Both COVID (streaming video) and streaming video have influenced Korean filmmaking and television story-telling. Busan-based media executives heard that screenwriting today is more in tune to the needs of their audience.
A panel discussion on Saturday, organized by the Busan Story Market, a new wing of the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) sought to define Korean story telling and analyze why it is currently so successful.
Hwang Hyejung (chief content officer at Korean streamer TVing) suggested that writers have expanded their perspectives to include more realistic and current topics. Romantic comedies or melodramas no longer define the genre.
“Korean content has its foundations in family values and Confucianism. That compares with Hollywood’s super fantasy stories,”Hwang. “These days, Korean realism is well-received among the MZ generation [people born between 1981 and 2005], due to COVID and the crises we’re experiencing.”
Seokyung, the writer of TV series recent “Little Women” and Park Chan Wook’s latest film “Decision To Leave,”According to her, she deliberately altered her writing style from one that was top-down to one that is more attentive for her readers.
“[When it comes to the creative process], there’s a lot of capturing, discussion and analyzing. Being sensitive to the audience and always being ready to update is important,”Chung. “People want to feel closer and to discuss issues in our society together. So, I now consider the audience as [my] best friends, sharing secrets with them. That’s how I think the audience relates.”
The pandemic accelerated Korean OTT platform growth and placed new emphasis on convenience viewing, such as binge watching and sharing feedback via social media.
“People are waiting to see other people’s reactions before watching content. We can get this [feedback] almost immediately with social media meaning that initial reactions can determine the success or failure of a series,”Hwang.
Platforms and broadcasters have tried to mitigate the risk by placing greater emphasis on shows that are franchised and has multiple seasons. To extend the life expectancy of K-stories, they are now being adopted.
The demand for Korean TV shows has increased due to the double effects of COVID streaming and more viewers. Hwang claims that Tving, a Korean streamer, has experienced a 300% rise in subscribers since it started creating originals in 2020.