1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 137



Only Krnovel

Episode 137 – Secret Filming

Mike Jackson entered Korea to film a music video.

Manager Mo and I went out to meet Mike.

Mike quietly entered the country on a private plane. The dancers and film crew will arrive at Gimpo Airport a few hours later on a different plane.

Mike stepped out of the private jet wearing a hat, a hood pulled down low, and a mask, the same outfit he had when he showed up alone at the Las Vegas Convention Center that night.

“Namjoon!”

Mike waved happily when he saw me. There was no bodyguard behind Mike, only his secretary Catherine.

“You came by private plane without any bodyguards?”

“Bodyguard? He’s right here?”

Mike pointed at Catherine with the finger next to him.

“Nice to meet you again.”

Catherine shook my hand with a rotten smile. Her hand was as cold as ice, and her grip seemed quite strong.

Do you know what happened that night? You seem to be glaring at me for some reason.

“Shall we move first?”

We quickly got into the car and left the airport, hoping no one would notice.

“Go home and unpack your bags first. The filming crew will pick you up at the company’s secretariat with a vehicle, and you will receive a call when they arrive.”

“Thank you so much for inviting me to your house. I can’t wait to see what Namjoon’s house will be like.”

“My family may be considered very wealthy in Korea, but it can’t compare to Mike’s house. Even if the house is small, I’ll just endure it for a few days.”

“No matter how small it is, I don’t mind. When I was young, I always slept with my older brothers in cheap hotel rooms because of performances. So, no matter how big and beautiful the hotel is, I feel a little uncomfortable.”

“Then it was even better that you invited me to your house. Please understand even if the youngest one is a little annoying.”

“Don’t worry. I will never be a bother.”

We kept wondering where to stay when Mike came to Korea, but decided to give up on hotels.

The hotel was a place where many people frequently came and went, so there was a great risk of identity exposure.

Eventually, with the permission of his family, Mike decided to stay at our house for a few days.

As my family is a wealthy family, the yard is large and the house is big, but it can’t compare to Mike’s house.

Because Mike’s house isn’t just a house, it’s an amusement park.

Mike bought a ranch in California and built his own mansion there, as well as an amusement park, sports facilities, and a zoo where people could hang out and play.

“Welcome. You are very welcome.”

When I got home, my mother and siblings were waiting for Mike. My mother tried to stop me from wearing dresses, not only for herself but also for my siblings.

“Thank you for inviting me to your home. You are a wonderful family. Your home is very warm and nice.”

“Thank you. We are all your fans. It may be shabby, but please enjoy your time in Korea and go.”

“This is our second child. He was recently accepted to the piano department of the best music school in Korea.”

“Oh, really? Congratulations. I really want to hear you play too.”

“No, I didn’t get into Juilliard. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Not at all. Trust me. I don’t know any musicians around me who graduated from Juilliard. That doesn’t matter. It’s just how much you love music, that’s all that matters.”

“And, he is the youngest in our family.”

“Wow···, it’s really Mike Jackson···!”

Mike shook hands with his mother, second son, and youngest son in that order. The youngest son looked at Mike with his mouth wide open as he shook his hand.

“It’s not a dream, miss.”

Mike said, lightly pinching the youngest’s cheek. The youngest, who easily got along with anyone, was flustered in front of Mike and couldn’t even look at his face properly.

Second, he maintained his usual coolness and spoke perfectly to Mike in English, although his pronunciation seemed a bit exaggerated.

After chatting for a while in the living room, Mike unpacked in the guest room and came straight to my room.

“Wow! Amazing!”

Mike looked around my room, looking at the piles of retro computers, consoles, and game titles. Now that I think about it, I think I made a similar expression when I first woke up in this world and saw this room.

At that time, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

“Looking at this room makes me feel embarrassed, Namjoon?”

“why?”

“There’s nothing music-related in my room. It’s all in the studio. But Namjoon’s room is full of video game-related stuff. I think maybe I should work harder on my music.”

“No, he’s already a superstar who shakes the world. How much greater do you think he’ll become than he is now?”

I was so dumbfounded that I laughed.

But Mike was serious.

“That’s the problem, Namjoon. In music, there is no one who is greater or more magnificent than anyone else. Just because something sells more doesn’t mean it’s better music. That’s why I always want to make better things. No one knows where greatness ends. Doesn’t that apply to Namjoon?”

I couldn’t help but nod at those words.

Even after becoming a top superstar, Mike never forgot his pure heart of wanting to make better music. Well, that must be why he came all the way to Korea to film a new music video.

Sega is currently obsessed with promoting MTV, but from Mike’s perspective, this was never a game promotion video.

He came all the way to Korea to present his songs to his fans with a new story and a new style.

Maybe I was too excited about the free promotion?

Suddenly I feel a little sorry for Mike.

“Namjoon. We have a guest from work.”

“Oh, I think you’re from our art team.”

The music video shoot starts tomorrow. We had a storyboard meeting at our house to create the game scenes that will be included in the music video.

“This is the chairman’s study. Even the president of Myeongseong Planning said he had only been here a few times. I came here to take a look.”

