Chapter 63

On August 22, according to data released by the Korean Film Council, the box office for "The Curse" in its sixth week still exceeded 50,000 people, and the total box office continued to approach the 2 million mark.

On the same day this news was released, "Blue生死恋" (Blue生死恋) also reached the final shooting day for the first four episodes.

Early in the morning, it was still that memorable location, the stairs where Won Bin was injured, almost causing the entire crew to collapse.

They were about to start shooting. After Lee Jung-hui and Son Ye-jin ran back and forth a few times holding hands, Yoon Seok-ho gave them a final reminder, "Jung-hui, Ye-jin, you two must be very careful. It's okay to go slow...!"

It's not that he was being naggy; the crew simply couldn't afford any more losses. Moreover, with the precedent, there was a shadow in people's hearts, even some superstitious thoughts.

However, this time there were no issues. Without any lines and without needing to pay special attention to the camera, Lee Jung-hui and Son Ye-jin easily completed the task. Yoon Seok-ho, watching them run hand in hand through the frame, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He even called out "pass" happily and then joked with them, "Not bad, the way you two ran just now looked quite like a couple..."

"Pfft!" Son Ye-jin pouted and glanced at Lee Jung-hui. Seeing him look over, she huffed and then suddenly turned to Yoon Seok-ho with a smile, "Director, when it's time to slap, wouldn't it look better if it's a real slap?"

Yoon Seok-ho laughed and pointed at Lee Jung-hui, "Ask him!"

Next was the beach scene, where Han Tae-sik first heard Yoon Eun-hi's story but remained confused, eventually slapping Yoon Eun-hi.

Lee Jung-hui naturally wouldn't let the girl Son Ye-jin really slap him, and Yoon Seok-ho clearly didn't want to fulfill Son Ye-jin's wish. Thus, by noon, the entire shooting finally reached the last scene.

This was the scene where Yoon Eun-hi, played by Son Ye-jin, saw Song Seung-hyun, playing Yoon Joon-hi, get out of the car, take something from someone, and then get back in.

This was a suspenseful moment, very brief, with only two shots: one of Yoon Joon-hi closing the car door and taking something, then getting back in; the other of Yoon Eun-hi's complex expression of surprise, confusion, and excitement on the street...

The final moment arrived. In the close-up, Son Ye-jin's mouth was slightly open in surprise, her neck slightly extended, but her brows were slightly furrowed, perfectly expressing her confusion and inner struggle...

"Very good, pass!" With Yoon Seok-ho's slightly excited shout, the entire crew cheered excitedly. Even Lee Jung-hui breathed a sigh of relief. With this scene smoothly completed, his next task was to work on increasing his popularity.

"Jung-hui, thank you for your hard work!" At this moment, Park Dong-jean, equally excited, patted his shoulder hard and then congratulated Yoon Seok-ho with a handshake.

To be honest, when Won Bin was injured, he really felt a jolt in his heart, thinking the show was doomed. Now, he felt like he had come back to life.

"Jung-hui, no need to say thanks, let's go for a drink when we have time!" Yoon Seok-ho also laughed and high-fived Lee Jung-hui, and Park Dong-jean added, "Make sure to call me!"

The three of them were a microcosm of the on-set atmosphere. When Park Dong-jean said he would treat the entire crew to a Korean beef feast at noon, the atmosphere reached its peak...

Due to the separation of production and broadcasting, Korean TV dramas are typically shot in four to eight episodes first, then aired to see the audience's reaction. If the feedback is good, the ratings are decent, and the advertisers are enthusiastic, then they continue shooting. If the broadcast effect is poor, the show will be directly canceled.

Although "Blue生死恋" (Blue生死恋) is a key project for KBS this year, aimed at reviving the network's decline in urban fashion dramas in the first year of the new century, out of caution, if the show is really bad, KBS will still unhesitantly cancel it. They even have a replacement show ready.

Therefore, like other crews, "Blue生死恋" (Blue生死恋) would temporarily disband after today's shooting, with only Yoon Seok-ho leading the post-production team to work on the first four episodes.

Of course, the main actors wouldn't be idle. Their job was to promote the drama with the TV station. However, the main actors here primarily referred to the male lead Song Seung-hyun and the female lead Son Ye-jin. As a supporting actor, Lee Jung-hui had fewer promotional activities.

This was not favorable for him to complete his first phase goal—becoming the most popular member of "Blue生死恋" (Blue生死恋) before its premiere.

