Rockstar Again - Chapter 52



Only Noblemtl

Episode 52. Rapunzel (6)

Entering the 21st century, South Korea’s media and entertainment industries have experienced explosive growth.

There have been several movies that have surpassed 10 million viewers.

Movie theaters, where people watch movies, have introduced a new concept of movie theater called the multiplex to the public through mergers and acquisitions, as well as the opening of new movie theaters.

Piccadilly Seoul Theater, Dansungsa, etc.

It is regrettable that the movie theaters that were memories and meeting places in themselves have disappeared into the back alleys of history, but the fact that the theaters that used to be moldy and noisy have been replaced by clean and comfortable seats, and that the theaters offer bigger screens and next-level experiences like IMAX and 4DX have opened means that the industry has grown and developed.

Not only the film industry, but also the drama industry has grown rapidly.

In a system where broadcasting stations took the lead in production, studios were spun off, and each studio’s production had to negotiate with broadcasting stations.

From there, it has developed further and with the power of huge capital called OTT, works of a level that was previously unimaginable are emerging.

Is it really necessary to even mention the music industry?

From a frog in a well to a South Korean singer, the industry has grown to become one that is gaining attention not only in Asia but also around the world.

Amidst this rapid growth, there is one company that always appears without fail.

[Cheong-A Media Group]

Before the former chairman of the National Tax Service took over as chairman, he laid the foundation for the Cheong-A Media Group as the head of the headquarters, and the latter half of the company was led by Executive Director Koo Se-ryeong, who is said to have taken it to a higher level.

Currently.

15 cable channels.

7 TV production studios.

It has grown into a giant dinosaur company that even has its own OTT service.

If we look at the detailed affiliates, it has already been a long time since it became a large corporation in its own right.

It has become the leading company in the cable market, beating out terrestrial broadcasters.

Although it is such a Cheong-A Media Group, it is also true that the current situation is not so good.

Although it was a rapid growth, its capabilities were focused on the visual media sector, including movies, rather than the music sector, and the multiplex industry and the movie industry itself, which were among the factors that led Cheong-A to the stairs of glory, suffered serious blows.

An unprecedented disaster called the coronavirus has swept across the globe, and fear and various health regulations have shrunk the film industry, if not driven it to the brink of destruction.

Of course, it’s not just for that reason.

If flies start to appear at the restaurant you always go to, it would be better to look for internal reasons rather than external factors.

It’s tasteless.

In that case, it would be good to develop a fresh menu, but they just change the names of the same menus that we always eat, and even those menus are not as tasty as before.

Food wasn’t selling well and sales were dropping, so they started raising food prices, which made customers stop coming even more.

In the end, it is mostly the fault of the restaurant owner who became complacent and couldn’t even make a bowl of noodles properly.

In any case, the important fact is that the accumulated deficit in the film division of Cheong-A Media Group has continued for over four years due to the overall shrinkage of the film industry.

“How much is it?”

The calm voice of the Savior echoed throughout the conference room.

“518.7 billion… … is it.”

The person who answered is Oh Tae-yoon, CEO of CheongA MGX, which is in charge of movie theaters among CheongA Media Group.

Koo Se-ryeong smiled softly at the words of CEO Oh Tae-yoon, who was over 50 years old.

“Sales? Or accumulated deficit?”

“… … These are the sales for this year up to the 3rd and 4th quarters.”

“What is the deficit this year? Feel free to answer, I don’t expect a surplus anyway.”

At Gu Se-ryeong’s words, CEO Oh Tae-yoon held up a handkerchief and pressed it against my forehead. The Gu Se-cheong CEO is known for being kind and good-natured, so he’s easy to deal with, but Gu Se-ryeong is not like that.

A person like a rugby ball that doesn’t know where it will bounce.

CEO Oh Tae-yoon knows from experience that if you think you can be at ease just because someone smiles, you will end up in trouble.

“It’s 51.4 billion… … .”

