novelnext Chapter 1508 is coming soon.
Chapter 1508 is coming soon.
Chapter 1508 is coming soon.
Netflix Peninsula's operations headquarters is located in the heart of Gangnam District. The entire office building features a minimalist all-glass curtain wall facade, which is both transparent and highly modern.
Despite its less-than-stellar performance, it still exudes the efficiency and grandeur of a global streaming giant.
As soon as Chi Jingyuan got out of the car downstairs and entered the lobby, he saw two people not far away.
Leading the way was a capable woman in a well-tailored black suit, her long hair styled in a neat low bun, with delicate features and a calm yet unassailable aura. She was none other than Lim Soo-yeon, the chief producer of "Spying".
The man standing beside her was wearing a light gray casual suit, with a tall and straight figure and a gentle smile. He was Jiang Donghan, the director of Netflix's Peninsula Original Series Department.
The two of them actually came to the entrance of the hall to greet him personally, a level of courtesy that far exceeded that of ordinary co-stars.
Chi Jingyuan quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and shook hands: "Director Jiang, Xiuyan, I'm so sorry to have troubled you to come out and wait for me."
The reason why Ji Kyung-won was able to collaborate with Netflix was thanks to this Kang Dong-han, and the two have maintained contact ever since.
When the other party came downstairs to greet him personally, Chi Jingyuan had a guess in his mind... It must be that the finished product of "The Spy" received extremely high praise during Netflix's internal review.
"Jingyuan-xi has arrived, please come in."
Jiang Donghan stepped forward with a smile and shook hands with him gently. His attitude was friendly and sincere, without any airs of a high-ranking official: "We've been waiting for you. The final cut has just been finished, and we're just waiting for you to come and take a look."
Chi Jingyuan responded with a smile and humbly, offering polite words one after another.
The elevator took us directly to the exclusive screening floor, and Lin Xiuyan walked beside me: "Currently, the post-production of 'Peeping' has been completed for all ten episodes, with fine editing, color grading, music, and sound effects all finished."
"So fast?"
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan paused slightly, clearly somewhat surprised.
It's worth noting that filming for "The Spy" wrapped up on March 24th... because the date was special as it happened to be Mina's birthday, so Ji Kyung-won remembered it very clearly.
Filming wrapped up on the 24th, and it's only been half a month since then, but we've already completed more than half of it. That's incredibly efficient.
"Don't underestimate our work efficiency, Jingyuan-xi."
Lin Xiuyan was amused by his surprised expression, with a hint of pride in her eyes. "The post-production companies we work with are top-notch professional teams in the industry. They have all the equipment and manpower, and they don't hold back on the budget or the schedule. They are fully committed and keep a close eye on the progress, so their efficiency is naturally much faster than that of ordinary film crews."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan slowly nodded, his eyes filled with approval.
While Netflix is a global behemoth, it is still in its infancy in the Korean Peninsula, expanding its market and lacking experience in original series. Its only original series was a complete flop.
However, their advantages are also obvious: they have abundant resources and money, and are willing to invest. They also cooperate with outstanding companies, and with enough money, efficiency is naturally high.
Chi Kyung-won, as one of the beneficiaries of this "willingness to spend money," is quite familiar with it.
but……
Chi Kyung-won suddenly thought of Son Seung-wan.
Netflix is so rich, they must make a lot of money even just by singing an OST, right?
Why didn't they even offer to treat him to a meal to thank him?
Sure enough, humph~
The group walked through a quiet corridor and entered Netflix's exclusive, high-standard screening room.
The screening room was small but the seats were comfortable. The sound system and picture quality were cinema-grade. The lights dimmed slowly, and the huge screen lit up. There were no extra opening advertisements, and we went straight into the opening of the film "Spying".
The first thing to appear is the opening sequence of the series.
The editing is sharp and highly oppressive, with rapid transitions between black-and-white and cold, blood-red scenes: the backs of young children, locked doors, the cold, vertical pupils of snakes, blood-stained white gloves, streetlights swaying in the rain, and stained glass windows in a church...
A series of fragmented flashbacks, accompanied by somber, oppressive, and subtly unsettling string music, quickly establish the suspenseful, cold, and darkly human tone of the entire series in just a few seconds. There is not a single line of dialogue, yet it instantly makes you hold your breath and your heart tighten slightly.
