Chapter 167
“I’m not going.”
Along with the news of Big Picture and New Wave’s merger, Director Song Jaehyun and I offered Cha Seungjoon and Woo Jungin positions at Big Picture.
But Woo Jungin rejected us immediately.
“Why?”
“I’m not good at office life.”
“What do you mean, you’re not good at it? You just do it.”
“Other people might say I’m spoiled or whatever, but I really don’t think working for a company suits me.”
She paused.
“And actually... there’s a documentary project I’ve wanted to make for a long time.”
“Oh, the one you mentioned before?”
Cha Seungjoon sounded like he already knew about it.
“Yeah.”
“I was already planning to prepare it after Director Song’s project ended and apply for one of the Korean Film Council’s support programs.”
“So let’s just go our separate ways while we have the chance.”
I thought for a moment before answering.
“All right.”
“Then I’ll support you.”
“And if you ever feel like coming back, contact me anytime.”
“Oh~ Min Kibaek.”
Woo Jungin grinned.
“So you’re saying you can take responsibility for at least one person like me?”
“That’s kind of cool. Hoho.”
Song Jaehyun turned to Cha Seungjoon.
“Then Seungjoon is the only one starting at Big Picture next month?”
“Um, Director...”
Cha Seungjoon glanced around awkwardly.
“I think I’m going independent too.”
Song Jaehyun frowned.
“You too? Why?”
“Well, I don’t really like organization life either...”
“Hyung, even if it’s company life, you’d be going in as head of the Production Business Division.”
“Head, executive director, whatever.”
Cha Seungjoon smirked.
“Working under someone else is still working under someone else.”
“I told you before. I’ve got dreams of my own too.”
Song Jaehyun immediately snapped.
“What, are you planning to start your own film company or something?!”
Woo Jungin scolded him.
“Hey, why are you yelling?”
“Seungjoon can start a film company if he wants.”
Then she continued,
“And since we’re talking about it, do you think Seungjoon would really feel comfortable?”
“He’d be going in under Kibaek.”
Wait.
What does she mean by that?
At Woo Jungin’s words, Cha Seungjoon’s eyes shook with embarrassment.
I was just as flustered.
“Noona, what are you talking about?”
“And Kibaek is already my CEO right now anyway, so it’s not like...”
“Is that really the same thing?”
Woo Jungin cut him off.
“Even if Kibaek is a co-CEO of New Wave, he shares the title with Director Song.”
“And did you and Kibaek even work in the same office?”
“You barely had to deal with each other.”
“So it never really felt like you were working under him.”
She looked at Cha Seungjoon.
“But if Seungjoon joins Big Picture, then from now on he’d really have to take orders from Kibaek.”
“Would that actually feel comfortable for him?”
Neither Song Jaehyun nor I could say anything after that.
Right.
From Seungjoon hyung’s perspective, maybe having me above him really would be uncomfortable.
Ha... why did I never think about that?
I had no idea how to react, so I simply blinked.
Then Cha Seungjoon hurriedly spoke, apparently trying to smooth over the suddenly awkward atmosphere.
“Ah, noona, seriously.”
“It’s really not like that.”
“I just don’t suit office life, same as you.”
“And I already promised the friend I’m writing a script with that once Director Song’s project was over, I’d focus on that.”
Not wanting the mood to grow any more awkward, I quickly picked up from there.
“All right.”
“If that’s your situation, then there’s nothing we can do.”
“In terms of field ability, you’re the best person I know, but I can’t think only about what I want.”
I smiled.
“But if you change your mind someday, or if I ask you for help, you have to come.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Cha Seungjoon smirked.
“This kid really thinks the world will fall apart without me. Hahaha.”
Then I sighed dramatically.
“Still, this is a problem.”
“I kept the division-head position open specifically for you.”
“Where am I supposed to find someone now?”
Cha Seungjoon puffed himself up.
“Exactly.”
“It won’t be easy finding a PD as capable as me.”
“You’re going to suffer. Hahaha.”
Thanks to our banter, the awkward mood finally eased.
But afterward...
I found myself thinking about it a lot.
One week later, the first-floor lounge conference room at Big Picture was filled with executives, team leaders, and employees.
CEO Han Taesung stood in front of everyone with a microphone.
“I already spoke with many of you individually in advance, but as of today, I am stepping down as CEO of Big Picture.”
“And I will be taking office as CEO of Hanshin Media.”
The employees listened quietly.
“My vacant position will be filled by Executive Director Kim Eunkyung, who will become our new CEO.”
At Han Taesung’s gesture, Kim Eunkyung briefly stood and bowed toward the employees before sitting again.
“And replacing Executive Director Kim Eunkyung, Film Team Leader Baek Seonghan will become Executive Director.”
Baek Seonghan rose with an awkward expression, bowed deeply to everyone, then sat back down.
“Also, although he was unable to attend today, Director Song Jaehyun will be joining us as an outside director.”
Applause rose from among the employees.
“And before I leave, I am carrying out one final organizational restructuring to strengthen Big Picture’s core capability.”
“Content production.”
At his words, the projector on the wall turned on.
A revised organizational chart appeared.
“First, the existing Film Planning Team and Drama Planning Team will be merged into the IP Business Division.”