Thus, after lunch, when the crew packed up and dispersed, Lee Jung-hui, who didn't have a private car, didn't hitch a ride with Son Ye-jin's nanny car but got into Park Dong-jean's car.

"What's up?" Park Dong-jean saw him squeeze in and first laughed, extending his foot to block him, teasing, "Did you have another argument with that girl?"

"I like you!" Lee Jung-hui replied with a similar lack of seriousness. Park Dong-jean, who was very familiar with him, knew he had something to say. After he sat down, he asked seriously, "Do you have some ideas again?"

Lee Jung-hui smiled and nodded, "Minister Park, you really understand me!" He paused slightly, seeing Park Dong-jean waiting for him to continue, but didn't say it directly, instead asking, "I wonder how you plan to promote 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋) before its premiere?"

The separation of production and broadcasting meant that almost all promotions were decided by the broadcasting party. However, "Blue生死恋" (Blue生死恋) was different; it was a KBS in-house project. Therefore, this unique situation gave Park Dong-jean, the project's main responsible person, more say in the entire process, from production to promotion.

Of course, more power also meant more responsibility, which was why Park Dong-jean had been under a lot of pressure, even fearing he might lose his job.

At this moment, when he heard Lee Jung-hui suddenly mention the promotion plan, his eyes immediately lit up, and he said with surprise and excitement, "Let's not beat around the bush, let's just say it directly!"

He really appreciated Lee Jung-hui, and over the past half year, Lee Jung-hui had won his admiration with his various talents. The success of "The Curse" in terms of promotion further proved everything, which was why he was so happy.

Lee Jung-hui smiled again, but this time it was in his heart, as he didn't want to appear too self-satisfied, even though he and Park Dong-jean had a very good relationship. He then said, "Since that's the case, I'll just say it directly..."

"Minister Park should now have a general understanding of the promotional methods for 'The Curse.' It has a specific term called viral marketing," he explained briefly and continued, "The speed of internet dissemination is very fast, and due to the widespread use of the internet, the coverage is very broad, but the cost is very low. As long as it doesn't violate the law, it is undoubtedly a very effective promotional method, especially for young, fashionable people..."

"This time, my idea is similar, starting with the internet and then using the internet to influence reality, ultimately achieving our promotional goal."

At this point, Lee Jung-hui paused slightly, a smile on his lips, "However, this time, there's a slight difference. The main subject of our promotion will change. Simply put, the main subject of this promotion is me, and then, through my popularity and influence, we will achieve the goal of promoting the drama!"

Park Dong-jean was stunned, suspecting he had heard wrong. Lee Jung-hui also laughed and shrugged, "Are you now doubting that I'm crazy about fame?"

This made Park Dong-jean laugh, and he shook his head, teasing, "Even if you want to, you have to see if your mother agrees..." Then, seeing Lee Jung-hui's helpless smile, he added, "Alright, continue!"

"Okay," Lee Jung-hui nodded, "I mentioned earlier that the first key to viral marketing is a valuable product or service. This applies to any promotional strategy, but I want to ask you, what is particularly worth spreading about 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋)?"

Park Dong-jean thought for a moment and then shrugged like Lee Jung-hui, "Hmm, seems like nothing?"

At this moment, Lee Jung-hui smiled, as if deliberately contradicting him, "There is," he pointed to himself, "That's me..." Seeing Park Dong-jean laugh again, he also smiled and continued, "An 18-year-old Harvard economics Ph.D., how did he become a screenwriter and actor? What is his journey like? Why are the genres of 'My Sassy Girl' and 'The Curse' so different, and why are they so popular? And what kind of drama will 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋) be..."

At this point, Lee Jung-hui clapped his hands as if making a final decision, "When all these elements are concentrated in one person, as long as we handle it properly, it will be a very hot topic, and naturally, more people will pay attention to the drama 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋)..."

Park Dong-jean finally laughed. Whether Lee Jung-hui wanted fame or not was not important to him; what was important now was the promotion of the drama.

For any drama, the general promotional method before the premiere is to focus more on the main actors. However, the male lead Song Seung-hyun's popularity was lukewarm, leaving little room for maneuver, and the female lead Son Ye-jin, as a complete novice, was even worse.

But Lee Jung-hui was different. He was a novice, but he had many explosive points. Moreover, with the popularity he had gathered through "My Sassy Girl" on the internet, he undoubtedly had the best foundation.

Therefore, after listening for a while, Park Dong-jean happily patted Lee Jung-hui's shoulder and said, "Very good, let's discuss the specific plan to make you famous...!"

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