Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 787: Film Production Begins (2)

"Director Yeo Ik-Hwan's recent career is the problem."

President Shin Jong-Ki said that Director Yeo Ik-Hwan's image as a director who ruined his last three films would negatively affect public opinion.

Worried Yeo Ik-Hwan might be hurt, I quickly turned my head.

Yeo Ik-Hwan only gave an awkward smile. "It's okay. I already talked to Mr. Shin before you arrived, Mr. Jung."

"You did?"

"Yes. I was concerned that the failure of my last three films might drag this project down."

Yeo Ik-Hwan had written and directed his debut film The New Employee, which became a massive hit with five million viewers. It was a phenomenal success, especially for a low-budget film made with just one billion won.

Yet, after that, all three of his following works flopped badly. Yeo Ik-Hwan gave up on directing and took a professorship at Seoul National University of the Arts. He said he was worried that this track record might hold back the success of the new movie.

Shin Jong-Ki, looking apologetic, backed up Yeo Ik-Hwan's point. "Hey, if Chief Jung vouches for someone, I trust them without question. I mean, The New Employee brought in five million people. That alone proves your talent, Director Yeo. It's just bad timing. Isn't Hoop Entertainment about to go public?"

Even under normal circumstances, this would be a sensitive issue for the stock market. But right before an IPO, it could become a major liability.

Shin Jong-Ki carefully continued, "That's why... even if we go ahead with production, how about we delay announcing the director until after April 1st? This was Director Yeo's suggestion too."

Yeo Ik-Hwan said he made the proposal himself, wanting to help me and willing to set aside his pride. I was deeply grateful, but I had already prepared for this from the start.

I smiled, confident I had chosen the right director. "That won't be necessary."

When I said it was fine, Yeo Ik-Hwan actually looked flustered. "Mr. Jung, I really don't mind. There's no need to go out of your way for me."

"No. Once we start production, it'll be public knowledge anyway, and it will impact the stock price. That's why I've already made preparations for the concern you mentioned."

"Preparations?"

"Yes. From now on, I'm going to rebrand you as Korea's greatest genius director."

Yeo Ik-Hwan looked stunned. "E-Excuse me?"

"Huh? Chief Jung, what exactly are you planning?" Shin Jong-Ki asked what I meant.

"Here, take a look at this first."

I pulled out my phone and showed them a few network programming schedules.

[MBS Thursday Schedule]

-11 p.m.: Thursday Special Movie The New Employee

[TVM Friday Schedule]

-10 p.m.: TVM Classic Movie The New Employee

[KBC Saturday Schedule]

-2 p.m.: Saturday Special Movie The New Employee

...

I had lobbied various broadcasters to schedule reruns of The New Employee, the film that showcased Yeo Ik-Hwan's brilliance. It was to reintroduce him to the public before Saturday's interview.

"If The New Employee airs repeatedly on TV, it's bound to create buzz."

The New Employee had drawn five million viewers. It had also spawned internet memes, so once it aired again, clips would definitely flood the online communities just like five years ago.

Shin Jong-Ki nodded. "Right. The online communities were on fire when the movie came out five years ago, weren't they?"

"Yes, sir. If it goes viral again, I plan to have reporters from Star Exclusive and Weekly Star run a special feature on Mr. Yeo Ik-Hwan. I'll frame him as a 'tragic genius director.'"

"That actually sounds plausible."

"I've prepared a lot more beyond that."

I had planned for Yoo-Jin's promotion through Instargem, and a press release announcing that Bang Seon-Woo—the popular composer behind Cherry Blossom and Project I.O.A—will be producing the entire soundtrack. I also planned to interview Choi Jin-Tae, the actor who played the lead role of Jang Il-San in The New Employee, and have him praise the director on record.

Shin Jong-Ki let out a quiet sigh of admiration. "Phew~ Turns out the real problem was me not fully trusting Chief Jung. Hahaha."

As Shin Jong-Ki burst into laughter, it spread to the others around us.

Moments later, Shin Jong-Ki sobered and said, "Okay then. Coordinate with Director Lee Eun-Joo here on the promotional budget. LT Entertainment will cover the cost."

"Of course you should."

"Oh, look at you. No hesitation now, huh?"

"I've decided to just accept whatever you offer me."

Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo grinned and chimed in. "Naturally. Oh, and we'll also be giving you a separate promo fee, Mr. Jung."

"Instead of a flat fee, could I get a percentage?"

Yoo-Jin was currently contracted for five hundred million won plus 5% of the profits. It was because she was expected to lead most of the film with acting, singing, and dancing. Since I wasn't an actor or crew member, I would've been satisfied even with just 0.5%. After all, even that would likely exceed a hundred million won.

However, Lee Eun-Joo gave me an unexpected response with a nod. "We'll give you 2% of the profits, Mr. Jung."

"Sorry? Did you say 2%?"

"Yes!" Lee Eun-Joo glanced to the side. "Mr. Shin, is that alright?"

Shin Jong-Ki let out a hearty laugh. "Of course it is. This whole project only got this far thanks to Chief Jung. Actually, 2% seems a bit low... Let's make it 3%. Don't you think so?"

