The next K-pop sensation... could be you

Kim Yong-bum, chief producer of "Superstar K3", said the popularity of eliminator TV shows here is a welcome development, but one that makes his job more pressurized. By Kwon Hyeok-jae

After the third episode of Mnet's reality show "Superstar K3" aired on Aug. 26, online portals were brimming with postings trying to guess the secret of one of its contestants, American Chris Golightly.

During the preliminary rounds of the eliminator show, which promises to produce Korea's next singing star, clips from Golightly's past were shown from his time as a contestant on another show, "American Idol".

And local viewers - and netizens - were dying to know exactly how and why the American had been eliminated from the ninth season of the blockbuster show, and what had led him to appear on Korea's own take of the show.

As revealed in the next episode, Golightly got the ax due to an old contract with a music label in a situation that suggested he had been duped by his manager.

The third season of "Superstar K" is the hottest show on cable TV in Korea at the moment. Since the first episode aired on Aug. 12, it has dominated viewer ratings for its time slot, even beating terrestrial network shows. The fourth episode garnered 10.7 percent in ratings.

Many in the industry doubted the third season could be such a hit given the level of market saturation in Korea, where reality shows are now a dime a dozen. But gripping editing by chief producer Kim Yong-bum, who relies heavily on cross-cutting and bundling, has kept fans glued to their seats - or sets.

The judges of "Superstar K3", from left, Lee Seung-chul, Yun Mi-rae and Yun Jong-sin, pose at a press conference last month. [Ilgan Sports]

There are also interesting juxtapositions during the auditioning process to keep things fresh. One episode featured a group of older women wearing sparkly costumes and then switched to a troupe of young girls to act as a foil.

A further boost this season is the clearer categorization, for example by pairing up relations of celebrities. As such, the brother of a member of K-pop girl group T-ara is lumped together with other celebrity siblings or offspring.

"The power of [shows like these] is that viewers get to see many different types of people", said Kim. "Because the show has a time frame, we can't show all the funny, unique people that come to the auditions, so the next best thing is to group similar "Characters" together".

Fortunately, the producers have a lot of film to work with. Every regional audition included the use of at least 12 cameras rolling simultaneously. There are now 17 producers working on over 20,000 tapes worth of footage.

"We shoot just about everything during the audition process, so we encounter a lot of funny people and stories to use", said Kim.

"By being diligent about shooting everything, we were able to find various love [plot] lines among contestants and other little elements that make the show that much more fun to watch".

These side stories and personal anecdotes also give eliminated contestants greater exposure. In some cases, this can lead to other job offers in show business.

"The show has so far received around 60 different offers by entertainment companies and agencies asking about contestants who were eliminated", Kim said.

He said the key consideration when editing a show like "Superstar K" was how to keep viewers hooked, such as by cutting to commercial breaks at cliffhanger moments.

"There was some concern that these commercial breaks would disturb the flow of the show, but we [producers] feel that the cuts add dramatic tension".

The show has also courted controversy, especially when one of its guest judges, singer Kim Tae-woo, commented on the physical appearance of one female contestant.

Kim decided to leave this scene in the final cut.

"A show this big should include everything from entertainment and heart-warming stories to controversy", said the producer.

But he said that people's stories were what gives the show a human dimension and made people connect with it so strongly.

"I like listening to stories, whether they are small stories about who had a child, who got a job or who got married".


By Im ju-ri