Chapter 96

# Chapter 096

It was no coincidence that the members, upon hearing the keywords 'freedom' and 'resistance,' one by one named revolutions.

There was a common thread among the four members, excluding Shin Areum.

It was Han Goo-in.

"Is it true that the UK doesn't have a constitution?"

When Rika asked about the unbelievable information she had seen on the internet,

"It's not that there isn't a constitution, but rather that there isn't a single constitution. To put it simply, the constitution is scattered across various documents."

"It's like Dragon Balls!"

"Dragon Balls... Yes, I suppose so."

Han Goo-in was very interested in the intellectual capabilities of the members.

While their qualities as idols were also important, Han Goo-in wished for them to have basic cultural knowledge as social beings.

Their lives wouldn't end just as idols.

"The history of the British constitution can be traced back to the Glorious Revolution. After that, the foundation of the constitution began to be defined."

So, Han Goo-in tried to teach the members various knowledge whenever he found a suitable moment.

Literature, history, science, sociology, and more.

He did his best to cultivate their cultural knowledge.

"Seolha, do you know the painting of the goddess of freedom leading the people?"

Even during the short time it took to drive them to the academy, Han Goo-in faithfully carried out his purpose.

"No."

"You'll know if you search for it."

"Um, ah! I know this. I think I've seen it a few times in textbooks or on TV. The French Revolution... wasn't it? Is that the painting?"

"While it's commonly known as the French Revolution, the painting was actually created to commemorate the July Revolution."

"The July Revolution?"

"The July Revolution... is..."

At first, the members found Han Goo-in's miscellaneous lectures strange.

They thought, 'Since there's no proper topic, he's talking about all sorts of things.'

"Ara, do you understand? The Russian Revolution is significant as the first communist revolution and for showing a path to modernization for industrialized nations."

"...Yes, roughly."

But as time passed, the members adapted to Han Goo-in and even found his stories quite interesting.

"Hayang, a historian once said that only two revolutions truly changed the world: the February Revolution and the 68 Revolution."

"The February Revolution, you mentioned that before, right?"

"You remember? Thank you."

"Ahaha, no, it's because Mr. Han explained it so interestingly that I still remember. But what's the 68 Revolution?"

In addition to recommending books, cultural broadcasts, and documentaries,

Han Goo-in's efforts never ceased.

Perhaps due to his efforts, the members gained knowledge in various fields, even if it was fragmented.

When Director Jo Jung-hoon asked the members to share what came to mind with the keywords 'freedom' and 'resistance,' their consistent mention of revolutions was definitely not a coincidence.

* * *

"I've heard the members' opinions."

In Jo Jung-hoon's hand was a notebook with the opinions written down.

Facing all the employees of Garo Entertainment, he found it difficult to speak.

As a music video director, he needed to showcase his professional insights, but he couldn't even organize his own thoughts.

"They all mentioned revolutions when they heard 'freedom' and 'resistance.'"

Jo Jung-hoon asked the members what specific scenes they wanted to stage and what aspects of themselves they wanted to show.

Various opinions were shared, but they weren't helpful.

As is typical in the early planning stages, only abstract ideas emerged.

"By any chance, do you and the company want to stage it... in a more revolutionary atmosphere...?"

He couldn't finish his sentence when he said 'revolutionary' as it reminded him of a certain country to the north.

Jo Jung-hoon only asked minimal questions and observed the employees' reactions.

'Thinking of accepting the members' opinions is commendable, but with this result, there's nothing to say.'

The members' opinions were likely to be disregarded.

"If that's what the kids want, we're okay with it."

So when Hong Goo-hyun said that, Jo Jung-hoon was quite surprised.

He didn't ask the impolite question, 'Really?'

Since it came from the CEO.

"Yes, I understand."

Jo Jung-hoon asked about the principles for structuring the music video and listened to the answers.

"You want a mix of narrative and choreography."

Not all idol music videos are the same.

Some prioritize choreography, while others focus on the story in the music video.

Even when it comes to stories, they are often not straightforward.

It's common to just show costume play or reveal character traits.

'To incorporate a narrative into a music video, you need a clear concept or a world.'

World.

It can refer to the identity of the idol group itself or the story contained in each album.

For example, each member might have a unique superpower, or they might have come from another world to the real world for a specific purpose.

There are many such worlds, but fans who aren't familiar with them might not know or care much.

"Narrative... what kind of..."

"Just follow the keywords of the song we provided. The members' opinions will also be reflected. The storyboard will be left to your discretion."

This request was the most challenging.

It meant that Jo Jung-hoon's team had to create the narrative.

'At least the company hasn't clearly defined the group's world. So, what I need to focus on are the keywords 'freedom' and 'resistance,' and the revolutions...'

Should I rent a period drama set?

No, I'll have to build everything from scratch.

It will cost a lot of money.

'It's not a scale a small to medium-sized company can afford.'

The initial concept discussions were roughly completed.

The most important question was left.

"What's the budget you're thinking of?"

A budget line is needed to plan everything, whether building or renting a set.

Jo Jung-hoon expected a budget of around 10 to 20 million won, as the small to medium-sized companies he had worked with before were hesitant to invest large sums in music videos.

If they were extremely frugal, they could work with less than 10 million won.

"200 million won."

"......What?"

"200 million won."

Jo Jung-hoon's mind went blank again.

* * *

Long before meeting Jo Jung-hoon.

"The most money should be spent on the music video."

