Episode 36: The Lightning-Fast Coffee Mocha Relax Shoot
Shooting had begun for the new product from S Company, the top domestic coffee brand: Coffee Mocha Relax. The filming location was a family home in Bundang, structured across three floors from basement level one to the second floor above ground. The food team was stationed in the basement, equipment filled the first floor, and the client's table was set up on the second. All morning shoots were scheduled for the first floor.
Final adjustments were made to the movement lines and storyboard, and soon the director relayed the detailed shooting plan to Woojin.
"Woojin, you ready?"
"Yes, Director."
"Alright, let's roll."
The slate clapped, and the director called out briskly.
"Action!"
The first theme, 'sleekness,' kicked off. Standing by a sunlit window, he took a sip from the coffee in his hand. Slowly, savoring the aroma. A subtle smirk tugged at his lips, and his gaze drifted smoothly toward the camera.
"Cut! Perfect."
The director expressed his satisfaction from the very first take.
"That eye contact was spot on. This time, let's amp up the sleekness—a bad boy charm vibe."
"Got it."
Shooting repeated. Midway through, they rewound cuts, exchanging endless feedback between Woojin and the director. Woojin nailed every increasingly detailed nuance without a hitch.
"That's it—perfect!"
"Flawless. Cut!"
Each time, the director bellowed his approval without restraint.
A moment later.
"Whoa, it's over already?"
"He's the best, for real!"
Cheers erupted from staff scattered across the set. The first segment, originally slated for half a day, wrapped in under two hours.
The director removed his headset and remarked, "I've never had a set move this fast."
Among ads, food commercials especially ran at a leisurely pace. Not just model shots, but solo food close-ups demanded precision. CFs always shot multiple takes of the same scene as standard practice—the final picks fell to the client's discretion, not the director's. That's why client tables and monitors were set up separately on shoots.
Yet here, after just one or two takes, the client signaled they loved it—no need for more. Woojin was perfectly capturing their vision.
"Shall we move straight to the next segment?"
The client eagerly agreed to the director's question.
"Woojin, jumping right to the next scene. Get set."
"Understood."
Woojin headed to the waiting room. The next theme: 'modernity.' His outfit switched to barista attire. They planned to capture him brewing coffee in a kitchen styled like a café.
"Art department! Remove all the protective sheets in the camera path—floors, walls, furniture, ceiling."
The bustling staff wore bright expressions. What could be more joyful than wrapping early?
Since they'd rented a private home, protective sheets had been laid to prevent scratches or damage from equipment moves. Now they peeled them away along the camera lines. Equipment positions were readjusted, and prep wrapped swiftly.
"Going in now!"
Woojin took position before the camera.
"We'll grab a long take first, so flow through the actions smoothly."
"Yes, got it."
Clack. The procedure was the same. Slate clapped.
"Action!"
With the director's call, Woojin's performance began.
Some actors particularly struggled with CF shoots. The reason? Directions like this:
"Excellent. One more—lighter feel this time."
They tended to be highly abstract. Commercials, dubbed the art of 15 seconds, were acting in a way, but their directions inevitably lacked the detail of dramas or films.
"This guy's insane..."
Yet those watching Woojin throughout the shoot wore expressions of awe.
'Contentedly,' 'happily,' 'brightly'—and so on. Despite such vague cues, Woojin's expressions and aura shifted subtly each time.
Same location, outfit, setup—repeated shots. But each Woojin felt utterly distinct.
What the hell is this?
That was the singular thought shared by the client and director as they reviewed every cut.
Every single one's a best take. Which do we pick?
Five takes? All five gold. Ten? All ten keepers. The more they shot, the harder the selection became.
"That's plenty. We can wrap 'modernity' here."
"Alright, then..."
The director checked his watch. They'd finished far ahead of the call sheet. Too much time before the 'comfort' segment against a sunset backdrop.
For someone with over a decade in ads, this was uncharted territory—he looked perplexed.
