Chapter 10 - The MV shoot
A/N: I wasn’t sure when to add the mv shoot so here it is.
The atmosphere on set was electric with anticipation. Le Sserafim's first music video shoot was about to begin, and the members were feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. The concept of the video was centered around being brave and confident, a message they were eager to portray. To their surprise, many scenes were set inside a gym, requiring them to showcase their cool charms and physique.
The gym setting of the music video shoot was bustling with energy as soon as the members of Le Sserafim arrived on set. The room was filled with various workout equipment, including weights and punching bags that caught the members' attention.
"Wow, this gym setting is cool!" Eunchae exclaimed, her eyes darting excitedly around the room.
"A gym setting? It's a bit bandom but, I guess this works for us!" Yunjin exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement for the first music video.
Kazuha, conscious of her appearance with a hint of anxiety evident in her eyes, immediately headed towards the mirrors to check her reflection. Yunjin, spotting a punching bag, couldn't resist giving it a couple of playful jabs.
"Hey, what you lookin' at?" Yunjin sang, pretending to spar with the punching bag.
Y/N, joining in on the fun, playfully posed in front of the camera, "Fans, are you ready to see our fierce side?!" She joined behind Yunjin and held the punching bag for her to "fight" with.
As the girls interacted with the camera, showing off their playful and confident personas, Chaewon decided to have a bit of fun with the punching bag as well. With a mischievous grin, she took a playful – and weak – swing at it, causing the members to burst into laughter.
"Leader-nim, show us your boxing skills! Whooooo!" Sakura cheered, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Chaewon, laughing along with the others, gave the punching bag another playful tap, "Watch out, world! Le Sserafim's new secret weapon!" Her bob ate so bad.
"Everyone on standby!"
Eunchae and Y/N, holding hands tightly, shared a look of distress about the upcoming scenes.
"Ok. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!"
As the catchy chorus blasted through the speakers, the members moved to the beat, their dance synchronized and powerful.
What you lookin’ at? What you, what you lookin’ at? What you lookin’ at? What you, what you lookin’ at? What you lookin’ at? What you, what you lookin’ at? Hmm hm hmm hmm I’m fearless…
“Cut!”
Exhausted, the members quickly left their positions, taking deep breaths to recover from the intense dance. This was worse than practice. After a brief moment They were handed a tablet for monitoring themselves between takes, each member focused on spotting any mistakes. Y/N has never seen her maknae as focused as today, as she stood there with mouth agape staring at the screen. She’s such a hard-worker.
“Okay, let’s go again!”
….
“Again!”
…*10 takes later* …
“One more time, please!”
Yunjin and Kazuha, somehow, had excess energy left and were pretending to hit the camera. "Hey Kazuha, let's do a synchronized punch!" Yunjin suggested, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Okay!" Kazuha agreed, both striking a pose before delivering a playful punch towards the camera, leaving everyone in stitches. Both of them playfully frowned at the camera afterward. How did they keep up their stamina?
...
“Okay ladies, one last time!”
Sakura, Chaewon, and Y/N were barely holding on at this point, exhaustion taking its toll.
“I hope he’s for real this time. I’m so tired,” Chaewon sighed, the familiar reality of shooting for a music video fully sinking in.
… *two “last takes” later*
“Okay! Thank you that’s all!”
FINALLY.
“Ahhhhh,” Sakura dramatically collapsed on the floor, eliciting laughter from the staff around her. The staff adored Sakura. She was always kind and considerate of the people working alongside her.
“C’mon unnie! We gotta change,” Yunjin said, pulling on Sakura's arm, eager to move on to the next scene.
Next up was the car scene.
“Kazuha-ssi, please sit in the driver’s seat. Eunchae and Y/N on the hub. The other members, in the back seat…”
As the members climbed into the car Yunjin had an idea.
“Jagiya! Can I ride with you, pretty lady?” Yunjin stroked Kazuha’s shoulder and pretended to flirt with her, ending her question with a wink. Kazuha shocked, tried to open her mouth to laugh it off but it was stuck in her throat. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
“HAHAHAHAHA,” everyone around the vehicle - even the staff - was dying of laughter.
“Ladies… ehem… we… need to start. Apologies, Kazuha-ssi,” the director chuckled, trying to regain control of the situation. Poor Kazuha.
Yunjin, proud of her joke turned to Sakura to discuss their seating arrangements for the shot. On the hub, Eunchae and Y/N were struggling not to slip down. Just in time, Eunchae grabbed Y/N’s hand, preventing Y/N from slipping off completely. Meanwhile, Chaewon just sat there, mentally already preparing for her next challenging scene.
“Chaewon-ssi on standby. One minute.”
