"Anihasay..."
Entering the box, Chi Jingyuan took a quick glance inside the box and then saluted and said hello to Kim Won-seok, the director of the "Misborn" crew who was already seated.
When he returned to Peninsula, Chi Jingyuan expressed his interest in the drama "Misheng" to the company, and hoped to meet and chat with the creative team. The company actually has a very good eye for Chi Jingyuan's drama selection. I believed it, so I immediately contacted the crew of "Misborn" through official channels. Director Jin Yuanxi expressed that he was also very interested in it, and he agreed and made an appointment directly in the evening.
It's just that it seems that Jin Yuanxi's style is still a bit old-school. He didn't make an appointment to meet in a coffee shop, which is more popular for talking about things nowadays. He directly made an appointment in a barbecue restaurant, and the appointment time was still lunch, so they met directly. Bring food with you.
If today was not the first time they met, but they had known each other before, Chi Jingyuan estimated that the other party might take him to the next one-stop show after dinner.
"Jingyuanxi is here, sit down, sit down."
Seeing Chi Jingyuan come in and salute, Jin Yuanxi also smiled and waved to him to sit down. At the same time, he who was sitting there enthusiastically pretended to stand up to greet him.
Although he didn't really stand up, his attitude was indeed shown.
Chi Jingyuan smiled and saluted and sat across from him. Although it was the first time they met, he was not too restrained. It was natural to sit there generously. Jin Yuanxi, who had been looking at him, made a secret evaluation in his heart. .
After sitting down close to each other, Chi Jingyuan also took a look at the director whom he might work with for some time in the future.
Kim Won-seok was born in 1977 and is almost 40 years old this year. He is slightly chubby and wears black-rimmed glasses. He looks ordinary but looks a little blessed. However, his skin is not very good and there are obvious pits on both sides of his cheeks.
In this profession, he definitely doesn’t pay as much attention to maintenance as an artist.
His appearance should be quite stern when he has a serious face, but when he smiles, his originally small eyes are half-squinted, giving him a peaceful and friendly look.
Before coming here, Chi Jingyuan had read information about Kim Won-seok. He had been in the industry for a long time and had worked in many film crews earlier, but he had only been officially working as a director for a few years. He only started directing his first film in 2010. Except for last year's "Monster", which performed somewhat mediocrely, the ratings of the other two TV dramas filmed were pretty good. In particular, "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" filmed in 2010 did very well.
Chi Jingyuan discovered through reading the information and his own analysis that Kim Won-seok had a distinctive personal style when he was a director, and had mature shooting and production capabilities. He was also good at rendering atmosphere and paying attention to details, and he had very good connections in the industry. He is a director who is outstanding in the field of TV series and has a bright future.
"Are you not used to not having an appointment at the coffee shop?" Jin Yuanxi took the initiative to speak after sizing up Chi Jingyuan. At the same time, he picked up an open bottle of soju next to him and poured it into a small glass: "I see According to the information, you must be an adult, can you drink some?"
"Of course not. Cafes and barbecue shops each have their own advantages..."
Chi Jingyuan took the initiative to take the bottle, poured the wine, and replied with a smile: "It will feel more comfortable here, and I can eat a little full before going back... You know, the company manages our profession very well. I’m strict and I usually don’t have enough to eat. I also want to thank you for giving me this opportunity today.”
Jin Yuanxi heard some things about Ji Jingyuan from his friends, including some inside stories about the temporary replacement of the male lead in "The Heirs". At this time, the other party's casual but polite gesture made him nod secretly. , and at the same time, the other party's pun made him couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Chi Jingyuan and shook his head:
"Ah Jinjia, I have heard friends mention you many times before, and it has been rumored in the circle from time to time. After meeting today, I realized that the rumors are a bit conservative. It turns out that you are impeccable both in appearance and inwardness. That's exactly it..." Saying that, Jin Yuanxi gave a thumbs up.
"Ah Ni, that's too much praise. How can I have the nerve to eat more later when you say that." Chi Jingyuan smiled, looking a little embarrassed by the praise, showing the youthful look of a young man.
"Hahaha." He laughed boldly again. Jin Yuanxi called the waiter to serve the food. At the same time, he casually chatted with Chi Jingyuan and asked him some interesting things about his idol career. , and his personal opinions on acting.
After chatting for a while and getting to know each other better, and after the charcoal stove and dishes were served, the two began to talk about business.
"Jingyuan should have read the script, right?"
