Peninsula: You've been chosen here for producing girl groups.

Chapter 145 A Loss-Lose Situation?

The male protagonist of "The Beauty Inside" goes from feeling lost to gradually adapting after gaining the ability to transform, and finally embarks on a journey of indulgence with a disposable identity.

He changes faces every day and keeps changing girlfriends.

However, one day, he met a soulmate who captivated him and whom he wanted to spend his life with.

The other party was an employee of a furniture design company.

It just so happens that he is a well-known furniture designer, and they have a lot in common in the same field of business, so they gradually became involved in each other's lives.

In this way, he approached girls every day with different identities and appearances to learn about their preferences.

One day, after seeing a handsome young man's face in a social media feed, he created an opportunity to have further contact with him, and their story began.

"Director Han, you should act as inexperienced and helpless as possible later."

The director respectfully explained the performance requirements for the role: "You also need to have a sense of urgency in your mind, afraid of missing today's opportunity."

"I understand. Let's try it out first."

The idea for this script came from Han Shuo.

He knew all too well what the male protagonist was thinking right now.

The male protagonist appears awkward and helpless because he has never taken relationships seriously before.

To put it more nicely, one can walk through a sea of ​​flowers without a single petal clinging to them.

To put it bluntly, it's ONS.

After meeting the female lead, his mindset changed. For the first time, he hoped to spend his life with someone. This was the first time he cautiously and carefully expressed his feelings.

As for the sense of urgency.

It's because his superpowers mean that any identity he has can only last for one day. Once he misses today, "himself" will disappear from this world forever.

This is why the male protagonist later desperately tries to stay conscious.

He tried to prolong this identity through this clumsy method, hoping to confirm his relationship with the female lead as much as possible.

"Action!"

The camera flickers.

Han Shuo visited the furniture store and selected one of the chairs.

As a staff member of the store, Li Liuxi enthusiastically stepped forward to serve.

Together we carried the packed chairs and shoved them into the back of the car.

This was a handsome face he had been waiting for for a long time to refresh the page. He didn't know when he would be able to find a suitable image again, and he was eager to express his admiration.

However, from Lee Yeon-hee's perspective, this was the first time the two had met.

Will excessive heat and dryness backfire?

This made him hesitate.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then hesitated and closed it again.

Li Liuxi assumed he was introverted and wanted to thank her but wasn't sure how to say it, so she kindly returned a bright smile: "Welcome to visit again next time."

After saying that, she turned to go back into the shop.

They treated the other party as just an ordinary customer and didn't take it too seriously.

Of course, she also secretly glanced at Han Shuo again.

He was described as an ordinary customer, but he was quite handsome.

Seeing that the hard-won opportunity was about to slip away, Han Shuo panicked and blurted out, trying to make conversation: "Is this chair better? Or was the previous one better?"

"Is iron better, or wood?"

Li Yanxi was completely confused.

Just then, Han Shuo found his rhythm, looked directly at Lee Yeon-hee, and asked bluntly, "Do you prefer sushi or steak?"

It's like a stone being thrown into water, causing ripples to spread outwards.

A smile bloomed on Li Liuxi's bewildered face.

She got it.

The other person wants to go on a date with her.

Although the other person's face was very pleasing, she couldn't quite accept that they were so direct on their first meeting.

Her face is so tender, she's probably much younger than him.

She had no interest in a relationship with a younger man and politely declined.

Han Shuo was unwilling to miss the opportunity and extended another sincere invitation.

She said that she had finally mustered up the courage to ask Lee Yeon-hee for a chance to get to know him.

Touched by his sincerity, Lee Yeon-hee nodded silently.

"Pass!"

The director jumped up from behind the monitor.

Han Shuo's acting skills far exceeded his expectations.

He led the applause: "Wow, Director Han is simply a jack-of-all-trades! His acting is so natural and fits the character perfectly. Even actors from Chungmuro ​​can't compare."

Lee Yeon-hee deeply agrees.

He flew back and forth between the two countries non-stop, and as soon as the plane landed, he went straight to the film set and was able to get into character immediately. Han Shuo's solid acting skills are amazing.

Is there anything he can't do?

"After all, I was the one who provided the character design and outline, so no one knows the male lead better than me."

Han Shuo readily accepted everyone's praise: "Let's take a break and continue filming later. We'll try our best to finish filming this movie today."

"Yes."

Han Shuo and Li Liuxi walked towards their respective nanny vans.

The next filming location was a furniture warehouse, which is the male lead's design studio in the drama.

Two people need to change into different outfits before going over.

Li Liuxi, hands behind his back, was overjoyed: "Director, it's a real loss for the audience if you don't become an actor."

