City ​​of Witches 1295

Chapter 1295 – ##11_More Than Ginseng…(4)

##44

1.
The filming schedule for the Witch Story is quite tight.

Starting from dawn until evening, sometimes even into the night, it was a grueling march, with schedules usually set for nearly 14 hours a day.

There was a reason for this.

First, the investment and distribution company had requested that the schedule be expedited as much as possible.

They wanted to be the first in the world to release a movie featuring a real witch.
That would translate directly into marketing and a huge success.

Second, the lead actress, Kiberle, had demanded it.

Even though she was a child actor, Siwoo’s role was so significant, accounting for about a third of the entire work, that her filming time was long.
However, Siwoo wasn’t a real kid but a busy Duke of Gehenna, so she needed to finish filming quickly and get back to work.

Of course, a mere actress couldn’t dictate the production schedule, but…

In this film production, Kiberle’s position was such that she could make everyone from the director to the head of the investment company bow down and get whipped, so let’s leave that out of the discussion.

Anyway, to summarize, the filming schedule was so tight that they had to resolve all their meals at the workplace.
When filming was delayed, they often had to sleep at the location.

So, how did they eat on set?
A food truck came.
Except for a few actors who brought their own lunch boxes due to dietary needs, the staff and director all got their meals from this food truck.

“Cut! Let’s have lunch and take a break before resuming filming. Everyone, you’ve worked hard!”

The filming crew, exhausted from the grueling schedule since dawn, took their trays and found a place to sit.
They didn’t look comfortable, but as the saying goes, hunger is the best sauce, and they ate the heaping portions of fluffy rice.

“This is going to be a hit. There’s no way it won’t be.”
“Is that even a question? The lead actress is already a success, and her acting is… wow…”
“By the way, didn’t they switch Park Jin-jung’s investigation to detention?”
“What did he do to get detained? Well, that guy’s reputation has always been terrible.”

Instead of fatigue, the chatter was filled with anticipation and excitement.

“……”

Director Moon cautiously approached Kiberle, who was staring intently at the scene.

“Ms. Periwinkle, I am truly impressed. Your acting is amazing.”
“It’s nothing much.”
“Especially the child actor, I don’t know where you found her, but she’s the best. The scene I wanted was captured perfectly on camera. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“Okay, just don’t bother me too much. She’s a busy kid.”
“Yes, yes. If you say so, of course, I will.”

Director Moon was almost groveling.

He was grateful and honored as an artist, but he knew that if Kiberle didn’t like something, all this movie’s glory could vanish in an instant.

The fact that she was even associating with Director Moon seemed like a whim, no matter how much he racked his brain.

So, he had the duty and desperation to cling to her until the last take, even if he had to crawl on his knees…

Director Moon had already spotted signs of unease.

“Is the food not to your liking? Or, should I get you something?”

Kiberle wasn’t eating.
They had even prepared a special lunch box for her and brought it to her personal trailer (equipped with a shower, toilet, and sofa), but she didn’t even glance at it, only staring at the staff’s trays.

“No. It doesn’t look very tasty.”

That nonchalant remark was more terrifying to Director Moon than any critic’s scathing review or the tantrums of a notoriously difficult A-list actor.

“And the lunch box you prepared wasn’t good either. It wasn’t even half as good as what Linne makes.”
“I, uh, um…”

The gazes that were already on them kept glancing at Kiberle and Director Moon.

Saying things like ‘it doesn’t look tasty’ while looking at the food they were eating was about average for a temperamental actress.
However, since the subject was a ‘witch,’ it drew even more attention.

Both were equally annoying, though.

“Then, how will you eat… I’ll do anything I can.”

Director Moon wiped the cold sweat dripping down his face, determined to give up even his gallbladder.

“From now on, call here and order a catering buffet.”
“A catering buffet?”

The fancy business card he received had the words ‘Periwinkle Hotel’ embossed on it.

It was a famous hotel chain known for its expensive accommodation in Gwanghwamun, and of course, its catering buffet would be expensive too.
Isn’t a hotel the kind of place that charges 20,000 won for a single Americano?

Still, he thought this was a bargain and was about to nod when Kiberle added.

“Yes. Enough for all the staff here. I’d feel bad if I was the only one eating delicious food.”
“All of them? Everyone here?”
“Yeah.”

