Tag Archives: TV drama

Drama market gets globalized, theme-driven

Posted on by
Reply

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2008/12/26/200812260042.asp

With the new year less than a week away, the drama market merits a moment of reflection. The year 2008 proved to be a trying time for Korean dramas.

Pummeled by an economic crisis and competition from hit American and Japanese series, the domestic market cut down on the number of miniseries it aired in November. Yet despite cutbacks, a few stellar pieces stood out this year that, along with a dramatic increase in theme-driven dramas, softened the blow.

Here is a recap of the highs and lows of 2008, along with a glimpse into 2009.

Drama recession

Around November, KBS, MBC and SBS responded to the economic downturn by slashing their drama budget. KBS discontinued their 7:40 p.m. daily KBS 2 TV dramas, MBC their special weekend dramas and SBS their Friday premium dramas as part of their autumn program reforms.

Various factors contributed to the reduction, including an increase in wages for celebrities and screenwriters, which upped production costs, along with a decrease in advertising.

All three major broadcasting networks are also tightening their 2009 drama budgets and looking for ways to bring down production costs. This includes employing rookie actors and cutting back on overseas filming.

Production companies were also hit hard by the crisis, posting deficits for 2008. JS Pictures, the production company behind SBS’ popular series “Sikgaek,” was in the red, according to a representative of the company.

“Actors’ wages may have been one of the causes for the deficit,” a JS Pictures representative explained. “There are a lot of plans for dramas right now, but everyone is hesitant to start production. Everyone is in a bit of a slump.”

photo5

Chorokbaem Media, the production company behind SBS’ hit drama “Iljimae,” also posted a deficit, stated a representative.

“Accounting-wise we were in the red this year,” explained the Chorokbaem Media representative.

“But that was because of last year’s ‘Lobbyist.’ Dramas that aired this year like ‘Iljimae’ and KBS’ ‘The Land of the Wind’ have been profitable thus far,” he added, maintaining a positive outlook for 2009.

For state-run broadcaster KBS, however, a change in chiefs may make 2009 a rocky year. On Aug. 26, President Lee Myung-bak appointed Lee Byung-soon the new chief of KBS, following the dismissal of former KBS chief Jung Yun-joo.

The best and the chic

Despite the economic crisis, 2008 proved to be an exciting year for the drama market. A movement towards theme-driven miniseries steered the herd away from the classic melodramatic formula. Broadcaster SBS led the trend with “On Air,” “Sikgaek,” “Tazza,” “The Painter of Wind” and their brand new “Terroir.”

The gamble proved to be a success for the drama-about-a-drama “On Air” and the gourmet series “Sikgaek.” MBC’s medical series “New Heart” and its musically-inclined “Beethoven Virus” also struck gold, serving as testimony to the newfound popularity of themed dramas.

MBC’s sweeping 50-episode epic “East of Eden” and their historical “Isan,” however, highlighted the continuing power of the tried-and-tested. And SBS’ hit “Iljimae” walked the middle road with its modern take on historical romance.

Yet, one stellar drama served as a beacon of hope for the future of Korean dramas. Though it failed to garner high viewer ratings, KBS’ “Worlds Within” sported all the trappings of a top notch work: a supremely talented cast, director and scriptwriter.

Like “On Air,” “Worlds Within” was a miniseries that explored the drama-making process and employed the star power of a high profile cast, but the chemistry between celebrities Song Hye-kyo and Hyun Bin turned the series into a poignant and riveting tale, while skilled supporting actors – Uhm Ki-joon, Bae Jong-ok and Kim Yeo-jin – added depth and color.

But it was the collaborative fireworks produced by directing and writing duo Pyo Min-soo and Noh Hee-kyung that took “Worlds Within” to the next level. “Full House” director Pyo utilized savvy collaged cuts of various scenes on a black background to show characters in different locations from various points-of-view simultaneously, while “Goodbye Solo” screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung spiced up her dialogue with the harsh and pulpy talk of the gritty drama production room, while exercising just the right amount of control in the area of romance and friendship.

Dramas of 2009

Female warriors and old romances will be lighting up the small screen in 2009. KBS’ “Iron Empress” and SBS’ “Ja Myung Go” will be turning the spotlight on the female fighter, while MBC’s “I Love You” and KBS’ “Again My Love” will explore relationships between the elderly and the middle-aged.

Production company Group Eight looks set to mix things up with their upcoming “Tamna is the Island.” Set on 17th century Jeju Island, the plot revolves around a girl diver, a British native and an aristocrat. Add to that four writers and the use of a French actor for an entirely new take on historical romance.

