Chapter 112
Time passed once again.
During that period, Big Picture and YTBS held several long and exhausting meetings to finalize the major procedures and contracts related to programming.
As expected, the biggest issue was production costs.
General programming channels had no proven ratings yet.
Because of that, advertising and PPL rates were far lower than those of terrestrial broadcasters.
And if the ratings actually turned out to be low, recovering advertising revenue would become even more difficult.
Naturally, a new general programming channel with uncertain revenue projections would worry about recovering its production costs.
But I used that weakness to our advantage.
In the end, I was able to secure almost every possible secondary source of revenue for us.
“Then let’s do this.”
I looked across the table at the YTBS representatives.
“We’ll accept only sixty-five percent of the production budget YTBS originally offered.”
Jung Wonki looked completely confused.
Normally, a production company would fight desperately to receive even one more won.
Yet I was saying we would accept only sixty-five percent of the offered amount.
“Are you... serious?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Instead, give us all domestic and overseas distribution rights, PPL revenue, and brand sponsorship rights.”
I leaned forward.
“We’ll make up the remaining production costs through those sources ourselves.”
Jung Wonki thought about the proposal for several days.
Eventually, he made a decision.
With neither ratings nor advertising revenue guaranteed, he concluded that cutting direct production expenses was at least one way to reduce YTBS’s risk.
At first, both Han Taesung and Kim Eunkyung were worried by my aggressive gamble.
But I explained that even if we didn’t make a huge profit from these dramas, I was confident we wouldn’t lose money.
More importantly, I emphasized that it was necessary if we wanted a long-term relationship with YTBS.
Eventually, they accepted my reasoning.
And so...
YTBS’s first Monday-Tuesday launch drama was confirmed as Yangsoon’s Flower Shop, written by Oh Inhae and directed by Jeon Jihyuk, both of whom had recently joined Big Picture.
The Wednesday-Thursday drama slot went to Remember Me, written by Seo Kyunghee and directed by Kang Daesun.
Once the supply contracts with YTBS were finalized, we officially entered pre-production.
Meanwhile, Big Picture left Gangnam and moved to Mapo.
CEO Han Taesung purchased an entire six-story building.
The first floor had originally been a coffee shop.
We converted it into a lounge and meeting area.
The second floor was assigned to the film production team.
The third floor became the drama production team’s space.
The fourth floor went to the planning team.
The fifth floor was given to the VFX team that Han Taesung had acquired two years earlier and had been operating separately.
Finally, the sixth floor was divided between general affairs, accounting, and executive offices.
Along with the company move, the drama team gained new members.
Just as when I had hired Lee Hyunwoo and Kang Jooyoung, we recruited through interviews.
However, unlike last time, we mostly hired people with previous work experience.
They needed to be sent into real production work immediately.
Three people joined the drama planning team.
Thirty-year-old Joo Youngjae specialized in marketing.
Thirty-three-year-old Kim Hana had previously worked in the planning team of a famous drama production company.
She resigned after becoming pregnant, spent three years raising her child, and then applied to return to work.
The final recruit was twenty-six-year-old Lee Hyunyoung.
She had majored in visual media at university.
This was her first job.
“All right.”
I looked around the team.
“Lee Hyunwoo, you’ll work with Kim Hana on MBS’s Father, In Your Name.”
“Okay.”
“Kang Jooyoung, you’ll work with Joo Youngjae on YTBS’s Yangsoon’s Flower Shop.”
Then I turned toward Kim Hana.
“And Kim Hana, you’ll assist me with Remember Me.”
Since I was the team leader, I would need to oversee all three dramas.
That meant Kim Hana would effectively carry a large share of the practical work on Remember Me.
I explained that this was exactly why I had assigned Kim Hana, the only experienced new recruit, to the project.
Kim Hana clearly understood the meaning.
Her eyes sharpened with determination.
“I’ll work hard.”
And just like that, all three dramas officially entered full pre-production.
I became so busy day and night that I could barely tell how each day passed.
“A general programming channel drama?”
Ma Sanghee looked startled.
She exchanged glances with Moon Changsoo, who looked equally surprised.
Once full pre-production began, both the directors and writers became worried about casting.
General programming channels were strongly associated with politics.
Actors feared that appearing on one might make people assume they shared a particular political image.
Otherwise, people would probably accuse them of appearing only for money.
Because of that, many actors were reluctant to appear on a general programming channel at all.
The directors and writers naturally worried that casting would become difficult.
But I had Starlight.
Of course, I didn’t assume that even Starlight would simply agree to anything I asked.
Still...
If it was Ma Sanghee...
If it was Moon Changsoo...
And if it was Moon Hyunbin and the other Starlight actors who were practically family to me...
I believed I could persuade them.
“Instead of thinking of these as general programming channel dramas, could you think of them as dramas made by Writer Seo Kyunghee and Director Kang Daesun, and by Writer Oh Inhae and Director Jeon Jihyuk?”
I emphasized how many actors desperately wanted to appear in a Seo Kyunghee drama.
For many actors, simply being cast in one of her works was considered an honor.
“That’s true, but...”
Ma Sanghee looked troubled.
Before she could continue, Moon Changsoo spoke.
“Hyung, it’s still a general programming channel.”
“You’ve heard what people in the industry are saying about those channels.”
He looked serious.
“An actor could ruin their image just by appearing on one.”
I had already expected this reaction.
So I calmly continued.
“Of course I understand what you’re worried about.”
I looked at both of them.
“But the current atmosphere around general programming channels is temporary.”
“No matter what channel a drama airs on, viewers ultimately watch the work itself.”
“What they remember is a good drama and good acting.”
I continued.
“I understand that these channels feel unfamiliar and risky because they’re new.”
“But dramas are ultimately judged by their quality, and actors are ultimately judged by their acting.”
Moon Changsoo didn’t seem to have a direct argument against that.
Instead, he glanced toward Ma Sanghee.
Ma Sanghee remained silent for some time.
Finally, she spoke.
