“Did you watch the video?”
“Yes, thank you so much, PD-nim.”
“That’s a relief.”
A voice of relief came from the other end of the phone.
“It made me feel so good watching it.”
“…”
“Actually, I couldn’t really remember my mother’s face. I’ve seen photos, but strangely, I couldn’t recall her smiling expression or her voice.”
But after watching the video yesterday, it seems to be coming back to me, little by little.
“My grandmother loved it too. She said she’s going to watch it every night. She’s so grateful to you, PD-nim, she wants to send you some side dishes.”
Only then did I hear laughter from the other side, which had been silent until now.“Just tell her I appreciate the thought.”
“Yes, I told her you probably wouldn’t accept it, but she insisted… Still, if you ever need any side dishes, please let me know.”
“Okay.”
I whispered, ‘It’s really delicious,’ like a secret, and Ha Seung-ju burst into laughter.
Then he said,
“Right. I actually have some good news.”
“Good news?”
“The video I gave you. That’s not all there is.”
“What?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“Is there more?”
“I filmed quite a bit more than I thought. It’s on videotape, so I’ll have to check the content, but there should be a considerable amount from that time.”
Without realizing it, my cheeks flushed with excitement.
My heart raced with anticipation.
I never knew that the habit of preserving memories through photos and videos would come in handy like this, the other party joked.
“Really, this is the best news I’ve heard recently.”
“I’ll extract the video and send it to you.”
“Thank you so much.”
I bowed deeply into the air, expressing my gratitude.
The other party, who had been chuckling at my happy voice, changed the subject.
“By the way, how’s the songwriting going?”
“I’ve been working on it, but it’s not going well. I’m not sure what the solution is that the director and you mentioned.”
“It’s difficult.”
“Well, I’ll keep thinking about it in between schedules. And…”
I kicked the floor of the studio with my foot, spinning in my chair.
The studio scenery whirled before my eyes.
“After watching the video of my parents, I thought about writing a song…”
“Do you want to try making one?”
“No, I’ve already written it.”
“…Already?”
He fell silent when I said it took about three hours.
If I could see his face, he’d probably be blinking in surprise.
He laughed heartily at my quick work.
“I was thinking of including the song I wrote about my parents as a track on the album.”
“That’s a good idea. Especially since you’re the main focus of this album.”
“I’ll send it to you later, could you please give it a listen?”
“Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”
After a long conversation about the track and album consultation.
As we were wrapping up the call, I asked in a pitiful voice.
“PD-nim.”
“Yes?”
“Could you give me a hint about revising the title track…”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Ah…!”
The call ended with a click, and I wrinkled my nose in frustration.
While continuing to work on the unresolved song.
With a 3-night, 4-day reality shoot in Jeju Island approaching, we quickly went through the remaining schedule.
Mostly it was for commercial shoots.
These were the ads that came in during our small theater and Japan tours.
We did some minor video shoots and posters for print in between, but the major commercials were all scheduled for now, after the Japan tour.
“Hello! We are New Black!”
“Wow!”
As the crew’s applause greeted our arrival, it seemed they were trying to boost the model’s spirits for a successful ad shoot.
“Ha-ha-ha! The atmosphere is just too good!”
“Right?!”
Our excitement bubbled over as we danced and bounced to the rhythm, but the applause soon faded. Perhaps our enthusiasm was a bit too much. Wonseok, with a gesture for us to tone it down, drew a decrescendo in the air, and we followed suit, calming down. The staff seemed relieved. РаƝ𝐨฿Ę𝘚
“Please take good care of us during today’s shoot!”
We entered, greeting the lighting crew, the staff, and the advertising agency employees scattered throughout the studio. Their welcome was somewhat overly enthusiastic.
And there, in the waiting room, was a spread of food like a hotel breakfast buffet. Junghyun’s eyes sparkled.
“Is this where I’ll meet my end…!”
“I want to be buried here too, bro!”
We laughed at the fools sharing a joyful high-five.
