Episode 7: If It Airs Like This, It’ll Be a Hit
“Make your expression more venomous. Sharpen your gaze. Imagine your best friend, who secretly kissed your boyfriend, shamelessly approaching you.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend, though.”
“Hyejin, I’m telling you to imagine it! Imagine!”
“I’ve never liked a guy before, so I don’t know how to imagine that.”
“Ugh, my head hurts.”
Right now, I’m watching the acting lesson with Jo Un-seok, the team leader of Team 3.
Jo Un-seok chuckles fondly, like a father doting on his daughter.
“She’s so innocent and sweet, isn’t she?”
“She really is.”
“But when it comes to the real deal, she completely transforms. She’s talented, has the looks, and is a promising rookie the company’s investing a lot into.”
Even now, she’s breathtakingly beautiful.
In a few more years, she’s bound to shine so brightly that people won’t be able to look away.
“She might even surpass actress Chae Seyoon’s popularity someday.”
“You think so?”
I said it half-jokingly, half-seriously, but Jo Un-seok’s face turned unexpectedly serious.
“Did I say something wrong…?”
“No, it’s just that I can’t take it lightly when a ‘totem’ full of luck says something like that.”
This man…
He really thinks of me as a lucky charm and put me next to Hwang Hyejin for that reason.
“Do you know anything more about the 30THC channel?”
“No, my contact doesn’t share much.”
“Do they have an office in Korea?”
“Well, one of my contacts mentioned it a few times. They said it’s really boring working alone in the office all the time.”
“So, your contact isn’t in the CG department?”
“No, they’re in data management. That’s why I thought of asking them for help with recovery.”
That’s enough to maintain a safe distance.
It’s better to keep 30THC hidden within WeTube for now.
I wonder when an outsourcing offer might come in.
From the way Jo Un-seok talks, it seems like he’s interested in outsourcing something to them.
“Team Leader, are you thinking about outsourcing something there?”
“Hmm, nothing’s been decided yet.”
I didn’t press him further.
Even if Jo Un-seok treats me like a special totem, I’m still just a rookie.
***
On my way to the convenience store to buy drinks and snacks, I checked a video community.
I’d been too busy all day to see how users were reacting.
I was curious about the feedback on the black-and-white animatic I’d created based on a script from an aspiring writer I liked.
‘What’s with all these notifications?’
I absentmindedly opened the notification tab and froze.
There were hundreds of new comment alerts.
It turned out my post had shot to the top as the #1 best post in the community.
Topping a major community feels just as thrilling and emotional as when my WeTube video surpassed 20 million views.
With a racing heart, I started reading the comments.
└ So, you’re an animation director?
└ Wow, I’m amazed. I respect you.
└ How did you create something this high-quality just a few hours after the original script was posted?
└ This speed and quality don’t seem human. Are you a genius or what?
Someone sharp slipped into the comments.
How did they figure out I used the 30th-century video app with just a few clicks?
└ If you’re this skilled, why was your first uploaded script so bad? LOL
└ They’re an animation director, not a scriptwriter, duh.
└ Are you really a director? Not just a staff member?
└ Judging by the quality of the video, they’re a pro among pros. There’s no way an ordinary staff member could do this alone.
└ Reading the script, visualizing it in your head, turning that into a moving storyboard—all within hours by yourself. That’s something only a seasoned pro can do.
I wanted to read more, but I was on an errand, so I decided to check the rest when I got home.
After buying a load of drinks and snacks, I returned to the van.
Hwang Hyejin was sitting by the window in the middle seat, engrossed in her script.
She must’ve read it so many times that the edges were worn out,
And the pages were covered in handwritten notes and analysis.
What project is this? I’m curious.
“Doyoung, are you interested in Hyejin’s upcoming role?”
I must’ve been staring too hard because Jo Un-seok smirked and asked, making me a little embarrassed.
“I just thought she seemed really focused on analyzing it.”
“Our Hyejin is pretty and talented, but she also works hard.”
“Well, this level of effort is expected from any aspiring actor, isn’t it?”
“You’re not an aspiring actor, though. You’re already a rookie actor.”
Hwang Hyejin’s debut drama casting was confirmed.
She’ll play the high school version of the female lead character.
“What do you think? Does she have a good chance of making it big?”
“Well… I can’t say for sure, but I hope she does. I’ll pray for her every day.”
“You can just wish for it in your heart. No need to fetch water for prayers.”
Though he said that, his fond smile seemed to say, “Tap water won’t do.”
Should I put a bottle of Samdasoo next to a prayer altar for her and make it my profile picture?
[TLN: Samdasoo or Jeju Samdasoo is a brand of natural mineral water from Jeju Island, South Korea.]