"Director, just in case," said Park Mi-young, the marketing team leader and client lead who'd been glued to Woojin on the monitor. "How about shooting the third theme, 'comfort,' twice? Once as planned, and once now?"
"Pardon?"
"Do 'comfort' on the second-floor terrace at dusk as scheduled, and one daytime version in the first-floor garden. Same composition, different spot."
Her brilliant idea lit up the director's eyes. He'd been subtly regretting the pace, dying to shoot more while watching Woojin's expressions. Extra footage? Instant yes.
"I'm all for it, but is unscheduled shooting okay?"
"One sec."
Park Mi-young dashed to the waiting room and pitched it to Woojin.
"I'm good with it."
He accepted without hesitation. She inwardly cheered as she left, but then—
Wait a minute.
The elation faded. She'd impulsively decided on the spot. Adding uncontracted work could mean extra pay. His agency billed by hour or session, no issue there. But for the model, changes required HQ approval.
She'd greenlit it without reporting up. Woojin's acting had swept her away.
"Oh no, the division head will flip over extra costs... What now?"
Regaining her senses mid-mutter, she sighed as she returned to the director.
"Haa..."
Staff were already resetting for 'comfort'—protective sheets gone, gear shifted to the garden.
"Start shooting now?"
the director asked with a grin.
For her, it was a nightmare bind. Report after deciding? Budget-sensitive HQ would explode. Backtrack? Staff who'd finished setup would gripe. The latter was easiest, but a rival firm's client bullying scandal had just blown up...
Every detail prickled her nerves amid the tension, her mind a whirlwind.
Then, "Director."
Woojin approached from behind.
"I'm ready."
"Let's go. Standby."
"Yes."
As the director briefed paths, Woojin smiled brightly at Park Mi-young.
"Team Leader, I overheard you muttering outside the waiting room earlier."
"Huh?"
"I was about to suggest shooting 'comfort' this morning too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I might not seem it, but I'm pretty greedy. We've got time, and it's fun—wanted more."
She exhaled in relief.
"I'm doing it 'cause I want to, so no extra fees. Don't worry."
"Thank you, Woojin."
"I'm the grateful one. You even bumped my pay. I'll shoot with extra energy as thanks!"
He patted her shoulder and headed to camera. Park Mi-young watched his back, cheeks flushing.
She'd felt nothing at the meeting, but now...
"Ugh, so sweet..."
She'd become his fan.
Morning shoots wrapped smoothly. They'd even preset for afternoon storyboards, leaving a long break. After an early dinner,
"Shooting starts now."
At dusk with the sunset. Staff swarmed the second-floor terrace.
"How about simultaneous recording for sound too?"
"Sure."
Woojin's idea was adopted. They agreed on narration plus video, then rolled.
Woojin appeared in white top and pants. The sunset backdrop blended beautifully with the whites, evoking serene comfort visually.
"Cut!"
Now, the director barely directed—Woojin varied nuances per take effortlessly. He'd delivered best takes all morning.
"Grab sim recording and wrap."
"Sim recording. Quiet on set, please!"
Silence fell.
"May this one cup of coffee be with you in every moment."
A low, resonant voice. Then,
"Coffee Mocha, Relax."
Narration complete.
"Cut! Good. That's a wrap!"
"Great work, everyone!"
Applause rang as the ad shoot ended. Woojin made eye contact, greeting each staff member.
"Thanks for today—hard work."
Park Mi-young offered a shy smile and hand.
"You had the real grind, Team Leader. See you again."
He smiled back. During break, she'd secretly joined his fan café. Staring at his face up close—humble, considerate, kind to a fault. Grasping the hand of her new 'ultimate bias' felt surreal.
"If it's not too much, could we take one photo...?"
"Of course."
Even granting her request, Woojin finally left. In the car, an inexplicable sigh escaped.
"Phew~"
"What's with the sigh?"
"Dunno. It just came out."
Eyes closed, he continued.
"Glad it went well, but kinda sad too."
"Why?"
"Back to square one."
"Huh?"
"The fight with Yeonsan."
The forgotten presence began reclaiming his thoughts.