Chapter 47

On August 1st, the third-week box office numbers for "The Curse" were released, showing 311,193 admissions, a drop of nearly 40% from the second week. However, this was still an excellent performance, especially for a film in its third week. The total box office for "The Curse" easily surpassed the 1.5 million admissions predicted by Lee Jung-hui, reaching 1,622,326 admissions.

As a result, according to the contract, Lee Jung-hui's profit-sharing ratio reached the maximum of 30%. Multiplying this by the 920,000 admissions above the break-even point and the minimum 7,000 won per ticket, his earnings were now almost 2 billion won, reaching 1.95 billion won.

This was undoubtedly a staggering figure, and it was unclear who had leaked the information, but now most of the Korean entertainment industry knew about it. For a time, Lee Jung-hui's name shone brightly.

However, he did not want this kind of attention. Therefore, the representative of Empire Entertainment, Jang Dong-guk, stepped forward, smiling and saying that Lee Jung-hui was their screenwriter, and that the company's performance was excellent due to Lee's outstanding work.

Anyone who wasn't a fool would understand this. Moreover, Jang Dong-guk had someone secretly spread the word that Empire Entertainment and Lee Jung-hui had a 70-30 profit-sharing contract, meaning that 1.4 billion won of the 2 billion went to Empire Entertainment.

At the same time, after gaining attention due to Lee Jung-hui, Empire Entertainment announced the production plan for the film "Friend," effectively advertising themselves for free.

By exploiting his money and using his influence, Lee Jung-hui quickly shifted from being the object of envy, jealousy, and hatred to a sympathetic figure. Some people, like his good friends Park Dong-chun and Yoon Seok-ho, even stood up for him. As a result, he managed to avoid the unpredictable dangers of being in the spotlight and could stay in Gangwon Province to shoot his drama.

Today, "Autumn in My Heart" was filming the scene where the grown-up Jun-hee and Eun-hee pass by each other for the second time in Cheonghodong.

This place, which would later become a popular tourist spot due to the drama, is colloquially known as "Grandpa Village." "Grandpa" is a term in Hamgyeong dialect referring to elderly men, and Cheonghodong was where people from North Korea took refuge during the Korean War, mostly elderly people.

Mentioning this place, besides the delicious grandpa rice sausage and Hamheung cold noodles, the most memorable part is the human-powered wooden raft connecting the north and south shores of Cheonghodong (it is not rowed but driven by chains connecting the two shores).

One of the most memorable scenes in "Autumn in My Heart," the second encounter, was filmed on this raft.

However, filming on the raft was not easy. First, you had to inform the local authorities of Cheonghodong and get their support, and then communicate with the busy people crossing the river.

Fortunately, KBS had a significant influence, and the public was generally cooperative with the filming, with only a few stubborn elderly people being uncooperative. Yoon Seok-ho, taking advantage of the situation, smiled and invited them onto the boat, as they needed a few passengers!

Following the usual routine, they did a rehearsal first. As one of the soul figures of the production, Lee Jung-hui naturally boarded the raft and even pulled the chain out of curiosity, though it was dirty and required a lot of effort.

So, he quickly focused on the rehearsal of Son Ye-jin and Song Seung-heon.

The boat crossed the river in less than two minutes. After the rehearsal, the people waiting to cross the river quickly boarded the boat during the break, while Lee Jung-hui and the others discussed the issues that arose during the rehearsal.

"Song Seung-heon, your performance needs to have layers!" Yoon Seok-ho said to Song Seung-heon first: "First, you should be interested but aimlessly looking around, then accidentally seeing her, being startled, and then shocked as you realize who she is..."

Seeing Song Seung-heon nod, Yoon Seok-ho then smiled at Son Ye-jin, "Your performance is great, just like this!"

This immediately made Son Ye-jin beam, but Song Seung-heon could only envy her, as he had finally understood why the production had chosen this rookie. Even Lee Jung-hui was surprised by how Son Ye-jin, after overcoming her initial adjustment period, quickly found her rhythm and performed at a level that surpassed all expectations, completely overshadowing the more experienced actors like Song Seung-heon.