“At that point, wouldn’t it be better not to do business? We’ve been in the red for four years now. Isn’t that right?”

“… … .”

“The accumulated deficit will soon reach the trillions. Congratulations in advance, Mr. Oh.”

Tae-yoon Oh took a deep breath.

If he stays still, it’s over. It doesn’t seem like the results will make much of a difference whether he struggles or not, but Tae-yoon Oh decided it was better to open his mouth and have a little hope, so he opened his mouth.

“I think it’s because the industrial landscape itself is changing… … It’s reasonable to say that the initiative has now shifted to OTT.”

“A deficit is natural. It’s a natural flow, so there’s nothing wrong with it, right?”

“What I’m saying is that it’s better to come up with a solution than to argue about right and wrong.”

“I guess you’ve prepared a plan to deal with it, judging by the confidence with which you speak?”

“It’s separate from me… … but… … I’ve prepared it.”

Gu Seol-ryeong slowly scanned the quiet old farts in the conference room and smiled.

“Let me give it a listen.”

“There is a need to focus on increasing the number of special theaters and expanding the concept of multiplexes to transform them into experiential spaces where people can have diverse experiences. After all, movies themselves are often watched on mobile phones these days. And along with expanding the number of special theaters, we need a premium strategy where ticket prices are differentiated by seat and time zone, and seats and times with high reservation rates are set at higher prices as VIP zones. When you watch concerts or plays, don’t you think the prices are set differently for each seat?”

“Oh, sir, didn’t you say that your daughter is getting married soon?”

“Huh? Ah… … Yes. We had our first meeting a while ago… … . Why was that… … ?”

“I’ll give you a month. If you need, you can set a date for your daughter’s wedding within that time.”

“yes?”

When we were talking about coping strategies, he asked me about my daughter’s marriage, and I answered, but he asked me to set a wedding date?

Tae-yoon Oh raised his head at the unexpected sound.

and.

“You’re about to get a job, so you’re just throwing dirt on me, right? But I don’t think I can give you more than a month. It’s just so, so bad. It’s like a spy sent by another company to ruin the company. That’s not true, is it?”

“… … .”

Koo Se-ryeong stood up, leaving behind CEO Oh Tae-yoon, who had his head down, and the affiliate company representatives who were not opening their mouths.

“I told you, clearly. One month. If you need unemployment benefits, you can hold out longer. Oh. I don’t know if executives are eligible for unemployment benefits. Next time I see you, I’ll greet you politely. As an adult.”

* * *

The Savior left the conference room and ran away.

It’s not like someone is chasing me or I’m impatient.

Because I wanted to quickly get rid of the body that was in the same position as the old farts who didn’t understand the cultural industry.

Leaving everything else aside.

Is it possible to talk so confidently about a policy of different prices for each seat?

That’s something you can say because you have absolutely no understanding of the difference between movies and concerts.

When you watch a movie, the actors don’t act right in front of you, right?

A concert is when a singer performs live on stage.

It is these differences in perspective and immersion that ultimately justify price differentiation.

If a concert only shows a screen without the singer appearing in person, there will be no differentiation in ticket prices.

Gu Seol-ryeong, who was walking quickly, suddenly looked back and gestured to Hong Seon-ah.

“What are you doing? Come quickly.”

“yes.”

And then, Goo Se-ryeong opened her mouth to Hong Seon-ah, who had dug through the security team.

“Shall we start with the ENT clinic?”

“Would you like to wash your ears?”

“Yeah. Wow… … I’m really amazed at my mental strength to listen to that answer all the way through. No, then should I go to a psychiatrist first? I’m so shocked I’m dizzy.”

“I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start by visiting a dermatologist.”

“Dermatologist? Why?”

“You might have wrinkles around your mouth because you forced yourself to smile throughout the meeting.”

“Are you feeding me?”

“… … .”

“Okay. I almost felt a little sorry. I’ll accept that you were worried. I guess we’ll have to move on from there.”

“Okay, I’ll get it ready.”

