* * *
Using a real accident scene secretly in a movie and later having that fact revealed would, of course, cause problems.
Thus, THO Entertainment decided to disclose this fact at the premiere. Director Son Tae-min took responsibility for it.
Reporters were shocked to hear that the set collapse scene was an actual accident.
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that scene was real?”
“Director Son, have you lost your mind?”
“No matter how important the movie is, this isn’t right!”
Son Tae-min gave his prepared response.
“We absolutely did not cause the collapse intentionally. We only used the footage that was recorded by chance.”
“Still, even so….”
“Not a single person was injured, only the set collapsed. If even one person had been hurt, we wouldn’t have used that scene in the movie.”
Even with this explanation, public opinion could turn negative later. That would be a problem for the movie studio’s PR team to handle at that time.
A reporter asked, “Ms. Shin Eun-ha! Did you receive any treatment because of that incident?”
Shin Eun-ha took the microphone.
“No. I am perfectly healthy.”
“But even if you weren’t physically hurt, the shock must have been significant.”
“Honestly, at the time, I didn’t even know what was happening. When I watched the footage later, I saw I was quite safe. That incident happened on the first day of reshooting. I did really well in the subsequent filming.”
“Watching the movie, I can see your acting was excellent, but….”
In the film, Shin Eun-ha didn’t seem like an actress forced to perform despite trauma from an accident.
Another reporter raised their hand.
“Did Kim Yoo-chan manage to escape with Shin Eun-ha in that situation?”
Lead actor Kim Yoo-chan waved his hand.
“Oh, if I had done it, I would have died.”
People laughed, thinking he was joking.
The reporter asked, “Then who did it?”
“The food truck guy did it.”
“What?”
“The food truck guy has a body similar to mine, so I asked him to stand in. It was a hit. Hahaha.”
The reporters were bewildered.
Shin Eun-ha whispered to Kim Yoo-chan, nudging him slightly.
“Why are you bringing that up here?”
“Oh? Uh. It just slipped out….”
A reporter asked, “Who exactly is this food truck guy?”
Kim Yoo-chan glanced at Shin Eun-ha and Son Tae-min before answering.
“Officially, he’s a regular person.”
“What? Who is he? That’s not clear….”
“He’s a close friend of mine. We’ve even had drinks together. Hahaha.”
Shin Eun-ha nudged Kim Yoo-chan’s arm again.
Kim Yoo-chan quickly concluded, “Ah. Since he has a private life, please leave him out of the articles.”
***
From the start, “A Sunny Day” was a highly anticipated movie.
The director was known for romance films, and the lead actors were renowned.
The film company directly invested over 10 billion won, which raised expectations. Many believed the script was so good it warranted direct investment.
However, a week before the release, an important supporting actor was arrested at a drug party. It was reported that all scenes involving that actor were reshot within a week.
People’s expectations dropped upon hearing the news. Online movie community boards were filled with comments.
– That actor had a lot of scenes, when will they shoot, edit, and post-process them for theaters?
– “A Sunny Day” will be a black mark on Director Son Tae-min’s career.
– Son Tae-min’s strength is beautiful visuals, but rushed shots can’t be beautiful.
– They’ll probably pretend not to notice any mistakes.
Some predictions weren’t entirely wrong. Son Tae-min often overlooked minor issues.
– Is it only Son Tae-min’s black mark? Kim Yoo-chan will have one too.
As more people lost hope, ticket refunds increased.
Then, the premiere article appeared online. The article was full of praise.
People commented after reading the article.
– Did the movie turn out better than expected?
– As expected of Director Son Tae-min. Did he somehow save the movie?
However, many people didn’t trust such articles.
– How can you trust an article published the night before the release? It was probably written by the movie studio’s PR team.
– The studio invested over 10 billion won, they must be desperate.
Arguments broke out in the comments.
Then, a person who had been leaving negative comments made a declaration.
– I’ll go see it tomorrow and criticize it thoroughly.
The next day, the movie was released.
The person who declared they would go see it went to an early morning screening.
There were only a few people in the audience. The person smirked.
“I knew it. It’s doomed from the start.”
He waited confidently for the movie to begin.
“I have a strong feeling the ads will be more entertaining.”
***
That afternoon, the person who declared they would see the movie wrote a review on the community board.
– Feel free to hit me. I spoke without knowing.
– Why? How was the movie?
– It’s a hit.
He wrote a short review explaining why the movie was great. To avoid spoiling the movie, he only expressed his feelings.
– Today, I saw a truly beautiful romance, delightful comedy, and really intense action.
Seeing a review full of praise, some people were suspicious.
– At this point, it seems like you criticized the movie on purpose yesterday. Are you a plant from the movie studio?
– Go see it yourself. You’ll naturally think, “This is why Son Tae-min is known for romance.” And for the action, you’ll find yourself saying, “Did Director Son Tae-min really do this?” The action scenes are amazing.
– “Do you really like action that much? ‘A Sunny Day’ is a romantic comedy, you know?”
– “Just give it a try, okay? The action scenes are seriously amazing.”
***
Because the additional filming and editing of the movie were completed just before its release, the new promotional video was only finished on the movie’s opening day.
The film company released the promotional video on the internet on the day of the movie’s release.
The promotional video was half romance and half action. The marketing team skillfully blended the two genres into one video, and it worked well.
Then, a new article was published.
The article claimed that the scene where Shin Eun-ha is rescued from the collapsing building was not acting, but an actual event.
That article was posted on a movie community board, and the board immediately caught fire.
– No way, what kind of nonsense is this?
– I saw that movie today, and the building collapse scene is impossible to shoot without CGI.
– Why is it impossible?
– If it were a real situation, most people would die in it.
– What? So they showed such a gruesome scene in the movie as it was?
– No, it doesn’t mean anyone actually died. It looks really cool when you watch it. It’s not gruesome at all. But that’s because I didn’t know it was a real situation….
Some people saw the article before watching the movie. They also posted their thoughts.
– If you know it’s real when you watch that scene, the thrill is no joke. Wow. Just thinking about that scene gives me chills again.
The discussions on the board weren’t only about the action.
The movie itself was very well made. The previously shot romantic version was good, but the current version, with action appropriately mixed in, turned out even better.
– I guarantee it. ‘A Sunny Day’ will become director Son Tae-min’s masterpiece.
CEO Lee Tae-ho of THO Entertainment knew the movie was well made, but he still felt uneasy. He had heard that if the movie flopped, not only THO Entertainment but also Iron Gear would be in danger.
So he waited anxiously for the movie’s results.
The first day’s performance was dismal.
“Our team checked the theaters, and there were very few audiences. Many theaters were practically empty.”
Tae-ho sighed deeply upon hearing the report in the meeting room.
“Ah. This movie can’t fail. We at least need to break even.”
The marketing team leader spoke.
“Our marketing team is doing everything we can. Tomorrow will be better than today.”
“Let’s hope so.”
* * *
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