The Life of a Large Streamer (2) — AF-C Mode
AF-C mode. Continuous autofocus is the most commonly used function and also beginner-friendly, since it automatically locks focus. However—
"I always end up like this when I use this setting for night shoots. The focus just won't hold. It gets distracted by movement and lighting changes."
Even with improved technology, there are limits. This setting wasn't suitable for a space with so much light and movement. The editor looked slightly surprised at my explanation and asked, his wavering eyes suggesting he didn't even know what AF-C was.
"Ah, I see. So what should I do...?"
"In cases like this, it's better to lock it on manual focus outdoors or switch to AF-S. Like this."
I pressed the camera's manual button and changed the mode myself, kindly showing him the available options.
"There. See? Much clearer now."
I filmed Arine from a distance, just as he had done earlier. The focus locked sharply onto her. Seeing the result, the editor looked surprised again.
"Oh, you're right. You seem pretty knowledgeable about cameras, Doyun. Did you work in a related field before?"
"Huh? No, not at all. This is basic stuff. You haven't done much filming yourself, have you?"
His over-the-top reaction to a simple mode change was cute, so I laughed. It's the kind of mistake only someone completely new would make. Most people use autofocus unless they've handled a camera before.
At my words, he looked flustered and averted his gaze before carefully admitting, "Yeah... you're right. This is a secret from Arine, but I actually just joined the editing team not long ago."
"I figured."
It made sense. The guy who introduced himself as Lee Jin looked very young. Editing teams prefer younger staff for their trend awareness and fresh sense, but even beyond that, he seemed to be in his early to mid-twenties—his face still had that youthful softness.
He spoke as if confessing an important secret.
"So, as you probably know, the annoying and tough tasks usually fall to the youngest member, right?"
"...Ah. So that's why?"
"Yeah. My seniors have taken me to shoots a few times before, but they didn't explain things in detail, and those were all studio shoots, so nothing like this happened. I was pretty surprised just now."
Companies aren't much different from the military. Naturally, the troublesome and difficult work goes to the youngest. That's probably why Lee Jin was here today. Field shoots sound glamorous when you hear about them, but you realize the reality the moment you try one. Even a light camcorder becomes painfully heavy after holding it for a long time. Plus, since he'd have to stick close to Arine, he'd need to be mindful of everyone's moods and handle all sorts of odd jobs. To him, she's his boss who pays his salary. He'd much rather work comfortably in the office with the heater and AC running.
Editing team members aren't professional cameramen or part of a dedicated filming crew anyway. Since streamers like Arine focus on live broadcasts rather than YouTube as their main content, even if they earn well, they wouldn't have the budget to maintain both an editing team and a filming team. There are too many other things to manage. That's why editors end up doing the filming themselves. So Lee Jin's clumsy shooting skills weren't surprising.
"I get it. Don't worry about it. It's not like you made a huge mistake, and we can just keep it between us."
"Ah, thank you. I really appreciate it."
This was technically his seniors' fault, but it wasn't a big deal. If I told Arine and they got scolded, the backlash would hit Lee Jin. In social life, saving face matters more than being reasonable. It was better to just let it slide as his mistake and move on. So I decided to keep quiet.
"Thank you so much. This was supposed to be my job, but here I am getting help from the talent instead."
"It's fine. I know how tough it is being the youngest. What can you do? You just have to endure it, right?"
"Hehe. Yeah."
Still, he was a polite young man. He probably wouldn't get fired anytime soon.
Just then—
"Alright, let's take a short break here and move on to the next scene. We'll start again in five minutes."
At the director's words, people scattered in small groups. Some headed to the bathroom or outside, while others collapsed into seats from exhaustion. As for Arine, she was naturally in the latter group.
She leaned back in a small disposable chair nearby and let out a long sigh. Her manager rushed over, carefully wiping the sweat from her forehead with a towel and fixing her disheveled hair and clothes. Then she opened a bottle of water and handed it to her so Arine could rehydrate after going so long without a drink.
...She looks exhausted.
Watching the scene, I said to the editor, "Look at her. Arine really seems worn out. What should we do?"
He nodded as if he understood what needed to be done and filmed both me and Arine in turn. Arine looked like she needed rest right now. Her bright smile from earlier was gone, and she sat with her eyes closed, leaning against the wall behind her in exhaustion.
Then, the moment she opened her eyes, our gazes met briefly. Maybe she felt me watching her. I wasn't sure, but when she saw me, a pleasant smile spread across her lips, and she raised her hand slightly to wave at me.
How should I describe this? Fan service? Either way, seeing her smile brightly and greet me even in this situation made my heart pound for no reason. It was probably just my imagination, but it felt like seeing my face gave her strength in a tough moment.
I silently mouthed "Arine, fighting!" and waved back. She formed a heart with her fingers and giggled. Her manager, watching nearby, smiled along with us.
But that small moment of joy didn't last. Time was mercilessly fast, and before five minutes had even passed, everyone had returned to their positions.
"Alright, let's resume filming. Starting from where we left off. Ready, cue~!"
The director's loud voice echoed through the set again. Arine's tired expression vanished, replaced by a mask full of laughter. I muttered to myself as I watched her flawless, idol-like smile.
...That face will never appear on screen. The broadcast will only show the sparkling version of Arine.
For some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
#
"Great work, everyone~!"
With Arine's energetic greeting, the staff exchanged farewells. During today's shoot, the director, staff, and Arine all wore their brightest expressions. Unlike the stiff atmosphere from earlier, they praised each other, said their thanks, and headed outside.
Leaving the glamorous NOVA headquarters behind, we climbed into the now-familiar large van. Arine was the last to board after changing in the dressing room, and the door closed behind her.
"Uwaaaah. I thought I was gonna die. That was seriously exhausting..."
The professional demeanor from moments ago was nowhere to be seen. Seeing her usual whiny self made me chuckle fondly.
"How can your image be so different from when you're filming?"
I laughed as I spoke, and Arine replied, "Really? Is my image that different?"
"Up until just now, you looked like a celebrity doing a photoshoot. Now you're just plain old Arine the Whiner."
"Arine the Whiner? When have I ever whined?"
"What are you talking about? You whine all the time."
"I've never done that. Besides, can't I whine a little to my boyfriend? Is that a crime?"
"No, I never said it was. Whine more. I'll take it all."
"Yeah? You said it, okay? Hwaaaah. Doyun, I'm so tiiired..."
She put on a babyish crying act. Because she was pretty, even that looked cute. I guess that's the privilege of a beautiful girl. If I did it, it would've been the most horrifying thing in the world.
Watching her lean against me, I couldn't help but find it adorable and patted her head.
"There, there. You did well, our Arine. You must've been so tired."
This much should be fine since we're doing a virtual marriage concept, right? We'd be holding hands later anyway. And the camera was rolling.
I thought it was an appropriate gesture for the situation, but—
"Uh, eh? Uwaaang? Hweeheehee?!"
The moment I patted her head, Arine froze in place. She made strange noises and stared at me with wide, round eyes. Then, with a sharp huff through her nose, her face turned bright red, and she went completely still like a statue.
...What? What's wrong with her? Did she break?