"Minsik, thank you so much" Choi Minsik, will it lead to the butterfly effect
Aug 27, 2024
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Some say that the flooding of OTT, which can be easily and cheaply viewed anytime, anywhere, is the main cause of the audience's abandonment of the movie, but in reality, there were a number of problems that covered up the skyrocketing ticket prices and the deteriorated cinematic quality that the expensive ticket prices that were raised so mercilessly.
Choi Min-sik discovered the shameful dirt of the movie industry that has been unknowingly festering like this, so there are probably not one or two people who are uncomfortable. Moreover, Choi Min-sik, who received hundreds of millions of guarantees, had no choice but to immediately become a 'hot potato'.
The beginning of the controversy was MBC 'Son Seok-hee's Questions', which aired on the 17th. Choi Min-sik, who appeared on the program on the same day, delivered his voice under the theme of 「The Crisis of the Movie, the Way of an Actor」 as a veteran actor in his 43rd year of debut. Choi Min-sik, who debuted in 1981 with the play `Our Town', entered Chungmuro through the 1988 film 'Vapor'(directed by Choi Bo-young), 'Our Distorted Hero'(92, directed by Park Jong-won) '3'(97, Songnung) 'Happy End'(99, directed by Jung Ji-woo) 'Shiri'(99, directed by Kang Yeong-gyu)'(03, directed by Park Chan-wook) 'Kind Geumja'(05, directed by Park Chan-wook)'(10, directed by Kim Ji-woon) 'I saw the devil, He is a big adult in the movie industry with numerous box office hits and masterpieces of filmography of all generations, including director Jang Jae-hyun). In particular, 'Roaringang' has become a national actor by instilling the image of 'Lee Soon-shin = Choi Min-sik' in the audience of 17.61 million, and has maintained the highest box office record for domestic films as well as foreign films for 10 years. It was Son Seok-hee's Questions that he expressed his honest and frustrating feelings about the movie in crisis for the first time in a long time.
The theater raised ticket prices after COVID-19, complaining of difficulties in the overall operation of the theater due to the decline in audiences, but the sudden increase in ticket prices was not sweet in many ways for the audience. In fact, as ticket prices increased, some online communities continued to complain about ticket prices. Of course, Choi Min-sik couldn't have known the audience's dissatisfaction.
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Of course, it was not a shot at the streaming service, that is, the OTT platform. Choi Min-sik also made a comeback in the drama genre after 25 years with the Disney+ original series 'Casino', which aired in 2022, and through this work, I felt the importance of OTT content. Choi Min-sik said, `It is also true that the movie industry is facing a crisis due to OTT. However, the movie had a lot of regrets due to the limitation of running time, and OTT is positive in that it can add freedom of creation away from time constraints. You can't blame the environment. Change is already taking place, and we have to adapt to itHe also conveyed his thoughts that "
The ripple effect was enormous. After Choi Min-sik's determined statement, "'Please lower the ticket price', voices about the increased theater ticket price began to gather here and there again. There were also a lot of reactions in support of Choi Min-sik, but on the contrary, some raised questions about Choi Min-sik's attitude, which received hundreds of millions of won in guarantees. There were also calls to cut the guarantee first before talking about ticket prices.
Among them, Lee Byung-tae, a professor at KAIST's Graduate School of Business, set the stage. Professor Lee Byung-tae said on his personal account on the 20th, "Have Choi Min-sik ever donated his performance fee for a theater that screened the movie he starred in?"If the price is lowered so that the audience comes and profits increase, companies will voluntarily cut ticket prices." During the pandemic, movie theaters faced a bankruptcy crisis, so do you consider movie theaters to be charitable. There is no business in the world if the market price can be set as desired by consumers. The same goes for the job of an actor. If you can do business for less than 15,000 won, including a quasi-tax called the Film Promotion Fund, set up and operate your own theater. That's ignorant. The cheapest sound in the world is the claim to be generous with other people's money."
Professor Lee's bitter words were not wrong. Although theaters provide movie services to audiences, they are also businesses that earn great profits by selling additional services, such as popcorn, drinks, and goods. Due to the pandemic, the loss was severe due to the reduction of the number of people in theaters and the decline in audiences, and the damage was even greater as the raw material and labor costs of income sources rose. Choi Min-sik's unilateral remarks, which did not ask questions and considerations, may have been uncomfortable as he was raising ticket prices after the pandemic.
However, the movie industry's view is that the broadcast on this day should not be criticized as 'ignificant remarks' of 'Audience Choi Min-sik' instead of 'Actor Choi Min-sik'. In fact, despite the Korean movie crisis, the theater released live movies of sports broadcasts and singer and idol concerts, including Lim Young-woong, and made the crisis an opportunity through various special theaters. It has been a long time since Amam-ri Theater's deficit management turned into a surplus. What's still disappointing in the process is the general audience. Choi Min-sik was talking about lowering ticket prices on behalf of these general audiences.
Thanks to Choi Min-sik and Professor Lee's workshop over the increase in Katabuta ticket prices, the audience and the public, who had forgotten their dissatisfaction with the increased ticket prices, also questioned again. As the atmosphere flowed unusually, CGV, the largest multiplex in Korea, was the first to act tactfully.
Since January 2014, CGV has been discounting movie tickets for some hours (from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) by designating the last Wednesday of every month under the leadership of the government, and CGV announced on the 22nd that it would temporarily expand it and hold a four-day discount event in the wake of the controversy over the increase in ticket prices.
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On the 27th, CGV will expand 'Culture Day (Culture Day)' which can be seen at 7,000 won, which is half the price of the theater ticket, to 'Culture Week' for four days from the 26th. CGV welcomes the movie industry in that it said "First attempt to achieve a breakthrough in consultation with production companies and distributors to revitalize the movie industry" The Korean Film Industry Association pointed out that the large increase in ticket prices in theaters over three short years since the pandemic is one of the reasons for the movie industry's slowdown and decrease in the number of moviegoers, and Choi Min-sik appeared on MBC "Son Seok-hee's Questions" on the 17th and expressed concern about the sharp rise in ticket prices for theaters. The Korean Film Industry Association expressed its gratitude to Choi Min-sik, who voiced his opinion on the need to cut movie ticket prices for the Korean film industry and ecosystem.
Finally "We hope that there was no undue infringement of the rights of the production company and distributor in connection with CGV 'Culture Week". In addition, CGV knows better than anyone that these events are one-off and cannot last without a fundamental agreement with the film industry. We hope that this event will be an opportunity for the three theater companies, including CGV, to start prospective discussions to reduce ticket prices, solve unfair settlement issues, and solve increasingly serious screen monopoly," he said.
Choi Min-sik's 's 'compulsive remarks' and a four-day discount event will not have much impact on the Korean movie industry right now, but at least if these very small and simple 'win' movements accumulate and accumulate, wouldn't it be possible to eventually return to the movie heyday with the butterfly effect. At least the summer market, which was a special one, will be able to avoid the worst situation of having to die for two years.
soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
