Episode 3: A Lengthy and Polite Proposal
【We watched the video created by your channel. It was so impressive that We couldn’t help but be amazed by its incredible quality.
Even the artist was deeply moved by the heartfelt parody video dedicated to her and genuinely enjoyed it.】
A private comment filled with far more sincerity and words than the proposal I painstakingly drafted.
【We would like to seriously propose a collaboration or partnership.
Please feel free to contact us at the number below.
We will be waiting.
Manager Kim Kyungwook: 010-XXXX-XXXX】
Just to be sure, I checked and confirmed that it was indeed Pine Tree’s official YouTube account.
A quick search of Kim Kyungwook revealed:
“He’s been Chae Seoyoon’s dedicated manager since her debut.”
Things were going well.
I paused to think.
Not about whether or not to accept their proposal — that was obvious.
“There’s not much time left.”
The app’s quest deadline is 30 days.
A little over 20 days remain.
By the time I arrange an official meeting, negotiate terms, finalize contracts, and schedule everything…
The quest period will be over in the blink of an eye.
I’d lose a valuable model slot.
“If I want to save time, I need to take the lead and push aggressively before they can even think.”
II revised the proposal I hadn’t yet sent.
I reshaped it into a response to their offer.
After modifying the proposal into a reply, I started making a video in earnest.
“Let’s use the Arctic glaciers for the background. Emphasize a vast and majestic vibe. Make it in 8K resolution.”
【Your mental image is unclear, Cha Doyoung. I will proceed with adjustments and fill in gaps as needed.】
The video app generated thousands of background samples based on my vague imagination and commands.
I picked one that seemed appropriate.
“I’ll depict Cha Seoyoon playing around, hugging, and tumbling with a polar bear. Her place will be filled in with a green female mannequin.”
By the way, why does Chae Seoyoon like polar bears so much?
Could it be just a concept for her celebrity persona?
Not that it matters.
“I’m not satisfied with the mannequin’s arm position. Lift it a little more. Lower the fingers slightly. No, maybe the opposite.”
“Can we brighten up the color tone a bit?”
“It’s not catching my eye. Why is that?”
【There are too many distracting elements. I will adjust to focus more on the model and the polar bear.】
“Go ahead, then.”
Directing a video with just my thoughts feels incredibly fascinating.
At first, my mental image was blurry.
But as the app materialized it and showed me various samples,
My vision became clearer.
I began to develop my own unique style.
It was like staring at a blank canvas, unsure of what to draw,
But following the app’s work and adding my own tweaks,
Before I realized it, I had a stunning masterpiece that even surprised me.
“Yes! This is it. This is exactly the image I had in mind from the start.”
【I’m glad you are satisfied.】
A 15-minute CF video was completed in no time.
The graphics and scale? Simply breathtaking.
The background didn’t even look like CGI; it felt as if a drone had flown through the Arctic to capture real footage.
It was indistinguishable from the actual Arctic.
“Now condense the highlights into a 1-minute trailer.”
【The highlight version is ready.】
With a mental click, everything was done.
People in the 30th century really do live conveniently.
I attached both the 15-minute full video and the 1-minute highlight trailer to the reply and sent it off.
***
Kim Kyungwook, Chae Seoyoon’s dedicated manager, checked the notification on his phone.
“Hello, this is a response from the 30THC YouTube channel.”
“That was quick.”
It hadn’t even been 30 minutes since the offer was sent.
Typically, people would take at least a day to deliberate and reply carefully.
“Are they really a fan of Seoyoon?”
“Who’s my fan?”
From the backseat of the van, Chae Seoyoon, lying down with an eye mask on, asked.
“That YouTube fan channel I mentioned.”
“Ah, that one.”
“Yeah. The channel owner seems to genuinely be your fan.”
“Didn’t they just use me as bait to promote their CGI skills?”
“With talent like that, why would they need such a roundabout way to advertise? They probably got restless during a break and wanted to indulge in some fandom activity.”
Chae Seoyoon said nothing further.
Kim Kyungwook opened the email.
As he casually read through the contents, his eyes widened in surprise.
【…If you could shoot a video acting in sync with the mannequin’s motions, we will finalize the composite edit and upload it to our channel.
Your company is also welcome to use it for commercial purposes.
The outfit, styling, and acting concept are entirely up to actress Chae Seoyoon.】
“Wow…”
Kim Kyungwook let out a hollow laugh and downloaded the 1-minute video first.
He watched it without blinking.
Then, he played the 15-minute full version.
After watching the videos repeatedly, He couldn’t help but sigh.
