Tving’s new ‘Bargain’ takes original film further

Tving, local entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, seeks to put a new spin on a story loved by movie stars, fans and filmmakers alike, with a natural disaster.

Adapted from the short film of the same title by filmmaker Lee Chung-hyun, Tving’s upcoming series “Bargain” revolves around people who gather at a remote motel with ulterior motives -- seeking to bargain for sex.

Unlike the original project, the series follows the characters after an unexpected earthquake.

While fans are excited to see the award-winning short film adapted to a six-part series, the actors and staff emphasized their experience in the making of the series.

“Like the original film, the series was shot in a single take. This was something that first came into my mind when directing the series. I think this single-take style will allow the viewers to feel the excitement and the thrill the characters experience," rookie director Jeon Woo-sung, who also took part in filming the original project, said in an online press conference Monday.

Actor Jin Seon-kyu, who was a big fan of the film, added that shooting “Bargain” felt like preparing for a musical.

“All episodes were shot once and we chose the best version. From the actors to the staff, everyone involved in the series checked the camerawork multiple times. It felt like performing in front of a live audience,” Jin said.

“The feeling you get after shooting the scenes in a single take was unreal. All of us were definitely a team,” he said.

Co-star Jun Jong-seo was certain that the viewers will enjoy the characters and their individual stories as well.

“Drama series and films normally have a good character and a villain. But ‘Bargain’ is not one of them. Everyone seems evil. They are, in a way, very honest characters and have unique charms,” Jun said.

Released in 2015, the short film version of “Bargain” won multiple awards, including the Best Film Award at the 15th Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival in 2015 and the special jury award of the 14th Asiana International Short Film Festival’s Korean competition in 2016.

The first three episodes of “Bargain” will be released Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. The remaining episodes of the thriller series will be released Nov. 4.