Chapter 35

Luxurious Connections

"Director Juyoung Won?!"

Director Juyoung Won, who had directed a film that attracted ten million viewers, was a well-known figure. How could such a person be brought in to shoot an idol music video? It was an unexpected and luxurious casting. I couldn't have imagined it.

"Director Juyoung Won, really?"

Park Ha couldn't believe it and asked several times. I also doubted my hearing, so his reaction wasn't excessive.

"Really. I've known him since I was young, so I begged him a lot, and he agreed. He treats me like a nephew."

A ten-million-view director uncle? I knew that Green's connections were wide, but I didn't expect them to be this wide. If they had known each other since they were young, I guessed it might be because of a connection through their parents.

"Nephew? The director is your uncle? How did you meet?"

Ji-on, who didn't know much about Green's family, asked bluntly. I also listened closely, as I was curious.

"My father is an actor. He has been friends with Director Juyoung Won for a long time."

If the actor with the surname Nam is a friend of Director Juyoung Won, a famous actor immediately came to mind. National actor Nam Kyung-wook, who starred in Director Juyoung Won's ten-million-view film.

"Kyung-wook Nam? Actor Nam Kyung-wook?"

Ji-on said he knew Actor Nam Kyung-wook even before coming to Korea and was a fan.

It was a surprising fact. He was an actor known by most of the country and had received awards at major international film festivals. With such an actor as his father, Green might have felt proud, but he didn't seem to want to mention his father. Their father-son relationship didn't seem to be smooth.

"I usually don't talk about it. It just gets noisy. At least my father hasn't publicly revealed my face in the media, which is a relief."

Ah, Green's father didn't have a clean private life. There had been a major scandal in the past, known by the entire nation.

How much Green must have suffered before entering middle school. Even though the scandal was exaggerated, it must have been burdensome to reveal who his father was.

"You should know. But I don't want you to think of me as the son of actor Nam Kyung-wook."

Living as the son of a national actor isn't easy. I could infer that many people saw Green not as Nam Jachul but as the son of actor Nam Kyung-wook.

Moreover, with a poor relationship, it must have been difficult for Green to ask Director Juyoung Won, his father's friend, for help, even if he had known him since he was young.

"Thank you, Green. It must have been a tough request."

"No problem. Ewon, did I act like a leader?"

"Yes, really."

He sacrificed himself for us. It must have been a tough decision. I felt a mix of gratitude and guilt.

Park Ha was already hugging Green and whining. Seohun was standing right next to him, placing a large hand on his head, occasionally patting it.

"It's surprising, but that person is that person, and Green is Green. No, Kyung-wook Nam is Green's dad."

Green laughed heartily after hearing Ji-on's words. I also decided to remember Actor Nam Kyung-wook as Green's father.

"Ji-on, you should meet our father sometime. If you do, let me know. Nam Jachul's dad."

The thought of it was amusing.

"Good job. Thanks to you, we can show off to K Entertainment and the music video director."

Olan acknowledged Green's efforts with a crooked smile. Thanks to Green, we could boast to K Entertainment and the music video director.

We brought in a ten-million-view director for our music video.

* * *

Perhaps there had been a hint beforehand. Green's relationship with Director Juyoung Won was not known to other company officials. They were only told that he wanted to try something new during his break.

Director Juyoung Won, who had been in the film industry for a long time, had also directed music videos in the past. He knew how music video shoots were conducted but said that the old methods wouldn't work to keep up with the rapidly changing trends.

"You know it's being done in a form close to a donation. Instead of making money, I plan to use this music video shoot as a stepping stone for my next work. I will use CG and camera techniques that I haven't used before and try some experimental approaches. In return, I promise to do my best."

The company staff were concerned about Director Juyoung Won's statement. However, once the storyboard was out and the shoot was confirmed, those worries disappeared. After all, it was 'that' Director Juyoung Won. Even with unfamiliar techniques and experimental approaches, his class remained.

The Theora members and staff were at the set for the music video. They performed synchronized dances while changing costumes. The background was a green screen, which was unfamiliar but they quickly adapted.

The director said there would be story scenes interspersed between the performances. The director's vision was clear, so there was no confusion. Originally, Director Juyoung Won would come to the shoot with a detailed plan in his head and give instructions.

"Am I the only one who's excited?"

"My body is tired, but I'm excited to see how it turns out."

