Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Is the Author Omnipotent?
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The current studio was located in Incheon.
At first, there had been no plans to set up a proper studio like this.
So, he'd rented a convenient spot near his house for his own work.
But as time passed, a lot had changed.
He'd ended up creating a full studio, and now five assistants commuted there every day.
And he planned to hire even more.
The office was already at full capacity; there wasn't even room for another desk.
It was time to move.
‘I need to plan this carefully.’
After his return.
Tae-seong had decided to become an author.
He enjoyed sharing the stories from his experiences with others.
The real-time reactions from readers gave him a fresh thrill.
Adapting his work into various formats was a new adventure too.
He'd lived many lives before, but he'd never really engaged with a developed content industry like this.
Even when he had encountered it, he'd been living as something other than an artist.
That made everything he was experiencing now feel brand new.
‘My content starts with novels. From there, it can expand into webtoons, dramas, movies, or even games.’
One source, multi-use.
The system abbreviated as OSMU was already being actively applied across various media.
Tae-seong wanted to make full use of OSMU.
Because he loved sharing his stories with more people.
To do that, he needed a structured system.
‘If I'd had a proper system from the start, The Black Knight's Girl wouldn't have faltered midway.’
Tae-seong had a deep attachment to the content he created.
Like any author, but his was a bit special.
Because they were stories from his own lives.
So even when adapted into other formats, he didn't want to see them ruined.
The drama version of The Black Knight's Girl would have ended up a disappointing letdown without his intervention midway.
‘I can't oversee everything from the beginning. I need to grow the office step by step and fill it with the right people.’
He wanted to be involved in every OSMU project, but he couldn't scale up too fast right away.
There were financial limits, and more importantly, time was needed to establish the system.
For now, he planned to solidify the illustration side of things.
And that meant hiring more staff.
‘As time goes on, new people will join the office. We can't keep moving every time that happens.’
Frequent moves weren't ideal.
It might look good on the surface.
Moving to a bigger space signaled growth, after all.
But internally, the downsides outweighed the upsides.
It directly disrupted the staff's routines.
Commute times changed, which affected their condition.
And since their well-being directly impacted the work quality, he had to consider that carefully.
‘For now, I should scout nearby buildings.’
His current assistants were settled with the location.
No need to go too far.
Tae-seong spent the weekend seriously hunting for a new office.
* * *
[Thank you all for loving The Black Knight's Girl.]
The subtitle appeared at the bottom of the screen.
Above it, Park Jin-gyu was handing a ring to Lee Se-ha.
“That's wonderful. Just wonderful.”
Mother's eyes welled up as she nodded repeatedly, murmuring her approval.
Father wore a pleased smile too.
A happy ending.
The drama The Black Knight's Girl came to a close with the scene most viewers craved.
Tae-seong rose from his seat and headed back to his room.
‘It ended well.’
The Black Knight's Girl drama team had been professionals through and through.
The director and crew had delivered top-notch quality despite the tight schedule.
The actors had adapted swiftly to the sudden script changes too.
A great drama didn't come from a good script alone.
It required harmony between the script, the crew, and the actors.
Only then could a perfect work emerge.
Tae-seong opened his computer and checked his email.
There was one from PD Kim that morning.
[We've prepared a wrap party to celebrate the finale of The Black Knight's Girl. We would be deeply honored if you could join us and grace the occasion.]
An invitation to the so-called wrap party.
‘No harm in going.’
It was a celebration with everyone who'd toiled together.
No reason to decline.
He sent a quick reply confirming his attendance, then lay down.
* * *
Finding an office wasn't hard.
With the economic slump, plenty of vacancies dotted the area.
“The subway station is right next door, and there's a bus stop out front—perfect for your staff's commute. And the rent is a steal, which is the real cherry on top.”
The realtor rattled off his pitch beside him.
Tae-seong let the fluff go in one ear and out the other while noting the key details.
‘This one's solid.’
It had been a month since he'd started looking.