As I head to the parking lot, I feel like my stuffy stomach is starting to clear up a bit.

This is… … anticipation.

My head and heart are ready to greet me, sensing that I will soon feel better.

The old man who got into the car opened his mouth to Hong Seon-ah.

“Cut back on new investment in movies, special theaters, and experiential theaters, and just lie low for the time being.”

“All right.”

It goes without saying that the industrial landscape is changing.

But the response was wrong.

If it’s a company that only makes movies, it would be right to struggle somehow, but if it’s a company that’s also involved in the music industry, the right direction would be to reduce investments in areas that don’t work and push for areas that do.

It’s about selection and focus.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“Tell me why I’m obsessed with him.”

Hong Seon-ah understood it perfectly.

Anyway, that’s where we’re headed now, and there’s only one person who can be called the one who’s monopolizing the Savior’s attention these days.

“Um… … Because you like it? That’s how you usually invest. But I’ve never seen you so obsessed and directly manage it like this before, so it’s really interesting.”

At Hong Seon-ah’s words, Gu Se-ryeong smiled seductively.

“Our company is too leaning towards movies. In fact, you laid most of the foundation for that.”

“yes.”

“But what makes people open their wallets these days is music. I plan to grow the music sector.”

“So?”

“In a movie, the master key is the movie itself, right? But in the music field, it’s not the music, but the artist that is the master key. The reason we’re weak in music is because we don’t have the master key.”

A few traffic lights and several faces flashed past Hong Seon-ah’s head as she held the steering wheel.

First of all, Lee Dong-ha, with his elongated model proportions and unique rough atmosphere, is impressive.

As an assistant to the director of a media group, I naturally have a keen interest in and information about the entertainment industry.

It is already a well-known fact that the composer of Bitna Girls, whose popularity has been rapidly rising recently, is Lee Dong Ha.

If you do that, it’s from my pick’s debut group NBD9 to Shining Girls.

It makes sense that Lee Dong-wook is a capable producer who has had two consecutive box office hits and who enjoys a cult following himself (although he is currently quiet as he is not on any broadcasts at all).

But the leader of Jaemin Group, who is so incomprehensible as to why he is there.

A man with a grumpy look.

Even Hong Young-pil, who often appears on variety shows and gets messed up. These three people are not the master key, but rather a dangerous element that could crush the master key.

No matter how much I liked moving, I couldn’t understand why I included that in my thoughts.

Hong Seon-ah glanced at the rearview mirror and slowly opened her mouth.

I think that in these cases, it should be said by someone close to you.

“Do you have any plans for Lee Dong-ha and the rest of the members?”

“What are your plans?”

“To be honest, the rest of the members are people who will hold Lee Dong Ha back. For some reason. I don’t know why those four became members, but wouldn’t it be better to kick them out later and have them pursue solo activities or let the other members adjust?”

Gu Se-ryeong smiled as her eyes met Hong Seon-ah’s through the rearview mirror.

“Those three. Even though you can’t see them now because they’re covered in rust, I know them.”

“What?”

“I was wondering, but I definitely remember Taeju oppa. But the other two are also right.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I saw them when I was a kid. Remember what I was talking about last time? When I was a kid, I had this older brother who said he was going to sing on a huge stage. He was talking about Queen and Ethiopia and stuff?”

“Yes, I remember. But why?”

“I don’t remember that guy’s face. They say that the people I’m going to become shine. But is that true? That guy was so radiant that I only remember the corners of his mouth smiling here and there. But at that time, there were other people who played with him.”

“Are you saying that it’s Chairman Yoon Tae-joo, Hong Young-pil, and Kim Dong-sik? Those three?”

“Yeah. I’m sure. I remember those guys. They were weaker than that guy, but they were definitely shiny.”

That means I knew them before.

It’s questionable how you know this, but why don’t you pretend to know it now?

Gu Seol-ryeong, who felt such doubts, opened his mouth in a bitter voice.

“My brother doesn’t know. That I remember that time.”