Chapter 1104: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (28)

I rubbed my stomach as it felt like my insides were tying themselves into knots.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hearing something that heavy all at once... it feels like my stomach just seized up."

Rebecca Cassidy answered calmly.

"I may have exaggerated slightly. While it's true we've staked everything on Sound of the Sun, I don't mean the studio will literally cease to exist if the film fails."

Instantly, my stomach felt better.

"But from the perspective that the company would spend nearly a year in severe financial instability, with employees constantly worrying about job security... I think 'go under' is still an appropriate expression."

My stomach immediately lurched again.

I glanced around.

Seokhwan hyung and Director Kim Bora were wearing the exact same expressions.

Utterly drained.

Regardless of our pale faces, Rebecca remained perfectly composed.

"I'm not trying to frighten you. I'm simply stating the facts. If this project fails, I'll probably be the first person to lose my job. Even if I'm lucky enough to stay, I'll most likely end up sitting beside Mr. Goodman designing souvenir teddy bears for the studio tour gift shop."

We quietly listened as the marketing executive spoke matter-of-factly.

Her gaze shifted to her laptop.

"The reason is simple. I requested a marketing budget that far exceeded what the company originally approved."

"...By how much?"

"I asked for five times the allocated amount."

Every one of us froze with our mouths hanging open.

This woman's heart had to be made of steel.

"Which is why I intend to devote absolutely everything I have to promoting this film."

Behind her glasses, her eyes softened ever so slightly.

"Because this is a genuinely good film. I've watched countless musicals since I was a child, and I haven't seen one this good in the past ten years. With proper marketing, it will succeed."

There was a subtle excitement in her voice.

I couldn't quite explain it, but I could tell she genuinely loved films themselves. That was why she did this job.

"They say marketing can even sell a product that shouldn't sell. But when you already have a product that deserves to sell, you absolutely cannot waste that opportunity. When the quality of a film is high, marketing investment and box office performance are usually directly proportional."

In other words, every additional dollar spent promoting a genuinely good movie pushed the revenue curve higher.

As she calmly explained, I noticed the trust growing in Seokhwan hyung's and Director Kim Bora's expressions.

Perhaps it was because they believed her when she said her own career depended on this project.

I smiled.

"...Looks like all of us have a lot riding on this."

"That's right."

A faint smile crossed her face as she gestured toward the screen.

"I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Shall we continue?"

"Yes."

From there, the presentation moved into one breathtaking promotion after another.

Aside from the occasional question from Seokhwan hyung or Director Kim Bora, or my comments regarding the concert planning, we mostly listened as she explained the overall strategy.

Television commercials.

Online marketing.

Talk show appearances for the cast.

Every promotional tool the studio could possibly deploy was already included.

And at the center of all of it...

...was me.

"This is a biographical film. With biopics, the audience's attention naturally focuses less on the actors and more on the real-life person they're portraying. Furthermore, most of this film's cast doesn't possess strong global recognition."

The actors simply weren't famous enough internationally.

"Of course, Lee Gyeonwoo is an Asian superstar. However, Southeast Asia generally has relatively weak box office purchasing power. On top of that, China's National Radio and Television Administration recently informed us that Sound of the Sun has been denied theatrical release there, so his popularity in the Chinese-speaking market won't help us either."

Director Kim Bora frowned.

"They rejected it outright?"

"Yes. No room for negotiation."

Rebecca answered evenly.

"The official reasoning was that the film places excessive emphasis on Korean actors and the Korean language while promoting Western democratic ideology and an unhealthy admiration for the United States."

If China had approved the release, they could have built the campaign around Lee Gyeonwoo.

But that option was gone.

And unlike many other biopics, they couldn't simply market the film around my father either.

Sun Myungju wasn't a movie star or a pop singer.

He was a jazz pianist.

Among jazz enthusiasts, he was a living legend.

But to ordinary audiences overseas, he simply couldn't compete with contemporary actors and pop stars in name recognition.

Which left only one answer.

"Me."

"Yes."

To market the film globally...

They needed someone who already possessed global fame.

The music director who had transformed Sun Myungju's compositions into musical numbers.

And the living son of the film's protagonist.

I smiled.

"Looks like I'll be running around until my feet start sweating."

"We'll support you in every way we can so you can do exactly that, Sunny."

I nodded and began calculating.

"First, we need a target. What's this film's break-even point? Around a hundred and fifty million dollars? Maybe?"

As a general rule, a film's break-even point is roughly double its total production cost.

Originally, Sound of the Sun had needed around one hundred million dollars to break even.

Now that the marketing budget had ballooned...

I figured somewhere between one hundred fifty and two hundred million dollars.

"Three hundred million."

"..."

I turned to stone.

"Ughhhhh..."

"Don't cry."

"Ughhhhhhh..."

"Want some chocolate?"

"...Yeah."

Seokhwan hyung peeled back the wrapper and fed me a piece.

Chew.

The sweetness spread through my mouth.

The pressure in my chest didn't ease in the slightest.

