[School of Hallyu] Dongguk University offers hands-on experience in content production

Star of 2021 Netflix present “Squid Sport” Lee Jung-jae, heart, is a graduate of Dongguk College. [NETFLIX]

Netflix Korea’s award-winning TV collection “Squid Sport” (2021) did extra than simply put Korea on the forefront of the worldwide leisure scene: Among the stars that rose to worldwide stardom, equivalent to Lee Jung-jae, Oh Younger-soo and Kim Joo-ryeong, additionally put their alma mater, Dongguk College, on the worldwide college map.
 

However these stars are removed from being the one — and even the primary — to characterize Dongguk College. Cho Yeo-jeong of award-winning 2019 movie “Parasite,” Jun Ji-hyun of 2012 movie “The Thieves” and 2013 TV drama “My Love from The Star,” and Shin Min-ah of 2021 TV drama “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” are all graduates of the college. Okay-pop celebrities like Yoon-ah of Ladies Technology, Son Na-eun of Apink and Sunmi, former Marvel Ladies member, additionally accomplished their training at Dongguk.

 
Even now, college students on campus might come throughout movie star actors like Jin Ji-hee, from SBS drama “Penthouse” (2020-21), strolling to class or Jungwoo of woman group Bvndit, who simply enrolled as a freshman this yr, speaking to classmates. Budding entertainers, like actor Lee Kyeong-min from “The Uncanny Counter” (2020-21) on OCN, may also be discovered roaming the campus.
 

Actor Jun Ji-hyun of 2013 TV drama “My Love from The Star” is a graduate of Dongguk College. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

“I needed to review on the campus the place so many outstanding actors have studied and skilled,” Lee stated of his ideas as he utilized to the college. He’s now a senior simply ready for the day he himself can name the college his alma mater.
 
Throughout his time without work from college after ending his freshman yr, Lee signed with a administration company and was then solid for a task in “The Uncanny Counter,” by means of which he made his official appearing debut. Since then, the alternatives have saved coming.
 
“The college has a really analytic strategy to appearing normally,” stated Lee. “In the event you have been to maneuver your physique a way, there at all times must be a purpose why you do it. The courses educate you to concentrate to the littlest particulars.”
 

Actor and singer Yoona of Ladies’ Technology accomplished her training at Dongguk College. [JTBC]

Dongguk College, established in 1906, launched its theater main for aspiring entertainers in 1960. Budding from that one main, the college now has a whole theater division devoted to educating and coaching aspiring entertainers. Its movie and digital division, which can also be beneath the humanities faculty together with the theater division, has equally been garnering consideration for many who nonetheless need to be a part of the manufacturing, however from behind the digital camera. The Graduate Faculty of Tradition and Arts can also be gaining recognition, particularly amongst worldwide college students trying to get their postgraduate diploma in Korea.
 

An aerial view of the Dongguk College campus in Jung District, central Seoul [DONGGUK UNIVERSITY]

Out of the 1,018 college students enrolled in both the movie and digital division or the theater division, worldwide college students within the theater division account for 3.3 %, or 34 college students, and 5.1 %, or 154 college students, within the movie and digital division. Nearly all of worldwide college students come from China and Taiwan, with 86 within the  theater division and 130 within the movie and digital division. Different college students come from some 20 totally different international locations and areas together with Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the Netherlands, Nepal, Germany, Bangladesh, Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Chile and Canada.
 
“Earlier than, lots of the college students who got here to Korea to attend college have been heads of Korean movie star fan golf equipment in their very own international locations,” stated Prof. Tcha Sung-jai of the college’s movie and digital division.
 

Actor Kim Hye-soo of 2012 movie “The Thieves” accomplished her training at Dongguk College [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Chen Yu, now a junior at Dongguk College, first dreamed about coming to Korea to review after changing into a fan of SM Leisure’s boy band EXO. She needed to work in a area the place she might work on initiatives for her favourite Okay-pop stars. Even again dwelling in China, she labored as a part-time photographer each time native singers would maintain reside performances, hoping at some point that she would get an opportunity to take skilled images of Korean stars. Her distant dream of coming to Korea change into extra concrete as she began looking faculties for her undergraduate diploma two years in the past. She needed to concentrate on making music movies, so she selected to use to Dongguk College’s movie and digital division.
 
“Primarily based on my analysis, this college appears to be on the prime of the sphere I’m occupied with,” Chen stated. “So many professors have work expertise in manufacturing firms to allow them to give sensible classes, and the college offers all of the services and gear obligatory for college kids to become involved in video productions.
 
“After all, being a fan of Okay-pop isn’t the one factor that made me need to come right here, however it actually impressed me to need to come to Korea after I was youthful.”
 
To get herself higher adjusted to campus life, Chen selected to take some particular courses solely open to worldwide college students. These courses are taught in Korean, however the educational workers make the lecture extra approachable for many who aren’t but fluent in Korean. Whereas she went for all foreigner-only courses final semester, this semester she determined to combine it up with some common courses in addition to her Korean language abilities improved.
 

Actor Shin Min-ah of 2021 “Hometown Cha Cha Cha is a graduate of Dongguk College. [TVN]

“We concentrate on serving to worldwide college students mingle properly with Korean college students in and out of doors of the classroom in order that they are often dependable companions to work with, even years after finishing their training,” stated Prof. Tcha. “Since there is no such thing as a line separating movies from TV dramas any extra because of over-the-top [OTT] platforms, we invite these worldwide college students to share content material traits of their dwelling international locations at school in order that Dongguk college students can have a extra refined viewpoint with regards to planning out what contents to create.”
 
In school, college students do every little thing from scratch. They write down the proposal to boost funds to place collectively their artistic work, then plan out who they are going to solid to play the roles and the way lengthy they are going to movie and edit. By way of this course of, college students change into ready for the real-world work atmosphere. And making a small manufacturing themselves helps them put together for productions of any measurement, even for the at the moment trending OTT platforms.
 
“I believe Korea has been referred to as a prime nation with regards to content material manufacturing,” Tcha stated, explaining why worldwide abilities select the Korean college for his or her training. “And because the college focuses on hands-on experiences in its courses, many potential college students get occupied with coming right here for all of the experiences that they’ll use instantly once they get a job at a manufacturing firm.”
 

Actor Choi Min-sik, finest recognized for 2003 movie “Oldboy,” is a graduate of Dongguk College. [STUDIO 706]

Taiwanese graduate scholar Liao Chia Hsuan focuses on strategically planning out the manufacturing of visible content material, equivalent to dramas or movies, to be launched on OTT platforms and in offline theaters.
 
“Apart from studying easy methods to make content material, I’ve been studying what distribution channels to make use of for several types of content material and easy methods to make sure content material enchantment to shoppers,” stated Liao. “The sensible classes professors provide at school have helped me keep extra up-to-date with new and altering traits within the leisure business.”
 

Contained in the college’s Lee Haelang Theater the place college students and different skilled performers put their gig on stage [DONGGUK UNIVERSITY]

To maintain up with the traits seen in well-liked Korean reveals and for a bit additional pocket cash for her life in Seoul, she additionally works as a part-time translator for leisure reveals, which she discovered by means of fellow Taiwanese worldwide college students learning in Korea. She works with an company based mostly in Taiwan that assigns her with Korean productions that must be translated in Chinese language. She has labored on the continued hit actuality present “One Evening Two Days” on KBS and different dramas like “Once more My Life” (2022) on SBS.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]