Course Description

Korean Cinema Workshop

Korean Cinema : the best films to study and the most enjoyable practice! In this workshop, we will talk about the Korean cinema its history and its style from the beginning to the Hallyu (Korean Wave) and nowadays. After this first overview of the most famous Korean movies, we will remake some outstanding scenes. The students will choose some sequences and then we will draw the storyboard and remake and shoot (and edit) the scenes (supervised by the professor).

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF KOREAN CINEMA

1- The beginning of Korean Cinema : the silent era and films under the Japanese colonization. Films : “Sweet Dream”, “Hurrah For Freedom”, ...

2- North Korean Cinema and South Korean cinema in the 1950's and 1960's (and extended period for North-Korean cinema to nowadays) : Films “On the railway”, “The Flower girl”, “Madam Freedom”, “The Housemaid”...

3- "Sex, Screen and Sport" policy in South Korea, "quotaquickies" movies and melodrama aesthetic under military control from the 1960's until the end of the 1980's. Overview of famous film directors such as Yu Hyun-mok (“Obaltan”), Kim Ki-young, Im Kwon-taek and Shin Sang-ok and others. The beginning of Korean genre films (erotics, horror, etc).

4- The first New Wave of the Korean cinema : Introduction of new-realism in film, modernity in style and social issues. Directors : Park Kwang-su, Jang Sun-woo,

Hwang Kiu-dok, Lee Myong-se, Bae Young-gyun, etc.

+ new generation of actors : Moon Sung-hoon, Ahn Son-gi, Kang-soo-yeon, etc.

5- Turning moment 1995 : New deal in the industry (Busan Film Festival, CJ entertainment, CGV, etc) the boom of a new market (the Hallyu – Korean Wave) : Blockbusters and genre movies (from JSA, to Taeguki)

+ a new generation of actors : Moon-sori, Lee Byung-hoon, Shin Hye-jin, Song Kang-ho, Sol Gyung-hu, Bae Yong-joon, etc.)

6- The second New Wave and the boom of the Hallyu in the 2000's

The international masters : Kim Ki-duk (“Summer, Spring, Winter...”, “Moebius”, “Pieta”), Lee Chang-dong (“Secret Sunshine”, “Poetry”, “Burning”), Hong Sang-soo (“Women at the Beach”, “The Day After”), Bong Joon-ho (“The Host”, “Snowpiercer”, “Okja”), Im Sang-soo (“The Housemaid”, “Taste of Money”), Park Chan-wook (“Old Boy”, “Sympathy for Mister Vengeance”, “The Hanmaiden”)

Blockbusters, action and comedy : “Roaring Currents”, “Veteran”, “The Thieves”, “Masquerade”, “Sunny”, “Karaoke Crazies”, etc,

Actors : Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doon-a, Son ye-jin, Park Hae-il, Ryoo Seung-bum, Hyun Bin, Cho Jae-hyun, Kim Min-hee, etc.

7- The situation today and the new tendancies (cinema and Korean society):

New ennemies in action movies : The japanese (Rurring Currents), North Korea (The Northern Limit line) Inside men (The Throne, War of arrows) the heir (chaebols) (Veteran, Gangnam blues)

Genres films gets darker and the new SF films : “Train to Busan”, “The Flu”, “Deranged”, “Doomsday Book”, etc.

Animation gets stronger ( Webtoon's adaptations) : “The Fakes”, “Seoul Station” etc

Celebrating the democratic movement : (“May 18”, “1987”, “A taxi Driver”, etc.)

Comedies and North-Koreans : (Secretly greatly, My Dictator...)

Minorities : Satirical comedies (“Cheer up mister Lee”); Factions (“Cart”); LGTB films (“No regrets”, etc)

Cinema into OTT and TV Series : “Squid Game” and “Hellbound”

The workshop process :

1. Understanding some great Korean movies.

2. Making synergistic groups.

3. A Choice (3, 4,... 10) of famous scenes available to remake (provided by students themselves and by the professor. Democratic final decision.)

4. A short but efficient introduction to cinema techniques and vocabulary (Story-telling, script-writing, storyboarding, camera work, digital editing, sound recording, lighting, etc.)

5. Preparation of the shooting (cast, locations, etc.) Discovering Korea and Korean people reactions while making a movie.

6. Each group shoot their own remake (a sequence of a famous Korean movie)

7. Editing session (editing the film itself and some of the most funny, poetic or meaningful out-takes

8. Screening (The short movies of each group will be screened during the closing ceremony of the Summer session).

Notes :

Students do not need any cinematographic knowledge. The workshop (the professor) will provide them the basic surviving techniques they have to know.

Equipments will be provided by the HUFS ISS

Up on the scenes to shoot, be ready to some (few) extra times put of standard class schedule.

Assessment

10% Attendance - 40% Participation Q&A during the class - 50% Workshop

Required Textbooks/Materials

• Recommendations for optional reading and viewing The Korean Film Archive launched a YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/koreanfilm Their website is at http://www.koreafilm.org

Method of Instruction/Lecturing

• Main ideas of the class in PPT / Analysis of films, films directors, genre / Q&A

Field of Lecture

• International studies - Cinema