"Hyung... one more."

"Open it yourself."

"Eeeeh..."

As I painstakingly unwrapped another chocolate, I noticed Director Kim Bora sitting beside me in complete emotional collapse.

"This is bad. Really bad... What am °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° I supposed to do?"

"Director... would you like some chocolate?"

"Thank you, Wooju."

The two of us quietly chewed chocolate while making identical zombie noises.

"Ughhhhh..."

Director Kim Bora took off her cardigan and fanned herself.

"I'd finally convinced myself we'd at least break even. I kept telling myself, 'Bora, even if it isn't a massive success, at least it won't lose money.' But..."

"The break-even point tripled..."

"Exactly."

"Ughhhhh..."

"Huaaah..."

"Director..."

"Wooju..."

All we could do was mourn together.

It couldn't be helped.

Three hundred million dollars.

To put it simply...

The movie needed the overseas equivalent of three separate ten-million-ticket Korean blockbusters just to break even.

"Hyung. What's still the highest-grossing Korean film ever? The Admiral Yi Sun-sin one, right?"

"Yeah."

"How much did it make?"

"Around 110 billion won domestically. Just over a hundred million dollars worldwide."

Granted, our movie wasn't purely a Korean production.

But...

Ever since we'd heard we needed at least three hundred million dollars in revenue just to break even, Director Kim Bora and I had remained in a constant state of panic.

Crk... crk...

Seokhwan hyung struggled to open a bottle of water before frowning.

"Why won't this thing open?"

"Hyung... you're turning it the wrong way."

"...Oh."

Judging by the fact that he was trying to unscrew a bottle cap in reverse, he clearly wasn't in his right mind either.

After the meeting ended, the three of us had ended up sitting in the studio café, completely hollowed out.

"..."

"..."

Silence hung over the table.

Finally, I sighed.

"What can we do? What's done is done."

"True..."

"Let's trust the global distributor. These people have spent their entire careers in the film industry."

"Exactly. And the person handling our marketing is one of the best in the business."

Director Kim Bora nodded.

"We'll just have to do absolutely everything we can. I'll do anything necessary to promote this film."

I turned toward Seokhwan hyung.

"Hyung."

"Yeah?"

"If there are any variety shows or interview opportunities available, book all of them."

"Got it."

"If we have to, I'll drag Lee Gyeonwoo sunbaenim onto variety shows with me."

For a moment, I could almost hear a distant, "...Huh? Me?"

I ignored it.

As Seokhwan hyung busily typed notes into his phone, Director Kim Bora suddenly laughed with renewed determination.

"That's right! Since we're already in this deep, let's give it absolutely everything we've got!"

She jumped to her feet.

Then she tilted her head when she realized Seokhwan hyung and I were still sitting.

"Aren't you coming? Didn't you say you had another appointment?"

"Oh. We've still got some business here at the studio."

"Another meeting."

"Oh..."

Curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

After thinking for a moment, she cautiously asked,

"Wooju... are you auditioning for a superhero movie?"

"...!"

"The only upcoming Silver Screen project big enough for you right now would be Guardians 2. If it were any other film, you would've told me what it was."

Her logic was flawless.

Chuckling, I nodded.

"I haven't been cast yet. Today's just the camera test."

"A superhero?"

"The villain."

"Oh my. That's perfect. You already fit the role."

"...Everyone keeps saying that."

My underlings had said the same thing.

Why did everyone immediately respond with, "You'll be perfect!"?

Director Kim Bora studied my face thoughtfully.

"You definitely have a villain's face more than a hero's. Especially when you're tired—your eyes take on this melancholy look. There's something about it that really appeals to women. If I were directing, you'd be my first choice."

"Hehehe!"

"That is... as long as you don't laugh like that."

"Hehehehe..."

Watching my crestfallen expression, Seokhwan hyung burst into laughter.

As we said our goodbyes, I asked,

"Director... do you have any advice for the camera test?"

"I think you'll pass easily. Camera tests for superhero films are mostly just confirmation once they've already decided on someone. Unless the costume looks completely wrong on you, you're basically in."

Then her eyes lit up.

"Oh, right. It's Director Edwards, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I've had classmates work on his films."

"And?"

"He's obsessed with action."

"Really?"

"There's practically an 'Edwards crew'—a whole stunt team that follows John Edwards from project to project. From what I've heard, he absolutely loves realistic action."

"Realistic action..."

I smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Director."

Realistic action.

Message received.

"Did your meeting go well?"

"Yes."

"Studio 13 is this way!"

Jason Kim cheerfully led us to another part of the studio.

After a ten-minute walk, the trees became denser and denser.

It looked exactly like the sort of place Junghyun would love.

"There are a lot of trees around here."

"Makes it harder for paparazzi to take pictures."

"...Ah."

"They were planted intentionally. We can't have photos of important projects leaking."

Even with a telephoto lens, all anyone would capture would be an endless wall of forest.

Soon a gigantic warehouse-like building marked 13 came into view.