“The Film Team and Drama Team will also be merged into the Production Business Division.”
“The VFX Team will become the VFX Business Division, and the Management Support Team will become the Management Support Business Division.”
He paused.
“And the person who will oversee all of these divisions as Head of Production will be Drama Planning Team Leader Min Kibaek.”
I stood and gave the gathered employees a brief bow.
“All right.”
Han Taesung smiled.
“I think my role ends here.”
“Let’s hear from the new CEO first, followed by everyone else.”
Kim Eunkyung took the microphone.
Her voice was calm, but firm.
“I feel an enormous sense of responsibility taking hold of the wheel of this giant ship called Big Picture, which CEO Han Taesung built.”
“As he said, the media market is changing rapidly.”
“My role is very clear.”
She looked around the room.
“I will become the strongest and safest fence possible, so that every employee and creator here can focus only on content without being shaken by outside pressures.”
“I will take responsibility for management and support.”
“You focus only on creating the best work possible.”
The room erupted in strong applause.
Next, Baek Seonghan stood and took the microphone.
He adjusted his tie and gave his usual friendly smile.
“Hello. I’m Baek Seonghan.”
“To be honest, I’m much more familiar with rolling around on set breathing dust than sitting behind a desk reviewing approval documents.”
“So my role is external cooperation.”
“If CEO Kim Eunkyung handles everything inside the house, I’ll run outside.”
“Investment.”
“Distribution.”
“Whatever path your content needs to reach the world, I’ll wear out my shoes making sure nothing blocks it.”
He grinned.
“I know the difficulties of the field better than most people.”
“So come to me anytime.”
Finally, it was my turn.
I stood and slowly looked around the room.
Every eye turned toward me.
“Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Min Kibaek, and I’ll be serving as Head of Production.”
“With such a sudden restructuring, I’m sure every team feels at least somewhat unsettled.”
“But this wasn’t simply a choice we made to pursue a better future.”
“It was necessary.”
I took a breath before continuing.
“CEO Han Taesung said he’s going to a bigger stage, Hanshin Media, where he’ll create a massive field for Big Picture to run on freely.”
“And our new CEO Kim Eunkyung and Executive Director Baek Seonghan said they’ll hold this place steady so we can keep moving forward without being shaken.”
I looked around.
“Then what remains is our job.”
“While management clears the road outside and builds the pillars inside...”
“We need to prepare the sharpest and most attractive weapons to place on top of that foundation.”
“Overwhelming content.”
The employees’ gazes shifted.
I smiled.
“That said, don’t get too nervous or burden yourselves too much.”
“We’re going to keep doing what we’ve always done.”
“We’ll make entertaining stories.”
I paused.
“The only difference is that we’re going to be swimming in a slightly bigger pool.”
“So...”
“Everyone ready to swim?”
Laughter broke out across the room.
Watching them laugh, I thought,
It won’t be swimming.
It’ll be surfing.
Three years until global OTT platforms like Network Flex landed in Korea.
And although they would arrive a little later, Korean OTT platforms would also begin appearing and establishing themselves.
At the very least, among Korean OTT services, we needed to be the first.
And the fastest.
“All right!”
Han Taesung raised his voice.
“To the beginning of the new Big Picture!”
The room filled with applause again.
Personnel transfers moved quickly in accordance with the new restructuring.
Ju Hanyoung, formerly head of the Film Planning Team, became head of the IP Business Division.
Under him, the division was split into Teams 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The Production Business Division worked differently.
Because most teams were formed and dissolved on a project basis, its only permanent employees were the division head and the accounting-team leader.
So we recruited a veteran producer with years of field experience to become head of the Production Business Division.
Time passed quickly.
While Big Picture prepared to leap into the new media industry through Han Taesung’s resignation, large-scale restructuring, and personnel changes, 2014 approached its end.
In the meantime, Her Memory Method, the grand-prize winner of the first New Big Competition, premiered on MBS.
With strong ratings and constant buzz after every episode, it heated up the final months of 2014.
New Moon also continued posting record growth every month after its official launch.
It was praised for demonstrating the new possibilities of the web novel market.
And as a treasure trove of original IP, it brought 2014 to a spectacular close.
“You want to invest another five billion won in the VFX Business Division?”
“Yes.”
“4K filming equipment.”
“A high-resolution archiving system.”
“Expansion of the motion-capture studio.”
I looked at Baek Seonghan.
“It may look wasteful right now, but audience expectations are going to keep rising.”
“If we want to meet them, we need to start preparing now.”
“Everything we produce has to meet global standards.”
Executive Director Baek still looked doubtful.
But he no longer argued.
He trusted the path I had shown until now.
And then...
2015 began.
Despite the energetic atmosphere of the New Year gathering, I stared at the various documents scattered across my desk.
[Sale of Mega Cinema]
The process was slower and more tedious than I had expected.
But I knew this wasn’t simply about selling a theater chain.
It was about changing the landscape of Korea’s entertainment industry.
So I forced down my impatience.
Once all these materials were gathered and the move to sell Mega Cinema was finally made...
I knew exactly how enormous the shockwaves would be.
That was why I needed to be even more careful.
Right.
To the prepared, hardship is simply another form of opportunity.
I slowly clenched my fist.