She was quite tall, over 1.72 meters, and wearing high heels, she walked beside Han Shuo. They were similar in height, and the handsome man and beautiful woman were a perfect match.

The two chatted and laughed, growing closer as they walked.

Their arms and shoulders would bump into each other from time to time.

Judging from their backs, it's no different from having talked.

The music video director, who was about to film scenes for "Hello Tomorrow," noticed the cameraman and quickly called for him to capture the scene in front of him.

"PD, we only managed to capture footage of the two separating."

The director chuckled: "What I wanted was the part about accompanying each other all the way to gradually drifting apart; that's what fits the theme of 'Hello, Tomorrow'."

She pinched her chin: "The two of them are very stylish and well-matched, and their acting skills are also compatible. This short film might become a huge hit."

The rest of the production team shared the same sentiment.

This short film features cameos from a large number of well-known actors, and the combined fan base of these actors and Han Shuo ensured the film's popularity.

For the director, a new film director who had made several short films was specially invited to direct, in pursuit of a cinematic visual quality.

The script is incredibly creative, with both laugh-out-loud and tear-jerking moments, combining the fun of a comedy with the quality of a fashion film.

If Han Shuo were willing to increase the production budget and lengthen the film, it could be released in theaters.

Filming continues.

Han Shuo invited Li Yanxi to visit his studio. They shared common interests and hobbies, and the two hit it off immediately, with pink bubbles rising in the air.

Another round of enthusiastic applause followed.

Li Liuxi would say that this wasn't acting; she genuinely immersed herself in the role.

The following shots need to differentiate between daytime and nighttime lighting to distinguish the three days the male and female leads spent together.

That is, subsequent shots cannot be filmed in sequence.

The filming should begin with scenes from the second and third days of the male and female leads' time together.

In order to maintain his current appearance, the male protagonist resorts to various means, including but not limited to setting more than a dozen alarm clocks, drinking large amounts of coffee, and staying up for two consecutive nights.

This part of the performance required Han Seok to show signs of fatigue.

Fortunately, he went straight to the film set after getting off the plane. He first watched the filming for half an hour, and then completed the shooting of two scenes.

He was feeling a bit tired at that moment, which made him incredibly immersed in the role.

Those who suddenly realized what he had done were astonished.

The filming process became increasingly smooth.

Two hours later, filming for "The Beauty Inside" officially wrapped up.

The filming of "Hello Tomorrow" revolved around Moon Ga-young and Lee Yeon-hee. Han Seok's screen time was limited, and the filming ended after only half an hour.

With this, the filming of the fantasy theater and the Chinese music video has come to an end.

It was close to dinner time.

Han Shuo planned to treat everyone to a simple wrap-up dinner.

Suddenly someone exclaimed, "The artists' union has announced a strike!"

As if receiving a warning from the north, everyone took out their phones to check the latest news.

"They've boycotted the show?"

Lee Liu-hee is a member of the Artists Guild.

She picked up her phone to check the situation.

A notification popped up, confirming that the Artists Guild had informed all members that they would refuse to participate in any dramas or programs broadcast by MBC.

"Director, look."

Han Shuo shook his head: "It's finally come to this."

With the emergence of this variable, which provided a new revenue channel for the three major television networks, the confrontation between the artists' union and the three major television networks became much more intense.

The artists' union believes that the new revenue generated by the television station can cover the additional costs incurred by raising artists' salaries.

Being unwilling to compromise is greed.

The TV station argued that the price of online copyrights in China was too low, and that the money had to be redistributed with production companies and screenwriters, leaving them with very little money.

And so they went back and forth, debating in turn.

Ultimately, this led to a strike.

Even the time for the strike was brought forward by almost a week compared to the original timeline.

The artists' union encompasses South Korean models, actors, singers, idols, and other entertainers, with an estimated membership of over three thousand.

A strike by a union of this caliber would bring all of MBC's dramas and programs to a standstill.

Korean dramas are filmed and broadcast simultaneously.

If the shutdown lasts too long, there is a high possibility of a major gap in programming, which could severely impact program scheduling and the television station's revenue.

"Yes, it's gotten to this ugly point. Do you think a settlement can be reached smoothly this time?"

"Yes, and very soon."

KBS has already compromised, SBS has not yet been affected, and only MBC is being unilaterally boycotted.

MBC must be in a real panic, like ants on a hot pan.

Other TV stations are doing fine, but ours is being boycotted. If it affects the performance of popular dramas like "Li Suan" and consequently affects GG's revenue, we'll have nowhere to turn for help.

We have no choice but to compromise.

But does that mean the celebrities win?

No.

