

In other words, Tivic had no choice but to have great interest in which platform Fingertips would go to.

Actually, the Manager suspected that Dayz was being cocky because they received information from Tivic Korea.

There was also a possibility that Dayz found out through their own intelligence network.

But.

“I first contacted Dayz when we had just started filming Fingertips, right?”

“But from then on, there were signs of them strangely dragging out time.”

There were definitely suspicious points.

As a result, Fingertips joined hands with Netflix and was officially listed among the upcoming releases.

Even if Tivic headquarters might not know the detailed situation, they couldn’t not know the name SSK.

According to Seong Tae, sparks had fallen on the Executive and Managing Director’s feet, leaving them clutching phones all day.

The CEO who had followed their opinions also didn’t look pleased.

In this situation, Tivic Korea had no choice but to put all their effort into marketing Oxygen Alert.

Whatever happened, Oxygen Alert had to do better than Fingertips for them to save at least minimal face.

A fierce marketing war was expected, but…

For now, I felt good.

The people who stubbornly insisted they couldn’t give a penny for our work were now in an awkward position.

Seeing how they tried to handle the Ethics Committee like roasting beans over lightning, the connection between Tivic Korea and Ju Yeong-hun was also suspicious.

And I wasn’t the only one feeling good.

“Really?”

“So we’re a Netflix Original then?”

The actors who naturally thought it would be a Tivic Original seemed like they had received an unexpected gift.

No matter how good Tivic dramas’ image was, nothing could beat Netflix in the OTT industry.

Thanks to this, the atmosphere on set racing toward the finale was warm.

I had also finished my external schedule with Jae-hyeok’s preview screening and was focusing on filming.

Then, one problem occurred.

The young actors playing pro gamers from Seongwha Empire had rebelled against Director Im Un-jae’s directing.

The core characters Min Jae-ryul and Luhan were excluded from this, but it wasn’t something to take lightly.

Actors rebelling against the director was the worst accident that could happen on set.

But if I put it this way, it sounds like the actors were definitely in the wrong, but that wasn’t entirely the case either.

“It was a bit too much though.”

“Exactly. Those young kids being called in for hours every day.”

“I heard they continued filming even when bleeding.”

The chatter from several actors sympathizing reached even my ears.

The young actors’ rebellion had valid points.

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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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