sbdcsierra Chapter 1292 Who?
Chapter 1292 Who?
Chapter 1292 Who?
Have you read the script?
Cui Lan, sitting opposite him, seemed a little nervous as she stared at him. Chi Jingyuan didn't keep him in suspense and nodded directly: "I've seen it, it's very good."
"Whoo~"
Upon hearing this, Writer Cui visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she already has a drama called "The Grim Reaper" that has started filming, it may not sound good, but to be honest, she has put her energy, effort, and even more enthusiasm into "Mouse".
This is an ordinary weekend drama on OCN TV, starring Song Seung-heon, who is already past his prime. Both the production value and the treatment he received were quite average.
On the other hand, although it is not a TV production, it is a labor of love for Netflix, with a huge investment in various aspects. The male lead is the highly popular newly crowned TV King, the top young actor, Ji Kyung-won.
Anyone would inevitably have some bias and emphasis.
She really wanted to take on this case, and through her communication with Netflix, Cui Lan also learned that a considerable amount of power in the show was actually in the hands of the actor Ji Jingyuan. Although it was unexpected, she could only abide by this rule if she wanted to get involved.
This was the first time since she became a writer that she had felt like she was being interviewed in front of an actor.
"it's actually very good."
Seeing her breathe a sigh of relief, Chi Jingyuan smiled approvingly, praising Cui Lan's efforts and the script: "The overall plot structure, background setting, and final twist are all very interesting. Although the later cases are not finished, the crime content and tricks in the first few episodes are very impressive."
"The character designs are particularly outstanding. The one that impressed me the most was the male lead, Jung Ba-rin. His gentle and sunny exterior contrasted sharply with his twisted and cold interior, creating a very distinct and complex character. Even after he gained normal human emotions, the character didn't falter; instead, he became even more complex..."
“I really like this character.” After a pause, Chi Jingyuan emphasized again.
"Nei ne!"
Hearing that her work had been recognized by Ji Jingyuan, Cui Lan was clearly very pleased, nodding excitedly as if she had found a kindred spirit.
“I also think that the character Zheng Balin is the most profound. When I was creating the character, I kept thinking about what it would be like if I had someone like that in my life. If I were him, what would my mentality be if I saw everyone around me as prey…”
Since Chi Jingyuan has given his approval, it basically means the interview was successful and the cooperation has been basically agreed upon.
The tension dissipated immediately, and the two chatted enthusiastically about some highlights of the script.
"but……"
After speaking for a while, Chi Jingyuan took a sip of coffee, and when he spoke again, he suddenly changed the subject: "I also have some more ideas about this version of the script."
The general direction of the collaboration has been basically determined, and the script does have many advantages... But today, Ji Kyung-won and Choi Ran met mainly to discuss the shortcomings and offer suggestions.
“Jingyuan, you speak.”
Cui Lan realized that the main topic had arrived, her expression turned serious, and she took out her notebook again.
"Um……"
After organizing his thoughts, Chi Jingyuan began reciting the script from the beginning:
"...Firstly, some of the groundwork was a bit lacking, and some plot developments felt abrupt or weak. For example, Zheng Balin's later transformation, and Cheng Yaohan's motivations. The motivations and starting points for Cheng Yaohan's actions were somewhat weak, even a bit nonsensical to me. Why didn't he call the police?"
"Is the setup a bit weak? It is a little bit."
As Cui Lan wrote, she pondered for a moment and then gave her idea: "In the early stages, we can use doctor conversations, research reports, etc., to hint that 'psychopathy genes may have detection errors' or 'the environment can activate/suppress genes,' thus laying more groundwork for the protagonist's transformation."
Cheng Yaohan's words could more closely link his revenge to his childhood trauma, such as retaining fragmented memories of his mother's murder, rather than simply being manipulated, and that he gradually became paranoid due to his sister's death, rather than suddenly losing his judgment..."
"...And here, towards the end, when the plot begins to wrap up, it gives Jung Ba-rin, this born freak, a sense of destiny, a feeling that no choice or effort can overcome his innate genes, making the contrast in the final few endings less intense."
“Then we can add another character who ‘carries a psychopathic gene but chooses to be kind,’ such as Zheng Balin’s cellmate or someone else. They don’t need to have too many scenes, just to form a mirror contrast with the protagonist and strengthen the theme of ‘human choice > gene’.”
"And this, I feel that some of the subplots and supporting characters have too much screen time, making the plot less coherent. I think some redundant subplots could be cut, such as the priest's storyline and some of the internal police struggles, which aren't very interesting..."
Although the script is good and the male lead's character is well-developed, Ji Kyung-won feels there are many problems. Besides some developments and details, there are also issues common in suspense dramas, such as insufficient foreshadowing and plot twists that seem forced in the later stages.