Chaewon was to jump off a chandelier for her solo scene, and Y/N watched with bated breath as she was wired up for the stunt. Despite knowing Chaewon was secured, the sight of her leader preparing to jump off the props was nerve-wracking nonetheless.
Beside her, Sakura noticed Y/N’s anxious expression and gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Upon noticing Y/N immediately tucked her arm in to hold on to.
“Don’t worry, Y/N. Chaewon has been practicing for this. She’s brave,” Sakura reassured her, her voice filled with confidence.
Y/N nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, “I know, it’s just…seeing her up there is nerve-wracking.”
Sakura smiled understandingly, “I get it. But she’s used to filming music videos. I think we never used wire on her but it’s gonna look amazing, I’m sure of it. Maybe you’ll be wired up too some day…” she earned a look of horror from Y/N, which Sakura only laughed off and turned back onto the scene. Hell no.
Y/N admired Sakura’s calm demeanor.
“Kkura-unnie, do you have any advice for… us rookies? Practice is so different, I find it challenging to perform naturally when the cameras are rolling,” Y/N admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. Upon hearing this, Eunchae comically huddled over to sit beside them, wanting to hear the advice too. Cutie.
Sakura smiled and pulled Eunchae close. She thought for a moment before responding, “Performing for the cameras can be intimidating, but try to focus on the music and the emotions behind the song. Remember why you love performing and let that passion shine through. Don’t worry about being perfect; just be yourself and enjoy the moment. Think about our concept and what we want to stand for. It’s tough, but we have to stay focused.” Not really sold, her younger members just stared at her again.
“I’m sorry I can’t give better advice. I’m just… not that confident myself ... so it’s hard for me too. We ... just gotta stick together girls,” Sakura said, finally earning a small smile from her friends. There wasn't advice for every situation, sometimes you'd just have to leave your comfort zone.
As the music video shoot progressed, the members of Le Sserafim found themselves approaching the grand finale – the group dance scene featuring the powerful final chorus of their song. The director wanted dazzling special effects including a dramatic display of fire rain that added a striking visual impact to the scene.
Chaewon, always the brave leader, was both excited and slightly apprehensive about the special effects. She knew they would enhance the visual appeal of the music video but couldn't help feeling a twinge of nervousness as the fire rain began to fall.
Eunchae, standing beside Chaewon, was in awe by the spectacle but also felt a flutter of anxiety, "Wow, this looks amazing, but it's kind of scary."
"I've never seen anything like this before! It's incredible.” Kazuha said, wide-eyed with a mix of awe and trepidation.
Sakura, always the supportive and optimistic member, tried to reassure her teammates while marveling at the spectacle herself, "It's okay, guys! Just focus on the dance and the energy of the song. We've got this! The fire can't hurt you."
“And if the fire does… I guess it does,” she finished, turning a couple of heads as a reaction. Help she’s hilarious.
“Everybody on standby!”
Yunjin felt a surge of excitement and determination as she took center stage, "Alright, let's make this final chorus unforgettable!" She’s waited four years for this moment, she wasn’t gonna be performing half-heartedly.
The stage was set with dynamic lighting and an intricate formation, with Yunjin positioned in the center, confidently walking backwards and commanding the spotlight. Oh, she owns the stage.
As the final chorus kicked in, dazzling special effects, including a dramatic display of fire rain, illuminated the scene, adding a breathtaking visual element to the performance.
The final notes of their debut song "Fearless" echoed throughout the set, signaling the completion of their music video shoot. The atmosphere was electric with excitement and a sense of accomplishment as the director called out, "That's a wrap on 'Fearless'! Congratulations, Le Sserafim!"
The members of Le Sserafim, overwhelmed with joy and pride, immediately gathered in a tight group hug, their faces beaming with happiness.
"We did it, guys! Our debut song now has a music video!" Chaewon exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Eunchae, unable to contain her joy, jumped up and down, "I can't believe it! We're really doing this!"
Yunjin, hugging her fellow members tightly, echoed the sentiment, "I'm so happy! What the hell?!"
Kazuha, wiping away tears of happiness, added, "I'm so grateful. This is just the beginning!"
Sakura, looking at her teammates with a proud smile, said, "We've worked so hard for this moment. Let's cherish it and look forward to our debut!"
Y/N, caught up in the excitement, shouted, "Bring on our debut! Le Sserafim is ready to take on the world!"
As the members of Le Sserafim celebrated their achievements, the realization of their upcoming debut filled them with anticipation and excitement. With their debut song now accompanied by a stunning music video, they were one step closer to fulfilling their dreams and making a name in the music industry.
The girls ended the night with lots of selfies and some well-deserved sleep as soon as their backs hit the car seats.