Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 645 Azure Dragon TV West Eight Glory!

Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Park Jung-jung had just finalized the details of the party when they saw the Blue Dragon TV Awards nominations online the next day.

The Blue Dragon TV Awards in South Korea are hosted by the Chosun Sports newspaper. The main reason for their establishment was to adapt to the new trends in the development of the film and television industry, break the framework of traditional award ceremonies, and promote the development of Korean television culture.

With the rise of streaming platforms, original TV dramas, variety shows, and other content are becoming increasingly abundant and their influence is constantly expanding.

To recognize and commend the artistic value and popularity of these streaming media contents, the Chosun Sports Daily established the Blue Dragon TV Awards in 2022.

This is South Korea's first awards ceremony themed around streaming media series content.

As previously mentioned, the establishment of the Blue Dragon TV Awards has had a significant impact on actors, making the competition less intense. At the same time, because of the Blue Dragon Awards, the prestige of the awards is still very high, and those who win are recognized as Best Actor and Best Actress.

Kwon Heon-hyuk has been nominated for Best Actor again for his role in "DP".

This time he didn't rely on the company's public relations team, and more importantly, the chances of him winning another award are slim.

He's already won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actor, which is the most prestigious individual award for Korean dramas. He can't have both.

Following the original trajectory, Lee Jung-jae of "Squid Game" won the Best Actor award.

Industry insiders largely speculate that Lee Jung-jae will win the Best Actor award, since the award is now only given to streaming dramas, and Lee Jung-jae's acting skills are undeniable. They can't let the popularity of the drama prevent him from winning it.

Lee Jung-jae also won his first Best Actor award at the Blue Dragon TV Awards. Of course, this only refers to the awards he won in South Korea; he has already won an Emmy Award overseas.

The Blue Dragon TV Awards have a very clean and straightforward award structure.

TV King/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Newcomer/Actress, Best Production, Popularity Award, and that's about it.

There are quite a few nominated works, and the number of nominated works is not reduced just because they are only nominated within the scope of streaming TV series.

Moreover, the scope of this specific streaming drama series is actually somewhat vague, as it also includes drama series that were first broadcast on television and later released on streaming platforms.

This expands the scope further.

Over the past two years, streaming media has developed at an astonishing pace, so fast that it has already taken over half the market, even surpassing television stations.

"The Beautiful Cells", "Juvenile Court", "DP", "Let's Go to the Blue House", "Squid Game", and so on.

Kwon Heon-hyuk was nominated for Best Actor, but he didn't care much about it and just went through the motions.

The first one sounds like it would be quite meaningful to participate.

The phone vibrated dully on the shelf, and the name "Dior-Liu Hongzhen Representative" appeared on the screen.

Quan Xuanhe glanced at it, but when he saw the name, a hint of expectation flashed in his eyes.

Park Jung-jung's news that he had basically finalized the cover deal with ELLE KOREA for the October issue naturally meant he also had to discuss cover sponsorship with Dior.

He gestured for his assistant to wait a moment and then answered the phone.

"Yo-ho, Representative Liu?" Kwon Hyun-hyuk's voice was just the right amount of warm, without the slightest hint of anything amiss.

"Xuanhe-xi!" Liu Hongzhen's voice was even more enthusiastic than at the last banquet, even with a hint of excitement.

Kwon Heon-hyuk's winning the Best Actor award boosted the exposure of a series of brands, especially Dior, whose collaboration with Kim Ji-soo generated considerable buzz some time ago.

"After the Baeksang Arts Awards, you must be very busy, right?"

"No, they're just trivial matters."

"I'm so happy for you!" Liu Hongzhen's voice rose a little.

"To become a TV King at such a young age is truly an amazing achievement. His future is incredibly bright!"

"Representative Liu, you flatter me," Quan Xuanhe replied modestly, though he knew very well that this was just a polite opening.

Liu Hongzhen chuckled twice, showing no annoyance but a knowing familiarity. "As for the October cover of ELLE KOREA, Zhengting has already told me that sponsorship shouldn't be a problem."

