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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Let's Do It, Cinematic Trailer (2)
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A game's success isn't guaranteed just by having a good cinematic, scenario, and world.
Fundamentally, if a game isn't fun, most players will leave.
Was it fortunate or unfortunate?
Most elements of the Phoenix project were about average compared to existing hits.
Why such a positive assessment, you ask?
Calling it 'average' is being generous. What would happen if we released a game with no distinctive features into the market?
It would flop, crash and burn, and disappear without a trace. A 99% probability.
But heroes are born in times of chaos.
'A situation like this is the perfect opportunity to showcase my abilities.'
If the other parts are unremarkable, then an overwhelmingly well-crafted scenario and world would make the player response to those elements stand out even more.
Playing Phoenix because the scenario and world are good?
That's not something you hear often in the Korean gaming scene, so this could conversely be an opportunity to prove my worth.
'I need to make the cinematic generate as much buzz as possible….'
That's why this cinematic trailer had to be a success, no matter what.
After returning to the office, I immediately opened my notepad.
I needed to prepare everything I could to persuade the cinematic team in the meeting, which was just two hours away.
'Still, is there any way to get something done in just two hours?'
Cinematic trailers from other games for reference, a rough storyboard for the highlight sequence of our trailer, and so on.
There was a lot to prepare.
If I at least had an assistant, I might be able to manage.
'This isn't a problem that can be solved just by spending a few points right now.'
I had five points from leveling up in God Game Maker, but it was hard to expect a dramatic result from them.
Even as my hands moved, I kept thinking about how to break through this situation.
Just then, I faintly heard other planners talking behind me in the office.
"Shouldn't we revise the business model for the shop here? I think players will drop off at this point."
"Argh, this is why shop planning should be handled by a Gwajang or higher."
It seemed there was some problem with the shop feature for the Phoenix project.
Since it wasn't directly related to me, I tried to push their conversation out of my mind.
But then.
'Shop? With that, it might be possible.'
The keyword 'shop' made a lightbulb go off in my head.
I immediately brought up God Game Maker's status window and entered the 'Developer Shop'.
'It's here! My memory was right.'
[Developer Shop]
- Welcome! Welcome to the Developer Shop. The items in the Developer Shop are updated periodically, and the product lineup may change depending on the developer's level and situation!
(1). A potential big win! Randomly increase a stat by '8'! - 5 Points
(2). Temporarily boost your work speed! 'Acceleration' - 5 Points
(3). Try hard to understand others! Increase Understanding Level! - 5 Points
(4). Instant Shop Refresh - 1 Point
'Purchase Acceleration.'
As I stared intently at option (2) and thought...
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'So this ability lasts for three hours.'
I dove right into my work to test the ability's effect.
'Damn, what is this? I can work at this speed?'
I wonder if this is what it feels like for athletes to dope.
Ideas in my head began to rage like a tidal wave, and my hands moved like lightning, jotting them down instantly.
I couldn't say for sure, but it felt like the density of my personal space-time had increased three or fourfold.
With this, I felt I could create the materials needed to persuade the cinematic team within the tight two-hour deadline.
'I'll do it! I'll get it done no matter what!'
I steadily prepared to explain, simply and intuitively, what aspects of our game I wanted to showcase through the cinematic trailer.
About two hours passed since I started working.
"Hah, it's done."
On my computer was a completed document of such high quality that even I found it hard to believe it was done in under two hours.
If I had worked on this at my normal speed, it would have taken a full day with overtime, or maybe even two days if I took my time.
After a brief stretch, I started to review the document.
And just then.
[Bonbujang Shin Chihwan: Gwajang Jo, come to my office now. I've called the cinematic team lead as well.]
[Me: Understood.]
A summons from the Bonbujang came through the messenger.
Without delay, I printed all the materials and headed up to the Bonbujang's office with them in hand.
'Is that him?'
As I entered the office, a middle-aged man who looked like an artist—wearing a flat cap and a bushy beard—was sitting next to the Bonbujang, waiting for me.
My first impression was that he had quite a personality, and I swallowed nervously.
I bowed my head once to him and then to the Bonbujang.
Shin Chihwan then pointed at me and spoke.
"Team Lead Go Jinho, this is Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo. He'll be in charge of the overall planning for the Phoenix project's cinematic."
"Haha! Hello, Gwajang Jo Hyunsoo."
"Hello. Here are the materials I've prepared for your reference."
After Go Jinho's hearty greeting, I shook his hand lightly, handed the materials to him and the Bonbujang, and we got straight into the meeting.
The Bonbujang showed a slightly surprised expression.
To understand its meaning, I brought up the 'Understanding' status window and quickly figured it out.
-The Bonbujang is surprised that you prepared materials of this quality in such a short time.
-Your credibility with him is rising.
'Not a bad reaction, then.'
Then again, even I thought it was an absurdly well-made document to have been written in that amount of time.
Not bad.
I invested my precious 5 points into creating this document, so it had to produce results.
"Team Lead Go Jinho, the Phoenix project is scheduled for a major overhaul of its scenario and world-building due to the recent FGT evaluation. Because of that, I think the cinematic plan needs some changes as well."