Then, we all clapped our hands softly and headed towards the food.
Bijoo bent down to look and was delighted.
“Wow. This is really pretty. Look at these macarons, don’t they look lovely?”
“I thought they were decorations.”
“I can’t even bring myself to touch them… I should take a picture for my family…”
At that moment, Junghyun grabbed a macaron and devoured it. Bijoo, holding his phone, pursed his lips and closed his eyes tightly. The one who was trying to be patient began to poke Junghyun’s side with his phone as if seeking revenge.
“You’re really… terrible, Kim Junghyun.”
“It’s meant to be eaten anyway. You should eat too.”
“No, thanks.”
“Red macaron? Blue macaron?”
“Blue.”
Junghyun tossed a blue macaron into Bijoo’s mouth.
Bijoo, munching away, suddenly opened his eyes wide and gave a thumbs up.
Jiho and I, who had been taking pictures with the macarons, reached out for one too.
And then we tasted one.
“…Delicious!”
We sat around in the waiting room chairs, deciding to find out the vendor’s name later.
Rihyuk was savoring the aroma of the hot coffee in his cup, seemingly brewed out of nowhere.
“Wow. This is really good coffee.”
“Is it?”
“It matches the description of good coffee I read in that book.”
“Then it must be good.”
I looked around, convinced.
The flowers, decorations, food, and interior of the model’s waiting room had an air of elegance.
“Duty-free shop ads are definitely different.”
“Yeah. They prepare like this because famous top stars come here.”
Today’s schedule was a duty-free shop ad shoot.
We were recruited as models for Donga Duty-Free, known as the top in the industry.
It’s a place that hires famous singers or Hallyu stars every year for family concerts or fan meetings.
That’s why they recruit celebrities who appeal to foreign tourists from China, Japan, and elsewhere.
The shooting environment seemed tailored for such top stars.
It felt like they were going out of their way to please the ad models, almost to an uncomfortable degree.
“Ah, welcome!”
After makeup and costume fittings, the director greeted us.
“I was amazed by Lee Gyeonwoo’s appearance the other day, and now seeing New Black in person is great. You’re all so handsome~”
“Thank you, Director.”
“You’ve seen the shooting concept and storyboard, right?”
“Of course.”
The director smiled, relieved.
Surely no one would come to the set without properly reviewing those.
“Today, we’ll start by shooting a few versions of our logo song.”
“We’ve practiced it.”
“To get a feel for it, I’ll show you some videos of the previous ad models.”
We sat with the director in front of the monitor.
Soon, the videos of the predecessors played.
Actor Lee Gyeonwoo, a Hallyu star, stood in a white studio wearing a semi-formal suit.
He snapped his fingers as he sang the lyrics containing ‘Duty Free,’ the symbol of the duty-free shop.
As we watched intently, the director spoke.
“Do you like the expression?”
“Yes, it really gives off a duty-free shop commercial vibe.”
“With an excited yet luxurious feel.”
“Yes.”
As I nodded, other videos continued to play.
The members of TNT were laughing and winking at each other, shouting ‘Duty Free.’
They all pretended to be so deadly serious.
Watching the footage, I could imagine the TNT members being hit by a critical strike.
I also watched a relay video of famous actors singing the logo song.
“That’s it for now.”
As the director moved to close the window, we raised our hands.
“Could we possibly see the others? I’d like to match the tune when we sing.”
“The tune?”
“Yes. It would seem more harmonious that way.”
“…?”
The director tilted his head, puzzled, but then complied with our request.
Soon, other videos started to flow.
I exchanged glances with my siblings.
‘I see why they didn’t show us.’
‘There was a reason.’
After all, it was just a relay logo song MV, with each person appearing for about 10 seconds. It wasn’t a crucial video.
However, there were some advertisement models who seemed quite insincere.
Their expressions were good, and the singing was fine, but somehow it felt like something was missing.
Unlike the senior Lee Gyeon-woo or TNT, they were just doing enough to get paid.