Quan Xuanhe chuckled lightly: "Thank you, Representative Liu."

Liu Hongzhen lowered her voice and became more sincere.

"Xuanhe, seeing how active you are and how well you're developing, to be honest, our whole team is very happy."

"The results are really good, and the things they did were also very good."

Liu Hongzhen paused, seemingly giving Quan Xuanhe time to think, then said with regret, "It's such a pity that our contract has come to an end!"

Quan Xuanhe's eyes showed even deeper understanding; after going around in circles, the true intentions were finally revealed.

Two months ago, Dior subtly mentioned the contract renewal, but at that time he didn't seem to be in a hurry, and there was no further news.

Why is he suddenly anxious now that he's won the Best Actor award, and wants to come looking for him?
Aren't you afraid he'll rip you off by raising the price drastically?

Liu Hongzhen's voice became even more sincere.

“Xuanhe, the Paris headquarters values ​​you highly. Their evaluation of your explosive growth and the huge improvement you have brought to the brand image is unprecedented.”

It's now 2022, and high-end brand endorsements are becoming increasingly common, or as the saying goes, they're becoming more and more ubiquitous. More and more actors are trying to emulate Kwon Heon-hyuk by seeking high-end brand endorsements.

Some actors even went so far as to pay extra to obtain titles that were merely nominal and had no real meaning, and then used these titles to market themselves as high-end endorsements and other commercially valuable products.

But everyone can clearly see what is just a common commodity exchanged for benefits, and what truly has value.

He emphasized the most crucial point: "Regarding the renewal, we will never skimp on resources and sincerity."

“We are prepared to reassess your value and hope to offer you an unprecedented return in terms of contract framework and endorsement level.”

"It's not just a simple renewal of your beauty line contract; we will seriously consider how to better match your current status."

Undoubtedly, Kwon Heon-hyuk's rising status and commercial value have prompted Dior to reveal their hand prematurely.

The changes in the past two months have been tremendous. Kwon Heon-hyuk had two projects aired one after another, making his resume even more impressive, and he also won the Best Actor award.

Who knows what will happen to him later? It's better to strike while the iron is hot and sign the contract renewal quickly, so as to avoid having to pay an even higher price later.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was not immediately blinded by the promise of huge profits.

"I truly felt Representative Liu's sincerity," Quan Xuanhe said, maintaining a respectful tone.

"It is an honor to receive such attention from Dior and its Paris headquarters."

He abruptly changed the subject, casually regaining control of the negotiations while offering the other party a way out and clear instructions for action:

"However, contracts are a very important matter, and all aspects need to be considered. My manager, Representative Park Jung-jung, has been following up on the cover issue these past few days."

"How about this, after we're done with this busy period, I'll have him bring his team, and we can sit down and have a serious, detailed discussion?"

This means: I've heard your terms, they're very good, and very tempting.

But is it actually worth it? How good can it be? How will it be implemented?

My management team needs to "nitpick" with you.

Liu Hongzhen on the other end of the phone immediately understood.

Kwon Heonhyuk did not refuse; instead, he took the initiative to suggest that the team discuss the matter in detail, which was a positive sign in itself!
Although he wouldn't be easily persuaded, Liu Hongzhen was confident that she could firmly bind this top star to Dior, given his determination and the bargaining chips he could offer, as long as he was willing to sit at the negotiating table.

"That's wonderful." Liu Hongzhen's voice was filled with joy and satisfaction.

“Xuanhe is indeed a wise man. Then it’s a deal. I will have my assistant coordinate with Representative Park immediately to arrange a renewal discussion as soon as possible.”

"Always waiting."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk hung up the phone and then returned to filming on set.

"Dark Glory" is scheduled to be released at the end of the year, and the filming pace is very fast.

It's said to be broadcast in two seasons, but in reality, based on the completeness of the plot, it's just one season split in half for broadcast.

This may be a change in Netflix's broadcasting strategy.

Netflix may have realized that the buzz generated by airing all episodes at once fades a bit faster compared to the previous weekly releases.