Media entertainment group On-Media will be upping the ante by starting a channel devoted to American dramas. On-Media’s new channel, OCN Series, will bring in hit shows like CSI, Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City. The channel goes on air on Jan. 1.

By Jean Oh

([email protected])

2008.12.26

S Korea’s soap operas win fans across Asia

Posted on by
Reply

By Anna Fifield
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/e66c48cc-4d29-11d9-b3be-00000e2511c8.html
Published: December 13 2004 17:13 | Last updated: December 13 2004 17:13

With his floppy hair, sweet smile and displays of raw emotion, it seems Bae Yong-joon is every Korean woman’s ideal man. Increasingly, he is every Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese woman’s dream too.

The star of South Korea’s wildly popular soap opera Kyoul Yonga (Winter Sonata), Bae might be written off as a wimp in a western drama. But he has won millions of hearts in his home country and across Asia.

image

“He is so gentle and sweet. I like seeing such a pure man and such pure love,” says Park Sun-hee, a 46-year-old Seoul housewife. Part of the wider Hallyu (Korean wave) spreading through Asia, tear-jerking soaps such as Winter Sonata are giving Korea new-found kudos across the region and boosting tourism revenues, as well as providing something of an escape from reality.

To western eyes, these programmes seem slow and old-fashioned. But their traditional romantic themes have been a hit, particularly among ajummas, or housewives. “I like the classic love story,” says Park Yun-hee, a 50-year-old estate agent. “It reminds me of my youth and shows me what I couldn’t experience at the time.”

These soaps, which also include Autumn in My Heart and Love Story in Harvard, have a common theme: beating the odds to find true love and happiness. But unlike their western counterparts, there is no sex or even lust in these dramas. Winter Sonata is the story of Jun-sang (Bae) and Yu-jin (Choi Ji-woo), who fell in love at high school and arrange to meet on New Year’s eve, before Bae’s character departs for university in the US. But Jun-sang is hit by a car on the way to meet Yu-jin and she hears he has been killed. Years later though, they meet again it turns out he only had amnesia. So they embark on a second winter romance. Then he has a second car accident and becomes blind.

The population of Seoul is now bombarded by bespectacled Bae’s wholesome smile on advertisements for Lotte department store, LG Telecom and apartment buildings. If he launched a wave in Korea, Bae is a tsunami in Japan, where he is affectionately known as “Yon-sama”. About 5,000 women, most middle-aged, flocked to Tokyo’s Narita airport last month to greet Bae. Ten sustained minor injuries in the rush to see him. The almost courtly love of Korean dramas translates well across Asia, especially among the ajummas.

“Many people want to turn the clock back 20 or 30 years because Korean and Japanese society has changed so much in that time,” says Ma Dong-hoon, professor of cultural studies at Korea University.

The right mix of fantasy and reality also helps. “People here don’t like heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They like the idea of someone they can find in everyday life,” Prof Ma says. The popularity of these soppy soaps contrasts with the heartache involved in many Korean and other Asian relationships, says Michael Breen, author of The Koreans.

“Even though most coupling is now through love marriages, parents still have so much influence that if they are not happy with their child’s choice of partner they put so much pressure on them that they often break up,” Mr Breen says.

Hallyu is not just spreading culture out from Korea, it is also drawing people in. The number of tourists coming to Korea to attend concerts or visit locations where films and television dramas are filmed is expected to double this year to 400,000. There is already overwhelming demand to visit the ski resorts and hotels featured in Winter Sonata. But now even a cancer hospital is getting in on the act, planning to offer tours of room 348, where Bae’s character stayed while undergoing treatment for a brain tumour.

With Korean airlines reporting strong demand because of “Yon-sama syndrome”, the Korea National Tourism Organisation thinks the total economic impact effect of Winter Sonata could hit Won1,000bn ($937m, €709m, £490m) this year.

As an economic phenomenon, Hallyu has been a boon to South Korea’s stagnating economy, but it is the social aspect that is now causing a commotion.

Especially noteworthy is the popularity of Korean drama in Japan, given the bad blood between the two countries since the end of Japanese colonial rule with the second world war.

“Fans of Winter Sonata are women in their 40s and 50s, the age group that has the most discriminating attitude towards Korea,” says Lee Hyang-chul, professor of Japanese studies at KwangWoon University in Seoul. “They saw negative aspects like the war and periods of dictatorship, so they were very ignorant about Korea. But now their attitudes are changing and they are looking at Korea differently.”