Chapter 181
Cocoa Entertainments 3rd floor conference room.
Anh Da Ho greeted Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemin with a smile.
Nice to meet you. Im Anh Da Ho, the manager of actor Lee Seo-jun.
Hello. Im Director Choi Daeman.
Im Assistant Director Park Jaemin.
The three of them exchanged greetings and sat down.
Seeing them looking around for Seo-jun, Anh Da Ho opened his mouth.
Seo-jun is at school today because its the graduation ceremony.
Anh Da Ho smiled as he remembered Seo-juns message full of regret.
Oh, I see.
Director Choi Daeman nodded and took out a pile of papers from his bag.
Cocoa Entertainment contacted him a week ago. Since then, Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemin had been working hard to prepare the treatment and part of the script.
This is the treatment for the movie, and this is a little bit of the script that I made.
Anh Da Ho smiled with satisfaction at the treatment that was longer than a few pages of synopsis, and the script that was slightly thicker.
It showed the overall scenes of the movie in detail, divided into about 10 chapters.
I was worried that the synopsis was too short, but thank you.
We might change it later, but we plan to shoot according to the treatment for now.
Yes. I understand.
Anh Da Ho took the treatment and the script to show Seo-jun, who would come to the company after finishing his graduation ceremony.
Then we need to find a production company Do you have any place in mind?
At Anh Da Hos words, Director Choi Daeman flinched and shivered. His eyes rolled to the side. Anh Da Ho tilted his head.
Director?
Well
Director Choi Daeman rubbed his neck.
He had thought of production companies, distributors, and other cast members for his first three attempts. He had written synopses with excitement, imagining production companies, distributors, and actors that suited his taste. That was three times.
But after all three failed, Director Choi Daeman thought, Lets get Seo-juns confirmation first! and didnt have any place in mind.
Were fine with wherever Seo-jun is comfortable with.
At Director Choi Daemans words, Anh Da Ho tapped his chin.
The production companies that Seo-jun had worked with in Korea were: Movie Dream for The Exorcist, Wave for The Doctor, Cloud for the advertisement, and Danhong for The Role.
Cloud was an advertisement production company and Wave was a drama production company, so they were out of the question. Danhong would be busy for the whole year because of The Role, so the only one left was Movie Dream.
How about Movie Dream?The debut release of this chapter happened at N0v3l_B1n.
If he asked
Director Choi Daeman recalled Movie Dream, the production company he had worked with for The Exorcist.
It was a production company that allowed him to make a rare exorcism movie in Korea. It was also a good place that listened to his stubbornness until the end and spent a month and a half looking for a good location. He had also worked with them for his next project.
Director Choi Daeman nodded. Assistant Director Park Jaemin also agreed by nodding his head repeatedly.
Thats fine. There too.
Shall we go with them then?
It was easier than expected to decide on a movie production company.
There was no point in weighing pros and cons, since there were hardly any Korean production companies that had experience in making zombie movies. They were all similar, so it was best to work with a place where he had worked comfortably before.
Besides, as long as there is a budget, even a small production company can do anything.
Anh Da Ho and Director Choi Daeman smiled without worrying about the investment money.
Then Ill contact them.
At Director Choi Daemans words, Anh Da Ho nodded.
After finishing the meeting and leaving Cocoa Entertainment, Director Choi Daeman looked for Movie Dreams planning team leader Lee Hansols contact on his phone. Park Jaemin took the wheel.
Hyung. Where are we going?
Hmm. Lets go to Movie Dream.
Okay.
As the car started to vibrate, Director Choi Daeman sent a message to Lee Hansol.
<Lee team leader. Long time no see.
Oh, Director Choi! Are you planning to make your next project?
A reply arrived almost instantly, as if he had been staring at his phone all day long.
Ah
Director Choi Daeman rubbed his neck at Lee Hansols message.
<How did you know?
You only contact me when you have something to do.
<Im sorry.
Its okay. But are you planning to make your next project?
<Yes. I thought it would be nice to work with Movie Dream again.
Oh You dont know yet.
Hmm?
Director Choi Daemans fingers stopped as he was sending a message. Park Jaemin asked.