"I had a bad feeling, so it was about that! I'd prefer not to stray too far from the current direction, if possible."
Team Lead Go Jinho replied slyly, as if he had expected this. His tone was bright, but if you listened closely, you could hear the underlying message that they shouldn't deviate too much from their plan.
"Sorry, but you should probably think of the existing plan as being completely scrapped."
"What? But that seems a little... difficult, schedule-wise."
Go Jinho's brow furrowed slightly at the Bonbujang's firm proposal.
He seemed to be trying his best to hide his emotions, given who he was talking to, but honestly, it was a situation where anyone would be annoyed.
'It'd be strange if he didn't react that way.'
I could completely understand how he felt.
After all, suggesting they scrap a plan that had been finalized after nearly a month of going through countless approval lines was tantamount to sentencing the entire cinematic team to a hell of overwork for the remaining time.
"I know you worked hard to get the original plan approved, but this time, we're cutting out the complicated approval process. You'll work directly with me. And Gwajang Jo will help with some of the video direction and planning at the initial stage."
"Well...."
Go Jinho looked at me with a face full of doubt.
It was only natural for him to be dumbfounded by the idea of me, a non-video expert, blathering on about storyboards and planning.
"Gwajang Hyunsoo, explain the new world, the scenario, and the flow of the cinematic to Team Lead Go."
"Yes."
Having already anticipated this situation, I had organized my thoughts back at my desk to explain my story as concisely and impactfully as possible.
He wouldn't have the patience to listen to a long-winded story, so this part would determine the success or failure of the meeting.
And the moment I opened my mouth, I realized the 'Acceleration' ability wasn't just for writing documents quickly.
'What? It's much easier to talk than usual.'
The speed at which thoughts surfaced and organized themselves in my head was incomparably faster than before, allowing me to come up with the most optimal expressions in the moment.
It didn't create new ideas out of thin air, but it felt like my thinking speed had accelerated.
"So, the true identity of the Phoenix is actually the heroine, May Green, and in the final scene, a new Phoenix egg hatches. The cinematic I envision would allude to this Phoenix egg and connect to the final ending. I made this in a hurry so the quality isn't great, but this is the general flow of the direction I was thinking of."
Team Lead Go Jinho's subtle expressions, gestures, and even intentions.
The pitch proceeded with me anticipating these things to some extent, so my mistakes were noticeably reduced.
Both the Bonbujang and Team Lead Go Jinho looked genuinely surprised.
Just as I was finishing my dazzling pitch, which had captivated them both thanks to the 'Acceleration' ability...
"Next, I'll explain while we look at the storyboard."
Giving them no time to pause, I immediately showed them the rough storyboard I'd scribbled in my notepad and continued my explanation.
The momentum was on my side, so I planned to land the finishing blow.
"Hmm...."
Go Jinho remained silent, only nodding slightly and making small affirmations as I explained.
His expression changed constantly, making it impossible to predict what he was thinking.
"To be honest, the story you've changed it to is much more interesting."
Fortunately, his first words were positive. And then he continued.
"And. The storyboard you showed also clearly conveyed the feeling you want to direct. You have a good sense for this. Some parts are technically difficult and will need revision, but the overall feeling is good."
"Oh, really? So it's possible within the timeframe?"
Bonbujang Shin Chihwan seized on his words, as if trying to seal the deal right then and there.
"It should be doable. I'm not one to say things like this, but honestly, the draft Gwajang Jo brought is much more interesting, even from a creator's perspective. To be frank, our company's previous cinematic trailers...."
"Are generic."
As Go Jinho trailed off, I chimed in as if I'd been waiting for the cue.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."
Those cinematic trailers where cool or sexy characters pop out like a swarm and fight with flashy skills, without any real story.
Team Lead Go Jinho had been making nothing but those since joining the company, and he was sick to death of them.
But Hyunsoo's cinematic was well-structured, skillfully explaining the world and the characters' situations within the time limit while also having a twist of its own.
"So we're proceeding with this? Team Lead Jinho."
"However, while the plan is good, I see a few points where technical issues might arise...."
"Yeah, yeah, work those out with Gwajang Hyunsoo and make sure you're in sync."
"Understood."
In the end, we reached an agreement.
The plan was to work based on the cinematic I created, but for scenes with technical implementation limits due to time constraints, the cinematic team would find workarounds to save as much time as possible.
It wasn't perfect, but considering I could take the lead, it was at least a partial success.
"What do you think, Gwajang Hyunsoo?"
"As long as the content isn't completely distorted or the tone doesn't change, I'm fine with it. Team Lead Go Jinho is the expert on the video side. As long as we communicate well for the remaining time, I don't think there will be any problems."
"Okay. Let's do it this way."
The Bonbujang snapped his fingers, and both Team Lead Go and I nodded slightly in agreement.
"First, I'll flesh out the rough storyboard I just showed you, turn it into a proper storyboard, and deliver the first draft. It should take about two... no, 1.5 days."
"Yes, yes, that's fine. It's better for us to have it solidified. Then, once the full storyboard is out, we'll have another meeting to finalize the content. We can schedule the work to start after that."
And so, the agreement on the cinematic was settled.
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