Return of the Genius PD

From dozens to over a hundred. That’s how many people are busily moving about on set, each team with its own objectives.

Of course, they all share the common goal of improving the drama’s quality, but delving deeper, each team pursues different specific aims:

-The camera team strives for the best angles and cuts.

-The lighting team searches for optimal light and tone.

-The art team works to create the right mise-en-scène.

-The sound team aims to capture audio as realistically as possible.

As each team pursues the highest quality in its domain, conflicts between objectives inevitably arise. These clashes often escalate into subtle tensions between teams.

Just like right now.

The incident occurred during setup for the next scene. The lighting team furrowed their brows and raised their voices.

“The boom mic can’t come in this far. We’ve finished the lighting setup, but now the boom mic is casting shadows!”

The sound team fired back without missing a beat.

“If we can’t get this close, how are we supposed to pick up the audio? You should have considered the sound recording in advance!”

It’s hard to assign blame to anyone in particular. It’s just a conflict arising from each team trying to improve quality, even a little bit. 

However, resolving it isn’t easy since one side has to yield.

What started as a squabble between thirds(1) quickly escalated as seconds from each team arrived to back up their arguments. 

When that failed to resolve things, the firsts from each team stepped in and…

Finally, the heads of each team made their appearance.

Lighting Director Kang Tae-yeop frowned slightly as he spoke.

“Director Park, if we move even one light now, we’ll have to adjust the balance of all the other lights too. Reinstalling and monitoring will delay us by at least an hour.”

Sound Director Park Gae-hyun responded nonchalantly.

“Come on, Director Kang, don’t act like an amateur. Is this your first time dealing with a boom mic near actors? Why does the sound team always have to struggle? This time, we have no other options.”

Lighting Director Kang Tae-yeop’s eyes narrowed at those words.

‘Huh. This guy’s starting again.’

While all teams are important, there’s an unspoken hierarchy on set:

Camera.
Lighting.
Art.

(T/N: The missing “Sound” will be explained at the bottom)

These three domains dictate the drama’s identity. That’s why PD Kim Jong-su prioritized recruiting directors for these three areas.

Usually in these situations, if the lighting director asks for understanding, things are settled with a bit of compromise.

However, Sound Director Park Gae-hyun is one of the most senior directors in the industry. The set is always grueling, and that’s why directors who have endured for so long command a certain level of respect.

Even if… their personality might be somewhat lacking.

Lighting Director Kang Tae-yeop spoke almost pleadingly.

“Director Park, I’d adjust if I could, but the lighting for this scene is extremely tricky. The internal structures are completely blocking our angles. Please.”

Normally, by this point, one would back down graciously. 

When the head of another team humbly asks for understanding, it’s common sense to try to resolve the situation.

In fact, everyone present knew that if they looked closely, there were other alternatives for the mic position. 

Yet there was a reason the lighting director was speaking so cautiously: it was because of Sound Director Park Gae-hyun’s long-standing habit.

“Hey, lighting second.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected call, the lighting second responded hesitantly.

“Y-yes?”

Director Park Gae-hyun’s eyes flashed as he spoke.

“Where did you waste all your experience? You still can’t estimate where a boom mic should and shouldn’t go, causing this mess?”

When a shoot begins, Park Gae-hyun first looks for a scapegoat. Usually, those with less on-set experience become the targets. 

He creates conflict by using a scapegoat as a punching bag.

Of course, his purpose is clear: it’s so he can work comfortably on set.

Park Gae-hyun knows well the psychology of a conflicted shooting location. Most people react like this:

– Sigh, we have so much to do; I’ll just put up with it this once.

– Why avoid crap for being dirty? I’ll sidestep it so I don’t get dirty too.

If you push to the end, most people will back down. To achieve this, you first escalate the situation.

The bigger, the better.

Though faces redden in the moment, people become more cautious of the sound team in proportion to the level of discomfort. 

That’s why this is Sound Director Park Gae-hyun’s favorite tactic.

Petty and childish, sure. 

But undeniably effective, even if it ruins the atmosphere on set that day.

And nothing escalates a situation more effectively than going after “someone else’s people.”

“Are your ears clogged? How many years have you been in lighting to still lack this basic sense?”

At this attack on his subordinate, Lighting Director Kang Tae-yeop’s face turned crimson.

“Hey, Director Park! What do you think you’re doing?”

As if he’d been waiting for this, Sound Director Park Gae-hyun raised his voice.

“What? ‘Director Park’? You done talking, you greenhorn(3)…?”

