JTBC's 'Agency' is showing an upward trend in viewership ratings, recording 14.1% in the metropolitan area and 12.7% nationwide, repeatedly breaking its own highest viewership ratings.
The solid story that faithfully deals with the fierce reality and desire for success of people at an advertising agency, coupled with the passionate performances of top actors such as Lee Bo-young, Cho Seong-ha, Son Na-eun, Han Jun-woo, and Jeon Hye-jin, is drawing viewers to the small screen on the weekend. In addition, positive reviews are pouring in for director Lee Chang-min's meticulous and sensuous directing, which persistently captures the characters' diverse emotions. Accordingly, director Lee Chang-min, who directed 'Agency', personally revealed the various aspects of 'Agency'. The following is a Q&A.
Q. It continues to break its own highest viewer ratings and is loved. How do you feel?
Honestly it's good. Actually, I didn't expect to be loved this much. This is because I thought office work was a genre with limitations. So I became a little more immersed in the relationships between the characters. I put a lot of thought into it because I wanted to create a work that would bring out the relationships between the characters more than just a simple office drama, and I'm really grateful that the viewers liked it as well.
Q. Why do you think ‘agency’ is so loved?
Basically, the script was interesting. And the actors acted really well. Even on set, the actors were so close to each other that it always felt like a team. Those things seem to have synergy.
Q. At the production presentation, one scene was filmed from so many different angles that actress Lee Bo-young described it as “obsessive.” Why?
Due to the nature of office work, most shots are taken on office sets. This means that the spatial limits are clear. Shooting simply can feel frustrating, so I tried to create a sense of speed by shooting from various angles so that you could feel the tempo. I thought that this would make it less boring for viewers.
Q. Are there any factors outside of filming that you paid special attention to?
First of all, as mentioned earlier, most of the scenes were filmed on this VC planning set, so it was produced with great care, to the point where it can be said that everything was poured into it. The floor height was made high, and attention was paid to the arrangement of office space. For example, the position closest to the head of production is CD Kwon's production team 1. Goain's production team 2 was next. In the end, Go Ah-in took the position of head of production, and the intention was to show that she was moving up the ranks.
The executive rooms were also differentiated according to each character. For example, unlike other executives, Goain's room did not have a sofa. Long tables and chairs were placed to reflect the character's preference for intense relay meetings. Comparatively, Choi Sang-moo's (Jo Seong-ha) room was decorated generally, while Kang Han-na's room was differentiated with a more colorful sofa and sensuous interior. Representative Cho's (Park Ji-il) office is a good room for playing baduk. And since he is the representative, there are especially two doors.
A lot of effort was especially put into music. Each frame was edited to fit the exact timing of the music. As a result, I spent more time working on music. It was a desire to fill the limitations of space with audio.
Q. Which scene did you put the most effort into?
This is the scene where Kang Han-na (played by Son Na-eun) goes to work for the first time. I thought this was the scene where a new story begins, so I wanted to create as much tension as possible. So I filmed a lot, over 200 to 300 shots. Since filming was only allowed on weekends, we had to go back the following weekend to film more.
Q. So what is your favorite scene?
In episode 5, there is a scene where the VC Group headquarters chief of staff (Jeong Seung-gil) urges the legal team leader (Kim Min-sang) to find a way to obtain bail for the Woowon Group chairman. To be honest, when I read the script, I didn't think it was a very interesting scene, but it was really fun to film. Since the two actors worked so well together, I thought that this might be the writer's intention. You might think it's not that important because it's a story that's separate from the main character's story, but the accumulation of these scenes seems to have helped establish relationships better. There is a lot of build-up like this in ‘agencies’. Viewers also seem to enjoy that part.
Q. Then, is there a scene that you thought was well-received that you didn't expect at all?
This is the ending scene of episode 12. This is a scene where Kang Han-na's opponent, the son of Seoksan Group (Lee Dong-ha), sprays wine on Park's face (Han Jun-woo) when he is rude to him. Personally, I liked these scenes and had fun filming them, but it was difficult to predict how the viewers would perceive this situation. But fortunately, they liked it, saying it was “refreshing.”
Q. As mentioned earlier, ‘Agency’ is a work that stands out for its diverse relationships. It must not have been easy to strike a balance. What is the secret to maintaining this and moving the story forward?
I tried to build up little by little without being too biased towards one side. Before going to Woowon Group's corporate PR advertising competition PT, which can be seen as the core of this work, we tried to balance the proportion by making thorough calculations. In fact, the story of Woowon Group may seem like a meaningless scene when it first appears, but as these things accumulate, they become necessary scenes at the moment when a decisive situation is faced.
Q. So, is there a ‘favorite’ combination among various relationships?
After actor Lee Bo-young, actor Lee Chang-hoon was cast first. He was the first choice for casting for the role of Manager Han. Actress Lee Bo-young has a neat image and delivers accurate acting. I thought that if an actor who acted naturally rather than relatively accurately worked together, the tiki-taka exchange between two people in off-beat would be more fun and create synergy. I watched actor Lee Chang-hoon's previous work 'Black Dog', and he really looked like a teacher. When I was cast in ‘Agency’, I had expectations that I would really look like an office worker. The chemistry between the two actors was really good, exceeding expectations.
Q. How was the atmosphere at the filming site?
The actors were very close to each other, so the atmosphere was good. I also like jokes, so we joked around a lot, occasionally joked around, and I think we all became close friends. As a result, the atmosphere on site was bound to be good. Above all, actress Lee Bo-young took good care of the other actors. There is a feeling that he has endured the weight of being the main character. It was very helpful. Actress Lee Bo-young and I sat side by side next to the monitor and talked a lot, and we depended on each other a lot. I felt a sense of camaraderie. I was really grateful.
Q. What message do you want to convey to viewers through ‘Agency’?
I believe that the message felt after seeing the work is each viewer's domain. However, as a director, my first priority is to hope that those who invest an hour will enjoy it at least for that moment. I made it with the hope that you wouldn't regret the time you invested in 'Agency'.
Q. What would you say to Goans who are racing towards success without any obstacles?
This is a line that will appear in the remaining four episodes, and I would like to quote it. “It’s not bad to be lukewarm.”
Q. Lastly, could you please give me some viewing tips or points to watch to enjoy the remaining 4 episodes?
It would be good to see how Goan goes to greater heights during the remaining period. My heart warmed as I edited and watched the last scene. I thought that I had been running for the last 16 episodes just for this scene. You can look forward to it.
‘Agency’ airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 PM.
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr