Real Camera: The Founder's Daily Life
"Mother, Father, thanks to you I've had a wonderful rest." "Hearing you say that makes us happy too. It may not compare to your own home, but come back anytime."
Tiffany and Yoo Jae-won's parents were in the middle of their farewells. The day after successfully wrapping up the ID Media Group launch event, Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany had come to Incheon International Airport to return to the United States. Yoo Jae-won's parents had accompanied them to see them off, bringing along all manner of packages and bundles.
Just as parents typically send their children home with sesame oil and kimchi after a visit to the countryside, Yoo Jae-won's parents had prepared special ingredients and dishes for the couple. In addition to everyday items like kimchi, there were premium goods such as pine mushrooms and wild ginseng. There were also things one wouldn't have seen in the past—tonics and stamina-boosting foods, including prepared eel.
The reason for packing such fortifying foods for the newlyweds was obvious. It was a silent pressure to hurry up and give them a grandchild. Though neither Yoo Jae-won nor Tiffany was unaware of their parents' wishes, neither of them was thinking about children yet. Both had too much to accomplish, and they figured having a child in their thirties would be perfectly fine.
In any case, everything the parents had prepared was packaged and loaded onto the private jet. In the past, customs would have required careful screening, but things were different now. The United States was already extending considerable courtesy to Yoo Jae-won, and entry procedures had become incomparably smoother. Even perishable items like prepared eel posed no problem.
"Well then, we'll be going now. Please take care of yourselves until we meet again."
Yoo Jae-won bid his parents farewell and headed toward the departure gate. Following behind him were the people who always accompanied him like thread following a needle—bodyguards and attendants. This time, however, there were new faces among them.
"This is going to be huge!"
The exclamation came from PD Im Myung-han. A former KBS producer, he had been scouted by ID Media Group the previous December. Many in the broadcasting industry had clicked their tongues when a respected terrestrial PD jumped ship to the newly established entertainment channel tvM. Moreover, ID Media Group was still showing its newness—only the gaming channel Ongamenet and the music channel Mnet23 were currently on air. tvM's launch was scheduled for March 1, still two months away.
Unlike Ongamenet and Mnet23, which had existing foundations, tvM was starting from scratch, and preparations were not yet complete. Yet the scale of what was being built was breathtaking. A large building had been purchased in Sangam-dong, soon to be designated as Digital Media City, and broadcasting facilities were being installed. With an initial capital of 200 billion won, the station was on par with terrestrial broadcasters rather than typical cable networks.
Recruitment was also in full swing, and the media group's job postings had become a major topic in the industry. CEO Arthur Watson of ID Media Group fully understood Yoo Jae-won's vision and had launched hiring accordingly. The core of the postings was that producers, writers, assistant writers, and directing assistants would all be hired as full-time employees, with compensation aligned to ID Group's standards. Furthermore, producers and writers were classified under the development track and guaranteed premiums. Even producers who had received special treatment at their previous stations were now earning far more.
For PD Im Myung-han, the biggest factor that had allowed him to leave the stability of KBS—a government-level security—was the salary difference. If producers were receiving such treatment, the change for writers, who had long been undervalued, was nothing short of revolutionary. While producers hesitated, the existing pool of writers showed significant movement. Even the rare full-time terrestrial writers began submitting applications to ID Media Group as if it were a trend. Aspiring writers submitted resumes in numbers several times larger.
Unfortunately, the media group only needed fewer than a hundred writers, so competition soared to astronomical levels. This allowed them to select promising newcomers for assistant writer positions and proven veterans for main writer roles. Those hired were assigned to programs based on their experience and application materials. In PD Im Myung-han's case, he was given Real Camera, a program on the new entertainment channel tvM.
The concept of Real Camera was simple: an observational variety show that closely followed the daily lives of stars and celebrities who were normally difficult to see up close. When applying to ID Media Group, both PDs and main writers had to submit a proposal for a new program. Real Camera was an idea PD Im Myung-han had been holding onto for a long time—a project that had never seen the light of day at KBS because it was overshadowed by VJ Special Forces, which had held its place since 2000. Yet the moment he joined ID Media Group, it was selected as the founding special program, and filming began immediately.
Even more astonishing was that the first guest of Real Camera would be Chairman Yoo Jae-won, a figure of global attention. During his interview, when the foreign CEO Arthur Watson asked whom he most wanted to film after reviewing the Real Camera proposal, PD Im Myung-han had answered "Yoo Jae-won" without a second's hesitation. It had been a kind of provocation. If the chairman reacted negatively, it would mean ID Media Group was no different from other Korean broadcasters. If he laughed it off, then perhaps something truly special could be attempted.
Despite the provocative nature of his suggestion, PD Im Myung-han had never imagined the proposal would actually be accepted and that Chairman Yoo Jae-won would be the first guest. For Yoo Jae-won, it was a simple matter. Upon receiving the proposal, he immediately understood the format. Observational variety shows were still unfamiliar in Korea, but they would become hugely popular in the early to mid-21st century. Though having every moment of his daily life filmed for several days felt slightly uncomfortable, he was willing to do it for the successful launch of tvM.
"Next, the Real Camera team."
At Chief of Staff Kim Dae-seok's call, a group of eighteen people, including PD Im Myung-han, moved forward. Half of them carried compact HD camcorders, while others held large broadcast cameras. The filming team, led by PD Im Myung-han, would be documenting Yoo Jae-won's life in America, so they were boarding the same private jet. There was no need to travel separately—plenty of seats were available on the aircraft.
As they passed through the departure gate and approached the boarding area, the imposing private jet of ID Group came into view.
"Filming team! Get plenty of shots of the private jet from various angles!"
It was a Boeing 737-NG capable of nonstop flight from Seoul to New York. The private jet, featuring a large illustration of a cute Android robot on its fuselage, had often appeared in news reports, but this was the first time its interior would be revealed.
"Yes!"
Everyone was visibly excited—not only to see the jet they had only known through news up close, but to actually board it. Yet PD Im Myung-han did not forget his role and immediately checked that the filming was proceeding smoothly.
I'm so glad I left KBS!
A smile never left PD Im Myung-han's face. Though everyone had tried to dissuade him when he resigned from KBS, the mere fact of boarding ID Group's private jet was enough to confirm that this was going to be a massive success.
The flight from Incheon International Airport to San Francisco International Airport took a full eleven hours. Apart from the long duration, it was a perfect flight with no incidents. Upon arrival, immigration procedures went smoothly. Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany passed through the citizen lanes quickly, as did the bodyguards. The Real Camera team took a bit longer but cleared customs swiftly thanks to their ID Group credentials and Yoo Jae-won's personal guarantee. The food and items brought from Korea were also processed without delay.
Once everyone had cleared immigration, they boarded the vehicles waiting outside the airport. Here, something different from before occurred. The person sitting beside Yoo Jae-won was not Tiffany, but PD Im Myung-han. Filming for Real Camera had begun at Incheon International Airport. Though Tiffany had willingly agreed to the filming, she had declined to appear in every situation the way Yoo Jae-won did. She would only appear for special occasions such as meals, keeping the rest of her private life off-camera. As a result, PD Im Myung-han occupied the seat next to Yoo Jae-won for the next several days.
"Are we heading straight home?"
"We'll stop by my father-in-law's house first. We've been in Korea for over two months, so we should pay our respects and pick up a few things."
Having spent more than two months in Korea, it was only natural to visit his in-laws and report that they had returned safely. They would also retrieve their cat, Didi, who had been left at the in-laws' house. Since his father-in-law had readily agreed to the filming, PD Im Myung-han and the camera crew were allowed inside. However, only one camera was permitted, as full-scale filming had not been authorized. Even so, that single camera gave PD Im Myung-han countless opportunities.
Yoo Jae-won was Korea's most famous entrepreneur, yet much about him remained veiled. He was not the type of person who appeared on television constantly like a celebrity. Therefore, every scene filmed from Incheon International Airport onward was exclusive. An unexpected moment also arose.
When Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany entered the living room, their in-laws came out to greet them. Didi was nestled in the mother-in-law's arms. Upon seeing his owner after so long, Didi let out a meow of delight. Not content with that, he leaped from her arms and approached. Yoo Jae-won bent down to show his affection, but Didi walked past him with a dignified gait and rubbed against Tiffany instead. Yoo Jae-won had been the one who fed Didi and brushed his fur whenever they stayed at the house, yet after two months apart, this was the reception he received. Yoo Jae-won looked quite taken aback, but PD Im Myung-han was simply delighted to have captured such an amusing scene. Moreover, the cat named Didi was far cuter than he had expected.
The next day.
The filming team's schedule began at dawn, including PD Im Myung-han. To capture every moment of Yoo Jae-won's daily life, the crew had to start working even earlier than he did.
"Yawn… where was the fitness room again?"
Yoo Jae-won had long made morning exercise a part of his routine. Today was no exception, so the crew needed to set up the cameras in advance. They had woken early enough to prepare comfortably, but the problem was that PD Im Myung-han could not quite remember where the fitness room was located. It was understandable—the scale of the mansion was on an entirely different level from typical Korean chaebol residences. The main residence resembled a disc-shaped UFO that had partially landed on a cliff overlooking San Francisco Bay. While Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany's living quarters were cozy in scale, the guest rooms, various amenities, security facilities, and spaces for security personnel made the overall property vast. When they had arrived the previous day, everyone had struggled to keep their jaws from dropping. Even the eighteen-member filming team had been assigned two-person rooms that were far superior to most hotels. Furthermore, the road leading to the coastal mansion was Yoo Jae-won's private property, landscaped with bizarre rocks and trees that formed a natural forest bath.
"Writer Kim? Where's the fitness room?"
Snapping out of his brief distraction, PD Im Myung-han called for the writer. A slight chill ran down his spine at this point. Unlike Korea's hierarchical broadcasting industry, ID Group operated on the principle of mutual respect, and ID Media Group was no exception. After joining in November of the previous year, the most emphasized part of his month-long orientation on corporate culture had been communication methods with colleagues. Acting as one did at traditional broadcasters could lead not only to disciplinary hearings but also salary cuts, demotion, or even dismissal. PD Im Myung-han had thought the rules seemed as though they had been written by someone completely ignorant of the broadcasting world—surely no broadcast could be made under such conditions. Still, he intended to follow instructions for now.
"Yes, this way, please."
Fortunately, Writer Kim knew the location. They took the elevator down to the first floor and walked straight ahead until the fitness room appeared.
"This is a room?"
Calling a gym large enough for twenty people to run simultaneously a "room" was absurd. Moreover, one entire wall was made of solid glass, offering a clear view of San Francisco Bay. The majestic golden sunrise spreading across the bay was spectacular, and Yoo Jae-won's figure doing pull-ups against that backdrop was equally impressive. He wore loose pants but a fitted tank top, and the movement of his broad shoulders and defined muscles created a sight that rivaled a Greek marble statue.
"Whoa! Chairman! Hey, hey! Start filming right now!"
PD Im Myung-han snapped the dazed filming team into action. Yoo Jae-won had noticed the crew but did not stop his workout. Thanks to that, they were able to capture the artistic scene on camera.
Yoo Jae-won had heard the noisy commotion before the filming team entered the fitness room. However, he had simply continued his usual routine without pausing. This is going to be huge! It's definitely going to blow up! PD Im Myung-han had been repeating variations of that thought since yesterday. Not only was Yoo Jae-won's previously hidden daily life fascinating, but the fact that such magnificent footage lay within it was something no one could have predicted. As a result, PD Im Myung-han's instincts grew even sharper. The professional side Yoo Jae-won showed during official ID Group schedules would surely be completely different from other Korean chaebols.
Surprisingly, PD Im Myung-han's expectations were met—and it did not take long. At 5 p.m. San Francisco time—10 a.m. Korean time—KT's DNS server went down, and one after another, well-known websites and online games began experiencing connection failures.