At this point, it was nothing short of unreasonable.
If they were to order a 5-star hotel catering buffet for every meal with this many people, it would easily cost tens of millions of won per meal.
Every day.
There was no way the investment company would agree to such waste, but he couldn’t just dismiss the request outright because the other party was a witch.

“What are you doing? Not ordering? You have to call now for it to come by dinner.”
“I, I… uh…”
“Everyone’s been working hard since dawn, so at least let them eat well.”
“That’s a bit difficult…”

Kiberle handed something to Director Moon, who was stammering at the sight of the witch (whom he couldn’t dare to resist) who didn’t know the realities of the world.

It was a suspiciously shiny black card.

Among Koreans, who have the highest percentage in the world of answering ‘money’ to the question ‘What is the most important thing in life?’, there was no one who wouldn’t recognize this card.

“Use this to pay.”
“Huh?”
“I’m buying.”

Only then did Director Moon’s brain start to creak and turn.

“Could it be…”

Why hadn’t he thought of it until now?
Periwinkle Hotel, Kiberle Periwinkle?

That day, Director Moon and the staff witnessed the rare sight of a high-end buffet, costing over 270,000 won per adult for weekday dinner, appearing on the set.

2.
Over the course of about three months of filming, the witch’s miracles continued.

One day, night filming was extended due to lighting and prop issues.

“How can the staff sleep so uncomfortably? Crammed into cars, dozing off in chairs. Their necks must be stiff.”
“No, we’re used to it!”
“I’m uncomfortable. Oh, and put an massage chair for each of them.”

With one phone call, Kiberle brought 30 camping trailers to the filming location.
They weren’t just makeshift camping cars, but full-fledged top-tier models that could be used as homes, and each one was equipped with a massage chair.

One day, she heard that the staff weren’t receiving overtime pay.
This wasn’t because Director Moon was malicious, but because unpaid overtime was the default in the Korean film industry.

“How can you work with no proper pay?”
“No! We’re fine! We’re so grateful for everything you’ve done so far…”
“Call the investment company and tell them to stop lumping overtime and night work pay into a flat rate and pay them properly. If they can’t do that, tell them to take down their investment company sign. Let’s rewrite the contract.”

It seemed like it would never be resolved, but when Kiberle cleared her throat once on the phone, it was immediately reflected.

The movie was already showing signs of being a huge hit, so they didn’t want to get on the witch’s bad side just because of a slight increase in labor costs.
The director of the investment and distribution company willingly loosened the purse strings.

One day, they were scheduled to film overseas in Vietnam.

“What? Economy?”
“No, Ms. Periwinkle is of course in first class…”
“Are you kidding? They’re carrying so much luggage, how hard would it be to be cramped up?”
“……”
“Cancel the plane tickets. I’ve called a private jet. Just gather the passports and give them to my secretary, and she’ll take care of it. Oh, and I’ve booked accommodations too. It’s a pretty nice resort, so tell them to take a day or two off to relax.”

Something was strange.
What crazy actor would spend their own money to feed the staff, provide them with places to rest, arrange a private jet, and even book luxury resort accommodations?

It was indeed a crazy thing to do.
Kiberle’s goal was to ‘make a good movie and appear as an actress,’ and it was a feat possible because she possessed wealth comparable to the GDP of a small country.

This level of spending was more than manageable for her if it was for self-realization.

At this point, Periwinkle began to be revered as a saint rather than a movie actor by the filming staff, who were the biggest beneficiaries of this ‘crazy act.’

“She’s a god… a god…”
“This is the most luxurious filming I’ve ever experienced. I don’t even want to go home these days?”
“Haven’t they already spent way more than the guarantee? Really… witches are different.”
“It’s not that witches are different, it’s that she’s a real rich person. Did you know? The Periwinkle Hotel that feeds us is owned by that witch.”
“She doesn’t abuse her power, she’s not picky, her attitude is professional, she’s really an angel.”
“I wish I could only film movies with the witch in the future…”

Siwoo, who had been watching the whole process from the side, was dumbfounded by the sheer amount of money being thrown around.

How much was she spending?
Hadn’t she already exceeded the production budget?

“No, you said you were going to achieve self-realization with your own power.”
“I’m wearing the lucky charm necklace, aren’t I?”

But Kiberle was confident.

“Isn’t it true that a work filmed in a pleasant environment will be a better work? Therefore, this is a small investment for my self-realization.”

Thus, 12 weeks passed.

The final filming for the Witch Story, starring Kiberle Periwinkle, was completed.