Just as the lighting director’s eyes were about to roll back in his head…

“Oh my! I’m so sorry, Director Park!”

Ji-won, who had approached unnoticed, squeezed between the two. He then bowed deeply to the sound director.

“I’m very sorry. The director told me to check in advance, but I didn’t think that far ahead.”

Park Gae-hyun questioned in response.

“Jong-su did?”

Did he really consider this far ahead? His eyes, seeming to ask this, turned straight to Kim Jong-su. Ji-won apologized again.

“Yes, he’s so thorough, isn’t he? I should try to be at least half as diligent, but this being my first time, I was careless. I’m truly sorry.”

Ji-won bowed repeatedly.

Though lacking in on-set experience, he understood the psychology of a film set perfectly. If left alone, PD Kim Jong-su, in the most regrettable position, would have stepped in to apologize.

As Sound Director Park’s momentum began to wane from Ji-won’s sudden intervention…

“Hey, you! Do Ji-won! You can’t even do that one thing right?”

Kim Jong-su, who had quickly approached, began unleashing his anger on Ji-won, and the atmosphere on set became solemn. 

Kim Jong-su, having caught onto Ji-won’s intention, began to act.

“Director Park, I’m sorry. I should have checked more thoroughly.”

“Well…”

“Let’s go with this just for now. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future.”

Though it sounded like a request, it was closer to a notification.

“Hey, Do Ji-won. You come with me.”

As Ji-won followed Kim Jong-su with his hands clasped, sympathetic gazes followed him.

“Isn’t he being too harsh? Wasn’t he brought in by Han Se-gyu?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, you’ve got to hand it to Director Kim; he’s got quite the temper.”

Then Sound Director Park Gae-hyun shouted.

“Director Kim! Don’t be too hard on the kid!”

Once they were a bit away from the set, Kim Jong-su suddenly turned and snapped at Ji-won.

“Hey, Do Ji-won. Why did you needlessly step in to be the punching bag?”

“It was frustrating to see people fighting over egos when we’re here to shoot.”

“I could have just apologized and ended it. Why did you—”

“It might be right for you to be in the apologetic position, but…”

Ji-won added in a low voice,

“Actually, it’s not just you who’s in a difficult position; it’s all of us.”

Kim Jong-su questioned,

“Us?”

“Yes. Our team. And it’s better if I bow my head rather than you. It preserves your authority too.”

“Doesn’t it feel unfair?”

“What’s more unfair is if the project we struggled to get Han Se-gyu for ends up flopping.”

Ji-won added casually,

“If it helps the project succeed, what’s the big deal about bowing your head a bit?”

Then he looked at Kim Jong-su and elaborated.

“And you’re the director. I hope you only have to bow your head in the station chief’s office.”

Kim Jong-su stared at Ji-won’s calm expression for a while.

The more he looked, the more depth he saw in this guy.

The set doesn’t run rationally.

This was one of the rules Kim Jong-su had learned. Perhaps all work involving people clashing is like this.

And usually, it takes quite a long time to realize this fact. Even he only understood after rolling around and getting beaten up for over ten years. 

The set is where common sense and practicality collide chaotically. In that sense, Sound Director Park was closer to the practical side.

Though his personality was terrible, his skills were top-notch, so…

For the success of the drama, one needs to be ready to give up small things to gain big ones and have the vision to see that.

‘He knows this already after just four years of experience?’

Kim Jong-su narrowed his eyes.

No, perhaps rather than understanding, it might be more of an instinctive domain, he thought. Like an intuition that ghostly knows what decisions a director should make.

After staring for a long time, Kim Jong-su asked,

“Is there no way to avoid bowing your head in the station chief’s office too?”

Ji-won also pondered before answering.

“I think that would be difficult.”

“I guess that would be tough, huh?”

“Isn’t it better to just bow than to bow after getting hit with a titanium cup?”

The two looked at each other and shared a laugh.

* * *

As they wrapped up the last scene of the second day, after finishing the hectic first day of shooting…

“Fuck, what are you doing now? We’re busy as hell! Why are you loitering around here?!”

Sound Director Park Gae-hyun’s irritated shout tore through the set.

“……”

Ji-won looked at Sound Director Park, who was glaring daggers at him.

‘Wow… It’s my turn today?’

He mentally reviewed the situation from moments ago. A rookie from the sound team had approached, asking to run a mic line through, so he was just moving out of the way—that was all…

Yet the sound director’s wrath had already turned on him. Judging from yesterday’s events, this was likely intentional.

No matter how he thought about it, he hadn’t done anything wrong. 