Whats wrong?
No, Lee team leaders reaction is weird.
The car stopped at a signal. Park Jaemin leaned forward and looked at the phone screen. A message from Lee Hansol appeared.
We went bankrupt.
!?
A noisy barbecue restaurant.
Former Lee Hansol, current unemployed Lee Hansol followed the restaurant staff to a private room with a hollow laugh.
Lee team leader!
Director Choi! Long time no see.
Ahahaha. Dont emphasize that its been a long time.
Its been four years, of course its been a long time.
Director Choi Daeman and Lee Hansol sat down. They also greeted Park Jaemin, and then Lee Hansol drank soju. Uh, uh. Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin looked at Lee Hansol, who was really pouring soju down his throat, with a bewildered expression.
Well Lee team leader Movie Dream went bankrupt?
Park CEO, that bastard He ran away with all the companys money after gambling.
All of it?
Yes. He sold all the movie rights that the company had and ran away. We couldnt make movies, and we had no money to pay the employees, so they all left.
Lee Hansol gritted his teeth and said.
He even sold the rights to The Exorcist, which starred Seo-jun!
That one!
The one that was still airing and making money?!
Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin were shocked.
Uh, where?
Plus.
Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin sighed in relief. It was a lucky thing, if anything.
Lee Hansol held up his soju glass and said.
So youll have to look for another place to make your movie.
What about the other staff?
Some of us are still unemployed, and some have found new jobs.
I had been staring at my phone all day, but it was not like I had anything else to do as a jobless person. Feeling sorry for me, Director Choi Daeman placed some grilled meat in front of me, which he had ordered in advance.
Cant you start over?
Well, the company name still exists. We just need someone to buy it. But, theres not much left, so the acquisition cost is almost nothing. The problem is finding work. Who would entrust a movie production to a company whose president ran away?
People would trust you, Team Leader Lee.
Director Choi Daeman had been able to scout locations for so long thanks to Team Leader Lee Hansols efforts. Lee Hansol smiled faintly at Director Chois compliment.
Huh. Thank you.
Why dont you buy the company, Team Leader Lee?
Well I could, but
Ill invest too.
Lee Hansols eyes sparkled at Director Chois words.
There were quite a few cases of directors setting up their own production companies in Chungmuro. After all, the production companies made more money than the directors themselves.
Are you sure? It could go bankrupt.
Theres a good movie. A very profitable one. As for the rest, well figure it out later.
A good movie?
Lee Hansol saw Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemins faces shining in the light. He blinked.
Where have I seen this face before?
He tried to recall his memory. A vague feeling of something familiar.
A long time ago, Director Choi Daeman had shouted with joy that he had cast someone. Lee Hansols eyes widened.
Uh?
We have a movie in preparation. Weve already secured one lead actor.
Uh?
You must have seen him too, Team Leader Lee.
Eh?
Finally, when Director Choi Daeman uttered the name of the actor, Lee Hansol screamed like a banshee.
He decided to buy the production company, Movie Dream, and contacted the former employees. Team Leader Lee Hansol, who was now the CEO, drank soju with a happy heart.
You still have a way with words, Team Leader Lee. No, should I say CEO Lee!
Please drink more, Assistant Director Park! Its on me!
Do you have money?
Well Ill break my savings!
The private room was filled with lively conversation among the three people.
Director Choi Daeman opened his mouth.
The investor was recommended by Cocoa Entertainment. They offered the most money and didnt interfere with anything. They said it was good.
Cocoa Entertainments recommendation!
Cocoa Entertainment. Anyone who wanted to work with Lee Seo-jun knew his agency. It was almost like Lee Seo-jun himself had recommended it, so Lee Hansol looked at Director Choi Daeman with shining eyes.
Where is that?
***
Plus+ Korea branch.
In one of the conference rooms, Movie Dreams CEO, Lee Hansol, waited nervously for the investor representative.
He wasnt worried about being rejected.
He had plenty of other options for investment.
He just couldnt believe what was inside his bag.
No one here would ever guess what it was.
Lee Hansol chuckled nervously.
If it was any other movie, he would have been running around looking for investors and worrying about the production cost. But he felt very relaxed.
