Chapter 79

Pursuing a thoroughly commercial film does not mean that it is a bad thing.

My theory is that it’s a real garbage movie, and if it doesn’t have any merit, the audience will turn away from it first.

In any case, CEO Gyu-jik Choi makes dozens of films in the next few years in this way.

A lot of criticism followed, but it was not an ability that was easily obtained to make it a box office success.

In 2003, CEO Gyu-jik Choi made the first 10 million films in Korea with a movie called ‘Empty’ that cost 11 billion won, including promotional and marketing expenses.

If it was a splendid achievement of Korean cinema, which was achieved through the investment of large corporations, the deep interest of the audience in Korean cinema, and the introduction of the multiplex, it could be said to be a splendid achievement.

It couldn’t have been ironic.

The combined net profit of this movie’s DVD sales, overseas exports, cable TV, and broadcasting rights alone is close to 500 to 60 billion won.

The proposal he makes today will be a crossroads for Koh Geon-soo’s choice.

like i did

I will respect whatever choice Koh Kun-soo makes.

When I looked at Go Geon-soo with such a thought, Ko Geon-su looked at me and smiled slightly.

“But it was a little surprising. The screenplay was not written by the director. Usually, rookie directors often come out with their own screenplays.”

CEO Gyu-jik Choi opened his mouth.

“Yes, I am also writing a screenplay, but before that, I saw the script written by Noeul Choi and thought that I wanted to direct it. If there is a good scenario, I think there is no need to stick to your own scenario.”



“That’s a good idea. There are many good screenplays written by excellent screenwriters, but what happened in Korea is that there is a strong tendency to work with screenplays written by directors.”

In particular, Korea has a strong tendency to do so, and since then, screenwriters are not treated properly and are in a poor environment.

There was a high possibility that directing the screenplay he wrote would lead to good results.

However, it was impossible without the director’s ability to direct well with his own interpretation of a different scenario.

“Anyway, it is an honor to be able to work with director Ko Kun-soo, who received the Grand Prix for a short film for the first time in Korea. I saw the scenario and had a quick meeting yesterday, and actually, I was planning to invest about 1 billion won at first. It’s probably my first project, so there’s a high chance of failure… … .”

‘Silent War’ was invested by a large corporation and made at a production cost of 3 billion won, which was hard to imagine even at that time.

So, even 1 billion won is quite a lot of production cost for a new director.

“But in this scenario, he thought he could increase the budget a little. Next year, we plan to push it into our tent pole movie.”

“A tent pole?”

I wondered too.

A tent pole movie is a term used in the film industry to mean a pillar that supports a tent, and it refers to a movie that can prevent the loss of a movie that has failed at the box office as a signboard that can guarantee success at the box office in one year.

As much as I always dream of a hit movie, it was obvious that the investment would be a huge amount as I was talking about a movie that took a year of farming for a movie company, and that really depended on the fortune of the studio.

“Instead, there are conditions.”

CEO Gyu-jik Choi leaned behind the chair and spoke in a serious tone.

His attitude and manner of speaking were the same as those I had seen in my previous life.

And I knew what he was going to say.

It was almost a miracle to make such an offer to a new director.

In my previous life, it took me 5 years to write a screenplay for a movie and go through the investment and casting stages.

The production cost was about 3 billion won, and the cast of the cast stopped, so it was not much expected by the film industry, but fortunately, it hit the jackpot.

The distribution team leader and the marketing team leader were just writing down something in the notebook without saying much, but their expressions were mixed with some dissatisfaction.

Perhaps it was because the CEO didn’t like making such a ripple proposal.

Go Gun-soo and I were surprised and unable to speak, but CEO Choi Gyu-jik spoke again.

“The condition is to modify the scenario a bit. And since it’s a masterpiece, I’m thinking of attaching a talented filming team and lighting team. At that time in Cannes, director Ko Gun-soo said that he wanted to be with the staff who filmed a short film together until the end, so I think it would be difficult for me to keep it.”

It was exactly the same as what he said to me in his previous life, without a single mistake.

Looking at Go Gun-soo’s face, he seemed a little confused.

Once I got there, I talked.

“If you could change the scenario, where would you like to change it?”

I knew the answer, but Koh should know.

Even in his previous life, Go Gun-soo was terrified of gangster movies, so he had a rough idea of ​​what the reaction would be.

“Right now, gangster comedy films are all the rage. Other film companies have also started making films with similar themes. Of course, it’s interesting to see the main character change to look like a zombie instead of a human in this ‘legendary’ scenario, with only one goal left. With the gangster as the main character, I think it would be good to make it comedic in the beginning and make the audience cry at the end. is not it?”

When CEO Choi Gyu-jik looked at the distribution and marketing team leaders and asked for their consent, they both nodded.

“Right now, I’m thinking of adapting the script a bit with screenwriter Lee Moon-hyung. This writer mixes comedy and new wave well. He’s a writer who knows where to make the audience laugh and where to cry.”

As a screenwriter Lee Moon-hyung, for the next few years, he will make a name for himself as a writer by writing only screenplays based on gangsters and new gangs.

Of course, it wasn’t easy either, so he didn’t mean to just criticize him.