"Well, this is where I leave you."

Jason waved.

"My security clearance doesn't allow me inside. Good luck!"

"Thank you."

The large security guard stationed at the entrance spoke briefly into his radio before motioning us inside.

The moment we entered—

"Whoa..."

The ceiling had to be five stories high.

Steel scaffolding crisscrossed overhead with enormous lighting rigs suspended everywhere.

Crew members hurried about in every direction.

Among them stood a heavyset middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap.

"Sunny!"

"Director Edwards!"

"You made it. What's with your face? Food poisoning?"

"...It's been a long day."

Looking at my pale complexion, he laughed and beckoned me over.

"Come on. There are a lot of people I want you to meet."

Sound.

Lighting.

Story.

Action.

Casting.

Art.

CG.

I shook hands with what felt like an endless stream of people.

"Jimmy. Tim. Mina. Jacqueline... Okay."

"What are you doing?"

"Memorizing names."

"...Already finished."

Thirty-seven people.

I mentally matched every face with every name a few more times before giving a satisfied nod.

While I silently reviewed them again, Director Edwards led me toward a corner of the studio.

A large blue-screen stage for CG filming had already been prepared.

"No need to be nervous."

He smiled.

"We're only shooting this to see how you look on camera."

"Understood."

Today's task was the camera test.

From what I'd heard, every actor in a superhero film went through one.

The reason was simple.

"Wow. You're absolutely perfect for the role. Let's sign the contract!"

"Great!"

Then...

"...Wait. Did they always look like this?"

"Why doesn't the costume suit them at all?"

Sometimes an actor who looked perfect during casting somehow became completely wrong the moment costumes, makeup, and superhero props entered the equation.

Pass this...

...and the role was yours.

"This way."

While I was having my makeup done, I called our youngest member.

"Hi, hyung!"

"Jiho. I'm about to do a camera test."

"What?! Wait! Ri Hyuk hyung isn't there, is he?! Why are you wandering off somewhere weird like Biju hyung?! You can't just sprint into bookstores like a little kid! Honestly... I'm the responsible adult around here."

"Jiho, I..."

"Wooow! Hot dogs! Mingi hyung! Let's get one!"

"Want to?"

"I'm just going to the bookstore for a second."

"Nooo! Where are you going?! We eat together! Biju hyung said NewBlack even eats poisonous mushrooms together!"

"Excuse me..."

Beep.

The call ended.

I stared blankly into the distance.

Behind me, the American hair and makeup artists quietly chuckled.

My face grew hot.

Even if they couldn't understand Korean, anyone could tell what had just happened.

"...Your members aren't exactly helping."

I looked into the mirror.

With my eyebrows darkened, my features looked much sharper than usual.

At the same time...

There was a faint sadness in my expression.

Every brushstroke made my jawline more defined.

"Hoo..."

The makeup artists watched with satisfied smiles, practically sniffling in appreciation.

Behind me, I noticed countless eyes.

Staff members had gathered at the doorway just to watch.

I had no idea why even the CG department had wandered over, but apparently my makeup had already passed inspection.

"This way."

After finishing makeup, I changed into costume.

A worn wool coat.

Old trousers.

Something a drifter wandering through the city might wear.

Then I remembered Director Edwards' trademark style.

Everything grounded in reality.

No matter what the subject was, he always tried to make it feel like something that could genuinely exist.

Honestly...

I preferred this to skin-tight superhero suits.

When I walked back onto the soundstage, murmurs spread throughout the room.

"...!"

Director Edwards clapped enthusiastically.

"Yes! That's it!"

"You like it?"

"Like it? This is exactly how I imagined Fang."

He motioned me toward the camera.

I took my place in front of the blue screen.

"You haven't researched the character yet, have you?"

"No. You specifically told me not to."

He had asked me not to study the role until after today's meeting, so all I knew was the bare minimum.

"Good."

He smiled.

"Then let's see what you come up with naturally."

"Yes, sir."

I rolled my shoulders loose before asking,

"What would you like me to do?"

"Imagine you've become a wolf."

He grinned.

"Do anything you want. No dialogue."

I closed my eyes for a moment.

A wolf...

Director Kim Bora's advice echoed through my mind.

"He loves realistic action."

Realistic action.

My eyes snapped open.

A smile spread across my face.

I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Thump.

Without warning...

Sun Wooju dropped to the floor.

"...?"

"...??"

Director John Edwards and the entire production staff blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Why is he kneeling..."

Just then—

Wooju slammed one hand against the floor, his expression turning feral.

...Wait.

He didn't kneel.

He's gathering momentum!

Everyone watched with growing curiosity.

What was he about to do?

"...Huh?"

"...He's running?"

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

Sun Wooju exploded forward—

Running powerfully on all fours.

"...?"

"...??"

These were veterans of Hollywood.

People who proudly believed they'd seen everything the industry had to offer while working on Guardians 2.

Wh... what is that?

Am I hallucinating?

One after another...

Every single person began rubbing their eyes.