The film opens with a scene that doesn't require any extra setup.
In the dimly lit natural history exhibition hall, a jet-black venomous snake coiled in a glass display case, its body taut, its forked tongue flicking, exuding deadly danger. A group of elementary school students, led by their teacher, watched, noisy and curious.
Only one quiet little boy stood on the far side of the crowd, his eyes calm to the point of being indifferent.
Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he slowly reached out and gently placed the struggling rat he had just been holding into the snake display case.
The scene freezes as the rat senses danger and scatters in terror, while the venomous snake instantly tenses its body and pounces on its prey.
The next instant, the screen went completely black, and the cold, sharp English title, accompanied by heavy drumbeats, appeared prominently in the center of the screen—"Mouse".
Chi Jingyuan sat in his chair, leaning slightly forward, and nodded silently.
This opening is so captivating. Without any unnecessary build-up, it goes straight to the heart of the matter, using the most straightforward visuals to highlight the core theme of the entire series: "predator and prey." This serves as both an introduction to the core concept and the origin of the series' title, 'Mouse'.
It's straightforward yet full of suspense, instantly grabbing the attention of even viewers who know nothing about the plot.
The main feature begins, with the opening shot focusing on an empty and silent church.
Young Zheng Balin stood alone in front of the cross, his small figure lonely and frail. He raised his head and prayed softly to God above him, word by word, his eyes clear and his tone devout.
At first glance, viewers might only see the child as having a pitiful background and a pure heart, completely failing to grasp the deeper meaning of the story.
Only Ji Kyung-won, who had finished filming the entire series and knew all the mysteries, knew that this opening scene and the final ending of the series were a perfect beginning and end.
When viewers watch the final episode and then look back at this opening scene, they will be stunned by the extreme contrast and have a long time to savor it.
The screening room was quiet, with only the film's sound coming through clearly.
Chi Jingyuan watched the finished film quietly, his eyes very focused.
The editing of the entire series is sharp and concise, with a well-paced rhythm and no unnecessary shots. The cinematography is calm and sophisticated, and the color grading is a cool, textured gray, which is both oppressive and fits the suspenseful atmosphere of the series.
The use of light and shadow is also very well done, and every frame has a very cinematic quality. It doesn't feel like a typical Korean drama at all; instead, it feels like an extremely long suspense film.
His previously anxious heart gradually calmed down.
The team he partnered with for Netflix was indeed very strong, exceeding his expectations.
...It seems that the previous self-produced drama flopped badly, and the production team has learned from their mistake.
He also watched his own performance with exceptional focus.
In the early stages, Jung Ba-rin was gentle, kind, and innocent, with clear and bright eyes, carrying a touch of natural naivety and soft cuteness. He was sincere and enthusiastic towards the people around him, and even when facing strangers, he was full of goodwill.
Chi Kyung-won's performance was delicate and restrained, completely immersing himself in the role without a trace of acting.
He was quite satisfied with his performance.
Even someone like him, who was in the know, would only think of the character on the screen as an extremely good person, and would never imagine that it was all a perfect disguise of a born psychopathic killer.
Only in this way can the audience be brought a subversive and shocking experience when the mystery is revealed and the character is completely reversed.
After watching several episodes, the lights slowly came on. Chi Jingyuan, having composed himself, spoke first, his tone full of approval:
"It exceeded my expectations. Whether it's the editing, the camera work, the soundtrack, or the overall quality, it's all better than I imagined during filming."
"The pacing was so precise, the suspense was overwhelming, and there wasn't a single drag. Even though I knew the plot, I couldn't help but feel tense while watching it."
"It seems that Jingyuan is quite satisfied as well."
Jiang Donghan smiled and said, his eyes full of admiration, "Our colleagues who saw the finished product in advance were all shocked. Especially Jing Yuanxi's performance, the purity and restraint in the early stage, and the undercurrents hidden in the details are so layered. Everyone said that this drama will definitely be a big hit once it is released."
Lin Xiuyan nodded in agreement, her tone resolute: "The director and the entire post-production team have put 100% of their energy into this drama, and its quality will definitely stand the test of the audience. We are all full of confidence in 'The Spy'."
After watching the finished film, the group went to the conference room to continue their conversation.