He wasn't embarrassed at all and directly pointed out many problems. Cui Lan didn't mind and instead thought about them seriously. Moreover, after he put forward his ideas, she was able to quickly give suggestions for improvement.
Many of them were quite interesting, which gave Chi Kyung-won a higher opinion of the writer Choi's abilities.
Although he had many ideas, Chi Kyung-won was not a professional screenwriter after all, and he still had to rely on writer Choi Ran to realize them... So far, the two seemed to be working together quite well, with one offering ideas and suggestions and the other providing solutions.
"...The male protagonist, Zheng Balin, is already quite complete. Of the three endings you gave me, writer Cui, I like the first one the most. It retains Zheng Balin's tragic nature, but lets him end his life through self-sacrifice and a peaceful death without resistance, rather than simply being punished. This makes it more complex and gives a sense of redemption. I hope the overall plot will be conceived according to this idea."
After discussing the plot and then the important character, Chi Jingyuan paused briefly after praising his role as the male lead, then continued in a very natural tone:
"Then, I feel that the second male lead, Gao Wuzhi, has a little too much screen time."
Aside from some plot issues, his biggest concern about the script was that the second male lead had too much screen time, and was very important and expressive, even as good as him, the male lead.
In the drama "MOUSE," Ji Kyung-won is very ambitious about playing a very challenging role. To put it bluntly, he is preparing to shine.
The second male lead has too much screen time, almost like a dual male lead role. No matter how well a dual male lead performs, they are not at an advantage when it comes to awards. He already learned this the hard way with "Signal".
This time, he won't let other characters steal his thunder; he'll make sure to highlight the main character.
"Then there are two main female characters, Choi Hong-joo and Oh Bong-yi..."
After giving Cui Lan some time to think, Chi Jingyuan continued, "Wu Fengyi is doing well so far, but Cui Hongzhu's current characterization is a bit weak. Even if there is a reversal, it remains at a relatively shallow level and doesn't leave a deep impression."
“I think there are many aspects of this character that can be expanded and expressed. It can be made clear that she uses the media to pursue both truth and traffic, rather than simply ‘flipping back and forth’, which adds some complexity and depth to the character.”
The script for "MOUSE" features two main female characters. One of them, Oh Bong-yi, has many scenes with Ji Kyung-won, but overall, her character is not particularly outstanding and is rather ordinary.
The other character, Choi Hong-joo, is quite interesting. Not only is she beautifully designed and pleasing to the eye, but she is definitely not just a pretty face. On the contrary, she has a lot of screen time and is a complex character with moments of joy, entanglement, and struggle.
The premise itself is good, and if her role were given more screen time, she would be a very compelling female character, with a kind of vengeful, cunning, and powerful woman vibe that's starting to become popular.
"I actually think there is some truth to that. Gao Wuzhi's police profession leads him to occupy the main role in many scenes."
Upon hearing this, Cui Lan immediately understood his meaning and nodded quickly: "It even had a larger proportion than Zheng Balin in the early stages... Don't worry, Jingyuan-xi, I will make some modifications and cuts when I get back, and it won't affect the main plot."
"As for Choi Hong-joo, I didn't initially write her as the female lead, so she was just a minor character and I didn't write much about her. The original female lead was Oh Bong-yi."
After thinking for a moment, Cui Lan added, "However, if we're talking about the importance of this role, I actually have many thoughts similar to Jingyuan's."
"If it's writer Cui, then there's definitely no problem."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan smiled, expressing his trust in Cui Lan's creative abilities and genuinely giving her a thumbs up in his heart.
Writer Cui is really great. No matter what ideas or suggestions he puts forward, he can always agree with them with a positive attitude and quickly provide solutions.
It's important to know that writers hold a very high position in Korean drama productions. Although Ji Kyung-won has a lot of power in collaborations, it's really hard to find a writer who would give him such face.
"That's about it. After you go back in the next couple of days, please revise the script according to what we just discussed, and then send me an official version. Once Netflix has reviewed it, we can start preliminary preparations."
After reaching an agreement, the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Chi Jingyuan looked at her and instructed, "The plan is to officially start filming at the end of the year... By the way, Writer Cui, Netflix's original dramas are a bit different from the dramas on our regular TV stations. They don't film and broadcast simultaneously."
“Netflix’s model is usually to film before broadcasting. Even if there’s a tight schedule and they can’t finish filming, they’ll at least film half of it. Our show is based on a standard of sixteen episodes, so we need to have at least ten episodes of the script written before we start filming.”
“I’m going to the United States in a couple of days, but I can talk to Writer Cui anytime if I have any questions.”
"Okay, I know."
Cui Lan immediately nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Jingyuan-xi, I'm sure everything will be fine on my end."
"But is it really anytime? The time difference between here and the United States is quite large. Will it disturb your rest?" After saying that, she laughed and joked again.