Yoon Seok-ho, who had made the final decision to cast her, was naturally overjoyed. This not only made the filming smoother but also proved his judgment.

"Everyone is ready!" Seeing fewer people waiting to cross the river, Yoon Seok-ho picked up the megaphone and watched as all the crew members on both shores got busy. "Let's try a take first!"

Unlike movies, which use expensive film, in the Korean film industry, there is a saying "one take," meaning that everything, from lighting to props, is set up before filming, and the actors rehearse to find their feel. During the actual shoot, they aim to get it in one take to save film and money.

This is also why movie actors are the most respected in Korea, regardless of how popular singers or variety show stars are.

"Action!" Seeing everything ready, Yoon Seok-ho gave the order. The boat, already in the middle of the river, slowly approached and crossed, while the camera increased its shooting speed to create a slow-motion effect, giving close-ups of Song Seung-heon and Son Ye-jin...

In the shot, Son Ye-jin, holding a bright yellow umbrella, slowly turned her head. Compared to the original, where Song Hye-kyo turned more slowly, Son Ye-jin's turn was faster and more pronounced, with a hint of melancholy on her face and a trace of sorrow in her eyes, making it even more perfect. On the other side, Song Seung-heon, seemingly stimulated by Son Ye-jin, also delivered a powerful performance, from his initial interest and aimless looking around to his shock and disbelief.

Up to this point, everything was good, but in the next part, he had a problem. He was too eager on the boat, which was a bit over the top and did not fit the film's gentle pace. Yoon Seok-ho frowned and called "Cut!"

Actually, Jun-hee recognizing Eun-hee was a continuation of their first encounter on the road. Otherwise, if the first encounter was so indifferent and the second was a sudden recognition, it would be too abrupt.

However, Jun-hee's reaction on the boat should not be too intense, like shouting "Eun-hee!" That would completely ruin the plot and the style of the film.

But how to balance it, Yoon Seok-ho was not entirely sure after watching it, so he looked at his right-hand man, Lee Jung-hui, and said, "I think Jun-hee is not entirely sure, so he is hesitant, but he is very anxious, like an ant on a hot pan!"

Lee Jung-hui chuckled, "That's a good metaphor!" Then he looked at Song Seung-heon and continued, "In other words, you want to shout but are afraid to, then you tap the railing and pace anxiously on the boat, and then you are eager when you get to shore. As for the specific emotional layers, you need to grasp them well!"

Everyone laughed, and Song Seung-heon looked at him helplessly, "Mr. Lee, it's better not to say anything. Now my head is a mess!"

Of course, he said this, but he wasn't really confused. After consulting with Yoon Seok-ho and even discussing with Son Ye-jin, he quickly incorporated Lee Jung-hui's suggestions into his performance.

He then did a great job in the following performance.

After this scene, it was a solo shot of Song Seung-heon running along the shore of Cheonghodong, so Son Ye-jin had nothing to do for a while.

Standing next to Lee Jung-hui, he pouted, "So boring," and then, because Kim Tae-hee had shyly returned to Seoul and was not there, he wrinkled his nose and said, "Hey, why are you afraid of others knowing how much money you made? It's not like you stole it. It's legitimate, or are you afraid I'll ask you to treat us again..."

Lee Jung-hui smiled, unable to explain the concept of low-key to someone her age, let alone the complexities of human nature, and certainly not the game in his head. He shrugged, "Well, a simple example, do you know why real rich people look down on nouveau riche?"

Son Ye-jin pouted. Nouveau riche people often boast about their wealth, wear lots of gold rings, and drive luxury cars with beautiful women, while the truly rich are always low-key, or, as they say, have a refined demeanor, which is what people envy the most.

She understood this, and she was somewhat surprised that this younger guy was so clear-headed and smart.

Feeling a mix of admiration and annoyance, as if she seemed too weak in comparison, she was about to say something when Lee Jung-hui's phone rang. It was a call from Kwon Jung-wook.

