Chapter 2
Chapter 2
A Parody With Better CG Than the Original
[Original Cha Seoyoon Beverage CF.avi]
└Wow, this is awesome
└This mad movie is seriously insane
└The original is way better, so why’d they officially pick that trash version?
└Guess the advertiser preferred the version where she snowboards down a snowy hill and opens a soda can while spring scenery appears
└The effects are insane though? Completely crazy
└There’s no way this is amateur work. This is Hollywood-level professional CG studio quality
└Why would a pro team even make something like this when it doesn’t make money?
└People sometimes do projects like this for fun and self-expression…
└The giant demon destroying everything while chasing her, and Cha Seoyoon surfing lava in a ski suit somehow looks perfectly natural…
└Because the graphics are absolutely nuts
└Seriously, how do you even make a mad movie like this
└A cheerful “winter’s over so enjoy some refreshing soda” commercial suddenly became a mad movie
└I work in the video industry, and this is definitely not amateur work. Even among professionals this is top-tier
└I know it’s amazing, but is it really THAT good?
└I zoomed in and analyzed it frame by frame. There’s literally nothing awkward about it
The compositing looks completely natural, like this was the original commercial all along
Compared to the aired version, the quality gap is insane
└I’m confused now, which one is the real original?
└The REAL original is the one where she surfs lava while escaping a giant demon and seals it inside the soda can she drinks from
└Yep. The version where she just snowboards down a slope and drinks soda is clearly just fanmade
I uploaded it to WeTube as a test, and the response exploded.
I literally created my account today, and my very first upload already hit five million views.
I was already satisfied after making the video...
But seeing people endlessly praise and worship it made me feel even better.
Even standing still, my shoulders kept wanting to rise on their own.
‘Wait. But technically I didn’t even make this.’
【It was indeed created by Cha Doyoung.】
‘I only gave directions though? I didn’t even click a mouse once.’
【Cha Doyoung provided production and editing direction, requested revisions, and clarified the desired imagery so that I could implement it.
I am merely a tool that outputs the image the user desires.
Therefore, this is Cha Doyoung’s video.】
Still, saying I made it feels like too much...
【In the 30th century, all video content is created this way.】
Well, if tools evolve, adapting to them is natural.
【Current Appreciation Points: 5.6 million.】
That’s basically the same as my WeTube views.
But what are Appreciation Points?
【Points accumulate as more people enjoy the content.】
【Points can unlock additional model registration slots and various useful features.】
【This app contains numerous features designed for user satisfaction.】
‘Wait. What? You force-installed yourself into someone’s brain, so I assumed you were free. Don’t tell me you’re actually paid software?’
【This is simply part of the motivation system designed to help users enjoy and remain interested in video production.】
‘What’s the difference?’
【If you started a game tutorial with every level, item, map, and skill already unlocked, how long would you continue enjoying it?】
Ah.
I get it.
You’d get bored after a few minutes and quit.
【The developers of this app are most concerned about users becoming bored quickly and deleting it.】
【The app supports continued immersion through various forms of motivation so users do not lose interest in video production.】
【In that spirit, here is your first quest.】
【Upload two additional videos using the same model and achieve a combined total of over 15 million views.】
【Reward: One additional model slot】
【Time Limit: 30 days】
So I just need two more videos with over five million views each?
I already passed five million with the first one. That’s easy.
I picked another Cha Seoyoon reference clip recommended by the app.
Just wait there, view-count machines.
I’m about to remake you with absolutely insane graphics.
“So? Is the job manageable?”
“Yes. I could honestly work here for one or two years.”
“Hey, idiot. Why would you spend years doing office grunt work? Earn what you need and get out quickly.”
“But like you said, Uncle, this job doesn’t pay THAT much. A few months won’t be enough to reach the amount I want.”
Originally, I only started working after my military discharge so I could cover living expenses and save up a deposit for a two-room apartment.
But now my thinking had changed.
‘If eight million views gets this much attention... how much money would the ad revenue even be?’
Of course, my brand-new account still wasn’t monetized.
I already met the subscriber requirement, but my total watch hours were nowhere near enough.
I only had one upload, and it was short, so I was at a disadvantage.
Until I became fully confident, I’d continue living as a hardworking corporate slave.
After all, I wasn’t even using my fingers. I just had to “click” with my thoughts.
Making videos didn’t really require effort anyway.
‘Should I maybe try taking CG commissions?’
Nothing makes money faster than commission work.
Still, posting “Accepting commissions” on my WeTube channel already felt a little embarrassing.