"At the current pace, the remaining ten episodes can be completed within this week, without delaying the release date."
Jiang Donghan leaned forward slightly, his tone tinged with excitement: "The company's senior management has held a special meeting and finally decided that 'Spying' will be officially launched exclusively on Netflix's global platform on the 20th of this month."
"Number 20?"
Chi Jingyuan paused upon hearing this. Even though the producer had mentioned when filming wrapped that the movie would be released in mid-to-late April, he still felt it was a bit rushed: "Isn't it too fast?"
"Jingyuan, rest assured, there will be absolutely no problems with the quality."
Jiang Donghan laughed: "This launch time is the optimal solution we decided on after taking into account the later progress, market environment, and competitor schedules, and after repeated discussions."
“At present, there are no major dramas of the same caliber and theme being broadcast on local television stations in the Korean Peninsula, and there are no formidable competitors. As long as the publicity is in place, we can capture the attention of all viewers immediately by leveraging Kyung Won-ssi’s national popularity and global fame.”
"Moreover, many other major self-produced dramas will be launched in other countries and regions around the world recently, which will bring the global traffic and anticipation of the entire platform to its peak. Our simultaneous launch will also attract the attention of a large number of overseas viewers."
He paused, then added with a smile, his tone filled with the team's barely concealed anticipation: "Of course, our entire drama department, from top to bottom, can't wait. Everyone is full of confidence in this drama and is eager to see how it performs after it's released."
The staff in the conference room all laughed.
"Haha, I see..."
Chi Jingyuan smiled and nodded slowly, without saying anything more.
Netflix handles the release and promotion; he, as an actor, only needs to focus on making a good film.
However... Jiang Donghan completely ignored Netflix's first flop original series, "My Only Love Song," and treated "Spying" as his 'first original series'.
This made Chi Jingyuan chuckle to himself.
However, this is also good. The title of "number one" has a certain significance. Since Netflix regards "Spying" as number one, it will invest more resources accordingly.
"What are the broadcasting arrangements?"
Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment and then asked.
Korean dramas have always been broadcast weekly on television, with two episodes released each week. Even if they are simultaneously released on streaming platforms, they will still be later than the television broadcast schedule.
"The Spy" was decided from the beginning to be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, not on local Korean television stations. This was also Ji Kyung-won's first time working on a pure streaming original series, so he didn't have much experience with the scheduling model.
"On the official launch day, the 20th, the first ten episodes will be released all at once, and all paid subscribers on the platform can watch all ten episodes directly."
Without hesitation, Jiang Donghan offered a solution: "Release the remaining ten episodes all at once a week after the first episode goes live, bringing us to the finale."
"Ten episodes released at once?"
Chi Jingyuan was quite surprised; this model was truly novel and revolutionary for the current film and television industry in the Korean Peninsula.
"So viewers can watch 10 episodes in one day?"
Chi Jingyuan raised an eyebrow.
"Absolutely."
Jiang Donghan smiled, his tone filled with confidence in his platform's model: "This is Netflix's core logic. The faster and more engrossed the viewers are, the stronger the show's appeal."
“We even have a dedicated backend system that tracks the percentage of users who watch the first ten episodes in one go within 24 hours. This data is one of the core indicators for measuring the popularity of a series.”
"Aren't you worried about massive spoilers?"
Chi Jingyuan immediately thought of the most crucial question.
This drama is full of plot twists and turns, with a core suspense that runs throughout. If spoilers are leaked, the viewing experience will be greatly diminished.
"We are afraid, but we have corresponding solutions."
Jiang Donghan frankly admitted without avoiding the issue: "Netflix's massive global data shows that when a series is released all at once, the peak of social media discussion is indeed not as intense as when it is released weekly, but the duration of the discussion is extended indefinitely."
“Some people finish watching all the episodes in three days, while others take half a month or a month to watch them all. The viewers’ pace is completely different, and the discussion will ferment in batches and continuously. Unlike weekly dramas, the popularity will not dissipate after the show ends.”
"The risk of spoilers is indeed higher, but correspondingly, the life cycle of the topic will be longer, and the long-tail popularity will far exceed that of ordinary Korean dramas."
