Chapter 89
“Everyone read the scripts for Parts 1 and 2, right? Ha... I seriously don’t even know what I’m supposed to say about this.”
Won Sechang let out a troubled sigh as he stared at the script lying in front of him.
Lee Hyunwoo and Kang Juyoung from the planning team cautiously watched Won Sechang’s expression before turning their eyes toward me.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“Then does Team Leader Min actually like this script? No, isn’t the first episode way too heavy and depressing? No matter what, the viewers have certain expectations for Writer Hong. What are we supposed to do if we destroy all those expectations like this...?”
“Wasn’t this roughly the tone we expected when we first read the proposal?”
Won Sechang frowned, clearly irritated by how calmly I answered him.
“Ha, the tone we expected? Team Leader Min, this is the script for Episode 1. Episode 1! If the very first broadcast is this depressing, who’s going to watch the next episode?”
After that, Won Sechang continued pouring out one-sided complaints about the script.
“Why is everyone suddenly silent? Am I wrong? You all read the scripts, didn’t you? Are we really going to schedule a meeting with Writer Hong like this?”
Under Won Sechang’s pressure, Lee Hyunwoo from the planning team stepped forward and spoke.
“Actually, I enjoyed it. I thought it felt even fresher because it broke away from the usual formula. And I don’t think we can simply call it heavy and depressing. The scene where the protagonist, Dayoung, swears revenge almost felt noble to me. It really stayed with me.”
This time, Kang Juyoung agreed with Lee Hyunwoo and continued.
“I thought something similar. And the ending of Part 2 creates the feeling that a new romance is about to begin, so it makes viewers curious about next week’s episode. Personally, I thought Writer Hong’s control over the pacing was brilliant.”
Won Sechang glared at the two of them and frowned.
“Tch. Noble? Brilliant pacing, my ass... You two haven’t even been on the planning team for long. What do rookies like you know, butting into the conversation like that?”
I was so dumbfounded by Won Sechang’s attitude that a sigh almost escaped my mouth.
Forget proper analysis of the work.
The fact that he would suppress and dismiss someone else’s opinion with such an overbearing attitude simply because it differed from his own was almost shocking.
That was when Choi Kyungmin, who had remained silent the entire time, slowly opened his mouth.
“If you feel the overall tone is too heavy and depressing, Director, why don’t you suggest making one or two scenes a little lighter?”
Perhaps because those words came from Choi Kyungmin, who had worked closely with him for several years, Won Sechang’s expression softened slightly.
However, he still grumbled in a sharp tone.
“Would that even work? She acts like she’s some incredible writer. If I tell her to change something, who knows what she’ll say to me...”
Kang Juyoung stared at Won Sechang with an expression that practically screamed,
‘Tch. You can’t even say anything to her yourself, so why the hell are you taking it out on us?’
I looked at Kang Juyoung and barely held back a laugh before quickly changing the subject.
“Ah, by the way, Assistant Director, what are you planning to do about the FDs?”
Unlike movies, dramas didn’t divide the directing team and production team.
The assistant director was called the AD, while the staff members working beneath the AD were called FDs.
“Ah, for the FD positions, I already found a decent intern from MBS. I think we only need to hire the youngest AD from outside. And once filming starts, we can just hire a few part-timers to work on set.”
“Okay. Then by when would you like me to find the AD?”
“The sooner, the better for me.”
“Understood.”
After that, we continued discussing the main staff, including the camera, lighting, art, and prop teams.
Won Sechang said that, except for the synchronized sound recording team and the costume and makeup teams, he already had crews he had worked with for years, so there was no need for me to worry about the rest.
Our brief meeting lasted around two hours.
Once it ended, Won Sechang said he had another appointment and left first.
The rest of us moved to a restaurant and continued talking while having lunch together.
Unlike Won Sechang, Choi Kyungmin rarely spoke.
He always wore a faint smile, but in reality, his facial expression hardly ever changed.
“By the way, Assistant Director, aren’t you going to direct your own project? You already have five years of experience, but it seems like you keep working as an assistant director or directing the B-team for other people’s projects...”
I had already studied Choi Kyungmin’s career history, so I asked as politely as possible without crossing the line.
“Ah, well... Maybe I’m still lacking in skill. My seniors also tell me that I still have more to learn...”
Choi Kyungmin answered with an awkward expression.
Ha... Looks like he’s been properly gaslighted.
He doesn’t even realize how talented he actually is...
Of all people, how did someone like him end up getting caught under a man like Won Sechang...?
It was obvious what would happen with this drama as well.
Choi Kyungmin would end up handling practically all the real directing work in Won Sechang’s place.
Just thinking about it made anger rise from deep inside me.
But I quickly calmed myself.
Because Choi Kyungmin was one of the hopes I had been counting on.
Fortunately, Choi Kyungmin hadn’t confronted Director Hwang Donghyuk and had instead joined this project.
For me, that was incredibly lucky.
He had yet to debut as a main director, but no matter what anyone said, Choi Kyungmin was still a producer belonging to the MBS Drama Department.
So even if I removed Won Sechang from this project, as long as I pushed Choi Kyungmin into his position, the chance of the entire project collapsing would drop below thirty percent.
All right.
Then from now on, I need to seriously start looking for a proper reason to drag Won Sechang down.
While I was lost in thought...
“Team Leader, do you not have much of an appetite? Why are you eating so little? Here, at least try some of this.”
Choi Kyungmin apparently thought I wasn’t eating because I had no appetite.
He placed a piece of meat on top of my rice and gave me his usual kind smile.
Ha...
I guess someone with such delicate emotions would naturally make such delicate dramas...
I was genuinely moved by Choi Kyungmin’s thoughtful and humane attitude.
And I made up my mind.