I should probably upload a few more videos as a portfolio first.
Doing it now with only one video uploaded makes me look desperate.
A few days passed after uploading my second and third videos.
But neither had surpassed even 500,000 views yet.
‘What’s the problem?’
The comments weren’t bad.
In fact, they were overwhelmingly positive.
└Wow the CG is insane
└My eyes have been blessed
└This really doesn’t look like fanmade work
└Feels like some professional editor casually making videos for fun
└This is correct and if you disagree then my opinion is automatically right
Everyone praised the visuals endlessly.
So why were the views still stuck below 500k?
The first video had already surpassed eight million.
One highly upvoted comment especially caught my attention.
└The Cha Seoyoon CF parody with insane graphics was cool, but this one feels too copy-pasted from the first video
The visuals are amazing and really fun to look at, but the parody concept itself isn’t actually fresh or interesting
It feels like reheated leftovers from the first video, so I think that’s why the views aren’t growing much
The second video I uploaded parodied one of Cha Seoyoon’s cosmetics commercials.
Just like the first video, I transformed the background into hell, had demons chase her, and sealed the demon’s soul inside a cosmetic bottle.
I worked much harder on it than the first one.
I probably spent over ten times more time on it.
Thanks to that effort, the visuals became so extravagant that actual Hollywood blockbusters felt like ordinary HD footage in comparison.
‘The visuals and direction are great, but it’s not fun? Because the concept is exactly the same as the first video so it doesn’t feel fresh?’
That’s a problem.
Even the first video’s growth rate had started slowing down.
I needed at least 7.5 million views on the third video to clear the quest.
I thought the second one would easily pass five million, so seeing it perform at only one-tenth of that left me bewildered.
‘Should I use famous scenes from Cha Seoyoon’s movies or dramas instead of commercials?’
This was something I had to solve myself.
The video app could perfectly realize any image inside my imagination.
It followed even the tiniest details of my instructions.
But it never fully created things in my place.
The reason was simple.
【Actions that completely destroy the user’s interest in video production are avoided.】
It really feels like the app is babying me so I won’t lose interest in creative work.
Come to think of it, humanity in the future probably didn’t get wiped out by AI after all.
‘If I remake famous romantic comedy scenes into flashy action sequences... no, that would just feel like a weaker version of the first video. It’d just be the same thing without the mad movie concept.’
‘What if I make Cha Seoyoon perform completely different acting that never existed in the original?’
Wait.
Wouldn’t that basically be unauthorized deepfake content?
The videos I made before only altered backgrounds, props, and costumes slightly.
That’s why there was no issue.
Stuff like that is normal nowadays.
But making Cha Seoyoon perform expressions, dialogue, movements, and acting she never actually did?
I don’t know much about this field, but that definitely sounds problematic.
【Consent from the registered model is required.】
I knew it.
Using footage Cha Seoyoon already acted in is allowed because it falls within parody boundaries...
But newly generating acting performances through CG requires permission.
‘Then I’ll just ask for permission.’
I decided to send a proposal to the agency.
It was definitely reckless, but honestly that’s how the world works.
Nothing happens if you stay still.
You have to act without fearing failure, or your chances never rise above zero.
[Hello, I operate the WeTube channel <30THC>...
...Regarding a nature conservation video themed around polar bears, which actress Cha Seoyoon reportedly loves...
...The actress herself would not need to perform directly...]
I studied Cha Seoyoon extensively to create an offer the agency might actually accept.
But while carefully writing the proposal, something suddenly bothered me.
‘The actress herself won’t need to perform. Would an actress actually like hearing that?’
I don’t fully understand artists emotionally, but...
‘Basically I only need your facial data. Your acting itself doesn’t matter.’
Wouldn’t that offend her?
It’s practically denying the meaning of her existence as an actress.
【You have independently discovered the branching point.】
【As a reward, one additional model registration slot has been granted.】
【Current Slots: 1/2】
【Registered Models: Cha Seoyoon】
I unexpectedly got a free slot.
Hmm.
Yeah, from an actress’s perspective, that really would feel insulting.
“Let’s contact them properly and ask her to act officially.”
[Although our finances are extremely limited and we cannot provide an appearance fee, we sincerely hope actress Cha Seoyoon might participate in polar bear conservation efforts...]
I completed the proposal as politely as possible, relying heavily on goodwill and interest.
Right before sending the email to the agency—
“What?”
[Hello, this is PineTree Entertainment.]
Cha Seoyoon’s agency had left a long private comment on my channel.