"Got it. Then 3%! Deal!"

Unexpectedly, I had just received a 3% share of the film's profits.

I smiled and replied, "Hahaha, thank you."

"No, we should be thanking you for giving us this kind of project. Just make sure the promotions go well."

"Leave it to me!"

These two made all the hard work feel worthwhile.

I nodded, then turned to Yeo Ik-Hwan. "Mr. Yeo, just like I said when I first brought you in—please focus only on the directing. I'll handle everything else."

I could see strength returning to Yeo Ik-Hwan's eyes, where self-confidence had faded after a string of failures.

"I'll do my best, Mr. Jung."

"Great. Then shall we finally talk about the movie?"

Only then did we forget all our worries and begin discussing the script for She Was Beautiful.

"I think the female lead, Han Bit-Na, would be better with a more upbeat personality..."

Yoo-Jin, who had been reviewing the script, spoke up with her thoughts.

Scratch, scratch.

Writer Wang Mi-In noted Yoo-Jin's comments on her tablet and started incorporating the requested changes. She was determined to shape it into a ten-million-viewer hit, just like Yoo-Jin envisioned.

***

The first script meeting for She Was Beautiful came to an end. We decided to announce the director and the audition date at Saturday's press conference. After that, we headed down to the underground parking lot.

When I checked the time in the car, it was 10:30 a.m. At 12:20, I was scheduled to pick up Miso from school and head to the script reading for KBC's Haze, so I still had an hour and a half.

"Yoo-Jin. Since we have some time, let's go see Composer Choi Tae-Yong."

Before the regression, Park Eun-Bin had released the theme song 'Dreams Come True' on the same day She Was Beautiful premiered. The song held the number one spot on the charts for six straight weeks, contributing massively to the film's success. That was why I planned to visit Composer Choi Tae-Yong, the one behind 'Dreams Come True,' and get a track from him for the theme song this time as well.

Just then, Yoo-Jin slid her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose, stretched her arm dramatically toward the windshield, and shouted, "Let's get it!"

"Okay~ just a second."

Smiling, I called Choi Tae-Yong. He answered with cheerful familiarity.

-Wow, Chief Jung is calling me? I think this is the first time I've heard your voice since you were a rookie. You've been doing well, huh?

"You're the one on fire these days. That number one track for Park Eun-Bin—you wrote that, didn't you?"

Choi Tae-Yong was a ten-year veteran composer, best known for Bling Bling, a hit by Petite More. He had made a name for himself with Petite More's string of successes. And recently, he was the composer behind Park Eun-Bin's chart-topping 'White Day Proposal.'

"Actually, I was thinking of stopping by today to get a song. Would you happen to be free?"

-Me? I'm always in the studio. Who's the song for? Is it something for Project I.O.A.?

"Hahaha, can't really say just yet."

With ten years in the industry, Choi Tae-Yong was the type to charge an absurd price if he sensed hesitation. It was better to first find out if he had a song I liked, and then negotiate.

-Alright then. Where are you?

"I'm in Samseong-dong. I'll head over now."

-Oh, you're nearby. Come on over. I'll be waiting.

After hanging up, Yoo-Jin and I headed to Choi Tae-Yong's studio.

***

We parked in the basement of a mid-sized building tucked behind the main road in Samseong-dong and pressed the intercom at the entrance to the first-floor underground studio.

With a beep, Choi Tae-Yong—tall and sporting a long ponytail—came down.

"Oh? Miss Yoo-Jin came too?"

Yoo-Jin gave a polite nod. "Yes. We were on the move for a schedule and decided to drop by. I've heard a lot about you."

"Heard about me? I'd be lucky if Chief Jung didn't badmouth me."

"Oh my, who'd dare say anything about Composer Choi Tae-Yong? You're known as a hitmaker."

"Hahaha. That's an honor to hear."

With greetings exchanged, we stepped inside the studio. In Studio 1, which housed four large recording rooms, a big monitor was already on.

"I queued up some pre-composed tracks. They're carefully selected, so they should be something you like," Choi Tae-Yong said.

About a hundred fifty tracks were listed, but it was obvious Choi Tae-Yong hadn't worked on even thirty of them. The rest were likely composed by his junior staff, also known as composer assistants.

These assistants worked under famous composers without pay, learning the trade. But under the guise of mentorship, the songs they wrote were registered under Choi Tae-Yong's name. In other words, this place operated like a music factory, exploiting young composers in the name of teaching. It was a common and deeply entrenched practice in the industry, so tackling the issue wasn't easy.

Every composer made use of assistants in a similar way. So if I made waves, I could end up going against dozens of major studios.

Choi Tae-Yong asked, "What would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? I've got good options for both."

"Just water is fine."

"And you, Miss Yoo-Jin?"

"Water for me too."

"Got it."

Choi Tae-Yong pressed the call button for the studio.

Beep.

-Yes, Mr. Choi.

"Bring two glasses of water."

-Understood.

No sooner had he released the button than a woman in her mid-20s appeared at the door. Thin, wearing glasses, and dressed in a stretched-out T-shirt, she gave a small bow and handed over two glasses of water.