It was because the sound team had misplaced their line that it had come all the way to where he was standing. 

Because of that, the sudden outburst wasn’t exactly pleasant.

But still…

“I’m sorry, Director. I’ll move right away!”

“If you’re sorry, don’t do things to be sorry about, you idiot!”

Sound Director Park glared at Ji-won like a predator spotting prey.

‘You bastard, I’ve got you now!’

Last night, after careful consideration, he realized that yesterday’s commotion had been defused early because this guy had intervened. 

Because of that, he hadn’t achieved his desired outcome and had to take a step back. 

Thinking about it, isn’t this young punk getting too cocky relying on Director Kim?

‘I’m still the most senior in this field. How dare a four-year rookie try to control me?’

Just as he was feeling irritated, the guy happened to position himself right on the sound team’s line. 

Park Gae-hyun wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Sound Director Park tapped Ji-won’s shoulder as he spoke.

“Hey, hey! You, fuck, how many years have you been in this business to be this slow?”

Since he hadn’t acted to receive an apology in the first place, Sound Director Park’s irritation was rising. Finally, PD Kim Jong-su approached.

“Director Park, no, sunbae-nim! Please calm down. For my sake at least.”

The sound director, still not calmed down, continued shouting at Ji-won.

“Hey… hey! Assistant director, you son of a bitch. Get out. Get out, you bastard. Don’t show your face to me today. I’ll fucking kill you.”

He was telling a drama PD to leave the set.

-Clunk.

At those words, Kim Jong-su, who had been trying to calm the sound director, froze. The mention of kicking Ji-won out felt like something large had caught in his throat.

Kim Jong-su’s reason, with its alarm switch flipped, whispered that he should endure this. 

While Sound Director Park had personality issues, his audio work was unparalleled. 

They couldn’t afford to lose Director Park so early in the shoot.

‘…Right, this is the right thing to do.’

It would be fine if Ji-won just left the set this once. There were plenty of practical reasons for him to step back. First of all, this was already the last scene of the day anyway. He could leave the set briefly and return tomorrow as if nothing had happened.

Director Park wouldn’t push it any further than that. There were countless reasons to turn a blind eye just this once more.

But…

Kim Jong-su’s gaze wouldn’t leave Ji-won’s face as he kept his head bowed low.

“……”

The sound director shouted again.

“I said get out of my sight!”

“Yes! I’m sorry!”

As Ji-won kept bowing and was about to turn and run…

“Do Ji-won, stop.”

PD Kim Jong-su uttered in a low voice. Then he roughly threw the baseball cap he was wearing to the ground.

-Thwack.

Was it because of his strength honed through years of working out? It was just a cloth cap after all. But the moment it hit the ground, a loud bursting sound echoed through the set.

“What was that? Did something explode?”

At that sound, everyone on set froze.

“……”

Faced with Kim Jong-su’s chilling gaze, the sound director opened his mouth with a bewildered tone, his eyes wide.

“Hey, Director Kim, where are your manners? What’s with this…”

Kim Jong-su smirked.

“This is what’s wrong with this industry.”

“What?”

“Huh… To hell with practicality.”

Then he pointed his finger somewhere.

“Get out.”

Kim Jong-su’s chilling gaze instantly blazed up.

“Senior or whatever, you get out right now.”

T/N Notes:

(1) Firsts: These are the department heads or chief positions. For example:

– Director of Photography (for camera)

– Lighting Director

– Sound Director

– Art Director

Seconds: These are the primary assistants or deputies to the department heads. They might be called:
– 1st Assistant Camera

– Assistant Lighting Director

– Assistant Sound Director

– Assistant Art Director

Thirds: These are typically junior members of each department, often responsible for specific tasks. Examples might include:

– 2nd Assistant Camera

– Lighting Technicians

– Boom Operator (in sound)

– Set Decorators (in art)

This hierarchical structure is common in film and TV production, especially in larger productions. The story uses this structure to show how conflicts can escalate:

The issue starts with the “thirds” – likely junior members of the lighting and sound teams.
When they can’t resolve it, the “seconds” (assistants to the department heads) get involved.

When even they can’t solve the problem, the “firsts” (department heads like the Lighting Director and Sound Director) step in.

(2) Historically, visual elements (camera, lighting, art) have been prioritized in production hierarchies, especially in older or more traditional setups. The absence of sound in this top tier might be part of why Park Gae-hyun is so confrontational. He may feel that his department is undervalued or not given proper respect.

(3) greenhorn: an inexperienced person