Choi Ik-hwan (최익환)

New technological step in Korean animation

2008/06/05 | Source | Permalink |

After RYOO Seung-wan's "The City of Violence" (Jjakpae) and PARK Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, but that's Ok" (Cyborgjiman Gwaenjanha), "Life is Cool" (Geunyeoneun Yeppeotta, English translation: "She was beautiful") will be the next instalment of CJ Entertainment's HD Project, and the first Korean animation film using the technique rotoscoping. With this procedure, live-action film is being traced by animators frame by frame.

KIM Soo-ro ("Vampire Cop Ricky"/Heuphyeol Hyeongsa Nadoyeol), and television actress PARK Ye-jin are among the actors involved in the project. CHOI Ik-hwan directs this tale about three distinct male friends who fall out with each other when they all fall for the same woman.

Rotoscoping opens new doors in filmmaking. One of the benefits is that it makes facial expressions more realistic than other forms of animation. The animation technique was also used for A Scanner Darkly, starring Keanu Reeves, and the music video Take on Me by A-ha. Also, the procedure i...| More

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Korean movies leap into box-office fray

2008/05/29 | Source | Permalink |

In late April, Iron Man arrived in the Korean cinema, smashing the box office into very profitable pieces. In mid-May, Prince Caspian took the baton and kept up the pressure on Korean competitors. Last weekend, whip-wielding Indy joined the Hollywood-only party, roped in plenty of movie tickets sales.

The bombardment of Hollywood films dragged down the share of Korean films to a record low. But the bleak development was widely predicted since only a couple of new Korean releases were made. June might be slightly different, as eight Korean movies are set for release.

"Girl Scout", directed by Kim Sang-man, will hit theaters on June 5, featuring well-known actors such as Kim Seon-ah, Nah Moon-hee, Lee Kyeong-sil. The film will test whether the audiences still have an appetite for a chase-the-money drama with fewer funny moments than publicized.

Waiting in line for the June 12 release are four Korean films: "Life is Cool", "Beyond All Magic", "Spare" and "Like Father, Like Son". ...| More

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Top star invests in domestic films

2006/05/25 | Source | Permalink |

Keyeast, a media contents investor co-established by actor Bae Yong-joon, recently signed a contract with CJ Entertainment to invest 700 million won ($730,000) in four movies produced by one of the most established movie producer/distributors in Korea.

The movies are director Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK", Ryoo Seung-wan's "The City of Violence", Lee Moo-yeong's "Like Father, Like Son" and Choi Ik-hwan's "Life is cool".

The media contents company will be given a primary chance to invest in four additional movies currently under preparation by CJ Entertainment.

Keyeast, which was set up in March, has also invested in a local television drama "Smile Again" and participated in funding "Taewangsasingi" ("The Legend") featuring Bae as well as co-hosting the 2006 Jeju Hallyu Expo. ...| More

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Korean Films Receive Hot Spotlight at Udine

2006/04/26 | Source | Permalink |

By Paolo Bertolin
Contributing Writer

UDINE, Italy ㅡ With 13 recent films mostly unreeled in their international and European premiere, Korean cinema is once again under media spotlight at the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) taking place in Udine, a North East Italian city.

Now in its eighth edition, the fast-growing event claims primacy among Western film festivals concerned with Asian cinema. Certainly a one-of-a-kind format among film festivals that commonly tend to focus on art-movies, FEFF proves the global appeal of mainstream Asian productions, as press officials stress record-breaking figures in international accredited press and report screenings continuously playing to full capacity.

Among the seventy films from East Asia blending into the enticing FEFF menu, the Korean ones retain a prominent spot indeed, as both opening and closing soirees happen to showcase Chungmuro productions. On Friday, April 21, Han Jae-rim's unflinching debut "Rules of Dating (Yonaeui ...| More

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Director Gives New Voice to Popular Horror Film Series

2005/07/13 | Source | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

As the nation's only horror film series, "Yogo Kwedam", which literally translates into "High School Ghost Story", has brought a chill to the summer seasons for teens and adults alike.

The series began with "Whispering Corridors" in 1998, which sparked the rush of local teen horror films, and followed it up with two other commercially successful scream fests.

Equan Choe (Choi Ik-hwan) is the director for the fourth installment of the series, "Voice Letter" (Yogo Kwedam: Moksori), due out Friday. He admits the most difficult part was how to make his work different from previous movies without losing basic elements of the original.

"Of course, I found it really hard to make a film for the series as I had to be able to put my own characteristics and my own style within the limitations of the traditions of the original", Choe told The Korea Times on Monday. "So this film also revolves around students at a girl's high school in the genre of a horr...| More

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