After a short wait, the investor representative came in.
They exchanged greetings and started the conversation.
The investor representative spread out the synopsis and treatment on the table and showed a cold reaction from the start.
A zombie movie in Korea?
Movie Dream was known for its interest in non-mainstream genres, but it seemed like they were pushing it too far this time.
They would have to do makeup for every shoot, and they couldnt afford to have sloppy acting from the extras.
They would obviously need CG, and not to mention the setting
The investor staff who were discussing whether to invest or not, and how much to invest if they did, shook their heads.
The investor representative spoke.
A zombie movie. We know about Movie Dream very well. You have some recognition in non-mainstream genres, but your profits havent been that high for the past few years, right? Barely breaking even
They sold off their movie rights too.
Well, even Hollywood studios sell off their rights when theyre desperate It doesnt matter But their president ran away because of gambling They changed their president, but still
The investor representative scribbled something on a paper and glanced at Lee Hansols face.
Despite his cold reaction, Lee Hansol was smiling calmly and nodding all the time.
The investor representative felt awkward and beat around the bush.
Of course, breaking even is impressive in this field. You could make more profit if you use our service. How much do you want to receive from us, Movie Dream?
Before that
Lee Hansol lowered his voice.
The investor representative tilted his head.
Mr. Lee.
Yes?
Do you know who our lead actor is?
? No. It wasnt on the documents you sent us. Did you already secure a lead actor? I hope its a famous one. That would increase the investment amount.
A famous actor.
He couldnt stop his lips from curling up at that word.
Lee Hansol smiled brightly and said.
His mouth seemed to zoom in as he moved.
The investor representative asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.
When he heard the name of the actor again, he froze on the spot.
Hahaha. While Lee Hansol was smiling brightly, the investor representative realized.
This was not something he could handle in his position.
He immediately reported it to the Plus+ Korea branch manager.
Wow! A zombie movie! With Lee Seo-jun!
The branch manager jumped up from his seat.
Oh my god!
Wow!
What the!
He mixed American and Korean reactions as he was shocked.
He took a breath and sat down again.
A zombie movie in Korea. You made a historical drama that no one knew about, and it was a hit. Now youre making a zombie movie. Are you planning to sweep the whole worlds money?
He still had some excitement on his face, but he calmed down.
Lee Hansol sighed in relief.
He expected him to be excited, but not this much.
He was glad he could get the investment easily.
So, about the investment
But, the branch managers calmness was a trap.
While Lee Hansol was relieved, the branch managers mind was spinning.
The historical drama Reversal had made more profit than expected, and it was soon to be uploaded on Plus+.
The revenue from the movie investment plus the revenue from Plus+.
That alone was satisfying, but
They were preparing a zombie movie!
Wasnt it a movie where action spoke louder than words?
It made him sweat like One Step, a disaster movie, or maybe it made him hold his breath like Reversal, where people fought for their lives on the edge of death and life.
And,
The branch manager swallowed his saliva.
And, it was Lee Seo-juns first action movie!
Wow! Thats right. His first action movie!
It would be released before Shadowman 3, which had 100% action scenes.
It would be Lee Seo-juns first action movie.
The branch managers eyes sparkled.
Lets do it! Lets do it! What do you need? Its a zombie movie, so you need a special makeup team, right? We have one too. If we ask the headquarters, theyll come right away. If you dont like them, well bring the most famous makeup team in the world!
The branch manager started to rave again.
Lee Hansol backed away until he hit the sofa backrest.
He buried his back into it as if it would dig in.
Props? Should we bring in a Hollywood art team? Staff? Well bring in any experts you want! Funding? Use as much as you want! Location? Renting? Why bother? Lets build it! With the latest technology, itll be done quickly. Just tell me what you need! Anything you need, anywhere you want, well get it for you.
The branch manager spoke without taking a breath.
He looked like he would get a meteorite if they asked him to, by bidding or robbing NASA.
Anywhere He probably meant not just Korea but the whole world.
Lee Hansol shrank at the sight of the branch managers blue eyes.
The scale of Americans
He was scared because he looked like he would do anything.
