Lord Of Dying Smoke - Chapter 143

“Oh my, what happened today… ! Ah, is it over… .”

Shim Yoo-hyeon woke up from a light sleep and sat down again when she realized she was in her own studio, not the MBS Ilsan Production Center editing room.

A frustrated sigh naturally flowed out.

Damn it.

“If you think about it, we’re just back to normal… .”

Either way, the situation over the past few months has been interesting.

Shim Yu-hyeon was originally recognized as a person in the field of visual effects and CG, but her main job was as a freelancer. This meant that she had no other responsibilities other than handling the work as requested by the client.

By the time he was hooked by an actor with the same spirit, everything was already too late… .

-I’ll give you five days.

-… Uh, well, it takes five days to process up here, right? Even the mat… .

-no. It took five days to do everything, including rendering.

-… … ?

I have often heard that the Korean drama production environment is a forced march, but at this point, it would have been more correct to say that it was a mess.

As soon as Shim Yu-hyeon joined the planning team, she was overwhelmed with work.

I often wiped away tears while looking at the calendar, wondering when it would end.

If I can gather up the curses I’ve been swearing at Han Ye-seul, I’ll probably be able to make kimchi.

‘but… .’

I was so fed up that I would never look at it again, but for some reason my feelings after it was over were endlessly empty.

Aside from the terrible schedule, there was a huge difference between following the client’s instructions and letting the story move in one’s own hands.

-Oh, excuse me. Are you director Shim Yu-hyeon?

“That’s right.”

-Nothing different, is organizing a special feature, so I contacted you to see if you would be interested in appearing as a guest. As you know, didn’t actor Kang Min say that the director’s role in was enormous? There will be a lot of attention, and we will produce more than enough

“We’ve already gone far. “Let’s find someone else.”

-yes? Director? Director!

Shim Yu-hyeon hung up the phone and let out a long sigh.

I am slowly getting tired of enjoying popularity for the first time in my life at wrap-up parties, specials, and various talk shows, and of giving opinions on absurd rumors that I grabbed hair with Yoo Ji-yu and Aislin Lewis in private.

Shim Yu-hyeon was overcome with a sense of futility that bordered on exhaustion.

‘As soon as I finished one, everyone thought I was crazy when they saw Actor Kang fly to the US five days later, but now I understand.’

That damn friend threw Shim Yu-hyeon into the abyss of suffering and then suddenly left alone.

It was truly a buried kick… .

‘bad guy.’

Shim Yu-hyeon looked through the proposal again today with her shoulders slumped.

Since I had a successful career, I received many recommendations for dramas and movies. But there was nothing that pleased me.

In fact, I didn’t know that anything compared to Kangmin would inevitably seem inadequate.

‘I heard that MBS made a lot of money by insisting on in-house… ? If it were a joint venture, I would also put in some money.’

‘Actor Kang, I haven’t seen him like that, but he’s such a damn human being. How can you drag someone in and then throw them away so devotedly? !’

It was the moment when Shim Yu-hyeon was about to stand up with her shoulders slumped.

The fax machine, which had stopped for a moment, started printing out something.

It was rare. If Shim Yu-hyeon wasn’t close to her, she would give out her email address instead of her fax number.

Shim Yu-hyeon’s eyes widened when she saw the document being printed.

He hurriedly picked up the phone and let out a cheerful laugh.

“Oh, actor Kang! it’s me!”

“Of course I believed it! Who would I trust if not Actor Kang, hahahahaha!”

* * *

Director Shim Yu-hyeon flew to the United States at her own expense before CAE even prepared the plane ticket.

It is said that they had originally planned to go on a trip, but Kang Min was happy that it was an unfortunate situation.

Of course, Basil Papadopoulos was not pleased.

“Hmm, you are that Director Shim.”

First, Basil crossed his arms as if evaluating the other person and asked Shim Yu-hyeon what he should do to research the knights of the Crusade era.

I felt confident because I had read a few books.

It was crazy.

