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| Subject |
Creative Ventures and Innovations |
Count |
799 |
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| Author/Position |
Kim Ik-hwan Senior Editor, NEWTYPE KOREA |
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| Photographer |
Ahn Hong-beom |
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Director Portrays Modern-day Korean Society
Studio MWP director Ahn Jae-hoon is responsible for producing an animated version of “Winter Sonata,” the immensely popular TV drama that is credited with launching the Korean Wave. Ahn’s studio looks rather unusual. One corner is crammed with a variety of household items and products that would have been found anywhere in Korea some 40 years ago. He traveled around the country and collected the items himself in order to provide his young staff on the “Green Days” project with a better feel for this period. “Green Days” (2011) is an affectionately detailed reproduction of life in Korea during its era of rapid economic growth, when everything passed by in the blink of an eye. It was a tumultuous period that most certainly remains in people’s memories, but of which in fact so little has been left behind. The film now awaits its official opening amidst keen interest in Korea as well as China and Japan. These days, Ahn is working on “Animation from Korean Short Stories,” which seeks to convey the scenes and lyricism of Korea from some 70 years ago.
Kim: It must have been painstakingly difficult to create such a detailed depiction of Korean society of more than a generation ago.
Ahn: I don’t think many people realize just how quickly the scenes around us would disappear if we didn’t record them. So it turned out to be an advantage that images of our own society from a not too distant past have been able to fascinate audiences. I traveled to every corner of the country to interview people about what their villages used to look like, I collected rare black-and-white photos, and I visited the flea market in Hwanghak-dong nearly once a week.
Kim: I heard that the film’s preview was well received in China.
Ahn: China has a deep-rooted culture of respect for artisans, so they were deeply impressed by the attention to detail that went into each and every drawing. One Chinese viewer saw the film and then came to Korea to visit our studio two days later. This film gives us a glimpse at a version of ourselves from a past time that has since been lost, but China is still at the height of its change, so I hope it can encourage the Chinese to reflect on their present.
Kim: How did you start out on “Animation from Korean Short Stories”?
Ahn: To make animations, you have to take hold of things that have been stored away in the memory, like you would grasp a guide rope. For me, that meant working with Korean short stories.
Kim: What is particularly noteworthy about this project?
Ahn: It’s not simply a matter of conveying the contents of the story through drawings. I want to delve into every single word, every single sentence, and recreate in drawings, as faithfully as possible, the sentiments found in our language.
She pushed ahead with this series despite vehement opposition from those around her, who said that “no animation featuring a protagonist wearing traditional Korean clothing can ever succeed.”
‘Jang Geum’s Dream’: Korean Cuisine and More
“Jang Geum’s Dream” is an animated series that enjoyed notable success thanks to the popularity of “Dae Jang Geum” (“Jewel in the Palace”), the TV drama on which the series was based. The original drama, which recorded phenomenal viewer ratings of 45.8 percent in Korea, was later exported to some 60 countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia, and Egypt. This created a ripple effect, helping Korea to be known not only as an emerging Asian nation but also recognized as a country with a lengthy history and rich cultural tradition. Likewise, “Jang Geum’s Dream” has helped to introduce Korea to children around the world. Kim Young-ae, president of HeeWon Entertainment, Inc., pushed ahead with this series despite vehement opposition from those around her, who said that “no animation featuring a protagonist wearing traditional Korean clothing can ever succeed.”
Kim IH: How did you come to believe that “Jang Geum’s Dream” would succeed?
Kim YA: Once the broadcasts actually began, my uncertainty vanished completely. While on a business trip abroad, I heard that there was a petition in Korea to have the series aired during a more convenient time slot for young children. Soon, Internet fan sites began to spring up, and Japanese fans started visiting our headquarters. That’s when I knew that we had really achieved something.
Kim IH: The TV drama “Dae Jang Geum” introduced the world to aspects of our traditional culture, like Korean dress, food, and spirit. It seems these elements are part of “Jang Geum’s Dream” as well.
Kim YA: Firstly, we made a lot of effort to beautifully depict our traditional clothing. The second thing we worked hard on was the food. The original drama dealt primarily with palace cuisine, but in the animated series we introduced a variety of foods, including the dishes of common people and others made with medicinal ingredients. We also sought to properly depict a Korean girl who had the courage to overcome any difficulty she might encounter and to keep moving forward, while always challenging herself.
Kim IH: What are the results of the huge success of this work?
Kim YA: The Korean animation industry has become accustomed to outsourced production. So it can be difficult to find dedicated individuals. The staff of “Jang Geum’s Dream,” from the general manager to script writers and character designers, was comprised of newcomers to animation. This led to many difficulties, of course, but I believe we did the right thing. We steadily built up confidence in ourselves as a production company. We will continue to seek out talented individuals, create an environment in which the staff can realize their full potential, and bring to the world works infused with Korean sentiment.
Kim IH: What can we expect from you in the future?
Kim YA: We’re currently working on a TV series that deals with a spinning top, but I can’t tell you any more until we make an official announcement on this project. We also want to produce a full-length animation based on traditional Korean children’s stories, perhaps not right away but at some point in the future. We want to build on and adapt original stories to create a series of classic animations that are on par with the Japanese favorites like “Dog of Flanders” and “Heidi, Girl of the Alps.”
The robots in this series are not superheroes who are out to save the world.