This near-maximum pressure situation is a lose-lose situation, with the chain of trust between them almost collapsing.

The next time a similar disagreement arises, a strike will only happen sooner.

That is, boycotts will evolve from a deterrent measure into a routine practice.

The shadow of a salary crisis will loom over the Korean drama market.

When Netflix or other streaming services launch and rise to prominence, they will be seen as saviors by the entire industry, and all production companies and actors will unhesitatingly flock to streaming services.

Currently, both TV stations and celebrities are losing, so who is winning?

Bilibili (B站)

Artists' unions demand salary increases → TV stations' operating costs rise significantly → TV stations face funding gaps → Bilibili aims to become a VIP member of the three major TV stations.

Prior to this, the three television stations had successively expressed their willingness to relinquish the local market for one-act dramas.

Without worrying about being hampered by the three major TV stations, he can build Bilibili into the largest site for one-act dramas and micro-movies in South Korea, attracting more users.

Most importantly, through extensive integration of GG, Bilibili is expected to achieve an initial break-even point in its investment in this area.

Making money is secondary.

If we can minimize losses and achieve a basic balance between income and expenditure, we can put this business into a virtuous cycle.

Achieving a complete balance between income and expenditure, or even profitability, through the long tail effect.

For example, the revenue from the copyright of three short dramas and short film remakes.

In the original timeline, "Suddenly Back to Eighteen" was remade in China into two films, "My Hedgehog Girl," and "The Beauty Inside" had three versions: a charity film, a movie, and a TV series.

"Let Me Disappear from the Earth" was filmed in 2020.

At that time, the infinite loop plot setting was already quite common, with countless novels, anime, and film and television works of the same genre.

The copyright value itself is not significant.

But it's 2008 now, and there are very few works with infinite loops, just a handful.

The new version of "Make Me Disappear from the Earth" removes unnecessary settings and subplots, resulting in a tighter plot and a unique feel that blends live-action film and anime.

It might be acquired by copyright for a remake.

Once this short drama and short film format works in South Korea, it can be adapted and implemented back in China.

Bilibili's main business areas are currently music and anime, and it will not get involved in the copyright battle of domestic dramas for the time being to avoid prolonging the battle.

However, it can be used to film some nonsensical online short dramas and provide a stage for its own artists.

The domestic market for product placement of GG is even larger, and the profitability of popular online short dramas is much stronger than that of short dramas in South Korea.

It has potential.

The topic of the artists' union announcing a strike swept across all forums.

Many people discussed this topic at the wrap party.

As a cancer in the eyes of industry insiders, the TV station was verbally condemned by everyone.

Everyone agreed that the TV station was unwilling to share the profits, which ultimately led to the negotiations, which lasted for more than half a year, ending up in this rather ugly fighting situation.

Inevitably, the prediction of a salary crisis in the previous May Day special was mentioned.

The greed of television stations has been confirmed time and again, and it's only a matter of time before production companies are unwilling to be taken advantage of. It seems that triangular debt is becoming a reality.

Once triangular debt becomes an industry norm, the unpaid wages of artists and outsourcing company employees will become a new industry scourge.

The crisis of actor salaries is becoming the norm, turning into a "financial crisis" for the film and television industry.

The suggestions put forward in the May Day special naturally sparked heated discussions among everyone, with everyone debating the feasibility of each suggestion.

As the only true video platform in South Korea dedicated to film, television, and variety shows, Bilibili has naturally become the focus of public attention.

Considering that three short dramas and short films will be released next week, Han Shuo had the revenue from product placements received made public.

"A total of 3.8 million GG fees have been received, including Samsung mobile phones, Hyundai cars, a certain Dali pork spine soup, BB cream, lipstick, etc."

MBC is still grappling with the artists' union, claiming that the network's operating costs are high and there is significant pressure to raise salaries across the board.

Bilibili quietly made a big splash, recouping most of its production costs through product placement in three short dramas and short films before their release.

The contrast between the two is alarming.

"You must be kidding, making money is not that easy!"

"No, it hasn't even been released yet, there are no proven track records, so why are there so many bugs embedded?"

"Actually, this doesn't even include the GG brands that our oppa and his artists and trainees endorse, because all of these brands' products are featured for free."

This is Han Shuo's first appearance on a small screen.

No, don't mention "On Air," that was just a cameo. This time, he's playing the male lead. With a performance like this, isn't it normal for him to be valued by the producers?

"Web series are not subject to broadcasting laws, allowing for bolder and more direct product placement, which may be why brands are willing to pay for it."

"From this perspective, as long as the quality of web dramas is high enough, they can become an important supplement to TV dramas and revitalize the Korean drama market."