Olan casually mentioned, and Seohun eagerly responded. Park Ha, who had been sitting and breathing heavily, also got up and jumped around.

"Everyone feels the same! Me too!"

"Good feeling. I think it will be a hit. Amazing. Juyoung."

"Everyone knows? Green is looking at us with a proud smile."

"Ewon, I was pretending not to notice."

Seohun's playful attitude made everyone laugh. Green still had a proud smile, seemingly satisfied with his choice.

It was tiring to repeat the dance several times, but the excitement kept the mood high. The shooting schedule was tight due to the short period, but none of the members were tired.

In the later part of the shoot, they filmed scenes that would show the story line. They performed stunts like falling and diving into water.

Without a background, it felt awkward, but everyone was serious, making it easy for me to get into it. Park Ha's acting, which had improved significantly, made me feel that the music video could be a real movie.

The staff really worked hard on this music video shoot.

My first official task as a Theora staff member was to assist us on the music video set.

The director's request was that the story part should have a strong SF atmosphere, while the performance part should have a subtle SF feel.

The staff, who were initially burdened by the demanding request, continuously exchanged opinions and adjusted.

"It should have a unique futuristic feel but not be overdone."

"For the performance shoot, we need to push it just a bit further. That's how the public will accept it."

"Post-apocalyptic... I feel the limits of my imagination."

"For the story shoot, we need to focus on the makeup..."

Expressing the SF world in a cool way was already difficult.

They had already determined the costumes, hair, and makeup through extensive research, but on the actual set, some parts were too plain or too exaggerated, requiring adjustments. There were also intense actions and underwater shooting.

With so many things to pay attention to and a tight schedule, the staff were almost in tears. The members felt sorry and took care of the staff. The manager continuously supplied sweet snacks and coffee for us.

The visual director was also overwhelmed. Even though he had been to many music video shoots, our shoot seemed to be a challenging one for him.

"I was foolish... I thought it was an honor to work with Director Juyoung Won..."

"Cheer up! We have Park Ha!"

Park Ha was trying hard to cheer him up, but it wasn't enough.

"Being prepared for everything before the shoot means he's a perfectionist. I didn't expect that his 'doing my best' would mean squeezing us out..."

I whispered to Green, who was standing nearby, about the overwhelmed visual director.

"Green, is Director Juyoung Won usually like this?"

"I've only seen him privately... He's very affectionate privately."

"True. Even if they are close, it would be hard to agree to a music video shoot just based on their relationship. The director has a career to consider."

Seohun added as we were talking.

"The equipment he uses is incredibly expensive. He's trying to reduce the shooting period as much as possible. Even though the director is donating his talent, the company has to pay for the CG and other production costs."

The quality of CG improves with the amount of investment. Seohun, who majored in directing, not acting, had a deep interest in the film industry and could read the director's intentions.

"Still, there's not much left. We need to do our best for Uncle Juyoung. As Ewon said, it would be strange if he refused such a request."

"He's like a benefactor. I want to work with him again."

Director Juyoung Won must have a special meaning, both to Seohun, who was an actor, and to Seohun, who majored in directing.

"Let's get up. Olan's hair and makeup are done."

"Ewon, wake Ji-on up a bit."

During this shoot, I learned that Ji-on could sleep anywhere and anytime, which also meant he was putting in a lot of energy. When he wakes up, he gets up well, so we usually let him sleep when he can.

"Shooting starts. Ji-on."

I shook Ji-on's arm as Green asked. Ji-on, who had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position, blinked and woke up.

"Already?"

"Just a little more. The shooting will end soon, and you can get a good rest."

"I'm intentionally sleeping to recover my energy."

Ji-on, who had been breathing lightly while sleeping, claimed this. It looked like he was just tired and fell asleep. Only Ji-on would know the truth.

"Let's all do our best for the final part!"

* * *

After the music video shoot, which felt like a movie shoot, the post-editing and CG work began. The CG work was handled by a place recommended by the director, as the background was entirely CG, making it an important task.

The representative said he would invest a large sum in the CG to create a high-quality work, given the rare opportunity to work with a ten-million-view director.

"We won't fail, but if we do, it will be a big problem."

Green frowned, worried. He said that things had snowballed since bringing in Uncle Juyoung.

"We need to earn as much as, or more than, the company's investment."

Olan, determined to succeed, instilled a goal-oriented mindset in the members. The members, including me, also realized that there was no turning back.

The debut day was approaching.