Lee Byeong-woo (이병우)

Music director of 'The Host' Lee Byeong-Woo makes his first online game soundtrack

Source | 2008/02/22 | Permalink |

Famous Korean guitarist and movie music director Lee Byeong-Woo will make his first online game music.

Lee will make the background music for Dragonika, an online game published by NCSoft (CEO: Kim, Jin-Taek) and developed by Barunson Interactive (CEO: Lee, Seung-Gu and Lee, Yeon-Ju).

Lee is one of Korea's most sought-after musicians. He has made music for movies like "The Host", "Rules of Dating", and "A Tale of Two Sisters". He was also the man behind the dual album One Day 1/2, which has been recognized for its significant contribution to Korean popular music history.

He has also staged performances with the Eurasian Philharmonic Orchestra, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Seoul City Philharmonic and other major Korean orchestras.

"I love games and game music is the genre I have not delved into yet, so I have been wanting to this for a long time", said Lee. "'Dragonika' is a fantasy game about dragons and humans and I did my best in using my music to bring the lyrical legen...| More

"Hansel and Gretel" ends the year on a high

Source | 2008/01/02 | Permalink |

Director Lim Pil-seong assembled a fine cast and a great team of experts, the result is a well-crafted film, finely calibrated on every level.

Production designer Ryoo Seong-hee's ("The Host", "A Bittersweet Life", "Memories of Murder", "Old Boy") fairy tale world is beautifully shot by director of photography KIM Jee-yong ("A Bittersweet Life"). The visual style is at times complemented and at times contrasted by the music of LEE Byeong-woo ("The King and the Clown", "Voice of Murderer"). The result is a warm fairy tale feeling; but some unsettling events are foreboded, tangibly in the air.

The palpable darker edges create tension early on and keep the viewers captivated. The child actors admirably sensed the particular atmosphere of the film and their awareness – in combination with acting skills – is another highly beneficial factor to the collaborative achievement that is "Hansel and Gretel".

The oldest of the three children is a boy with paranormal abilities played by E...| More

You may not know his name but you've heard his music

Source | 2007/07/19 | Permalink |

'I have yet to arrive at the midpoint of my musical career'.

Lee Byeong-woo is a noted classical guitarist, but he is better known for his film music. For fans of his cinematic compositions, Lee performs a annual concert. This year, the concert takes place on Saturday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. During the two hour performance Lee will present 20 pieces from his film hits.
Lee's name may not ring a bell to many, but most people are likely to have come across his works in more than a dozen films, including the memorable hit "The Host" (2006). Sometimes he uses intense notes, as in the scene in "The Host" where the monster rushes along the Han River. Yet in a film like "Untold Scandal", an interesting interpretation of "Dangerous Liaisons" in a traditional Korean setting, he incorporated Western string instruments to create a pleasant East-meets-West theme.
Lee told the JoongAng Daily that he thinks the secret of his success in film music came from the way he seeks...| More

BONG's Host Takes Top Prize at Blue Dragon

Source | 2006/12/21 | Permalink |

BONG Joon-ho's all-time box-office champion "The Host" made a splash at the 27th Blue Dragon film awards, which held its year-end ceremony Dec. 15th in Seoul. The summer blockbuster about a monster dwelling in Seoul's Han River, gobbled up 5 Blue Dragons, including Best Picture, Best Supporting actor (BYEON Hee-bong) and Best New Actress (KO Ah-seong). The film also picked up honours for lighting and technical achievement.

Veteran duo PARK Joong-hoon and AHN Seong-gi shared the Best Actor prize for their roles in LEE Joon-ik's human-comedy, "Radio Star". Actress KIM Hye-soo took honours for her lead role in the autumn hit "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War Of Flower"), which also snagged a Blue Dragon for Best Cinematography.

Recent Thessaloniki Festival top-prize winner "Family Ties" ("The Birth of a Family") picked up a Best Director award for KIM Tae-yong and a Supporting Actress prize JEONG Yu-mi. Coming-of-age comedy, "Like a Virgin", scored several win with Best New ...| More

'The Host' Is Viciously Smart

Source | 2006/08/25 | Permalink |

Monster film devours Korean and U.S. competitors

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

One particular scene in "The Host" in retrospect almost looks like a commentary on the film's box office prowess. A young woman is enjoying a relaxed moment in the sunny Han River citizen's park, her ears covered by headphones. She is totally oblivious to other visitors madly dashing past her, eyes popping out of their sockets and screaming until their lungs burst. WHAM! A thing that looks like a gigantic tadpole with malformed legs and a hungry, lamprey mouth stomps her, like an SUV with a Texas license plate squishing an armadillo. She and other panicked Seoulites, some of whom will end up inside the monster's belly before the movie gets past its first fifteen minutes, might as well be standing for "The Host's" competitors.

As of mid-August 2006, this ungainly but dexterous beastie hopped past the awe-inspiring ten-million-ticket threshold in record time (21 days, compared to the previous box-office cha...| More