"Yes, it's an excellent script." Chi Jingyuan praised with a smile and his tone was very sincere.
"We have made a lot of adaptations of the comics for this drama. We want to present a slightly cold and realistic story in the world or the chessboard of the company, and use the perspective of Zhang Kelai, a newcomer in the workplace, to show the face of people in the workplace. …”
Jin Yuanxi took two sips of wine and started talking. As he spoke, he specifically asked: "By the way, Jingyuan, can you play Go?"
"Yes, but not proficient." He nodded without boasting.
He studied it for a period of time when he was a child, but because he didn't have much interest, he stopped contacting it later. Generally speaking, he can only be regarded as understanding the rules and being able to play, but he is far from being good at it.
He even didn't know what the title "Wei Sheng" meant when he saw it at the time. He only found out after looking it up later.
Not born in the peninsula is a Go term, which refers to the last move in the dead end of Go, but there is a chance of resurrection. It refers to chess pieces that cannot survive at present, but they are not dead chess pieces, but chess pieces that still have room for survival.
"Whether it will have a big impact is not big, but it will be better if it does, and it will help to understand the character." Jin Yuanxi also nodded, and then said: "The male protagonist Zhang Kelai has loved Go since he was a child and dreams of becoming a professional Go player. A child who failed as a contestant due to the drag of his family. Due to family changes, his life is very difficult. A person has to work multiple jobs. When he enters the workplace with a high school degree and no experience, he will have that kind of strong confusion and frustration... …”
Jin Yuanxi was very chatty. While he started barbecuing and drinking, he and Chi Jingyuan talked at length about the role of the male protagonist Zhang Kelai in the script and his own understanding of it. From time to time, he also analyzed the plot and the clever reasons for the setting of the script. .
Under Chi Jingyuan's well-timed compliments, he talked enthusiastically for a long time, and finally took a sip of wine and sighed: "Did you know that "Wei Sheng" filmed a short film last year?"
"Nai, I've seen this short film and it was very good."
"Actually, we were originally looking for the star of the short film, Im Si-wan, to play the role. He is also an idol actor like you. You should know him..."
"Yes, senior Im Siwan and I have met several times."
Speaking, Jin Yuanxi spread his hands: "This was originally planned, but after all, this is a special project for the eighth anniversary of TVN, and the headquarters also attaches great importance to it. During the previous few production meetings, some people felt that Im Si was completely Performance in all aspects is still slightly worse.”
"We all know that the role of Zhang Kelai requires many conditions. For example, the appearance must be very good, the age must not be old, but the acting skills must be excellent, and it is best for the actor to have high popularity and popularity."
"Because our drama is not the previous idol drama model, the male protagonist will encounter a lot of setbacks in the first few episodes, which may make some viewers resentful. Therefore, before the subsequent plot develops and deepens, it needs high enough audience stickiness and Enough discussion.”
"In addition, there are too many restrictions on acting skills. Although our drama highlights the male protagonist, it is also a bit focused on group dramas. Several of the main supporting roles are selected from very experienced senior actors with excellent acting skills. If Zhang Kelai If the actor's own aura and acting skills are not enough, it will be easy to be overwhelmed, resulting in the character's charm not being able to be expressed at all."
"Excellent appearance, outstanding acting skills, high popularity, and youth. When we held the production meeting, these key points were highlighted. Many people, including me, immediately thought of you, Jingyuan..."
Jin Yuanxi smiled and tapped Chi Jingyuan a few times with his fingers, and sighed, "The role you played as Jin Tan last year was really great. The feeling of naturalness and entanglement seems to have been separated from the idol drama." It’s a certain category.”
"Kangsangmida." Chi Jingyuan was a little embarrassed to be praised like this, so he quickly thanked him.
"In any case, Jingyuan, you are our first choice. Shi Wan is still far behind you in these aspects... But originally, if SM didn't reply during this period, we were going to let Shi Wan go. Let's give it a try. After all, he was the original choice, and I heard that you haven't accepted a TV series for a long time." Almost at the end, Jin Yuanxi also started to speak frankly.
After this personal meeting and conversation, his first impression of Chi Jingyuan was indeed very good. He felt that the compliments and rumors he had heard about Chi Jingyuan in the industry were indeed true. Several directors and screenwriters who had worked with him All are complimentary.
And all in all, Chi Kyung-won is indeed one of the most suitable candidates for the male lead in their drama, and he is much better than the original choice of Im Si-wan in every aspect.
