Chapter 98: The CF Shoot

Chapter 98: The CF Shoot

The CF Shoot

A sharply tailored suit.

Plain, silver-rimmed glasses.

Unstyled hair that was neatly combed back.

Park Jinhee doubted her eyes as she looked at the figure standing in the middle of the office.

The images she had of him as Bohyung and Phantom had completely vanished, replaced by a man so ordinary that he seemed like someone youd pass by without a second glance.

Is he really the same person?

This was one of the strengths of the actor Shin Yoomyeong.

His plain but neat face was like a chameleon that could take on various roles, depending on the makeup.

It was fascinating how naturally he fit the character in the advertisement, seamlessly transforming into an office worker in his third or fourth year.

Of course, Park Jinhee was unaware that he was deliberately minimizing his presence.

Lets start from the first cut of the Mask phase scene.

Mask / Unmask.

The shooting was divided into two phases.

Todays indoor scenes were part of the Mask phase, and scenes marking the transition point where the mask was removed were in the Unmask phase.

The Mask phase would capture the daily life of an ordinary salaryman as he struggled through a busy day.

The director directed various movements for those around such as the team leader, assistant, and various office staff filling the space.

At five seconds, someone behind a partition should yawn; at seven seconds, another would take a call, while someone else would stagger under the weight of documents piled up to the height of their head.

The directions were detailed down to the second and were far more elaborate than in dramas or movies.

Commercials have to convey an abbreviated image in a short time, so the details have to be emphasized.

Gook-cheol was a well-known CF director.

He was renowned for bringing narrative branding ads to life, and it was also surprising that he was Director Kis university classmate.

Mr. Yoomyeong.

Having finished directing the first cut, he now approached Yoomyeong.

As youve seen in the storyboard, there are two versions: a 3-minute and a 15-second one.

Yes.

Well pull the 15-second version from the takes for the 3-minute version, so dont worry about the shorter one. Its mainly image-based anyway.

Understood.

Unlike the 15-second version, which ends with the transition from Mask to Unmask, the 3-minute version was a longer narrative that returned from Mask -> Unmask -> Mask.

Naturally, it featured a much more detailed storyline than the 15-second version.

And well try shooting in various styles: a stiff, business-like character, a tired and sensitive one, and even a macho, charismatic one. The Mask concept fits the first one, but having a variety to choose from and combine seems best. Is that alright with you?

Yes, thats fine!

It was a common practice in commercial shoots to capture as many versions as possible. Since reshoots were difficult, the ideal situation would be to have a range of shots to choose from to ensure the clients satisfaction.

Good. Just remember that you need to appear competent no matter which character you play. Youre someone who works hard but knows how to enjoy life after work.

Please dont worry.

After finishing with the movement directions, the director returned to the camera.

The actors took their positions and waited for their cue as the crane made a mechanical noise, moving for an overhead shot.

Ready

Yoomyeong focused on his character to deliver a short but intense acting.

Action.

*

RRR

In the bustling office, a phone rang loudly.

Currently, only one phone was ringing in front of Yoomyeong. But in the final product, multiple phones would ring together, accompanied by various office noises in the background.

Yoomyeong quickly grabbed the receiver as soon as it rang.

Typically, Yoomyeong would gather as much relevant information and emotional context as possible upon receiving a script, brainstorm various character interpretations, and then develop one.

But shooting a commercial involved capturing every possible character interpretation for a single scene.

Despite the short shooting schedule and the necessity for the final product to be concise, the fact that the final decision maker was the advertiser and not the director meant that everything possible had to be captured.

To Yoomyeong, this felt like shooting the preparation phase, which was both refreshing and enjoyable.

He quickly switched his emotions when the camera stopped, preparing to reshoot the same scene with a different character.

He changed his facial expressions and small habits to differentiate them, pouring out all the newly created settings once the camera rolled again.

Hes incredible What an actor.

Park Jinhee was nearly mesmerized as she watched Yoomyeong perfectly deliver subtly different characters in the same outfit and dialogue with each cut.

When she looked around, she noticed that the agencys AE, CD, and ad production staff were all in a daze.

A proud smile spread across her lips.

It was the kind of proud smile that a mother would have when her child got admitted to Seoul National University.

Ah I want to tell everyone thats my actor. I want to snatch the SD card and spread it as a teaser. Get a hold of yourself, Park Jinhee! Keep it professional.

During the break, her keen eyes caught the agencys AE hurrying out with a phone. Pretending to go to the restroom, she stepped into the hallway and overheard the AEs urgent voice.

Yes, team leader. Its a huge success. For the Angel Duty Free competitive pitch, I strongly recommend proposing Shin Yoomyeong as the model. His fee has gone up due to his rising popularity, but it should be fine since Angel has stated they want only top-tier actors regardless of the cost. Because hes not an A-list actor? Youll realize his value once you see the final footage. This actor is bound to reach or surpass A-list status within this year or the next.

That wont happen.

Park Jinhee smiled triumphantly.

Angel Duty Free was known for its typical style of just showcasing the actors face in their image ads.

Yoomyeong, who had only reluctantly agreed after seeing her ambitious project, was unlikely to settle for such a mundane advertisement.

Today, Park Jinhee felt particularly proud of her discernment.

Both of his roles as Bohyung and the Phantom were great, but she felt like becoming a true fan of the versatile actor Shin Yoomyeong from now on.

Returning to the set with a buoyant mood, Jinhee overheard Yoomyeongs suggestion to the director.

Director, how about a character who always wears a professional smile?

A professional smile?

Yes. You know, like those people who always seem to be smiling stiffly while they work?

I get it. But there needs to be a clear contrast in the scene where the characters mask comes off. Going from a smiling face to another smiling face might not provide enough of a gap

Hmm maybe if we could differentiate between a conventional smile and a genuine laugh?

Yoomyeongs comment made the director think deeply.

Theoretically, it made sense. However, conveying the difference between the two types of smile in a short time was challenging. Despite being impressed by Yoomyeongs acting skills, this was a challenge unique to CFs due to their brief nature.

It might be difficult CFs are often just glanced at, so showcasing the difference between two expressions in such a short time might be tricky.

Oh, is that so?

Lets try it, Director.

Park Jinhee interjected.

After all, weve already shot six versions. Adding one more wont be much of a burden. Given actor Shin Yoomyeongs impressive acting skills, this could turn out to be a great concept.

Alright, Team Leader.

Although she might melt in front of Yoomyeong as Emperor Bohyung, Team Leader Park was known for being strict and competent within the industry. Director Gook-cheol nodded without further objections, respecting the clients wishes.

And so, Yoomyeong stood on set again.

His reason for suggesting this concept was, of course, inspired by memories of Lee Bang-won.

Not all contrasts needed to be as stark as black and white.

Similar hues could also be richly expressed by altering the temperature, brightness, saturation, and texture.

Though the directors point about the convenience of using complementary colors for effective contrast in a short time was valid

Yoomyeong focused, summoning the sensitivity he had honed over the past few months to adjust the intensity and depth of his portrayal.

After some time,

A mechanical, emotionless smile appeared on his face.

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