However, part of Netflix's initial success was due to its strategy of releasing all episodes at once, and this fundamental plan cannot be changed.

So a compromise was reached: the series was broadcast in parts.

Dark Glory plans to do this, as does the upcoming Squid Game, and even a series of other major series have adopted this model.

"The Decision to Break Up" has been in theaters for over a month now.

The film attracted approximately 180 million viewers a month after its release, but successfully surpassed the break-even point of 130 million viewers.

The high profits from the early sale of overseas copyrights became a key factor in recouping the investment.

While the number of large-scale screenings has decreased, some art-house cinemas and cinemas in core business districts still maintain long-term screenings of 1-2 shows per day, attracting art lovers, Park Chan-wook fans, and researchers of Tang Wei and Park Hae-il's acting skills to watch and analyze the details repeatedly.

As a Cannes competition film, it has received screening invitations from A-list international film festivals such as Toronto, San Sebastián, and London.

This will further solidify its international reputation as an "artistic masterpiece of the year" and pave the way for a run for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.

Criticism from ordinary viewers regarding the "slow pace" and "incomprehensibility" has not subsided.

Social media platforms often feature direct feedback such as "I persevered and watched it all because of Tang Wei's looks" and "Kwon Heon-hyuk's appearance was stunning, but he had too few scenes."

"Decision to Break Up" is a breakthrough work for Park Chan-wook, a romantic art film that breaks away from his previous creative style.

South Korean media continue to hype up Tang Wei's "Best Actress-level performance," making her a hot candidate for Best Actress at various film awards at the end of the year for her role as "Song Seo-rae."

I wonder if Kwon Heon-hyuk will be able to snag a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

He had absolutely no expectation of winning an award. The role had too little screen time and was too much of a tool; getting a nomination would have been quite good enough.

After the film was released, its artistic style captivated many celebrities, resulting in sustained exposure and exceptionally high popularity.

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting long shadows in the studio filled with props.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk leaned to one side, his long fingers swiping rapidly across his phone screen, his thoughts drawn to director Ahn Gil-ho's shouts.

"CUT! Cut! Cut, cut, cut, cut!"

Director Ahn, holding a walkie-talkie, spoke from behind the monitor: "Ji-yeon-ssi! Your emotions are building up! Building up! I didn't expect you to want to tear Moon Dong-eun to pieces from the very first second! You need to hold back, suppress it first, then explode!"

The monitor screen froze on the face of Park Yeon-jin, played by Lim Ji-yeon, whose face was distorted with anger and whose eyes seemed to be strained too much.

The character she plays is the mastermind behind a school bullying incident and is going through a crucial showdown.

Lim Ji-yeon quickly took a deep breath and bowed apologetically: "Mianye, Director-nim! I'll adjust it again."

Across from her stood Han Hyo-joo, dressed in simple, even worn-out clothes, slowly loosening her fists, which she had clenched tightly during their rehearsal.

She glanced at the slightly flustered Lim Ji-yeon, then turned to look at Kwon Seon-hyuk on the sidelines, her eyes filled with a hint of teasing.

Quan Xuanhe happened to look up and met her gaze.

Park Sung-hoon, who plays Jeon Jae-joon, imitated a female voice in a high-pitched voice, speaking towards Lim Ji-yeon.

"Aigoo~ Our Yeonjin." He said with a relaxed expression and a smile to the camera shooting behind-the-scenes footage.
"Hey, that's enough!" Lin Zhiyan said, annoyed and embarrassed.

After making a few adjustments, filming resumed.

"Hey, you son of a bitch! Who do you think you are?"

Lim Ji-yeon looked at Han Hyo-joo standing in front of her, her face contorting into a sinister expression, and shouted her lines at the top of her lungs.

"Yeonjin~"

"Wow, Spain!"

Watching Han Hyo-joo walk further and further away, Lim Ji-yeon finally stopped hiding her anger and let out a loud "Shiba!" that echoed throughout the entire set.

Such scenes were repeated on set.