If the other party takes over this time, it will be Chi Jingyuan's first filming after a year after the popularity of "The Heirs". Coupled with his own popularity in Asia and the popularity of exo, this drama can achieve a high level of success out of thin air. attention and gimmicks.
The few actors they have selected for this drama are all talented in acting and may lack popularity, and they need to make up for it in other aspects.
"Hmm..." Chi Jingyuan pondered for a moment: "When should the filming officially start?"
"The formation of the crew has already started before, and the casting is just a little short of the last step. If you confirm it and everything goes well, all preparations will be completed within half a month. A script seminar will be held in late August, and then we will Filming will officially start." Kim Won-seok had obviously made preparations, and made the time plan clear without thinking: "The broadcast schedule has been confirmed, the Jintu drama will premiere on October 17."
"I understand. I will discuss it with the company as soon as possible and confirm it."
Chi Jingyuan nodded, then bowed lightly and repeated the beginning words: "I would also like to thank the director for giving me this opportunity."
"Hahaha..." Jin Yuanxi looked at him and laughed as before, and this time he reached out and patted his shoulder hard.
…
After sending Jin Yuanxi away, Chi Jingyuan got into the nanny car that Park Jae-hyun drove from the parking lot.
Park Jae-hyun had been waiting in the parking lot while he was talking to Kim Won-seok. After the conversation, he got a call and came over two minutes later.
Sitting in the back seat of the nanny's car, Chi Jingyuan took his mobile phone and looked up some information about the drama "Misheng".
Just now, Jin Yuanxi revealed some relatively secret news to him. For example, the drama "Misheng" has been in preparation for more than a year. The original author of the manga, Yoon Taeho, also participated. The script has been revised and improved many times, and the actors They are also carefully selected powerful actors.
This drama will also go to Jordan for filming when filming the first episode. It is the first TV drama in Peninsular history to go to Jordan for filming.
For example, this drama was actually coveted by several major wireless TV stations and cjem when it was being prepared last year. It can be regarded as a big fish that is coveted in the TV drama market. However, in the end, after many considerations and negotiations, we finally chose to be in the drama. tvn broadcast.
Before coming, Chi Jingyuan was still considering between "Misborn" and "Pinocchio", and he was a little hesitant about which one should be more suitable, but to be honest, he was more inclined to the former.
At this time, he hesitated slightly while holding the phone, but Chi Jingyuan still did not call Park Shin Hye.
The heroine of "Pinocchio" has been selected as Park Shin Hye. He was originally planning to call and ask about the situation of the drama, but now he felt that it was no longer necessary.
After some communication with Jin Yuanxi and his own thinking, he had almost made his choice.
Compared with filming an idol drama, he is more interested in workplace dramas that he has never been exposed to and have more demanding acting requirements.
After making the decision, Chi Jingyuan relaxed a lot. He leaned back in his chair and browsed a few news items. He felt a little bored and clicked on the "happiness" mv page.
SM released the music video for the debut song "Happiness" of the new girl group Red Velvet today. Chi Jingyuan had already watched it during lunch.
After reading it, he felt a little strange.
The song is pretty good, the melody is upbeat and catchy, the title and lyrics have a great meaning of 'happiness', and it's a bit addictive. You can basically sing along after listening to the chorus part once.
After all, most of the lyrics in the chorus are 'lalalalala'.
But how can I put it, he feels that if you look at this MV, this song is more suitable as a welcome song at the entrance of a wildlife park than the debut song of a kpop girl group.
Or it doesn’t feel out of place when used as a special BGM for some TV shopping programs.
The makeup of the four people in it is generally average and very similar. Some of the comments made by some anti-fans are not unreasonable. People who are unfamiliar with them, or those who are slightly blind, can really only identify people by their hair color.
Chi Jingyuan felt that this makeup not only failed to show the charm of Pei Zhuhyun and others, but also covered up a lot to a certain extent, which had the opposite effect.
Re-opening the page, Chi Jingyuan found that the number of clicks on the mv was quite good, but the comment area below was still a mess, even worse than the preview video two days ago. It even felt like it after listening to the entire song. Generally speaking, there is no possibility of becoming popular. Many people speak harshly, and the level of yin and yang eccentricity has improved a lot.
The most shocking thing is the like ratio data. The ratio of likes and dislikes for the new girl group’s MV is actually 1 to 1.
If 10,000 people like it, 10,000 people will dislike it.