“It’s alright. Just come whenever Writer Cui has time. If there are any problems with the script, feel free to contact me anytime.” Chi Jingyuan smiled and emphasized again.
"OK~"
Cui Lan made a friendly gesture, then took a few sips of coffee, seemingly wanting to say something. After hesitating for a moment, she tentatively asked, "Since we're starting preliminary preparations, shouldn't the casting process also begin?"
"Yes."
Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly, understanding what his sister meant.
Casting is a very important matter for any drama. Whether it's choosing actors you like or have high hopes for, or having the power to exchange influence with others or even do favors, it's an important right that people can't give up.
In the usual TV drama production, writers and directors can have a say in this regard, but in this "MOUSE" series, a considerable amount of power is in the hands of Ji Kyung-won, and the rest is in the hands of the Netflix producers. To be honest, as a writer or even a director, he doesn't actually have much say.
Even so, it's only natural to let people have their suggestions, and Ji Jingyuan is still happy to listen to the creators' ideas.
He smiled and said, "Since we still have some time, we can discuss... what are Writer Cui's thoughts?"
"Ok."
Hearing what Ji Jingyuan meant, Cui Lan was pleased and her face lit up with excitement. She quickly said, "The male lead, Zheng Balin, will definitely be played by you, Jingyuan-xi. That goes without saying. The second male lead, Gao Wuzhi, is set to be around 35 years old. He is a detective in the serious crimes unit who is used to fighting violence with violence, so his appearance doesn't need to be too outstanding, but his temperament must be mature. What do you think... Zhao Zhenxiong-xi?"
“Indeed, Chen-hsiung fits the role perfectly in every way, and his acting skills are absolutely no problem. I worked with him in ‘Signal’.”
After hearing her words, Chi Jingyuan thought for a while and nodded. But after speaking, he shrugged helplessly: "But as far as I know, after 'Signal,' Brother Zhenxiong said that he would not act in TV dramas for a while, and he doesn't really like scripts like 'MOUSE,' so it will probably be difficult to invite him."
"That's it~"
Choi Ran sounded a little disappointed, it seemed she still had high hopes for the actor Cho Jin-woong, but she wasn't disappointed either.
"How is Li Jingrong?"
"He's a bit too old, and he doesn't quite fit the main character."
"What about Jung Kyung-ho?"
"Jung Kyung-ho is not bad, but he seems a little too refined... Writer Choi, what do you think of Park Hae-soo? Or Kim Sung-kyun...?"
There are actually many people who could play the role of Gao Wuzhi. There is no shortage of mature middle-aged male actors in the Peninsula. The two of them kept nominating various suitable candidates and had a heated discussion.
Ji Kyung-won was also very interested in this discussion. Although he has acted in so many dramas, this was the first time he had taken on the right to cast actors.
Honestly, casting is a really interesting thing. Actors, whether famous or not, excellent or mediocre, with connections or those who need help, beautiful or ordinary, are discussed, commented on, and selected at will.
It's a very exhilarating thing, but also one that's hard to satisfy the lust for power.
"Wu Fengyi is portrayed as a pure and resilient female college student around 20 years old. She needs to have some student-like qualities and a sense of story, and be able to portray the contradiction between vulnerability and courage... This role is actually quite simple, and any young actress with suitable acting skills would fit the bill."
“Yes, when I saw the script, I actually thought of a few suitable candidates.” Ji Jingyuan nodded and counted on his fingers: “Like, the first one that came to mind was Kim So-hyun, then Kim Yoo-jung, Kim Go-eun…”
"Haha, these are the most outstanding actresses of this age group in our country right now. They are not easy to invite."
Cui Lan couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "I wonder if they'll be interested."
Anyway, we're just having a discussion. Communicating with the talent agency and inviting them to auditions are Netflix's responsibility.
Chi Jingyuan shrugged, looking relaxed and somewhat confident: "As for interest... I think I might."
Just kidding, he's the male lead! Netflix is so generous, even Jun Ji-hyun would probably audition if you asked her.
...No, that's not right either, this woman seems to be pregnant.
Forget it.
"Haha, that's right. Jingyuan's next drama will definitely get a lot of attention."
Chi Jingyuan was confident, and Cui Lan seemed even more confident in him than he was in himself, immediately agreeing with him.
"Then there's the role of Choi Hong-joo. According to Kyung Won-ssi's idea, this character will be very important in the whole drama. In addition to being outstanding in appearance, she also needs to have enough expressiveness..."
What do you think of Im Yoon-ah?
"puff!"
Chi Jingyuan, who had just taken a sip of coffee, almost spat it out. He quickly covered his mouth to hide his embarrassment, then looked up at Cui Lan with a strange expression, thinking he had misheard.
"Who?"