Chapter 181
Cocoa Entertainments 3rd floor conference room.
Anh Da Ho greeted Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemin with a smile.
Nice to meet you. Im Anh Da Ho, the manager of actor Lee Seo-jun.
Hello. Im Director Choi Daeman.
Im Assistant Director Park Jaemin.
The three of them exchanged greetings and sat down.
Seeing them looking around for Seo-jun, Anh Da Ho opened his mouth.
Seo-jun is at school today because its the graduation ceremony.
Anh Da Ho smiled as he remembered Seo-juns message full of regret.
Oh, I see.
Director Choi Daeman nodded and took out a pile of papers from his bag.
Cocoa Entertainment contacted him a week ago. Since then, Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemin had been working hard to prepare the treatment and part of the script.
This is the treatment for the movie, and this is a little bit of the script that I made.
Anh Da Ho smiled with satisfaction at the treatment that was longer than a few pages of synopsis, and the script that was slightly thicker.
It showed the overall scenes of the movie in detail, divided into about 10 chapters.
I was worried that the synopsis was too short, but thank you.
We might change it later, but we plan to shoot according to the treatment for now.
Yes. I understand.
Anh Da Ho took the treatment and the script to show Seo-jun, who would come to the company after finishing his graduation ceremony.
Then we need to find a production company Do you have any place in mind?
At Anh Da Hos words, Director Choi Daeman flinched and shivered. His eyes rolled to the side. Anh Da Ho tilted his head.
Director?
Well
Director Choi Daeman rubbed his neck.
He had thought of production companies, distributors, and other cast members for his first three attempts. He had written synopses with excitement, imagining production companies, distributors, and actors that suited his taste. That was three times.
But after all three failed, Director Choi Daeman thought, Lets get Seo-juns confirmation first! and didnt have any place in mind.
Were fine with wherever Seo-jun is comfortable with.
At Director Choi Daemans words, Anh Da Ho tapped his chin.
The production companies that Seo-jun had worked with in Korea were: Movie Dream for The Exorcist, Wave for The Doctor, Cloud for the advertisement, and Danhong for The Role.
Cloud was an advertisement production company and Wave was a drama production company, so they were out of the question. Danhong would be busy for the whole year because of The Role, so the only one left was Movie Dream.
How about Movie Dream?The debut release of this chapter happened at N0v3l_B1n.
If he asked
Director Choi Daeman recalled Movie Dream, the production company he had worked with for The Exorcist.
It was a production company that allowed him to make a rare exorcism movie in Korea. It was also a good place that listened to his stubbornness until the end and spent a month and a half looking for a good location. He had also worked with them for his next project.
Director Choi Daeman nodded. Assistant Director Park Jaemin also agreed by nodding his head repeatedly.
Thats fine. There too.
Shall we go with them then?
It was easier than expected to decide on a movie production company.
There was no point in weighing pros and cons, since there were hardly any Korean production companies that had experience in making zombie movies. They were all similar, so it was best to work with a place where he had worked comfortably before.
Besides, as long as there is a budget, even a small production company can do anything.
Anh Da Ho and Director Choi Daeman smiled without worrying about the investment money.
Then Ill contact them.
At Director Choi Daemans words, Anh Da Ho nodded.
After finishing the meeting and leaving Cocoa Entertainment, Director Choi Daeman looked for Movie Dreams planning team leader Lee Hansols contact on his phone. Park Jaemin took the wheel.
Hyung. Where are we going?
Hmm. Lets go to Movie Dream.
Okay.
As the car started to vibrate, Director Choi Daeman sent a message to Lee Hansol.
<Lee team leader. Long time no see.
Oh, Director Choi! Are you planning to make your next project?
A reply arrived almost instantly, as if he had been staring at his phone all day long.
Ah
Director Choi Daeman rubbed his neck at Lee Hansols message.
<How did you know?
You only contact me when you have something to do.
<Im sorry.
Its okay. But are you planning to make your next project?
<Yes. I thought it would be nice to work with Movie Dream again.
Oh You dont know yet.
Hmm?
Director Choi Daemans fingers stopped as he was sending a message. Park Jaemin asked.
Whats wrong?