“Ah, you know the Battle of Hittin! In order to talk about the process of its establishment, I cannot help but first talk about Reginald of Châtillon. This man was an unreasonable man who treated the treaty as a piece of trash, and even during the peace agreement, he attacked and sold off caravans and pilgrims. This became a good cause, and Saladin finally raised an army—”

“Richard the Lionheart? Wow, if I’m going to talk about that friend, I can’t help but talk about the Siege of Acre. According to , Richard, who was sailing in a galley toward Sidon, spotted a ship carrying Saladin’s elite and attacked it—”

“Before the Siege of Jerusalem? Oh, you know what? The contents of the letter revealed by Al-Adil at this time were quite interesting, and later became the motif of the play Nathan der Waise. Not only that—”

Shim Yu-hyeon, the guardian of the Holy Land, recited the history and historical research of the Crusades. It was natural that he liked the process of its establishment as much as the heyday of the Ottoman Empire.

In addition, Basil was completely enthralled as he explained in great detail the level of visual effects, graphic processing, and understanding of the production process before post-production.

It goes without saying that Director Henry, who was skeptical, was moved to tears again.

“Ah, the Lord must have taken pity on Henry and bestowed grace on him! “Thank you for joining us!”

“Hahaha! It’s all thanks to actor Kang here rather than the Lord! “If it weren’t for this guy, I wouldn’t have even thought of getting my foot in the door in Hollywood!”

“Uh, Director Shim? This is a little too Hollywood… .”

“ha ha ha! That’s right! “It’s all the power of Mr. Kang!”

“I’m glad you know! Hahaha!”

“… … .”

At this point, Penelope could no longer turn back. She began to write her final investment plan, crying and choking back her tears.

Of course, Basil’s tragedy could no longer be reversed.

Surprisingly, Shim Yu-hyeon grinned as soon as she heard Director Henry’s difficult financial situation.

“The production cost is not enough… So, of course, if you invest now, you will be treated in a certain way, right?”

“Of course… .”

“Then I would like to personally invest. Of course, it is not a large amount.”

“Huh!”

There was no way Kang Min was convinced that the plan would fail─ Shim Yoo-hyeon coolly threw away her own money as if relieving her regret that the huge success of ended as a bonus.

Objectively speaking, it wasn’t a lot of money. However, it was natural that a person who should have been brought in by pouring money into him, so boldly investing his wealth, would set an excellent precedent.

And humans, regardless of time and place, are people who consider precedents and justifications a lot.

Director Henry and everyone’s eyes turned to one side after being greatly moved.

Cold sweat formed on the forehead of Basil, who was a successful actor in his own right.

“Huh, haha! Of course, I have to help too! “How about $3 million?”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“No, it’s about $5 million… .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“Hey, that, haha… .”

Basil ended up crying and decided to invest 10 million dollars in this crazy movie.

In fact, I was planning to tone it down by just saying it, but of course Penelope wouldn’t let me do that.

Our director didn’t want to deal with this crazy situation alone, so he immediately grabbed the victim that appeared like a water ghost.

“Good for you! “Let’s write the contract together here!”

“Haha, no need to rush like that… .”

“It’s easier to save if you set your budget at least a day in advance! Let’s do it!”

“… … .”

Basil signed an investment agreement alongside an actress he was secretly hoping would have the opportunity to appear with. Although she did not appear, she did appear together, so she may have somehow gotten her wish.

Moisture formed in the eyes of the curly-haired man who threw away about 13 billion won in the trash can… .

The director who signed the document accepted the copy with satisfaction.

“Of course, this Henry Pian also invested all his money. “The final budget that can be moved now is around $30 million.”

“Uh, is the director’s fortune worth that much?”

“I sold my house, Basil. “You can sleep in the studio.”

“I knew very well that the director had changed his mind… .”

30 million dollars.

Approximately KRW 40 billion.

In general, this is a huge amount of money, but in Hollywood, where hundreds of millions of dollars are often exchanged, it is barely enough to save face.