Seong Pil convinced everyone in the company.

Even if they weren't convinced, he tried to make them understand.

"What is the first way people encounter idols? Of course, the song is the first. The second is the music video. After listening to the song and becoming interested, people will most likely watch the music video first. We need to capture their hearts there."

No amount of money spent on a music video is wasted.

It's almost the only window to attract both domestic and international fans.

Of course, the money isn't spent just to consider international fans.

"The music video is the fastest and most consistent way to introduce our idols' faces, dance, songs, and thoughts."

It shouldn't be made to the level where people watch it just once.

It should be made in a way that people enjoy watching it repeatedly.

For that, the most important thing is the visual appeal. It must look good.

Visual appeal isn't something that can be achieved with just a little money.

A work that is visually striking, glamorous, and captivating comes from a lot of money.

"A visually striking appeal! Next is the narrative."

People need something to ponder after watching the music video.

There are music videos that people watch dozens of times because the performance is outstanding, but the choreography the members received this time wasn't at that level.

"As you know, people are instinctively drawn to stories. They react sensitively to hidden symbols, flows, and changes in the video. Of course, creating a story also costs money."

It's not just about writing a script.

It's about implementing the script.

Sets built specifically for the music video, the labor costs to build them, and even overseas locations if necessary.

"This music video is like a vending machine that creates fans. If it's done well, then..."

Seong Pil cautiously looked at Hong Goo-hyun.

"At least the investment should be over 100 million won..."

"200 million won."

Hong Goo-hyun raised the amount confidently, without a hint of hesitation.

"Let's set the upper limit at 200 million won. I agree with Mr. Park's opinion."

200 million won can compete with large entertainment companies.

Seong Pil was surprised that his opinion was accepted, but he couldn't hide the smile that kept breaking out on his face.

Hong Goo-hyun also smiled in sync.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Jo Jung-hoon sat quietly in his room, staring at the walls and ceiling.

The walls and ceiling were covered with photos.

They were images he had printed out after searching for 'freedom,' 'resistance,' and 'revolution.'

For days, Jo Jung-hoon had been locked in his room, just looking at the photos.

"Freedom, resistance, revolution..."

How could he attach a narrative and mise-en-scène?

It was an abstract and difficult theme.

It was on a different level from simple requests like 'make it cool!', 'make it beautiful!', or 'make it bold!'.

It was also different from requests like 'make the choreography stand out' or 'show close-ups of the members' faces often'.

This was a challenge for Jo Jung-hoon.

"......"

After a week of meditation, Jo Jung-hoon finally came to a conclusion.

He got up from his chair for the first time in a long while and approached the wall. He then peeled off a photo.

'The Glorious Revolution.'

It was a painting of nobles in old-fashioned clothes holding a flag that read 'freedom'.

Next, Jo Jung-hoon peeled off another photo from the ceiling.

'The French Revolution.'

Actually, it was a painting depicting the July Revolution, but Jo Jung-hoon didn't know that.

It was a painting of the goddess of freedom leading the people, holding a tricolor flag.

The faces of the people following the goddess showed courage and anger.

Jo Jung-hoon peeled off two photos in succession.

'The Russian Revolution.'

It was a photo of Lenin standing on a platform in a black suit, giving a speech.

Below the platform, Russian people were seen cheering with smiles on their faces.

'The 68 Revolution.'

It was a photo of a woman approaching soldiers with guns and bayonets, holding a flower.

The woman was offering flowers to the soldiers without any fear, even with guns and bayonets in front of her.

Finally.

'The April 19 Revolution.'

It was a photo of young students in school uniforms standing on a tank, putting their arms around each other.

The student at the top was holding a Korean flag and shouting something.

"This is it."

Jo Jung-hoon contacted the stylist team Garo Entertainment had hired.

"I'll send you some paintings and photos. Can you make costumes that match these? I mean, modernize the old clothes to make them suitable for idols."

After a brief discussion over the phone, Jo Jung-hoon looked at the five photos with a look of accomplishment.

"200 million won."

Yes, I'll do it.

Freedom? Resistance? Revolution?

I can express them however I want.

With this money, there's nothing I can't do.

Jo Jung-hoon finally picked up a pen and started sketching the storyboard.

Under his pen, a revolution was drawn.

* * *

The storyboard for the music video was completed.

After several meetings, rejections, and revisions at Garo Entertainment, the storyboard was finally finished.

"Amazing. I can't wait to see it as a video."

Unfortunately, Hong Goo-hyun's wish couldn't be immediately fulfilled.

Since the music video included the members' choreography, they needed to learn the choreography first.

Learning it wasn't difficult.

What was important was perfecting it.

"Final version of the choreography completed!"

Baek Min-jeong, after checking the choreography proposals with the members several times, delivered the final version to Garo Entertainment.

All that was left was for the members to practice.

"Kids, it's finally starting."

The members tensed up at Seong Pil's words.

In a few months, they would no longer be trainees.

They would be idols, showing their faces to the world.

Today was the first step in their challenging journey.

"Once your choreography is complete, we'll start shooting the music video. It's good to be quick, but don't be too hasty. Well, I'll leave it to you."

As Seong Pil bowed, the members also bowed in response.

Baek Min-jeong was the one teaching the choreography. She came to Garo Entertainment herself to guide the members.

Seong Pil also watched the scene on the first day.

'Hmm.'

As expected, the problem he anticipated occurred.

"Hayang! You need to bend your knee in the opposite direction there!"