"Genius boss, we're finally starting!" Kwon Jung-wook's voice was especially excited, probably because he had just signed contracts with all the actors and had a large check from Hanil Bank (later Woori Bank) in his pocket.

"Congratulations!" Lee Jung-hui, though he knew the bank loan had arrived yesterday and the project would start soon, was still excited to hear it firsthand. This was the miracle he had created, a film he produced himself.

"I should also congratulate you!" Kwon Jung-wook chuckled, paused slightly, and then said, "By the way, Jang Dong-gun's contract is signed, and as you predicted, they chose the 400 million won salary option!"

Movie salaries generally come in two forms: a flat fee or a flat fee plus profit-sharing. However, the latter is a right only the biggest stars can enjoy. In "Friend," only Jang Dong-gun was in that category, while the other actors, including newcomers like Yoo Oh-sung and Seo Tae-hwa, were not well-known. As for the supporting actors, they were even less so.

Even Jang Dong-gun, despite his success in TV dramas and fame, was still a newcomer in the film industry. He would become known as a "film actor" through his role in "Friend."

Of course, fame helped, and his audition was excellent, which Kwon Jung-wook liked. Therefore, Jang Dong-gun's agent was not shy about dealing with a small company like Empire Entertainment.

A 300 million won salary plus profit-sharing was the condition. In Korea at the time, only a few actors like Ahn Sung-ki and Choi Min-sik could command 300-400 million won, which was the highest standard (the highest being 600-700 million won eight years later). Jang Dong-gun's value was around 200 million won.

So, negotiations began. Empire Entertainment, being generous, offered two options: 250 million won plus 5% profit-sharing after the break-even point, or a flat 400 million won salary with no profit-sharing.

This was unexpected by Jang Dong-gun's agency and even by Kwon Jung-wook and Jang Dong-guk. Giving a high salary increases the risk for the producer, and the industry standard is to offer higher profit-sharing and lower salaries, as no one knows which film will be a hit.

But Lee Jung-hui said he wanted to do it this way, and everyone had to follow, as it was his money!

For Jang Dong-gun's agency, they didn't need to think too much. "Friend" had a production budget of 4.5 billion won, a large production in the Korean film industry at the time, which was one of the reasons Jang Dong-gun agreed to join.

A 4.5 billion won budget meant a break-even point of 1.5 million admissions or more. In the Korean film market, which was just beginning to develop, a film reaching 1.5 million admissions was very rare, with no more than five films a year, and even fewer this year.

Moreover, to earn an additional 150 million won in profit-sharing, the film would need to reach 2 million admissions.

2 million admissions, a gamble? There weren't many people like Lee Jung-hui who knew the future. For a talent agency, a contract is not a game, and getting a guaranteed 150 million won was the most important.

So, the result was not hard to predict, and for Lee Jung-hui, it was good news. He grinned when he heard Kwon Jung-wook's words, "That's great, looks like my prediction was accurate again!"

"Yes, accurate again!" Kwon Jung-wook understood his thoughts but said with a hint of annoyance, "Your risky approach is not good," paused slightly, and then laughed, "Well, considering the crazy things I promised you, this might not be so bad..."

Lee Jung-hui also laughed, "Right, if we're going to be crazy, let's be crazy all the way!"

This made Kwon Jung-wook laugh even harder, but after laughing, he suddenly became serious and said sincerely to Lee Jung-hui, "Thank you, boss, for trusting me!"

Lee Jung-hui had given him almost all the rights for the pre-production and production, which deeply moved him, as it was the ultimate right a director could dream of.

"No, if anyone should thank, it should be me for your initial trust!" Lee Jung-hui responded with a smile. This was Kwon Jung-wook's self-written and directed film, and his deep understanding of it was unmatched. Therefore, this was the best choice!

Perhaps, he could offer some small suggestions to make the film even better!

Ding, another notification appeared in his mind... PS: Any more recommendations, dear readers? Please consider adding to your favorites!

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