Betting all your money on the outcome of this amount of money was truly madness.

but,

“Heh, why? “I don’t feel like I’m going to fail at all.”

“That would definitely be an illusion.”

Actor Basil muttered darkly as he looked at Kang Min and Shim Yu-hyeon shaking hands and smiling brightly.

But soon, he couldn’t even let go like that.

Apart from the internal mess of the working title, Richard I of New York – in fact, the title was a bit of a mess – something very terrible happened on the outside as well.

A week later, Penelope, who came with the news, looked very gaunt.

“We are ruined… It’s completely ruined… ”

Basil asked cautiously.

“What is the situation, Director Lewis?”

“… Should I explain it in a complicated way? Or simply?”

“Uh, the latter… .”

“A much more plausible work with a similar subject matter has been announced, which will be released around the same time as our plan.”

“ah.”

* * *

The cost of film production is largely divided into negative costs and P&A (Print&Advertising) costs.

The former is just as it sounds. It refers to the cost of the final negative flow including production, studio, capital, etc., and the three stages of pre-production, production, and post-production, which mean planning, filming, and editing, are classified here.

Conversely, the latter refers to all costs including film copying, distribution, printing, and advertising costs. That is, everything except what is needed to make the movie itself.

If there is a lack of capital, there is no choice but to reduce the latter.

This includes independent films that are quietly released and quietly removed from theaters without anyone knowing, and “Richard I in New York” was no different. Despite Basil’s tears, it was a reasonable cost to produce.

─But the rival side couldn’t do that.

The word blockbuster is often thought of as a masterpiece, but it actually comes from a promotional method of releasing all blocks at once.

TV commercials, Internet advertisements, interviews, various related product releases, promotional video production, endless interviews, original work reprints─

A film that achieves all of this with great success and is released simultaneously in theaters across the United States and around the world is the only film that deserves to be called a Hollywood blockbuster.

As soon as the PV was released, enthusiastic responses poured in regardless of country.

-Knight!

└Forward!

└Maybe we can really expect game-level scale!

-Is it western style?

-It would be awesome if heavy cavalry charged in instead of cowboys lol

-Still, it seems like the era has passed, so I think Carbineer will come out.

-There was romance even during the Napoleonic era… 🙂

-I’m really looking forward to it!

-Hah, is there an all-time masterpiece coming out this time?

-I’m excited.

-No, but just looking at the PV, it looks like he has made up his mind.

-The setting is just so damn attractive haha ​​How can I put up with lance charging in the wilderness hahaha

-ㄹㅇㅋ

-But didn’t Kang Min say he was going to America and doing something as soon as finished? Isn’t it this?

-Then I wouldn’t have any wishes, but I guess that’s not the case.

But even in this happy atmosphere, there were some unhappy people.

For example, this was the case with coach Henry Pian, who ran up to his opponent and grabbed him by the collar.

He cried out in betrayal.

“You son of a thief! ? Anyone can tell that this is not a copy of our version of “Richard I of New York”! Besides, all the staff members who left our side are here?!”

On the other hand, Director Dusk slapped away his rival’s hand and clicked his tongue.

“I admit that I got the motif by yielding a hundred steps, friend. “But I didn’t copy it.”

“what?!”

“Your script is ten pages long. The synopsis is at the level of a middle school student. “What on earth are you copying from there?”

“… … .”

“It’s okay to file a lawsuit. “I might try.”

Even if Director Penelope had heard it, it was so true that she had nothing to say.

This may be considered a moral criticism, but this is a completely different movie. In this world, things like this aren’t even considered gossip.

profit… ! Director Dusk sneered at his rival who rolled his eyes.

“Aren’t these guys the ones you kicked out in the first place? “I just salvaged a little bit of the script and synopsis.”

“Dusk… !”

“Hey, Henry. If you’re old, do something crazy and retire. Your movie was going to be a success. “Why are you saying so much when you’ve ruined it yourself?”

“How many times have I said that the important thing is not whether you succeed or fail! Someone needs to sound the alarm! “Someone said that the current method won’t work!”

