Episode 111: The Art of Negotiation
Ryu Miyeon served tea to Kang Lim and Seoyeon.
The fragrant scent of black tea filled the planning room, warming up the entire body.
Ryu Miyeon took a sip of tea and smiled lightly.
Her next words were unexpected.
“No.”
Kang Lim was surprised by her firm tone, and Seoyeon’s eyes filled with disappointment.
Seoyeon looked at her mother and asked in a sulky voice,
“Why? Why not? Where else would we get an opportunity to work under such a director? Just think about Kang Lim memorizing all the camera setups with his amazing memory! It would be incredibly helpful for video work.”
“…I know that. But, Kang Lim is too busy. And I’m worried that people might not treat him properly, just like any ordinary staff member.”
“No way, that wouldn’t happen.”
“You remember the similar incident with Professor Shin Hansoo at the restaurant, don’t you?”
“Would staff behave like that under a top-notch director? Plus, Kang Lim was directly cast by the art director, not through an audition.”
“Hmm…”
Kang Lim nodded and spoke.
“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. If I can be of help to the existing staff, I believe the atmosphere on set will improve. After all, a filming set only gets tense when the desired shots aren’t coming out.”
Ryu Miyeon smiled at Kang Lim’s confident words.
“Well, that’s true. If Kang Lim acts as a stand-in, things might move along quickly.”
“I’d like to give it a try too.”
“Hmm… What I’m worried about is this year’s schedule.”
Ryu Miyeon showed them a calendar.
“I’m sure you haven’t forgotten, but the solo exhibition in Paris is in a month. In May, you have to go to Italy for the Biennale.”
Ryu Miyeon didn’t actually feel any loss. Working with actors and filming wasn’t a big deal.
If Kang Lim made a successful debut in Europe and participated in the Biennale, his schedule would be packed with exhibitions.
Even without the name value of Frazer, it would still create enough buzz.
“Kang Lim, if you establish yourself in the U.S. later, Hollywood directors, actors, and famous tycoons will line up to own your paintings.”
Kang Lim shook his head and said,
“Director, it’s not about becoming famous; I want to learn the field, just like Seoyeon said. I don’t plan to become a film director, but understanding stage sets, special effects, and camera direction will be beneficial for various activities. I’ve already finished all the paintings for the solo exhibition. I just need to paint the backgrounds, so it won’t interfere with my activities.”
Seoyeon nodded next to him.
“That’s right. Anyway, the catalog and posters, installations are handled by me and the planning team. I’ll make sure to implement the concept Kang Lim mentioned perfectly!”
“…It will be physically demanding.”
Ryu Miyeon turned another page of the calendar.
“Kang Lim, once the semester starts in March, you have to return to Korea. That’s another issue. The film shoot will continue until summer… Can you manage traveling back and forth on long flights? It will be physically exhausting.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Kang Lim and Seoyeon simultaneously widened their eyes.
Did they have a clever plan? They both spoke the same words.
“Don’t worry about that!”
“Don’t worry about that!”
Ryu Miyeon shook her head and said,
“Ha… Do you have some alternative?”
“Yes, we anticipated this and applied for exchange student programs. Since we’ll likely be in Italy in May, we planned to stay here.”
Kang Lim took out his phone and showed his acceptance letter.
It was from École des Beaux-Arts, a sister school of the Korea National University of Arts.
“Wow… École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. When did you prepare your language scores and portfolio?”
Ryu Miyeon’s eyes widened. Applying for an exchange program amidst such a busy schedule…
Even though it’s called a sister school, it was actually hard to get accepted.
There are many art schools in France, but École des Beaux-Arts is the most famous among them.
“I just submitted several works I did in materials science class as my portfolio. I took the language test last year when I was selected for the HEYUM residency. Even though I could speak well, other artists applied with certificates, so I got one too, to avoid any special treatment.”
“Haha… Well done.”
Ryu Miyeon was taken aback by Kang Lim’s diligence.
It seemed almost too perfect to be simply considerate of others.
“But doesn’t Paris start the semester in January? It seems like it will be even busier.”
“No, it starts in February and ends in May. The semester starts after my solo exhibition opens. It will be a bit more relaxed then, so it’s fine.”
“Ah… I see.”
Ryu Miyeon nodded and looked at Seoyeon.
“But, Seoyeon, how did you get accepted?”
Seoyeon sulked slightly at her mother’s question. She didn’t apply through the practical skills route.
“I know… I’m not that good at practical skills. Only two from our department could apply, so how could I? I applied through the cross-major route as soon as I got my double major in art history. I got accepted into the art history department.”
“Ah, did you apply to be next to Kang Lim?”
“Well, it’s partly to help with Kang Lim’s exhibition, but also because Erlin wanted me to stay longer this time… And the professor in the art history department here is very famous too…”
Kang Lim chuckled at Seoyeon’s excuses.
“That’s right. Professor Marcel Lyon is here too, isn’t he? He interviewed me when I was featured in Art Prestige.”
Ryu Miyeon calculated various factors and slowly nodded.
“Alright. If you can handle it, go ahead. How can I stop you?”
“Haha. Thank you.”
“By the way, who is the other person coming from your department?”
Kang Lim recalled the faces of his classmates.
The one who came out during the vacation and painted the most diligently was only one person.
The one with the best skills.
“Probably Taemin. After the solo exhibition in Paris, Professor Shin Hansoo will return to Korea.”
Kang Lim went into his room and checked his email. There was a script sent by Charlotte.
He downloaded the contents and shared them with Ryu Miyeon.
They planned to check the detailed requirements and length written in the script and propose contract terms.
He pressed the print button, and a warm script came out.
Kang Lim waited until the papers piled up, then bound them with a spiral binder.
