Feature Film in Seoul, Korea

[Seung Han]

I made a post in the Hire forum but I think it might fit better here because, it seems more location centric then employment centric... So, mods can delete my other thread... But please leave this one!

I am determined to shoot my feature film in Seoul, Korea using the Red Camera! It will be Korea's first feature Red Production! (yes, both are declarations) I purchased a Red Package but probably won't receive it till Spring. This is where you guys come into the picture.

I am looking for a one month production schedule, six day shoot weeks and long hours. BUT, great script, good people, and I guarantee an amazing time in Seoul. Also, we need to fit in some time for tests and other prep work.

Who is going to make this happen?

Please let me know what you think is a fair price for this extended period of rental for a complete package and other expenses like travel and lodging and then we can start getting creative from there...

[Steven-Marc C.]

Hi Seung Han,
What are your planned dates?

[Chris Parker]

Seung-Han,

The dates are key. I should have two Red Cams by January, and I also know where to get others before then if needed.

I would be able to be the workflow tech on your shoot. I am Canadian, and work in the film business here, but I lived in Korea for 4 years. It would give me a chance to go back with my family (my wife is Korean and we go back often anyways) so I might be the ideal candidate.

I need more details however, like date and rate baby!

And yes, we would tear it up in Seoul, as I have some old haunts I would love to hit. Cheers.

[Paul Leeming]

I've sent you a PM Seung Han, but I agree that we need a lot more details to give you a proper quote.

What sort of package are you looking for? One camera or two? What does lodging cost in Korea? Are you shooting on location or in a studio environment? What about security? What are your credentials, prior films etc?

Sorry if that sounds like a lot of questions to answer but it wouldn't be a good idea to travel to Korea with a brand new camera without making sure it's all going to work and that the project is sound.

Cheers,

Paul

[Seung Han]

I am currently nailing down production logistics right now. I will have specific dates, credentials and tech specs in a week or two. But it will roughly be a winter shoot in November - December.

I posted this thread to actually find out what kind of interest there was to shoot a feature in Seoul with a Red Package. If it was even possible. From the initial response, it sounds like something can be worked out. We have a great script with many distributors showing interest in this project, but since it is low budget, I want to shoot it my way which means with the Red!

I am going to throw this out there so you guys have some idea what types of rates I am getting in Seoul.

The average quote in Seoul for a full F 23 package was around $17,000. This included 31 days, plus scheduled days in prep for tests, a HD monitor, Digiprime lenses (10mm, 40mm, 70mm, 6-24mm Zoom...), matte boxes, Schactler Tripod, cables, batteries and some type of storage (couldn't understand his Korean too well) with tech support in workflow.

I am hoping Red will produce better images, hopefully in a workflow just as stable and competitive while eating up less of my budget in the equipment rental column :)

Even though you will get paid fairly, I am seeking people who are enthusiastic about the content of the project itself.

Also, Seoul is an amazing modern city. It is, however, a closed society and difficult for a foreigner to really discover and experience what the city has to offer. You will be spending time with people who know the ins and outs of the city and really have fun. I can't put a price tag on the crazy times I've had out here and I don't think you'll be able to either.

[Seung Han]

You can learn more about my production company at:

http://www.bottledpictures.com

This project is not listed on the site however.

[Mike]

I'll be going to Korea in October, getting our Red in November.

Sent you a PM.

[Seung Han]

Hey Mike,

I will be out there as well (Pusan Film Festival) with the ImaginAsian group. I will send you my schedule, some info on my project and how you can contact me by PM in the next few days.

I visited your website and the trailer looked very good. Congratulations!

[Mike]

Thanks.
Looking forward in meeting you and any other Redusers who will be attending the Pusan Film Fest.

[Seung Han]

I didn’t realize this forum was a good place to network beyond trading info about the Red, so I decided to post some info about my film. This isn’t really a pitch for the film but more of why the story interested me. Let me know what you guys think.

The title:
Love Buzz

‘Love Buzz’ is about two Korean-American guys and their romantic relations with two Korean girls set against the culture of Booking Clubs, Casual So-ke-tings, Sexy Bars, Room Salons and Ammas in modern Seoul, Korea. Even though Koreans are a social people, they have very formal ritualized ways of interacting. ‘Love Buzz’ shows how these venues of meeting socially and illicitly can at times be fun and exciting but also the source of great misery. While following the romantic story of the four main characters, the film explores the blurring line between dating, casual sex and prostitution.

This is not a seedy film or a Western perspective about Asian prostitutes. Do not think of American G.I.’s visiting run-down store shops for prostitutes. This is a story about smart young people who become involved in a very pervasive cultural aspect of modern Seoul. Many of these dating and sex venues represent a wide cross section of varying incomes, ages and levels of education. Establishments are luxurious, provide upscale service and have a never ending supply of beautiful young contemporary Korean women.

