'Drawing animation is our DNA'

Studio Mir President and Executive Director Yoo Jae-myung works in his studio in Gasan-dong, Seoul, in this file photo. / Courtesy of Studio Mir

This is the first in a special series on Korean animation studios ― Ed.

Poster for “The Legend of Korra” / Courtesy of Studio Mir

By Baek Byung-yeul

Since Pixar’s “Toy Story” was a huge success, both commercially and creatively, in 1995, computer graphics have become a major trend in producing animated features.

However, a local animation studio is persisting in creating animated features with hand drawing techniques, claiming that this is the best way to maintain indigenous characteristics.

“Hand drawing is our DNA. That is what enables us to survive in the animated feature industry even though computer graphics techniques are leading,” Yoo Jae-myung, founder and executive director of Seoul-based animation company Studio Mir said in an interview with The Korea Times on April 28.

“For those who are not good at drawing, they can be a creator of computer graphic animation once they learn how to deal with graphics software.

“But when it comes to creating so-called 2D animation ― producing an animated feature on the basis of hand-drawn sketches ― things work much differently because it requires experienced technique,” Yoo said.

Yoo joined the animation business in the late 1980s and founded Studio Mir in 2010. Despite its short history, Studio Mir is now well known to animation fans in the United States for producing several animated TV series such as “The Legend of Korra” and “The Boondocks.”

Yoo said he and his studio owed much to “The Legend of Korra,” a fantasy animated TV series that aired on Nickelodeon in the U.S. from 2012 to 2014.

The sequel to “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” in which Yoo also took part in the production as an animation director, was well received among animation fans, presenting Studio Mir with both critical and commercial success.

“We began working with Korra’s producer Bryan Konietzko as I already participated in his previous work: ‘Avatar.’”

“As a sub-contractor, we are supposed to get things done as we are told. But Konietzko was different. While working on Korra, I asked him to allow us to present our ideas and he allowed us to do so. We were able to create characters and design backgrounds that required an artistic approach and innovative thinking,” he said.

Yoo stressed that this was a great step forward for Korean animators, who had previously been only subcontractors.

“For those who ask me why Korea doesn’t have original animated features like the Disney, DreamWorks or Ghibli, I’ve always answered that we don’t have a proper structure,” Yoo said.

“To make an animated feature that can wow the world, we need financing and solid production systems above all else. This is why I am putting great importance into being a subcontractor of large-scale company.

“As an owner of a company that hires about 70 employees, it is not easy for me to take such a big risk. Once we can stand on our own feet and walk a little, we will embark on an adventure to create our own films,” he said, hinting that his studio is “secretly” preparing to develop an animated series for TV and cinema.

‘League of Legends’

Studio Mir also draws attention from video gamers for making a series of animated clips for “League of Legends,” an online combat strategy game produced by U.S.-based Riot Games. The online combat strategy game, nicknamed “LOL,” is arguably one of the most popular video games all over the world.

Yoo said his studio could get a chance to partner with Riot Games, thanks to “The Legend of Korra.”

“A few years ago, one of Riot Games’ creators came to our studio, saying that he’s a big fan of ‘Korra.’

“Personally, I don’t really enjoy playing video games, so I didn’t even know what kind of game his company was making. But my crew told me that I would regret it if I rejected the chance to talk with him because he is a co-founder of a company which produced a super-famous online game. The guy’s name was Thomas Vu,” Yoo recalled.

“Overall, it was great experience for us to work with them,” Yoo said, adding working for Riot Games has also helped Studio Mir expand its global presence.