He'd toured dozens of places, but none matched this one's location, size, and price.
Especially the space for the rent—it was generous enough to partition for individual privacy.
‘This'll do.’
“What do you think?”
“We'll take it.”
“Excellent choice!”
Tae-seong wired the deposit to secure the spot.
* * *
The next day.
He gathered all the assistants.
“I have an announcement. We're moving offices next week.”
“Moving?”
“Where to?”
“Near Bucheon Station.”
“Oh~ Bucheon Station? That's great. Closer to the subway than here, way more convenient.”
“It's near my place!”
Proximity to the subway was a huge plus.
Especially for commutes.
The assistants were thrilled.
“And along with the move, I have a proposal for you all.”
All eyes turned to Tae-seong.
“I'd like to offer you formal contracts.”
“Formal contracts?”
“We're already contracted and working, aren't we?”
Tae-seong elaborated as puzzled looks spread.
“To be precise, full-time employment contracts.”
The words "full-time" deepened their uncertainty.
Han Seong-ho spoke up as the representative.
“Um... Author-nim. What exactly does full-time mean?”
“Right now, you're all freelancers. A full-time contract would mean joining the company I run as official employees.”
“Your company?”
“Yes. I'm planning to start a content company.”
Tae-seong laid out his vision.
OSMU with his content, and hiring the necessary talent to make it happen.
“And as a first step, I'd like to bring you on as full-time staff.”
“Uh... so you're saying you'll set up a factory?”
The youngest, Choi Gil-yong, put it bluntly.
At 20, with little work experience, he often voiced his thoughts directly.
This time was no different.
Even the others, who might usually rein him in, watched Tae-seong curiously.
Factory comics.
A system prioritizing quantity over quality.
It had been popular in the 80s and 90s.
Back then, readers rented comics from comic cafes or shops.
Information wasn't as widespread, and rentals weren't cheap.
So they sought safe bets from established artists.
Publishers demanded more output from famous creators.
But one artist could only produce so much.
Enter factory comics.
Set up a studio with multiple apprentices drawing the work.
Strict division of labor: story writer, penciler, inker, screener, background artist.
One comic emerged from this assembly line.
It bore the lead artist's name upon publication.
The biggest issue? It used the artist's name even without their involvement.
Worse, factory-running artists prioritized profits over mentoring.
Apprentices came to learn but ended up as cogs, gaining no skills.
Thus, factory comics left a bad taste in the industry and faded into history.
A few lingered, but they were exceptions.
This was why the assistants looked uneasy.
What Tae-seong described sounded like a factory setup.
“It might sound similar on the surface. But fundamentally, it's different. Factory comics used a famous artist's name without their input.”
The assistants nodded.
“But your work will be published under team names.”
“Team names?”
“Yes. We haven't finalized them yet, but each department will have its own name, and all works will be released under those. Plus, once a project generates revenue, the team gets all profits after a company fee as incentives.”
“Oh...”
The core problem with factories was the star artist hogging the profits.
But this eliminated that flaw.
“Hollywood and other content industries are shifting from solo creators to team efforts.”
“So you're introducing team production?”
“Exactly. We'll start with a webtoon team. As we move offices, I'll incorporate the company and hire you all full-time.”
The assistants exchanged glances.
Tae-seong understood their hesitation to commit right away.
This was uncharted territory.
No one had done it before.
It took guts to step forward.
“Of course, I don't expect answers now. And there's no pressure.”
He tossed the ball to them and wrapped up the meeting.
* * *
The ball was in their court.
Now they had to choose.
‘We have a year and a half together. If they join, we can form a team instantly.’
Their synced workflow was a massive advantage.
That time was priceless.
So he hoped they'd stick around.
‘If they say no...’
He'd build a new team.
It would cost more money and time.
But that was fine.
It was for perfecting his works.
Profits from those works funded it.
Investing to elevate adaptations? Worth every penny.
‘I can't wait to hear their answers tomorrow.’