"Hey! You crazy woman, what do you want?! What gives you the right to—bullshit!!!!!"

This time, "Xi Ba" no longer growled, but screamed with all its might. The sound was so high-pitched and abrupt that it was like a loudspeaker suddenly exploding, instantly piercing through the originally solemn atmosphere.

Kwon Seonhyuk, who was standing off-camera, was about to take a sip of water when he was startled by the sudden "Shiba," causing his hand to tremble and almost spill the water.

Another scene, led by Jeon Jae-joon and Choi Hye-jung, then unfolds.

Director Ahn Gil-ho sits behind the monitor, watching the scene where Park Sung-hoon plays Jeon Jae-joon, an arrogant rich second-generation heir who is angered by Choi Hye-jung, a girl from a humble background who tries hard to curry favor with him, over a trivial matter.

Park Sung-hoon's eyes were contemptuous, and a hint of sarcasm played on his lips.

“Hey, Choi Hye-jung,” he said in a low voice, but with a distinctly insulting tone, pointing rudely at Cha Joo-young.

"Can't you use your underdeveloped brain a little before you do anything? (You bastard)... You're simply..."

The clear and distinctive "Xi Ba" was like a pebble thrown into a temporarily calm lake.

Quan Xuanhe, who was drinking water in the rest area, raised his eyebrows slightly and unconsciously twitched the corners of his mouth.

Behind the monitor, Director Ahn frowned and picked up the walkie-talkie: "Jeon Jae-joon's anger is condescending disdain, not hysteria! Park Sung-hoon, watch your tone and expression! Let's do it again!"

Park Sung-hoon immediately bowed: "Myanmar, Director."

He adjusted his demeanor, trying to express that condescending contempt in a more "elegant" way.

Filming resumed again.

When Choi Hye-jung humbly tries to salvage the situation again, but clumsily knocks things over, the forced upper-class composure of Jeon Jae-joon, played by Park Sung-hoon, completely crumbles.

A powerful, unrestrained exclamation: "!! (Damn it! That's incredibly stupid!)"

Accompanied by an exaggerated gesture of rubbing his forehead, the voice burst forth loudly, conveying the character's fury with exceptionally apt tone.

"Oh, Cheng Xun." Director Ahn Gil-ho was both amused and exasperated. His hand holding the walkie-talkie trembled, and his voice was more helpless than reproachful.

“Anger, anger is okay, but Park Yeon-jin’s way of yelling is enough. Don’t go any further.”

In another scene, it was Lee Sa-ra, played by Kim Hera, who took the stage.

The character she plays is experiencing drug withdrawal and extreme agitation, which requires explosive dialogue in her scenes.

Kim Hera completely immersed herself in the character's neurotic, explosive state, roaring at Choi Hye-jung who came to dissuade her.

"?!?! (What?! Damn it! Don't fucking mess with me, understand?!)"

Perhaps it was Park Sung-hoon who started it, or perhaps it was Kim Hera's performance that was a bit like Lee Sa-ra's hysterical acting, but this "Shiba" was also extremely penetrating.

Park Sung-hoon stood beside her with his arms crossed, watching Kim Hera's performance and nodding in agreement, muttering under his breath, mimicking her tone from before: "...(Shiba...)"

It's clearly a mix of teasing and resonance.

But as soon as filming wrapped, the actors became friendly and relaxed, almost like two completely different people.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at his colleagues who were trying their best to play villains, and thought about the scene where they would suddenly turn into a madman during filming.

A strange, absurd feeling welled up inside me.

This isn't called Dark Glory, it's practically rubbish Glory.

After those impressive and hilarious scenes featuring Lim Ji-yeon, Park Sung-hoon, and Kim Hera, the rhythm of the entire set seemed to enter a subtle tacit understanding.

The scenes between Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Han Hyo-joo present a different picture. Their scenes often carry the unspoken probing between adults, cold calculations, or the occasional flashes of complex emotions that are deliberately suppressed.

In front of the camera, the icy gaze of Wen Dongen and the darkness surging beneath Zhou Ruzheng's gentle exterior reflect each other, creating a dangerous attraction.