How much time was spent writing this?
Naturally, Frazer’s interview came to mind.
‘He said it was difficult because he couldn’t direct the scenes as he wanted. So he had to revise some parts of the script…’
So is this the script he really wanted?
Kang Lim decided to read it and compare it with the scenes he originally knew.
The script started with a dry tone beneath the movie title.
As he slowly read the script, he memorized all the dialogues, directives, and descriptions.
‘It’s definitely interesting even when I read it again.’
Frazer is famous for balancing commercial success and artistry.
His hallmark is embedding sharp life philosophies within humorous entertainment.
‘His movies always start light and funny, but become poignant and sad towards the end… By the time the end credits roll, it leaves a heavy feeling in your heart.’
The movie title ostensibly refers to Impressionism.
But the underlying content is not just about painters.
The movie unfolds from the protagonist ‘Christian’s’ perspective.
The main plot is simple.
It’s about a poor 21st-century artist named Christian who starves to death and returns to the 19th century.
Reborn in the 19th-century Paris where art flourishes, he already knows which artists will become famous.
He anticipates that paintings currently sold for cheap will be worth hundreds of times more in 20 years.
Christian plans to support poor painters and resell paintings to become wealthy.
His goal is to help fellow artists and live mutually beneficial lives.
‘In a way, it’s similar to my story. I also want to help struggling artists if I make a lot of money.’
The problem is that things don’t go as Christian wishes.
How can eccentric artists be nurtured as desired?
As people who shouldn’t gather come together, it leads to conspiracies, betrayals, and schemes.
The movie delves deeply into human desires.
It vividly portrays the obsessive love of the protagonist, the greed of painters, and the material desires of wealthy people wanting to own paintings.
‘In the end, it’s a movie discussing fate. It visually shows scenarios we imagined, like what if certain people hadn’t met or if they met at a different time and had their emotions twisted.’
As Kang Lim read the script, he marked his lines with a highlighter.
There were definitely more scenes that didn’t exist before.
This wasn’t simply about replicating famous paintings.
Because of the protagonist’s future information, the painters’ works change.
‘Wow… They’re making me do all the live work? The original painters will only do props?’
Ryu Miyeon was right. He realized he’d have a hard time filming this.
The next day, Charlotte came to the residency after receiving a call.
Kang Lim sat in the conference room with Ryu Miyeon to review the contract.
Both had serious expressions.
Based on the script, Kang Lim’s role was significant.
It required a lot of creative elements, not just as a stand-in.
Ryu Miyeon frowned slightly while looking at the contract.
Kang Lim’s pay was only slightly higher than the average professional stand-in artist.
‘Is she trying to negotiate…?’
Ryu Miyeon smirked. She sensed that they had deliberately set the price low.
It’s often said that setting the starting point is crucial in negotiations.
Charlotte seemed worried about excessive production costs.
Ryu Miyeon brushed her hair back and said firmly,
“Sorry, but unless it’s the same fee as the actors, we can’t send our artist.”
Charlotte’s eyes wavered, slightly overwhelmed by Ryu Miyeon’s aura.
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Charlotte quickly added a few clauses to the contract.
She realized it would have been better to bring a completely blank contract. She felt caught for trying to play a trick.
“Then how about this? Besides the fee, we’ll add $3,000 per painting created during filming.”
Charlotte recognized Kang Lim’s talent but couldn’t afford to pay more than the actors’ fees.
Adding $3,000 per painting was a profit usually given to renowned art designers in the industry.
“What do you think, Kang Lim? Do you find these terms acceptable? I don’t.”
Ignoring the anxious Charlotte, Ryu Miyeon watched Kang Lim.
She wanted to see how he would act. One must know how to protect their own value.
“Hmm…”
Would they treat him well if he worked for a low fee?
No. People don’t work that way. They judge based on what you wear and use.
In fact, bringing him in at a high price would ensure no one looks down on him.
That’s how capitalism works.
Ryu Miyeon knew this well and hoped Kang Lim would handle it wisely.
A naive and foolish person couldn’t survive in the art world.
‘It’s unreasonable to ask for an actor’s fee for a freelance stand-in. Charlotte likely doesn’t have that kind of budget… Is there a way to raise my value without cutting the film’s investment?’
Kang Lim pondered and then spoke with a good alternative in mind.
“I won’t take an upfront fee. Instead, give me a running guarantee.”
Ryu Miyeon’s eyebrows rose at the intriguing proposal.
Is this really an idea from a 21-year-old? He hadn’t written many contracts, yet his background knowledge was extensive.
“50 cents per viewer.”
Running guarantee refers to sharing the film’s box office revenue.
Since it only applies if the film breaks even and becomes a hit, it reduces production cost burdens.
50 cents per viewer seems small, but it’s still a trick.
If the audience exceeds 10 million, he would make 5 million dollars.
If the film succeeds?
For a Hollywood film screened worldwide, 10 million viewers is nothing.
“And I want the copyright of the paintings created on set. Since it’s not just about replicating famous paintings but adding imagination, it’s necessary.”
Ryu Miyeon was pleased with the successive conditions. Her judgment was spot on.
‘If I get the copyrights, I can claim the profits from promotional materials and art goods. Kang Lim is really smart.’
The paintings Kang Lim had to create weren’t just technical works, hence the added condition.
If 19th-century painters had future knowledge, what would they paint?
Although there were directives and concept art from the director, it certainly required emotion and imagination.
“Ah… Wait a moment. I need to make a call.”
Charlotte got goosebumps seeing Kang Lim’s calm demeanor.
He was much more meticulous than expected.
After consulting with Frazer, Charlotte said,
“It’s possible. Let’s start filming from tomorrow.”
As expected, the one in need follows.