Usually, the number of likes below the MVs of idol groups will be significantly higher than the number of dislikes. After all, ordinary passers-by just watch the MVs and listen to the songs, and they will usually give likes, even if they don’t like it, that is, they don’t like it. Not many people would skip clicking the cross and click on it.
But at this time, the ratio between the two is 1:1, which means that the number of anti-fans is almost the same as the number of passers-by who occupy the majority, which is really surprising.
Chi Jingyuan put his phone away and looked at the street view outside the window, not knowing what to say.
This was the case when red velvet first debuted. He really didn't expect it before.
…………
After returning to the company, Chi Jingyuan went directly to Li Chenghuan and told him his decision.
"Are you very optimistic about the drama "Misheng"?"
After understanding Chi Jingyuan's choice, Li Chenghuan was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise: "The script company of this drama has also read it. Although there are scenes and settings of the male and female protagonists falling in love with each other, there is not much real emotion in the whole process. Most of the scenes revolve around the struggle in the workplace and the efforts and growth of the protagonist. The protagonist is still frustrated at the beginning. This kind of plot is very boring... After watching it, our film and television department felt that this setting is very ordinary. , there is absolutely no possibility of explosion.”
"The company is actually more optimistic about "Tomorrow Cantabile" and..."
"Kang Sangmida." Chi Jingyuan took the initiative to interrupt the other party, with a happy look on his face, and sincerely thanked him: "Brother, actually I was a little hesitant at first. Thank you to the company for helping me make up my mind."
"Hey, you kid, don't look down on the opinions of the company's professionals so much!" Li Chenghuan couldn't help laughing and scolded him when he heard this, and raised his hands as if he wanted to repair him.
After making a joke, he nodded and got down to business: "But of course I believe your vision, Jingyuan. I will immediately communicate with the superiors and ask them to start negotiations with the crew immediately, and we will sign the contract as soon as possible and join the filming."
As he said that, Li Chenghuan touched his chin: "It's another tvn drama, and it's also the debut of "Reply 1997". You and tvn are really destined."
"Brother, don't forget to coordinate the shooting time. It must be staggered with our concert." Chi Jingyuan reminded.
"Don't worry, how could you forget such a thing? Don't underestimate the company." Li Chenghuan glanced at him angrily. Li Chenghuan felt that his proud SM was looked down upon by Chi Jingyuan because of the film and television department. I felt a little dissatisfied.
However, he knew the situation of the company's film and television department very well, and he couldn't say anything to defend or refute it. He could only curl his lips and act like he didn't hear it.
"By the way." Seeing Chi Jingyuan preparing to say goodbye, Li Chenghuan remembered that he had originally asked Chi Jingyuan for something: "Jingyuan, this year's SMtown Family Concert is about to start, and the children are also starting Be prepared, the company has arranged two cooperation stages for you."
"Collaboration stage? No problem, with whom?" Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips and didn't think it was strange.
In addition to the performances of its many popular groups, smtown also has a large number of cooperation stages which is also one of its selling points. Each member of each group will prepare a special cooperation stage performance for the family concert.
Some of them are proposed by the artists themselves, and some are arranged by the company.
"You have two collaborations in total, one is with Wendy, "luhats what friends are for" this song.
"That's How Friends Get Together" was sung by Dionne Warwick and his friends. It once won the Grammy for Best Single. It is a song that praises friendship and is very suitable to be performed at a concert. .
Seeing Chi Jingyuan nodding, Li Chenghuan continued: "There is also a separate collaboration stage with Wendy. The publicity department thinks that your performance with her will be very topical. For Red Velvet who has just debuted, try Not a bad publicity.”
"Win?" Chi Jingyuan blinked. He just said it casually before, but he didn't expect to have the opportunity to perform on the same stage so soon.
Just thinking of Sun Shengwan's height standing next to him, he pursed his lips and said nothing more.
"Perform what?"
"The two choices, "some" or "all for you", are both the most popular male-male duet songs in the past two years. Which one do you think is more suitable?"
"Forehead……"
Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment and touched his cheek: "Let's say "All for You". Compared with the former, this song can better showcase Seung Wan's singing skills, and if she collaborates with me on "Some", she will definitely be my fan." Attacking, I can already think of what my rice will say...Forget it, it's better not to add fuel to the fire of Red Velvet's current situation."
"You really think about her..."
Li Chenghuan gave him a strange look and nodded without any objection: "Actually, collaborating on "Some" is the most popular thing... Okay, I'll sign up right away. These two cooperation stages are not that difficult, I will work with them Communicate with your agent and spend a few nights practicing together."