‘Robocar Poli’: Cute Round Friends of Young Kids
“Robocar Poli,” which debuted in February 2011, is one of today’s most popular animated series among Korean children. ROI Visual, the studio behind the series, worked with Korea’s largest automobile manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Company, just as the U.S. automaker GM was involved with the production of the “Transformers” series. “Robocar Poli” centers on a group of cute little cars that transform themselves into robots to help their friends in need. Just as the lead character of “Pororo the Little Penguin” is known as “President Pororo,” Poli has become so popular that he is now called “Premier Poli.” This animated series is particularly well-suited for young children as it completely lacks violence, which invariably appears in most animated programs. It is therefore poised to be exported soon to global markets. This series is also highly praised for its educational elements, such as traffic safety lessons that are taught by its cast of cars. Lee Dong-woo, president of ROI Visual, has earned a reputation for shunning tried-and-true methods and experimenting with completely new approaches.
Kim: What’s the story behind the creation of the Poli character?
Lee: If you look at the world animation market, you’ll see that most children’s animations are targeted for toddlers aged under five or those over seven. There’s an incredible dearth of works for children between those age groups. So, we created a fun and educational series especially for children aged four to seven. When we researched children of this age group, we found that they liked robots, cars, and the police, so we put all these elements together to create Poli.
Kim: How did you manage to eliminate scenes of violence?
Lee: When you think of cars that transform into robots, the images of fearsome giants, like the Transformers, first come to mind. But “Robocar Poli” is about a rescue unit, so the robots are designed to be cute and round, based on ideas we got from visiting Hyundai Motor research institutes and assembly plants. The robots in this series are not superheroes who are out to save the world. They are members of a rescue unit that well understands and solves the problems that children have difficulty dealing with. To this, we added family values and the community spirit of helping out friends and neighbors.
Kim: Poli toys are big sellers in stores, and the “Robocar Poli” booth is always flooded with visitors at animation conventions.
Lee: It was somewhat difficult to grasp the scope of its popularity at first. Now, nearly a year after the broadcasts began, we have licensed products, and Poli is known and loved by so many people. I think I can grasp the popularity now.
Kim: I understand that season two of the show is now being broadcast.
Lee: We’ve improved the transformation sequences and rescue scenes. The stories have also become more varied, dealing with issues such as solving conflict between friends, embracing those who might be left out, protecting animals, safety measures in everyday life, and traffic safety education.
Kim: Is it true that “Robocar Poli” will be taken overseas this year?
Lee: “Robocar Poli” has already been recognized abroad by winning the MIP Junior Licensing Challenge in 2010. This year marks its entry into overseas markets. The series will be shown in some 40 nations around the world from the first half of the year. Broadcasts are scheduled to begin in France in April, and contracts are being finalized with 11 European nations, including Belgium and Switzerland, Russia, and countries across Africa and the Middle East, as well as Hong Kong and the Asian nations of Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and China. In the second half of 2012, countries like Canada and Australia will be added to this list.
Other Notable Industry Leaders
OCON, the producer of “Pororo the Little Penguin,” the most popular animation in Korea today, is credited with opening a new era for Korean animation by proving that a domestic production can attain commercial success overseas. In spite of this impressive success, competition in the domestic market is fiercer than ever. With the upcoming debut of “Pororo the Movie” in 2012, OCON intends to consolidate its leadership standing.
Studio Animal, creators of “Ghost Messenger,” can boast the broadest following among teenage Korean animation fans. “Ghost Messenger,” only available on DVD and never broadcast on TV or shown in theaters, is a rare example of a Korean animation for teenage audiences and the closest thing to its Japanese counterpart in terms of overall quality. Because the teenage animation market is still miniscule in Korea, a profitable business model remains elusive. And yet this studio is producing works with a goal of reclaiming the teenage market, 99 percent of which is dominated by foreign-made animations.
Studio KAAB, which created “Narong” and “Revbahaf — The Story of Rebuilding the Kingdom,” is taking aim at both the children’s and teenage markets. The “Narong” character, a flying squirrel, was so popular that it led to the making of three TV series, while “Revbahaf” is worthy of note as an animation for teenagers that deals with economic themes and is based on a comic series.
The Korean animation industry continues to see the emergence of fresh talent with the potential to expand the sector’s depth and reach. It will be interesting to see what new figures and what new works can breathe new life into Korean animation.
[BOX] Search for Diversity and Inspiration
It is gratifying to see young animation directors who are willing to take on new challenges. Director Chang Hyung-yun, who won the 2006 Hiroshima Prize at the International Animation Festival Hiroshima with “Wolf Daddy” (2005), is currently working on his first feature-length animation, “The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow.” In this film, Korea’s first satellite, Uribyeol 1, collides with a meteor and falls to earth, but the wizard Merlin comes by to create a girl named Ilho (Korean for “No. 1”). Gyeongcheon, the protagonist of the film, is a young man in his twenties who has been unlucky in his career and in love. Weary of the world, he loses heart and becomes a milk cow. Changing back and forth between human and milk cow, he is besieged by a gang of predators who hunt down those who have lost heart, but he is rescued by Ilho. Ilho then helps Gyeongcheon to regain heart.
Kim Woon-ki, who has earned praise for upgrading the level of Korean independent animation with “The Old Man With Knapsack” (2003), is working on the feature-length animation “Wolfie and Wollin” that tells the story of a wolf who invades the territory of herbivorous animals and then struggles to escape when they become stronger than him.
These young directors are taking on the challenge of producing feature-length works to help take Korean animation to ever greater heights. At the center of these hopeful developments are the young animators who grew up watching a variety of animations and dreaming of ways to create their own world of animation. According to Na Gi-ong of the Korea Independent Animation Filmmakers Association, every year some 300 animations are produced in Korea, including student projects and works sponsored by the universities with leading animation departments. These works are helping to build a broad foundation to support the future of Korean animation.
Chae Song-sill SICAF Animation Programmer |
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