In the Korean film industry, the success of the comedy genre that borrowed the subject of gangsters began to emerge as the success of “My Right Arm,” which can be said to be the beginning of the gangster comedy in 2000, was a box office hit.

After that, the gangster’s wife, the gangster union, and the fighter Dalgwiya hit 3 consecutive hits at the box office in earnest.

This continued until mid-to-late 2000, when most of the films that were released and succeeded at this time were gang-related, and the wide-release screening and distribution method gave the audience no choice but to watch the movies hung in the theaters. Small films with other subjects were difficult to see.

Although gangster movies were not yet on track, Choi Gyu-jik, who has a sense of box office, may have had a foreboding that gangster movies would do well in the future.

It didn’t make sense for him to revise the script, but it was also a big problem that Kwak Ki-hyuk and Kim Sang-il could not work together.

Go Gun-soo continued to remain silent with an expressionless face.

Guess it was his tacit consent, Choi Gyu-jik continued to express his thoughts.

“The casting has already been talked about. How about the male lead, actor Oh Hae-soo from ‘Trees and Forests’?”

Oh Hae Soo?

If it’s a misunderstanding, isn’t he the most popular top actor right now?

If he only appeared, he was able to solve not only the box office but also the investment at once.

“I showed you the scenario, and they say it’s getting a favorable response. Oh, of course, I sent the scenario with the parts to be corrected.”

Did you check the parts to be revised and send them without asking the director?

I didn’t see Choi Gyu-jik that way, but there was a part that was worse than I thought.

I didn’t even know there was something I didn’t understand about him in a previous life.

“If Oh Hae-soo is cast, it can’t get any better than this. Of course, we will have to hire a few more actors from Oh Hae-soo.”

Until the actors are sold.

“I wonder what the female lead would be like a rookie named Ara Jung. It was also the lead role in director Ko Gun-soo’s film, and the CEO of the agency praised it like that. Of course, it is a matter for the director to decide after auditioning.”

The fact that Ara Jung entered the management of ‘Trees and Forests’ was known from Jinju Park.

As Ko Gun-soo was silent, CEO Choi Gyu-jik turned to me.

“What do you think, PD?”

Of course I… … In my past life, I was forced to agree, but in my present life, it is the opposite.

However, as Koh Geon-soo is the director, Koh’s opinion was the most important.

If you do, you have to accept it.

If Kim Sang-il and Kwak Ki-hyeok can’t work together, they’ll have to find another way.

“I need to discuss it with Director Ko first… … .”

“I cannot accept that condition.”

Go Geon-soo, who had been consistent in silence, suddenly cut off my words and spoke firmly.

“Yeah?”

“I cannot accept that condition. We make this a non-existent thing.”

“I am, Director. I think you didn’t understand. We’ve invested a lot of money in this movie… … .”

Choi Gyu-jik and his team leaders looked at them in surprise.

After all, if a rookie director refuses such a golden opportunity, everyone will have no choice but to put on that kind of expression.

“My condition is this. There are absolutely no changes to the screenplay, I have no intention of writing a gangster story, and I plan to shoot the first feature film with the staff I want and the actors I selected for an audition. If you need a puppet director, I think it would be better to find someone else.”

Go Gun-soo left his seat and got up.(Read more @ wuxiax.com)


“If you change your mind, please contact me. Alright, let’s go.”

Go Gun-soo looked at me with a determined look, and tears flowed down my cheeks without me realizing it.

“Director Ko, look at this. Pyo PD-nim doesn’t even make sense, so he sheds tears, right? Refuse this golden opportunity!”

CEO Gyu-jik Choi looked at Ko Gun-soo as if he was trying to persuade him once more.

I bang my desk too! He fell down and got up from his seat.

“No, I have the same thoughts as the late director Kun-soo. My son was so special that he cried. Don’t get me wrong.”

“Yeah?”

“CEO Gyu-jik Choi. Don’t live like that. If you shoot a movie without thinking about it, you’re screwed. If you’re going to do it that way, then you’re directing the film yourself, so why do you bring in talented directors to do that?”

Hundreds of years of congestion seemed to be going down.

I should have said that on the spot in my previous life, but I don’t know how much I regretted not saying that.

Now, I didn’t even think about the next day.

I looked at the back of Go Geon-soo, who left without looking back, and hugged me involuntarily.

“Hey, were you such a cool guy?”

“What’s cool? It’s natural. We started the movie to be together until the end. There’s no point doing it alone. How lonely it is to have no one to rejoice with you at this glorious moment.”

“When did you become so mature? I think your parents raised you really well.”

“no… … The truth is, I realized as I watched my father become distant and lonely from the business partners he started with. No matter how successful you are, if you lose a lot in the process, it cannot be called a good result.”

I didn’t know that Go Gun-soo’s father had such a back story.

“By the way, what about our movie? Can’t you take a picture like this?”

“You can get production support. With a scenario like this, it would come out well even if it was shot on a low budget.”

“If the budget is small, it is difficult to produce good quality. Then the results may not be good. That way, I can quit movies and open a cafe at the beach.”

“What about a cafe? How about that?”

“… … .”

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