People often say that the male lead in this drama is just a supporting character, and he doesn't leave a deep impression compared to the other supporting characters.

This view is both right and wrong. Every character in the entire series of "Dark Glory" has their own unique characteristics, and most people have a deep impression of each supporting character after watching the whole series.

In movies and TV dramas, positive characters are often not very memorable, while villains are what make people linger.

As for popularity, the original Lee Do-hyun definitely rose to fame, and his rise was much greater than that of others, which is the best proof.

Both of them demonstrated a high level of professionalism and a stable performance.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk still precisely controlled Zhou Ruzheng's sense of proportion in front of the camera, portraying the revenge core that was just like Moon Dong-eun's under the gentle disguise in a way that was both subtle and turbulent.

"CUT! Great!" Ahn Gil-ho was satisfied with the scene they had just finished filming together in the clinic.

"The emotional build-up was perfect. Time to prepare for the next match."

During a break in filming, Han Hyo-joo picked up her water glass, took a sip, and strolled over to Kwon Heon-hyuk, who was reading the script, with her usual teasing smile on her lips.

"Filming one minute and preparing for a party the next, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk took the water from his assistant, unscrewed the cap, glanced at her helplessly, and waited for what was to come.

Han Hyo-joo clearly wasn't going to let him off the hook. She took a sip of her coffee and continued with a half-smile:

"All those female confidantes and male confidantes...are they all gathered together?"

Quan Xuanhe's Adam's apple bobbed, he took a sip of water, and mumbled an "Mmm".

"Tsk tsk tsk," Han Hyo-joo shook his head dramatically, sighed softly, his tone lazy yet with a hint of amusement.

Although she was the first wife, she didn't really take his young girls seriously at all, feeling like they were on completely different levels.

They're almost a generation apart in age.

"I'm really curious, Xuanhe..." She leaned closer, her voice lower, carrying a teasing tone that only they understood.

"Then, amidst the clinking of glasses and flickering lights, one of them walks over with a wine glass, while another stands to your left, having just finished speaking..."

"Then another one will flutter up to you like a little butterfly... Oh, and maybe one of them will just come out of the restroom and see you laughing and talking happily with other girls..."

Every time she said a name, Quan Xuanhe's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Han Hyo-joo precisely sketched out the dangerous scene that he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.

Speechless, truly speechless.

Before he could retort, Han Hyo-joo continued, "Plus, there's me, the one who loves watching the drama unfold..."

She even pointed to herself, "Oh dear, what if someone accidentally knocks over their glass, or someone's smile freezes for even a second..."

She didn't finish speaking, but made a "bang" gesture with an exaggerated expression of worry on her face.

"That scene...tsk tsk, isn't it a bit too spectacular? How is Xuanhe planning to handle it?"

Han Hyo-joo's depiction of the scene was so vivid.

He could even picture Sana Minatozaki glancing at him from the side, Jisoo Kim's gaze filled with complex emotions, and Jimin Yoo's bewildered expression, seemingly unaware of what was happening but possibly hurt...

He was indeed having a headache, finding it troublesome, and didn't want to face the potential awkwardness and chaotic situations.

However, he also realized that Han Hyo-joo was deliberately teasing him, wanting to see him look frustrated and anxious.

"Nuna is so concerned?"

"Then I'll have to go and catch up with Ji Min-no."

Jimin and Jimin are pronounced the same in Korean.

"When we return, we may not be able to resupply bullets for a while, so we'll have to pause for a period of time."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk used her sexual life as leverage to threaten her.

"ah!"

Han Hyo-joo's beautiful eyes flashed with cold light as she listened to his blasphemous words. She couldn't help but reach out and give him a 180-degree spin around the waist.

A good sex life is better than beauty and skincare. During the time I spent with the crew every day, I could clearly feel that my overall condition was getting better and better.

It's more effective than any magic pill, so we can't just hand it over to anyone.

Quan Xuanhe gasped, but seeing her break down, he no longer felt any pain.

(End of this chapter)