“…Yes! We’ve seen enough. Thank you.”
Then we stood up.
Before we started shooting in earnest, we stretched and had a brief meeting with the siblings.
We consulted with the director.
“What kind of feel should we go for?”
“Feel?”
“In the Duty Free relay song, ‘Duty’ is interpreted as being freed from obligation, right?”
“Ah.”
“When tourists travel, should we convey a feeling of being freed from daily life? Or should it be more about the freedom to shop?”
The director’s face brightened, and he said, “Just a moment.”
Then he began to speak faster.
“A bit of both would be good. Being freed from daily life, and the freedom of shopping. Mix the two, but with the latter being more prominent.”
“The freedom of shopping.”
As we nodded, the youngest spoke up.
“I got it right away. It’s all about the joy of spending.”
“Ha ha!”
The director burst into laughter.
Then he began to direct us in detail on what expressions to wear while singing.
It was as if our faces were glowing.
I empathized with that feeling. People in creative fields are all similar.
They want to talk about their work, whether it’s advertising, songs, or design. They want to develop it further.
“…That’s the direction we should go.”
“Understood!”
“If you have any more comments or… Ah, Jiho.”
The youngest raised his hand slightly.
Then he pointed to the overall storyboard the director was holding.
Which actor, which singer would appear at what time.
“Could we add a prop?”
“A prop?”
“It seems there’s a wide range of ages. For example, senior Lee Gyeon-woo is wearing a semi-formal suit and an expensive watch.”
The reason for choosing Lee Gyeon-woo, in his thirties, as a model was to promote the consumption of luxury items.
The director nodded.
“Our outfits give off a vibe of young people in their early twenties who have come on a trip? So, a cheerful feel would be good, right?”
“Ah. Yes.”
“So, how about holding a duty-free shop bag with the logo on it, as if we’ve just finished shopping?”
“Ah! That’s perfect! Let’s do that!”
The director clapped his hands in approval and asked for five bags to be brought.
In the meantime, we gave a thumbs-up to the youngest, who was coughing and making a ‘V’ sign.
“Well done.”
Outside, the youngest member frowned. “What kind of naming sense is that? It’s terrible. What even is ‘Horini’?”
“Then how about ‘Jirini’?”
“Let’s stick with ‘Horini’.”
While we were having this conversation, I finally received the duty-free shopping bag prepared by the staff and immediately entered the shoot.
“I’m exhausted now.”
“Honeybee~ Honeybee~”
Humming the tune to lift my spirits, I filled my face with a fresh smile, recalling the feeling I had when I bought my grandmother’s clothes with my first paycheck.
I sang the relay jingle.
The director smiled contentedly. “Nice. I like it.”
NewBlack, holding a paper bag with ‘DA Duty Free’ written on it, hummed in front of the camera. The music staff gave a thumbs up, indicating there was no need for pitch correction or tone adjustment. “They’ve really hit the right note.”
Usually, adjusting the tone for several people singing in relay can be quite challenging. If it doesn’t work out, we resort to post-recording.
But NewBlack didn’t need any of that. “We could use this take as it is for the advertisement.”
I was extremely satisfied.
The director’s gaze on NewBlack warmed. They were known for their good reputation in the industry, but that was last year’s news.
Thinking about what celebrities who rose to fame quickly were like on set…
“Ugh.”
I remembered the star who threw a fit throughout the shoot a few days ago because the fake flowers in the waiting room smelled like durian. I ended up eating two calming pills that day.
“They were embarrassed by their own fart and made a fuss at us…”
They came unprepared to sing, and we had to urgently find a vocal trainer to get them ready.
Famous individuals were desperate to be cast by any duty-free shop, so we couldn’t say much.
The advertising agency and on-site staff were so anxious in front of the client’s sour face.
But today…
“They’re smiling.”
The client clapped softly to themselves and nodded.
I felt relieved.
Having overheard the conversation with the director, the client looked at NewBlack with great favor.
After monitoring the video…
“Cut! Great work!”