“They’ve already created a high-quality video that fills in every part except for Seoyoon. They don’t even know if she’ll participate, yet they’ve gone this far in advance?”
A famous Hollywood blockbuster reportedly burned through over 200 million won per second on CGI.
From Kim Kyungwook’s perspective, this was even higher quality.
This was no amateur work.
It was clearly the work of a top-tier professional, someone recognized as the best even in their field.
“It’s definitely not an individual; it has to be a team.” he thought.
However, he couldn’t guess which one. Among the domestic CGI teams he was familiar with, none seemed capable of producing work of this caliber.
“It’s probably from Hollywood. If that’s the case, they’re not in the country. It’ll be hard to meet them.”
That was probably why they didn’t respond to the suggestion of meeting and just sent the video without Chae Seoyoon in it.
The passion behind this was undeniable.
If Chae Seoyoon could just send a video of her acting to replace the mannequin, they promised they would take care of combining it into the final product.
“This person is the real deal.”
“What?”
When the road manager asked, Kim Kyungwook smirked and shook his head.
“I mean they’re genuine—both in their skill and their dedication as a fan.”
***
An approval came back in half a day.
He had thought it would take at least a day, but the decision-making process was lightning-fast.
Feeling good about the agency, he found himself diligently handling his administrative duties at work.
Even though it was mundane tasks, the way people around him looked at him improved.
A few days later, the video arrived.
It was Chae Seoyoon’s personal performance.
Dressed up and acting in front of a green screen, she performed as if there really were a polar bear right in front of her.
“But why are there so many files?”
It turned out they had sent videos from as many angles and close-ups as possible.
“They could’ve just filmed to match the mannequin’s framing in the original footage and sent that.”
Perhaps they thought that since they were filming anyway, they might as well shoot as many angles and perspectives as possible.
What surprised him most was the outfit.
“A bodysuit?”
Chae Seoyoon was wearing a green bodysuit.
But it was quite unique.
Bodysuits typically cover the entire body or leave only the face exposed.
However, Chae Seoyoon was wearing a strapless one-piece swimsuit-like bodysuit, leaving her shoulders, collarbone, and thighs exposed.
【Please use CGI to create the outfit as per the original concept from 30THC.】
The explanation was that this approach was taken to avoid complicating the CGI process when combining her performance with the original video.
While the consideration was appreciated, it didn’t really matter to him.
After all, the one doing all the work wasn’t him but the video app from a thousand years in the future.
【The computational difference is insignificant.】
The app didn’t seem offended, but he felt it necessary to clarify that he was just making a passing comment.
Anyway, he ended up with videos of Chae Seoyoon acting in a green strapless swimsuit-like bodysuit from various angles and close-ups.
“What kind of outfit should I use?”
I suggested in my email that an explorer’s outfit or casual everyday wear would be nice concepts. But they had handed over complete creative control to me.
Of course, they had pre-agreed to only upload the final version that received mutual approval.
‘Why overthink? Let’s try every idea that comes to mind.’
This part was incredibly easy.
All he had to do was pick a dress from the ones recommended by the video app.
He could either design one himself or select something he liked from an online store.
With this, he completed over a dozen different versions.
And now, he was faced with a new dilemma.
‘This is insane. They all came out great—how am I supposed to pick just one?’
After much deliberation, he selected one version he absolutely wanted to include, along with four others in exploration and picnic outfits, making a total of five final options.
He then sent the finalized versions to the agency via email.
***
“Seoyoon, 30THC sent over five finalized versions for approval. Let’s take a look together.”
In the middle of her yoga session, Chae Seoyoon paused and turned to look at Kim Kyungwook.
“Oppa, didn’t you say you sent the footage two hours ago?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“And the final versions are already here? And they want us to pick one out of five?”
“That’s how it turned out.”
“Does CGI normally get done this fast?”
“Absolutely not. That’s what makes this channel so extraordinary.”
“Alright, let’s see them.”
Kim Kyungwook opened his laptop and played the videos.
Chae Seoyoon, wiping off her sweat, watched the footage with growing amazement.
Her eyes widened, and her face inched closer to the screen.
Used to this reaction, Kim Kyungwook stepped aside and checked the videos on his phone.
After a long while, Chae Seoyoon finished watching the videos and turned around, her face flushed with excitement.
“They’re all great, but I like the fifth one the most.”
“The one with the spaceship?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, but we can’t use that one. You’ll have to pick one more from the remaining four.”
“Why not?”
“They want to reserve that one exclusively for their YouTube channel. They said they even added extra scenes specifically for it.”
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