“Team Leader, why are you asking Doyoung that?”
Hwang Hyejin’s eyes sparkled.
She wasn’t asking in a critical tone; it was more like an innocent child asking, “Why is the sun in the sky?”
She radiates such bright and positive energy.
‘The Video App. Just looking at her face is making story ideas flood into my head. Should I try creating one now?’
【Permission is required to model a character based on a real person.】
I know, I know.
The internal production ethics of the developer.
It’s just that looking at Hwang Hyejin’s face sparked so much inspiration that I felt like a director for a moment and cracked a joke.
“By the way, did you hear about the fire at Wis Studio this morning?”
“Yes, they almost lost their footage but managed to save it, didn’t they?”
“That’s all thanks to Doyoung.”
“Really? What did Doyoung oppa do?”
“Well, let me tell you…”
I just met her today, and she’s already calling me “oppa.”
Hearing that from such a stunningly beautiful girl? It’s a nice feeling.
“Wow, amazing. Seriously amazing.”
“The company was really lucky. The Wis team was completely relieved too.”
“Looks like we got rid of the bad luck early on.”
“Exactly. Starting with something this big means this new album should go well, too.”
Hwang Hyejin looks at me with her big deer-like eyes, beaming brightly.
“I hope I can soak up some of Doyoung oppa’s good vibes so this drama does well, too.”
“That’s why I brought him into our team. I did well, didn’t I?”
“Yes! You did great!”
She’s really a character filled to the brim with positive energy.
Just being around her makes me feel like my mind is being cleansed.
I unconsciously glanced at the script, and Jo Un-seok, the manager, noticed immediately.
“Want to see a spare script?”
“Huh? Oh, no, it’s fine.”
“No way. You said you’re interested in video production; that’s why I roped you in, isn’t it?”
He pulled a fresh script from the storage compartment and handed it to me.
“It’s only up to episode 4, but take a look. Let me know what you think after reading it.”
I felt a bit self-conscious about the road manager, who was driving.
Here I was, the youngest, being treated like I was more senior.
I glanced at the rearview mirror, but the driver wasn’t paying attention, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Hwang Hyejin also looked at me with hopeful eyes, her gaze serious and expectant.
Faced with two pairs of earnest eyes, I cleared my throat and opened the script.
It was my first time reading an actual drama script.
As soon as I started reading—
【Registered model Hwang Hyejin has agreed to use her data for creative purposes.】
【The script will now be visualized.】
【Other roles will be filled with characters created to match the writer’s vision.】
Huh?
A massive screen materialized in front of me.
[Winter Castle]
[Episode 1]
The drama, which hadn’t even started filming yet and only had a script,
Began playing right before my eyes.
【To enhance your viewing experience, your perception of time will be accelerated.】
I could feel it.
Time was moving incredibly slowly for everything except me and the video app.
Without being constrained by external time,
I watched the drama unfold on the enormous screen visible only to me.
The app created the drama instantly, based on the script.
Everything was perfect.
The stunningly beautiful setting.
The fresh, pure beauty of Hwang Hyejin.
The flawlessly performed characters created by the app to fit the roles.
I finished watching all four episodes in no time.
My hand unconsciously turned the script pages in sync with the drama’s flow.
Hwang Hyejin only appears up to Episode 2 in the script.
At the end of Episode 2, when the female lead character enters adulthood, the main actress takes over.
But…
In the video I was watching, a 28-year-old, mature version of Hwang Hyejin appeared.
Her youthful image was gone.
Instead, she was a confident, strong woman with intense, resolute eyes.
A version of Hwang Hyejin no one in the world had seen yet—a brilliant, mature woman ten years in the future—delivered an outstanding performance, seamlessly interacting with the fictional characters.
The Instant-made drama ended.
“…”
I couldn’t say a word.
From start to finish, it was a flawless, breathtaking drama.
I wasn’t sure if the script was particularly good.
The visuals were just too beautiful.
But replicating this quality in real life would cost an astronomical amount.
Even for Che Seoyoon’s polar bear footage, professionals estimated the cost at over 100 to 200 million won per second, and they praised about the quality.
“Doyoung, you seemed completely absorbed. Was the story that good?”
“It’s just… imagining how Hwang Hyejin would act it out made it easier to get into.”
“You imagined Hyejin’s performance while reading? And that made it easier to focus?”
Team Leader Jo Un-seok’s tone sounded a bit meaningful.
But I didn’t want to shake off the lingering impression just yet.
【Remember, the video was created by this app based on the script.】
【Naturally, the actual filmed drama will be entirely different.】
Ah…
If only they could air it just like this, it would be a huge hit.
The quality was far too good to keep to myself.
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