“I’m getting tired of that nonsense.”

Director Dusk, who held his tongue, ordered his staff to kick out his rival.

Director Henry shouted loudly, but his former colleagues and subordinates simply turned their eyes and remained silent.

Even the swear words that I thought I could pour out for the rest of my life seemed to have no choice as my voice became hoarse. Director Henry eventually came back exhausted.

When he arrived at the studio, he sat down and was overcome with agony.

‘Those reactions… .’

‘Maybe, just maybe, I was really wrong?’

‘Are you saying it’s because I couldn’t listen to the words of the guys below me and was so crazy and stubborn?’

Henry Pian.

Although it has become a little more popular these days, he was once a prudent, humble, and magnanimous person who was willing to accept even the most trivial opinions if they were right.

Coach Henry at one time was such a great person that Basil Papadopoulos, who received special treatment wherever he went, and floor director with 21 years of experience could not give up on him until the end.

Is it a remnant of those times? Realization was finally coming to Director Henry.

‘perhaps.’

Really maybe,

Maybe I designed this plan wrong from the beginning─

“You are here, Director.”

“… actor.”

But coincidences in the world are often terrible.

For example, Kang Min appeared in such a situation.

Kang Min’s expression hardened when he saw the director with a downcast expression.

“It looks like things aren’t going well for you.”

“Well, that’s it. “I’m sorry.”

“Uhm… .”

“I feel sorry for you. It’s okay to resign from appearing. At this point, I’m starting to think that maybe it’s even my fault that they left… .”

It was an epiphany.

It was a clear realization.

Perhaps, if he had been given just five minutes here, Henry Fyan could have returned to being the perfect person everyone knows: cautious, humble, and magnanimous. Everyone must have welcomed him happily.

But unfortunately, that was speculation.

That was why Kangmin immediately laughed and said, “Whoa.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“hmm… ?”

“A small sparrow may fly ten thousand li without knowing what it means, and when a wise man plants an apple tree, the wise man is only interested in the apples that will grow there. “How could a wise man care about Uja?”

Director Henry didn’t really know what Daebung was, but it seemed like a valid word.

Kang Min smiled and continued speaking to the director who was listening intently.

“Why would I resign? “If I were to dare to evaluate it, the director’s scenario was truly full of the agony of a genius.”

It was true.

Although it was a slightly different kind of agony.

“It was literally something that had never been done before.”

It was true.

But isn’t there a reason why it hasn’t happened before?

“Think about it. “If Bishop Henry gives up this path, who will dare to follow in his footsteps?”

Director Henry thought blankly.

I literally kept thinking about it.

And finally, he nodded heavily.

“… No. “Nothing.”

“Yes, everything has to be done by an enlightened person. “Director Henry is someone who can do that.”

“Uhm, of course. I’m sorry. “This man, Henry Pian, was weakened.”

“Everyone has times like that, haha!”

It was a terrible thing.

The actor, who is reputed to have made Baal run away barefoot in a recent drama, even easily discarded the enlightenment that God had taken pity on Henry Pyan.

Director Henry, who had found the favorite of the opposite sex, began to see madness again in his eyes.

A bad move!

A tremendous atrocity… !

But even that wasn’t the end of Kang Min’s wickedness.

“but… It didn’t seem like it would be easy. Dusk in particular put a lot of effort into the scenario.”

“hmm.”

“Rob Riggle wrote such a negligent story that I kicked him out, but he is a talented guy. “He had more people attached to him, so he became a very difficult opponent.”

“It’s difficult.”

“It’s difficult.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… But if you’ll excuse me, Coach, you’re such a strong opponent, aren’t you? “Is there a way to avoid fighting in the opponent’s territory?”

“hmm?”

30 minutes after that,

Coach Henry, the genius of the century, finally gave up.

“Yes, Min! “You are such an inspiration!”

His eyes lit up and he opened his mouth.

“If you couldn’t win in a complicated scenario, you could just eliminate the scenario entirely!”

It was such a genius realization that Director Penelope shed tears without realizing it.