We nailed the scene for the relay jingle in just a few takes.
The meeting beforehand ensured an excellent outcome.
We could have shot more, but there was no need.
However, the NewBlack members monitoring shook their heads.
“Director, sorry, but can we go one more time? I think there was a slight miss.”
“Ah, sure!”
“Okay, we’ll get ready.”
They relaxed their facial muscles and composed their expressions again.
“Ready! Three, two, one!”
The director laughed heartily as we recorded again.
Some models would frown at the suggestion of another take for a perfect cut.
They might not show it, but they often exuded an attitude of ‘Do we really need to go to such lengths for an ad?’
But this time, they were more eager.
As I was enjoying this cheerful mood, the client, followed by a string of advertising agency employees, approached.
“Director.”
“Yes?”
“I just had an idea. The relay song MV ends with just the logo appearing, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Since we’re shooting today, how about we entrust the final logo to these guys?”
Pointing to the beaming NewBlack members, the client suggested.
“If we add a welcome message from Donga Duty Free at the end, it would be perfect.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll discuss it with the team leader.”
Soon after, Seo Minki, the team leader in charge of NewBlack, thought it over and gave the okay sign.
As the discussion concluded…
“Cut! Great work, everyone! Ha ha!”
The director’s cheerful voice called for a cut. Yet, his expression while monitoring wasn’t bright.
“I think we can do better, right?”
“Yes. I think we should try one more time, bro.”
“Director, let’s go for another take…”
The director smiled warmly.
“Alright, let’s go for one more…”
His pleased smile was short-lived as he began to notice something off.
“Let’s go for another take.”
“Oh no, I’ve picked up the wrong envelope. Director!”
“Director!”
“…”
As the saying goes, even joy, if prolonged, can turn into pain.
The New Black members were squinting at the monitor, striving for the perfect cut.
“Maybe we can stop filming now…”
“One more time.”
“Yes…”
The director rubbed his eyes, which had become moist.
Was it out of happiness or sadness?
Looking around, he asked the assistant director.
“Hey, Ju-won. Where did the advertiser go?”
“They said they could trust us with the shoot and left for the day.”
“…”
The director laughed out loud.
‘Such dedicated models for an ad shoot.’
That was good.
But…
Why won’t these guys go home?
“Once more!”
The director’s eyes moistened again.
The duty-free shop ad shoot wrapped up without a hitch.
We shot the logo song in the studio, along with print and poster ads to be displayed at the duty-free shop.
We also filmed individual ads for each model.
Then, there were the foundation and cosmetics ads we promoted with Rihyuk, as well as clothing and shoe ads.
We even shot a new ad for a telecommunications company.
To finish, we filmed a public service ad.
[Local Autonomy and Regional Balanced Development!]
[A goal we must achieve, right?]
…and so we shot an ad addressing regional balanced development.
The reason given by the public institution for our nationwide tour collaboration was our hometown.
In fact, the regions we visited have become popular tourist destinations, and their sales have increased.
We received honorary merchant certificates and plaques of appreciation from various regions.
It was an unexpected gain from our small theater tour, along with our improved vocal skills.
As we wrapped up the spring season ad shoots.
“Hello! We are New Black!”
We visited the Yeouido PBS station for our last schedule, a pre-meeting.
PBS headquarters.
The largest partition on the fifth floor belonged to the Entertainment Department, “Mr. Producer.”
A program known as one of the two national entertainment shows, along with Joo Se-han.
It was PBS’s flagship program, and the one where the PD suggested we collaborate during last year’s entertainment awards ceremony.
“How have you been?”
The man with a gloomy expression greeted us.
“I saw Woojoo get drunk on chocolate recently.”
“Ha ha ha!”
“It was so funny. Exactly the character I wanted.”
“Th-thank you… That’s right. Bringing joy is what’s important.”
As we sat down in the meeting room, the main writer handed out binders.
It was the proposal for [Mr. Producer – Idol Debut Project].