At the opportune moment, Lin Xiuyan spoke up, adding the most crucial point:
"Moreover, we decided to stop airing after the first ten episodes, which is exactly the most crucial point of the entire series. Zheng Balin has completed his brain transplant surgery, and his personality and behavior begin to deviate. His hidden perverted nature is gradually exposed, and all the suspense and plot twists are fully in place, which is exactly where the audience is most intrigued."
"A week-long hiatus will only cause the audience's discussion and expectations to explode."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan instantly understood and couldn't help but admire him.
The timing of this hiatus was incredibly precise; it coincided perfectly with the most climax and mind-blowing part of the first half of the series. Not to mention the audience, even the lead actor himself felt an irresistible urge to watch this part of the story.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
Lim Soo-yeon withdrew her smile and said calmly, "The KMRB drama rating results are in."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan looked over, his eyes questioning.
"19+"
Lin Xiuyan shrugged slightly and gave the result.
"really"
Chi Jingyuan was not too surprised.
From the moment he received the script and saw the numerous violent crimes, bloody scenes, and dark psychological portrayals of human nature, he knew that this show would most likely be rated 19+.
During filming, the director did not hold back at all; all the bloody, violent, and horrifying scenes were preserved in their original form without any cuts.
I had a sliver of hope that the rating would be lower, since the 19+ restriction would directly filter out a large number of underage viewers, which would have a significant impact on the show's popularity and reach among the general public.
"In fact, based on our analysis, the benefits of being 19+ are greater."
Lin Xiuyan remained calm and analyzed the situation clearly: "19+ is not a limitation on streaming media, but rather a competitive advantage."
"With a 19+ rating, television channels can only air the show during late-night, off-peak hours, with virtually no guarantee of viewership. But on Netflix, it's a guarantee of content integrity and our biggest marketing selling point."
We didn't cut any scenes to pass censorship; we completely preserved the director's original cut, giving the audience the most complete viewing experience.
She smiled, a hint of slyness in her smile: "Moreover, the 19+ rating is currently only required by Netflix; users just need to click to confirm their age. There's no complicated verification process, and there's practically no barrier to watching."
"More importantly, the '19+' label itself generates a lot of buzz."
Lin Xiuyan looked at Chi Jingyuan with a hint of certainty in her voice, "Jingyuan has been in the industry for so many years, and this is the first time he has starred in a 19+ suspense drama. This gimmick has been on the minds of the audience since the day our project was announced. It is our best publicity material."
"They probably think I'm making those kinds of 19+ films."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but squint and smile, then shrugged helplessly.
"Hahaha~"
Everyone in the conference room burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed.
"Since there are no other objections, let's finalize it."
Jiang Donghan's smile faded, and he solemnly tapped the table as he gave his final summary: "On the 20th of this month, 'Spying' will officially premiere exclusively on Netflix's global platform. Initially, it will feature subtitles in six languages and dubbing in three languages, and will be broadcast simultaneously in more than ninety countries and regions around the world."
Ji Kyung-won felt that Netflix's scale was a bit too large... It felt different from the scale of previous broadcasts on SBS and KBS.
"Of course, on the other hand, our core expectations are still for the Korean Peninsula domestic market."
Jiang Donghan changed the subject, looking sincerely at Chi Jingyuan, his tone full of trust and expectation: "Our entire original drama department, from top to bottom, has extremely high expectations for Jingyuan and for 'The Spying'."
"We made very ambitious projections internally, hoping to increase Netflix Peninsula's new paid subscribers with just one show, 'Spying'..."
As he spoke, he waved his hand sharply: "Break through 50."
His eyes were shining, clearly showing his anticipation and confidence in achieving this goal.
Finally, he looked at Chi Jingyuan and instructed, "Before and after the show goes live, we will still need to trouble Jingyuan and the other actors in the crew to cooperate with us in completing the corresponding publicity work."
Chi Jingyuan immediately nodded in agreement:
"I'm fine."
…………
After everything was finalized, Chi Jingyuan exchanged a few more pleasantries with the two men before bidding farewell and leaving Netflix headquarters.
Sitting back in the back of the van, the car slowly merged into the traffic of Jiangnan. Chi Jingyuan flipped through the pre-launch promotional materials given to him by the Netflix staff, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly asked:
“Brother Zhichang, what Director Jiang just said…”
"What exactly does 50 new paying users mean?"