All the characters in the script are based on real people I have met here who have either allowed me to spend time with them or have confided in me with their personal stories, sometimes funny but often times tragic. Considering how massive the sex industry is in Korea, I find it strange how dismissive the media here deals with it. I sometimes think the scale of the problem here is comparable with the drug culture in America but with little media coverage and even less discussion.

Most Korean films depicting these issues like Kim Ki Duk’s ‘Bad Guy’ and Park Jin-pyo’s ‘You Are My Sunshine’ are genre films, gangster and disease of the week respectively, with the sex industry as a backdrop but firmly placed in some dramatic movie fantasy world. Oddly enough, there has never been a film that has really captured the vibe of the contemporary sexual scene in Korea which is vibrant to say the least. I want ‘Love Buzz’ to be like what ‘Goodfellas’ was to gangster films or ‘Traffic’ was to America’s drug culture, an entertaining essay on dating and sex in Seoul, as it exists today.

Even though Korean-American ex-pats represent a tiny fraction of the overall customer base for Korean prostitution, they have a unique relationship with these young girls. They will date them, develop serious relationships and even marry them while Korean men who have created and perpetuate this industry look down at these girls as disposable devices of pleasure. Ex-pats and these working girls are both outcasts in this society and often times find comfort in each other’s company.

In terms of production, I think the cinema verite feel of ‘Lost in Translation’ would be an appropriate style for ‘Love Buzz.’ A lot of hand held shots in real locations with natural lighting for an intimate, honest feel without being obtrusive. The tone of the piece wavers between ‘Swingers’ and ‘The Dreamlife of Angels.’ I don’t know why but it fits, trust me.

If this interests you at all, please contact me with some information about your company, and I will send you a script. I will also provide more information about the film’s current state in financing, production and distribution.

And all feedback is welcome! Thanks for reading this obnoxiously long winded post...:whistling:

[Unwounded]

Sounds fascinating, too bad I don't get my red till January :waaa:

[Gavin Greenwalt]

If you need any VFX Supervision or Work drop me a line. We're Seattle, WA based but don't mind a little time in the air. ;)

Page is pretty outdated but has our contact info:
http://www.StraightfaceHQ.com

[REDHKSC]

I made a post in the Hire forum but I think it might fit better here because, it seems more location centric then employment centric... So, mods can delete my other thread... But please leave this one!

I am determined to shoot my feature film in Seoul, Korea using the Red Camera! It will be Korea's first feature Red Production! (yes, both are declarations) I purchased a Red Package but probably won't receive it till Spring. This is where you guys come into the picture.

I am looking for a one month production schedule, six day shoot weeks and long hours. BUT, great script, good people, and I guarantee an amazing time in Seoul. Also, we need to fit in some time for tests and other prep work.

Who is going to make this happen? Please let me know what you think is a fair price for this extended period of rental for a complete package and other expenses like travel and lodging and then we can start getting creative from there...


In my old days , I was selling non-Japanese Cameras. ( It was German's Cameras - BTS from 1995-1997 )

BTS was gone and better take S.............2K cameras is a good start fro the Korean Broadcasters from 2K to 1080P...

Stewart Chong
ex-BTS and Philips Broadcast Systems ( 1996-1997 )
ASIA

[Seung Han]

In my old days , I was selling non-Japanese Cameras. ( It was German's Cameras - BTS from 1995-1997 )

BTS was gone and better take S.............2K cameras is a good start fro the Korean Broadcasters from 2K to 1080P...

Stewart Chong
ex-BTS and Philips Broadcast Systems ( 1996-1997 )
ASIA

No, I am not a Korean Broadcaster. Independent Filmmaker from New York getting ready to shoot a feature in Seoul. I guess its always nice to reflect about the good old days...

Had an amazing time in Shanghai last fall. Good pasta and a laser light show in a tunnel under the river!

[number6]

Let me know what you guys think.

The title:
Love Buzz

‘Love Buzz’ is about two Korean-American guys and their romantic relations with two Korean girls set against the culture of Booking Clubs, Casual So-ke-tings, Sexy Bars, Room Salons and Ammas in modern Seoul, Korea. Even though Koreans are a social people, they have very formal ritualized ways of interacting. ‘Love Buzz’ shows how these venues of meeting socially and illicitly can at times be fun and exciting but also the source of great misery. While following the romantic story of the four main characters, the film explores the blurring line between dating, casual sex and prostitution.



And all feedback is welcome! Thanks for reading this obnoxiously long winded post...:whistling:

Seung Han, Your story sounds like it has great promise with accompanying degree of difficulty. I assume you are going to release to both Korean and Western audiences... if so, and if you can reach each one equally, then you have a unique talent. I'm just thinking that if you try to fully explain to one audience what is happening, the other audience may feel like they are getting too much information. I don't envy you your task. But if you pull it off, we'll probably all be sayin' we knew you back when.

[Toy Spears]

hi just wondering what is going on with your film project? I have been looking to come back to korea and work on something. send me details to celluloidsamurai@gmail.com