AD Choi Han-il said as he looked around his father’s study. His father’s study had a sliding door in the middle that separated the conference space from his father’s desk.

Mike explained the music video storyboard to us.

“ is a song about vicious criminals who hurt others without any hesitation or mercy. They’re like the Yakuza from Bell Street. The music video is based on the game’s story, and it’s about me losing a friend to bad guys and going to their stronghold to fight them. I want to edit the scenes in between with game screens to make people confused about whether this is reality or a game.”

I got the word.

“Mike even made a custom costume that is identical to Kim Do-kwon’s pinstripe costume. Our job is to implement Mike Jackson’s dance in the game. In particular, I want to emphasize the movement of leaning forward without support more boldly than in real life.”

“Look at my suit. Isn’t it nice?”

Mike pulled out a tailored suit with blue stripes on a white background and showed it off. He usually wore armbands on his arms, but this time he was going to wear a black one in honor of his friend’s death.

“The resolution needs to be adjusted to fit the broadcast screen, and we need backup dancers as well as microphones, so it’ll take more work than we thought.”

“I’m not sure if it’s a difficult task for you when you’re busy because of me. It’s a style I really want to try. Please take care of me.”

We studied the movements and designed the screen while working together on released by Sega.

“The angle of the arms and legs is important here. They have to be parallel to each other to look cool. Oh, and can you do this kind of connecting movement?”

Mike showed us the dance moves he wanted to include in the music video right in front of us. We recorded his moves in photos and videos.

“ also captured the point of the dance movements very well. However, it is unfortunate that the movements look a bit stiff because the frames are used a bit less due to the game speed. Since we are making it for broadcasting, we will make the frames a lot more smooth.”

“Namjoon, I’ll only trust you guys. Please take care of me.”

Mike clasped his hands together and bowed his head toward us.

The dancers and filming crew arrived safely, and secret filming of the music video began on a movie set outside Gyeonggi Province.

Im Ji-young will make a special appearance in the music video as Suzy. Mike Jackson saw the game pocket advertisement in my room and liked Im Ji-young. When I called her urgently to ask, she also happened to have a free schedule.

“What is it, CEO? Why are you recruiting me so hastily without giving me time to prepare myself?”

“Sorry. Things I didn’t expect have been happening to me lately. Things just flow by so quickly that I don’t know what’s going on. I didn’t know it would be like this when I went to CES.”

Even though Im Ji-young lightly scolded him, she didn’t mean it. It’s not often that you get the chance to appear in a music video for a global pop star.

Since it was a music video for Mike, which had a lot of world-class backup dancers, she didn’t have much screen time because she couldn’t dance. But if she were to make herself known to the world like this, who knows what might happen.

“Okay, let’s start by stretching our bodies a little.”

As the music video shoot began in earnest, I got to see another side of Mike. No, maybe this was his real side.

“Okay. But, Louis, when you say bam!, the beat you come in on is a little late. There are more people who missed the beat here.”

“Hmm, it’s gotten better. But Matthew? Your arm is drooping when you look at the monitor. You look like a seagull who is disappointed all by yourself. Okay, let’s go again.”

“I’m almost done. Excuse me, Dennis? Do you notice that the tempo is getting a little faster? When you go back, you’re the only one who’s going half a beat ahead. Should we put a metronome on?”

“Perfect! Should we go again like this?”

The Mike I’ve seen in private so far has always been very gentle and his speech is very soft. I think it’s because his voice is so clear that it feels that way.

I wondered how such a soft-spoken person could lead so many people and work on an album and go on a world tour.

When he got back to his main job, Mike was completely different.

His speech was still gentle, but unlike before, his voice had become hard, as if it had been driven into a steel core.

He didn’t miss even the smallest mistake the dancers made, and he repeated the same scene over and over again until it was perfect.

Even when he said it was a perfect fit, he kept repeating it. He didn’t stop working until he got a scene he was completely satisfied with.

He never shouted at anyone, but no one could resist what he said. He had an irresistible charisma.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was wrong this time. I bent my hand the wrong way. Like an idiot. It’s my choreography, and you got it mixed up. I’m so sorry, but let’s do it again.”

He was a tyrant who would never move on unless something was perfect, but he was not harsh only to others.

If he made a mistake or was wrong, he immediately admitted it and apologized. Then the dancers would joke around and boo him.

“It’s really bad, isn’t it? Everything looks the same to me, but Mike sees everything that’s wrong. He looks at me with a serious expression and says, ‘Look here, Catherine. This is wrong,’ but no matter how much I look at it, I can’t figure it out. It’s like a game of spot the difference. When Mike works, his senses are different. It’s like he doesn’t see with his eyes or hear with his ears. It’s like he has some other sense organ.”

Catherine shook her head with a look of helplessness. Perhaps because she had no upcoming schedules, Catherine looked very comfortable and relaxed today.

“This music video is the same. The record company said that there was already a good music video, so why did we have to film another one? Mike said that he really wanted to do it and that he would film it with his own money. No one could stop him.”

Catherine took a deep breath and looked at Mike, who was watching the monitor video with the dancers, with sad eyes.

Ah···, so that’s what it was.