"Thanks. You can go now."

At that moment, she hesitated and spoke up. "Um... the four members of Petite More just arrived. They're looking for you."

'Petite More came? Of all times, why now?'

"Did you invite them?" I asked.

Choi Tae-Yong gave an awkward look. He knew there was bad blood between me and Petite More.

"No, I wouldn't try to screw you over or anything. I'm just working on Petite More's comeback track, so the girls have been dropping by a lot lately."

"Hmm, I see. Then we'll just go ahead and listen to the tracks on our own. Go ahead and greet them."

"Well, I can't just leave guests alone..." Choi Tae-Yong hesitated, then turned to the woman who had brought us the water. "Sae-Yeon. Help Chief Jung go through the songs."

The woman, now named Sae-Yeon, looked uncomfortable. "I need to check on Hye-Jung. She's sick at home."

"It'll just take a minute. Don't you know who Chief Jung is? He's the ace of Hoop. A VIP like him wants one of our studio's tracks. I'll be right back, so stay here."

"I really need to go pick up her medicine right now..."

Suddenly, Choi Tae-Yong snapped. "Ah, seriously. Hey! I get it. You want money, right? You always pull this crap when there are guests around."

"I'm sorry."

The way Choi Tae-Yong lashed out made me want to step in, but not knowing the full story, I hesitated.

After snapping at Yoon Sae-Yeon, Choi Tae-Yong turned to us with a sheepish look. "Sorry, Chief Jung. Sae-Yeon here is my second assistant. She'll help you pick something out. She's not as sharp as Hye-Jung, my first assistant, but she's decent."

"Got it."

"Alright, I'll be back."

Choi Tae-Yong stepped out and closed the studio door behind him.

Thud.

The tracks were important, but it didn't sit right with me to keep someone here when someone they care about is sick.

"Ms. Sae-Yeon, what's going on?" I asked.

However, Yoon Sae-Yeon didn't answer. Instead, she reached for the mouse. "I'll play the songs for you."

I figured I would let her guard down with some small talk, then ask again. As someone in the same industry, maybe I could help her.

"Could you sort the track titles in Korean alphabetical order, instead of English?"

"Sure."

Yoon Sae-Yeon reorganized the list in Korean alphabetical order. And there it was—right at the top: 'Dreams Come True.'

Suppressing my excitement, I pointed at the title. "Nice title. Mind if we start with that one?"

"Of course."

Yoon Sae-Yeon double-clicked. From the studio speakers, the melody of 'Dreams Come True' began to play.

'Found it.'

***

I had found the same theme song from before the regression. Still, I made sure to pick out about five more tracks and listened to just the first verse of each. I couldn't let it show which song I really wanted. Otherwise, Choi Tae-Yong would get the upper hand in negotiations.

'Party Night With You,' 'Red Dress,' 'Destined One'—they were all songs idols had used as sub-title tracks before the regression. Nevertheless, I had no use for those kinds of tracks with Bang Seon-Woo in our company. All I needed was 'Dreams Come True.' If I secured that, it would be a huge win.

"These are all great."

Yoon Sae-Yeon let out a quiet sigh. "Shall I go get Mr. Choi?"

"Not yet. Can you tell me more about your situation first, Ms. Sae-Yeon?"

I said I was familiar with how composer assistants were treated and wanted to help. I couldn't change the whole world, but I didn't want to turn away from something I might be able to fix.

Yoo-Jin spoke gently from the side. "Ms. Sae-Yeon, sometimes it takes courage to ask for help. Say something. My talent agent oppa isn't the kind of guy who talks down to people."

Encouraged by Yoo-Jin, Yoon Sae-Yeon finally began to speak. "Actually, the new song 'Say It Again' by Pink Diamond was written by me. Hye-Jung arranged it."

'Say It Again,' TK Entertainment's new release by Pink Diamond, was a lively dance track with choreography emphasizing femininity. It had become quite popular.

"Did Mr. Choi at least list you as a co-writer? Otherwise, you won't receive any royalties."

Yoon Sae-Yeon shook her head. "No. He said he'd give Hye-Jung and me five hundred thousand won each, but we haven't seen a cent. That's what I was trying to say earlier."

"I see..."

"And... all the songs you've just heard? Hye-Jung and I worked on those together."

So even the original soundtrack for She Was Beautiful had an uncredited original creator, just like the screenplay had.

Yet unlike the script, where we had Wang Mi-In to confirm authorship, this situation was trickier. All the songs sold through the studio were already registered under Choi Tae-Yong's name. This meant that the songs were legally his.

Sure, a lawsuit could eventually restore rights to the actual creators, but as long as that legal battle lasted, I wouldn't be able to use the music in the film. And if I bought usage rights as things stood, royalties would go straight to Choi Tae-Yong, not the real composers.

The script revisions for She Was Beautiful were almost done, and once casting and location scouting wrapped up, we would be ready to shoot. We needed the theme song immediately.

But now that I knew who the true composers were, I couldn't just ignore it.

That's when it hit me—a way to use the song without risking a lawsuit while also ensuring royalties went to the real creators.

'That's it!'