"Arazo." Chi Jingyuan made an 'ok' gesture, and returned to the practice room separately from Li Chenghuan.
At the same time, in the conference room on the fifth floor of SM Company, the responsible persons of several departments of the company were having an intense meeting, and the company president Jin Yingmin was present.
"Girls' Generation TTS's second mini-album comeback has been confirmed to be on September 18th. The relevant promotional plans should be launched in advance. In order to warm up, the production meeting of the reality show "the taetiseo" we collaborated with onstyle has also been completed. , official filming will begin soon..."
"Taemin's solo is ready. The album will be officially released on August 18th and the first stage will be recorded...
“The preliminary work for Shinee’s third neon tour is almost completed, and the first performance will be held in Chiba on September 28th…”
"SJ's return to the regular sixth album and its sixth world tour are being closely prepared..."
"EXO team activities are temporarily put on hold and we are currently focusing on our personal schedule. We will make real-time adjustments based on changes in external public opinion..."
"Tao and Lay must pay attention, especially when they return to Xia Kingdom for activities, they must be careful!" Jin Yingmin interrupted the director of the planning department who was reporting back at this time, and reminded him in a stern and firm tone.
"Yes, we have made relevant arrangements." The room manager nodded and said there was no problem, but then added: "We recently received requests from two members, Tao and Lay, who want to modify their contracts and obtain more personal resources. , and at the same time favor requests for more activities in Xia Kingdom."
"You bastard from Xiba, you really have strong wings..." Jin Yingmin immediately became angry when he heard this, and a feeling of serious offense flooded into his mind, but he quickly controlled his mood after cursing. Gotta calm down.
At the same time, he also thought about the blow that the company and exo suffered after Luhan ran away, especially the collapse of the stock price, which made him criticized by shareholders, and he has been under great pressure recently.
After thinking about it, Jin Yingmin frowned and nodded at the table: "Stop it for now and drag them."
"knew."
After talking about the recent arrangements of other artist groups in the company, we talked about the newly debuted girl group Red Velvet.
In the past, Lee Soo Man would usually preside over the debut of company groups. For example, he personally selected and arranged several members of EXO, including EXO's personnel selection, debut planning, and even the group's super-powerful secondary concept. All with his participation.
He also personally participated in the production of EXO's first regular album as a producer, and it can be said that he really paid attention to it.
It’s just this year, especially after the second half of the year, Lee Soo Man doesn’t have much energy to care about the company due to family reasons, so the leader of red velvet’s debut this time is the president Kim Young Min. He actually also attaches great importance to this girl group project that he promotes. .
After briefly introducing the current situation of red velvet and the response on the first day of their debut, things immediately became lively. Instead of just listening to the report quietly as before, people from several departments began to discuss it.
"Recently, the publicity department has noticed that the comments about Red Velvet on the Internet have always been bad. Not many people are focusing on the music and the members themselves."
"When they are arranged to debut at this time, they will inevitably go through this. Isn't this something that has been expected for a long time?"
"Some of the materials that were sprinkled before have also worked. Now red velvet is highly discussed online, but most of them are negative comments."
"But I think the current popularity is not enough. After all, the popularity will gradually decrease, and we need to do some other aspects of publicity." A staff member of the publicity department looked at the news about red velvet on the Internet these days. Analyze the situation and make suggestions based on your own judgment.
"I also feel that although the popularity is good, most of the people currently paying attention to red velvet are actually fans of other groups in our company, and these fans are only following them to fight against them. In essence, red velvet does not really attract The corresponding fan groups and the huge number of passers-by's eyes need to increase publicity." Another room director nodded in agreement.
"How to promote it? Arrange the scandal as before?"
"This method is the simplest and most direct, and very practical."
"According to the analysis of the publicity department, arranging scandals between EXO members and red velvet members is the best. Seulgi and Baekhyun have been exposed on the Internet before, so we can add fuel to the fire."
"Breaking news? Is this true or false?"
"It doesn't matter, we just need to make this matter so that red velvet can gain the greatest attention... No matter what the evaluation is, as long as there is attention, it is a success."
A room manager asked strangely, "If you want to maximize attention, why don't you directly arrange the scandal between Seulgi and Yuan? This is the best effect, right?"
"..."
The person from the Propaganda Department was asked. He hesitated for a moment and then looked at the head of the department who asked the question with an incomprehensible look:
"You...do you want her to die?"