I thought it was just that, because I heard that the rights issue between Sega and the record company was quickly resolved.

As it turned out, this wasn’t something that just happened. It was something that would have been absolutely impossible without Mike’s will.

I thought a superstar like Mike Jackson could do whatever he wanted. As expected, things in this world are not what they seem.

I guess I was taking the world for granted just because I had some success.

Even Mike Jackson, who has reached the top, works so hard to become the best. Even I still have a long way to go to become the best in the gaming industry.

Now is not the time to be excited about things going well. At times like this, we need to be more alert and work hard to create a more fun game.

The music video shoot lasted three days. I thought I would be home by evening, but the shoot always went on until midnight.

Other than having dinner with my family on my first day in Korea, I didn’t see Jackson or my family for three days.

“Is this enough, Mike?”

“I think so too, Dave. You did a great job. Now let’s go back to the States and edit together.”

“Ah~~.”

Just when I thought the tough filming was over, another hell called editing awaited the music video director. It probably wouldn’t be easy, since he would have to edit the game footage we had made as well.

After filming was over, we went back to the hotel where the filming crew was staying and ordered a bunch of room service and opened the part. It was too late to go to a restaurant.

“Even though we filmed hard for several days, everyone is still in good spirits?”

“We stay up all night practicing and filming, and that’s part of our daily routine. Namjoon doesn’t seem that tired either, right?”

“It’s also common for game companies to stay up all night developing games.”

“Oh my~. There’s nothing we can do about people like us. It’s fate. Maybe that’s why we get along so well.”

A few days passed by like an arrow, and on Jackson’s last day in Korea, he had lunch with our family.

We invited the hotel chef and had him cook several dishes, and surprisingly, his favorite dish was bibimbap.

“You invited me to your home, but I haven’t even seen you in person a few times. I’m really sorry.”

“What are you talking about? I came here for work. I heard that you haven’t been able to go out properly since you came to Korea. Please come visit us next time. Korea has its own kind of beauty.”

“Thank you for your concern. Come visit us in California. We always welcome guests in our home.”

“Then I’ll go play during summer vacation. Even if no one else is going, I’ll go alone!”

The youngest said with sparkling eyes, as if he was finally adjusting to the microphone.

After a delicious lunch, my second son played the piano in the living room and Mike sang a few songs.

Most of Mike’s hits were dance numbers, but he also had a few beautiful ballads.

Michael was impressed when he heard his brother’s piano solo that followed.

“Ah! Each and every one of them has a strong voice. I don’t know for sure, but it seems like they resemble the performer. It’s great. When I hear such wonderful performances, I think I should learn how to play an instrument.”

“Don’t you know how to play an instrument?”

“I can’t. I can’t even read sheet music.”

“You can’t read music?”

The second one was really surprised and asked.

“But… you’re a world-class singer, and you also compose songs, right? How can you compose songs when you can’t read music?”

“Because music is always in here.”

Mike placed both hands on his chest and closed his eyes tightly, as if he was feeling the music through his breathing at that moment.

“Once an idea comes to me, it stays in my mind. I stay for days, sometimes weeks, and try to find the chords. Then, when I’m determined, I go to the studio and hum the melody in front of people. Then they play it and ask me if it fits them, and I write it down in sheet music. I do that for piano, guitar, bass, and drums.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never seen a musician work like that before. Have you ever thought about learning how to play an instrument or read sheet music?”

The second child, who usually doesn’t get surprised easily, asked Mike with an expression on his face like the youngest child.

“I did. But I stopped after learning for a while. It was just a distraction to me.”

“Are you bothering me?”

“When I think of a melody, I just let it roll around in my head. Without any restrictions. I develop it this way, I develop it that way. Just like children play ball without any rules. But when I try to learn sheet music, all of a sudden there are rules, and I feel like I’m tied down by them. I felt like the fun of finding more interesting ways was gone. So I quit.”

The second nodded, but his expression showed that he did not understand at all.

“Mark, my producer always complains that I work too inefficiently. But he also admits that I’m headed in the right direction. So Subin, don’t be sad that you didn’t get into Juilliard. Always enjoy music and play with your heart. Your brother didn’t graduate from a world-class game school and make such great games, right?”

“That’s not a game…, no. No. Thank you, Mr. Jackson.”

“Oh, please. Just call me Mike just once.”

“Ma, Mike?”

“I am more grateful, Soobin. And thank you all so much. I had so much fun and was so happy while I was in Korea.”

Mike made sure to say hello to everyone in our family as well as those who work at home.

The youngest hugged Mike tightly, feeling sorry for him as he had to leave.

Although it was a short time, Mike made me think again about what it means to be the best in the world.

Leaving behind some great memories for our family, Mike returned to the United States.

Ten days after he left, a videotape was delivered to our house.

It was a rough cut of a new music video for his hit song “The Criminal” shot in the style of “Fist of Jongro.”

“Isn’t there anything like a note?”

“Yeah, here it is.”

“What does it say? Is there something about me?”

When the youngest asked with his neck stretched out, I handed him a note instead of answering.

The note contained just one word.

Love, MJ.