Director behind iconic K-pop music videos

A teaser image of BTS' "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)" Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Alongside the rip-roaring success of K-pop, its music videos have seen some staying power in the age of YouTube. Now the platform's views and comments prove to be useful gauges for a music video's success.

The colorful, choreography-heavy visual for K-pop sensation BTS' "Idol" video set a new record this year as the most-viewed Korean music video within a 24-hour period on YouTube, garnering a staggering 45 million views.

To date, it holds second place among all genres following Ariana Grande's clip for "Thank U, Next." Another K-pop group, girl band BLACKPINK's "Ddu-du-Ddu-du" was ranked in fifth place, amassing 36.2 million views in one day. As the records suggest, a music video is more than a visual narrative to a song's lyrics. It conveys the message of the song, whether to deliver symbolism or an empowering message.

Music video director Kim Sung-wook Courtesy of Korea Creative Content Agency

Unlike well-received K-pop music videos, people that make the videos ― those who create the videos and come up with the ideas for the videos ― barely get noticed by the general public. Creative direction and skills aren't priorities for mainstream fans as they are more interested in the performers' looks and voices.

"We, music video directors, aren't recognized by the public much because we work behind the camera," music video director Kim Sung-wook told The Korea Times during an interview prior to delivering a speech at "Contents Insight" hosted by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on Dec. 4. "I'm totally fine with that, but I just hope they take notice of talented directors who have great potential but less opportunities in this field."

Kim, an acclaimed director known for making music videos with a unique creativity and sensitivity, earned fame after working on BTS' music videos including "Dope," "Save Me," "Young Forever," "Not Today" and "MIC Drop." Other K-pop stars he has worked with include Red Velvet, Big Bang's Taeyang and SHINee's Taemin.

"It's interesting how K-pop fans react immediately to music videos ― from leaving comments and uploading reaction videos. They're so active nowadays," Kim said.
He also shared his experience working with several artists. "I've worked with BTS on several of their tracks. BTS' performance is very powerful and they don't need a lot of clutter around them."

He recalled that BTS' label wanted a specific concept highlighting the group's choreography and performance. "I've seen them rise to the top, but they've always been consistent in their manners ― kind, humble and grateful," he said.

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A screen capture from Taeyang's "Darling" music video

Working with Taeyang was like a dream come true for him. "I've been a huge fan of his since Big Bang's debut. On set, he was a breeze to work with. Standing on a glacier in Alaska with him was an unforgettable experience," Kim recalled. When asked if trends affect making the videos, he answered, "Of course I need to be aware of big trends, but what's more important is to identify which of the trends fit with the artist's style."

A teaser image of Red Velvet's "Happiness" Courtesy of SM Entertainment

In 2014, his music videos began to garner more attention with Red Velvet's music video "Happiness." The huge response to his piece was an especially pleasant surprise. Since Red Velvet was a new artist back then, the record label had ideas on where they want to go with this particular video project to shape the group's direction. "If you are working with a starter, you have to be extra cautious because you have to consider what you can do to take them to a different level," Kim said.

Regarding Taemin's "Danger," Kim said he wanted to show "something new," as artists who have been on the music scene for a few years are constantly trying to reinvent themselves. "Performance and visuals matter, but I wanted to explore the themes of masculinity in Taemin's solo work, which would be a new side for his fans."

Kim was originally a professional snowboarder, and even competed on the national team. He dropped out of university while majoring in physical education and has not had any formal film or fine arts education.

He went from making dynamic snowboarding clips to directing K-pop music videos. In 2007, Kim founded GDW, a Seoul-based film, motion and 3D studio specializing in creating commercials, music videos and documentaries with a sheer interest in video production. "Before I earned recognition for making music videos, I had worked on numerous sports and fashion films, corporate PR videos and commercials," Kim said.

A teaser image of Taemin's "Danger" Courtesy of SM Entertainment

Kim said making a music video isn't much different from a sports video. "As a longtime boarder, what I consider the most important when shooting is rhythm, speed and balance, which are the things I keep in mind when boarding."

Those elements, he says, create the most dynamic narratives filled with vigor and artistry. In contrast, he always avoids still shots and redundancy. "Many K-pop music videos feature still shots of artists' faces to emphasize their good looks, but I focus on their moves because they carry energy and natural charms," Kim said.

The veteran director explained it's incredibly powerful and cinematic when an artist gives a strong, emotional and honest performance. There's something about it that resonates with the audience, and he believes if an artist can really pull it off, there's no need to cut away from that. Regarding audiences' rapidly changing tastes, Kim said "I think videos, even though they tend to come and go fairly quickly, have a lasting impact on the audience."

As a director, he stressed that it's important to keep in mind that the fans are going to watch that video numerous times. To keep their attention and focus, a director should have a lot of depth, a lot of layers to his or video, and to pay a lot of attention to detail throughout. "It goes beyond the props, the shooting and the editing. It needs to be multi-layered, and hopefully each time they watch it, they're able to pick up little details they hadn't noticed in previous viewings," Kim said.

His goals are to continue directing music videos, and working with talented people who perform really well. "I love performance videos and dance videos, and I want to do as much as I can while maintaining an high production value," Kim said. "In the future, I would love to work with foreign artists as well, like Kendrick Lamar. I love being able to influence culture the way that I was influenced and tell a story through an artist's point of view. It's a really cool thing to be a part of."