No, Lee team leaders reaction is weird.
The car stopped at a signal. Park Jaemin leaned forward and looked at the phone screen. A message from Lee Hansol appeared.
We went bankrupt.
!?
A noisy barbecue restaurant.
Former Lee Hansol, current unemployed Lee Hansol followed the restaurant staff to a private room with a hollow laugh.
Lee team leader!
Director Choi! Long time no see.
Ahahaha. Dont emphasize that its been a long time.
Its been four years, of course its been a long time.
Director Choi Daeman and Lee Hansol sat down. They also greeted Park Jaemin, and then Lee Hansol drank soju. Uh, uh. Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin looked at Lee Hansol, who was really pouring soju down his throat, with a bewildered expression.
Well Lee team leader Movie Dream went bankrupt?
Park CEO, that bastard He ran away with all the companys money after gambling.
All of it?
Yes. He sold all the movie rights that the company had and ran away. We couldnt make movies, and we had no money to pay the employees, so they all left.
Lee Hansol gritted his teeth and said.
He even sold the rights to The Exorcist, which starred Seo-jun!
That one!
The one that was still airing and making money?!
Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin were shocked.
Uh, where?
Plus.
Director Choi Daeman and Park Jaemin sighed in relief. It was a lucky thing, if anything.
Lee Hansol held up his soju glass and said.
So youll have to look for another place to make your movie.
What about the other staff?
Some of us are still unemployed, and some have found new jobs.
I had been staring at my phone all day, but it was not like I had anything else to do as a jobless person. Feeling sorry for me, Director Choi Daeman placed some grilled meat in front of me, which he had ordered in advance.
Cant you start over?
Well, the company name still exists. We just need someone to buy it. But, theres not much left, so the acquisition cost is almost nothing. The problem is finding work. Who would entrust a movie production to a company whose president ran away?
People would trust you, Team Leader Lee.
Director Choi Daeman had been able to scout locations for so long thanks to Team Leader Lee Hansols efforts. Lee Hansol smiled faintly at Director Chois compliment.
Huh. Thank you.
Why dont you buy the company, Team Leader Lee?
Well I could, but
Ill invest too.
Lee Hansols eyes sparkled at Director Chois words.
There were quite a few cases of directors setting up their own production companies in Chungmuro. After all, the production companies made more money than the directors themselves.
Are you sure? It could go bankrupt.
Theres a good movie. A very profitable one. As for the rest, well figure it out later.
A good movie?
Lee Hansol saw Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemins faces shining in the light. He blinked.
Where have I seen this face before?
He tried to recall his memory. A vague feeling of something familiar.
A long time ago, Director Choi Daeman had shouted with joy that he had cast someone. Lee Hansols eyes widened.
Uh?
We have a movie in preparation. Weve already secured one lead actor.
Uh?
You must have seen him too, Team Leader Lee.
Eh?
Finally, when Director Choi Daeman uttered the name of the actor, Lee Hansol screamed like a banshee.
He decided to buy the production company, Movie Dream, and contacted the former employees. Team Leader Lee Hansol, who was now the CEO, drank soju with a happy heart.
You still have a way with words, Team Leader Lee. No, should I say CEO Lee!
Please drink more, Assistant Director Park! Its on me!
Do you have money?
Well Ill break my savings!
The private room was filled with lively conversation among the three people.
Director Choi Daeman opened his mouth.
The investor was recommended by Cocoa Entertainment. They offered the most money and didnt interfere with anything. They said it was good.
Cocoa Entertainments recommendation!
Cocoa Entertainment. Anyone who wanted to work with Lee Seo-jun knew his agency. It was almost like Lee Seo-jun himself had recommended it, so Lee Hansol looked at Director Choi Daeman with shining eyes.
Where is that?
***
Plus+ Korea branch.
In one of the conference rooms, Movie Dreams CEO, Lee Hansol, waited nervously for the investor representative.
He wasnt worried about being rejected.
He had plenty of other options for investment.
He just couldnt believe what was inside his bag.
No one here would ever guess what it was.
Lee Hansol chuckled nervously.
If it was any other movie, he would have been running around looking for investors and worrying about the production cost. But he felt very relaxed.
After a short wait, the investor representative came in.
They exchanged greetings and started the conversation.
The investor representative spread out the synopsis and treatment on the table and showed a cold reaction from the start.
A zombie movie in Korea?
Movie Dream was known for its interest in non-mainstream genres, but it seemed like they were pushing it too far this time.
They would have to do makeup for every shoot, and they couldnt afford to have sloppy acting from the extras.
They would obviously need CG, and not to mention the setting
The investor staff who were discussing whether to invest or not, and how much to invest if they did, shook their heads.
The investor representative spoke.
A zombie movie. We know about Movie Dream very well. You have some recognition in non-mainstream genres, but your profits havent been that high for the past few years, right? Barely breaking even
They sold off their movie rights too.
Well, even Hollywood studios sell off their rights when theyre desperate It doesnt matter But their president ran away because of gambling They changed their president, but still
The investor representative scribbled something on a paper and glanced at Lee Hansols face.
Despite his cold reaction, Lee Hansol was smiling calmly and nodding all the time.
The investor representative felt awkward and beat around the bush.
Of course, breaking even is impressive in this field. You could make more profit if you use our service. How much do you want to receive from us, Movie Dream?
Before that
Lee Hansol lowered his voice.
The investor representative tilted his head.
Mr. Lee.
Yes?
Do you know who our lead actor is?
? No. It wasnt on the documents you sent us. Did you already secure a lead actor? I hope its a famous one. That would increase the investment amount.
A famous actor.
He couldnt stop his lips from curling up at that word.
Lee Hansol smiled brightly and said.
His mouth seemed to zoom in as he moved.
The investor representative asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.
When he heard the name of the actor again, he froze on the spot.
Hahaha. While Lee Hansol was smiling brightly, the investor representative realized.
This was not something he could handle in his position.
He immediately reported it to the Plus+ Korea branch manager.
Wow! A zombie movie! With Lee Seo-jun!
The branch manager jumped up from his seat.
Oh my god!
Wow!
What the!
He mixed American and Korean reactions as he was shocked.
He took a breath and sat down again.
A zombie movie in Korea. You made a historical drama that no one knew about, and it was a hit. Now youre making a zombie movie. Are you planning to sweep the whole worlds money?
He still had some excitement on his face, but he calmed down.
Lee Hansol sighed in relief.
He expected him to be excited, but not this much.
He was glad he could get the investment easily.
So, about the investment
But, the branch managers calmness was a trap.
While Lee Hansol was relieved, the branch managers mind was spinning.
The historical drama Reversal had made more profit than expected, and it was soon to be uploaded on Plus+.
The revenue from the movie investment plus the revenue from Plus+.
That alone was satisfying, but
They were preparing a zombie movie!
Wasnt it a movie where action spoke louder than words?
It made him sweat like One Step, a disaster movie, or maybe it made him hold his breath like Reversal, where people fought for their lives on the edge of death and life.
And,
The branch manager swallowed his saliva.
And, it was Lee Seo-juns first action movie!
Wow! Thats right. His first action movie!
It would be released before Shadowman 3, which had 100% action scenes.
It would be Lee Seo-juns first action movie.
The branch managers eyes sparkled.
Lets do it! Lets do it! What do you need? Its a zombie movie, so you need a special makeup team, right? We have one too. If we ask the headquarters, theyll come right away. If you dont like them, well bring the most famous makeup team in the world!
The branch manager started to rave again.
Lee Hansol backed away until he hit the sofa backrest.
He buried his back into it as if it would dig in.
Props? Should we bring in a Hollywood art team? Staff? Well bring in any experts you want! Funding? Use as much as you want! Location? Renting? Why bother? Lets build it! With the latest technology, itll be done quickly. Just tell me what you need! Anything you need, anywhere you want, well get it for you.
The branch manager spoke without taking a breath.
He looked like he would get a meteorite if they asked him to, by bidding or robbing NASA.
Anywhere He probably meant not just Korea but the whole world.
Lee Hansol shrank at the sight of the branch managers blue eyes.
The scale of Americans
He was scared because he looked like he would do anything.
