[TRANS] Min HeeJin (SM Visual &Art Director) interview src: m.ize.co.kr/view.html?no=2014071323017269049 trans by HJ_ting2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before a comeback, you release teaser pics. You release teaser video. You release music video and finally put on a performance on a stage. In the current Korean music entertainment industry, how you put out visual images dominates the way an artist promotes themselves. What the public consumes in the end is an album or streaming, but whats revealed before are all the visual images for an artists concept and styling. Through an artists teaser pics, their fans can imagine about the new concept; through music video and performance, they are able to digest the music visually. SM entertainment (SM) was the very first to suggest this process and f(x)s new album is the extreme product. Through Krystals first teaser picture, f(x) told us it will be completely different from before. During the span of 5 days, teaser pic was released at every hour. Each set of 12 pictures made f(x) a girl group with the most exceptional styling even before their new song was released. Various interpretations and wild reactions from fans made us realize once more how important the visual images are in an idol industry. So, we decided to ask Min HeeJin, SMs visual and art director, about how you can let your eyes see the music. Q: f(x)s is a hot topic nowadays. Theres also been various interpretations on teaser and music video. Min: Whenever I see such reactions, it makes me thrilled. Sometimes I worry that many teenagers who simply enjoy music only get to experience limited culture. I wanted to show them something different because there are different things in this world we live in. Still, I didnt want to make it too difficult. But then, I didnt want it to be too easy or light-hearted. So it was important to make it into something that satisfied both criteria. Also, it was interesting to note that fans were often times guessing hidden meanings and symbols. Q: 1 member per day, the way you released 13 teaser pics was interesting. SM was the first to try showing an artists concept through teaser pics. This time, it seemed more than that. Min: When you open one teaser pic, there are different calculations to be made. You have to think about why you have to release this picture at this time, and also the order you release these pics can bring out different emotions from the consumers. For f(x)s teaser pics, we wanted the audience to continue anticipating, so that they would keep being immersed in this emotion and this would later correspond to how well they understand the concept. Q: It was also a hot issue that you took the teaser and album pics yourself Min: Because I took those photos myself, we were able to release 13 teaser pics each day. Because during the photoshoot, I was able to calculate whether we had enough cuts. Also, I had to take them myself because there were a lot of aspects that couldnt be easily described to others. Moreover, if I take them, I can work from early morning till late night without taking a break (laughs). In a category of commercial art, album work is considered very close to fine arts and therefore, an art directors role is exquisite. Since art directors are used to editing and directing, its understandable. Q: The pictures were exceptional. Even though they were a girl group, not only they were beautiful, but there were also strong images portrayed in pictures like the ones with half makeup Min: Red Light was some kind of warning message expressed in bigger picture. Taboo and Longing. Utopia and Dystopia. Reality and Ideal. By presenting all these contradicting codes together, I wanted to show on one side what the world forbid us; on the opposite how you yearned for personal ideals. or sometimes how these thoughts can exist parallel to each other. The half make up can also be understood in the same context. 13 teaser pics were released everyday from 9am to 9am at every hour. 9 and 13 are also the numbers many people consider as latent taboos. I wanted to break away from all kinds of stereotypes. Through the teaser pics, I felt others could be stimulated to imagine. While interpreting, then people could listen to the music through their ears, eyes, and even through mouths while talking. Q: Were you not worried that it was dangerous to try these concepts as an idol group? Min: Whats more dangerous is trying to conform. Often times, idols are consumed by the public as dolls, but wouldnt everyone dislike that? Just like me, every artist wants to make their work meaningful. So I thought, why not try something minor at a major place? Its not whether about being minor is good or bad. Minor is often times called minor because there are some difficult points that cannot be easily accepted by other people. Its not that being difficult is a good thing. Difficult things makes people think. I just simply like to create things that make others think. Q: Is that why you made sulli cover her one eye and let her just stand there? It felt real, yet unreal. Min: What I wanted to create was a surreal image in a real place. In fact, what you fear exists in reality; real and ideal seem far, but actually its very close. Thats why there were half makeups, two tones of pictures, and two different album designs. Some cuts were grotesquely real while others were unrealistically beautiful. For the album cover, it looks like I took a picture of f(x) running around the flower field. In truth, it was actually the members screaming and running away from a bug in that field. It was very cute and funny. Intentional image came out when it was unintended for, so I just clicked the shutters. Even though its a beautiful world, they can come running out and go back. Thats what this team is. f(x). Q: So is f(x) a group of girls who met reality? In the pictures, you constantly contradicted the members with the realistic space. The half make up almost seemed like a brand. Min: “branding” is a bit too strong. It’s more like when children who love to dream and have strong self-defence finally meet the reality. Like when you just graduated and finally went to your dream job, but then you have to face unexpected reality? Q: Why would it happen to these girls? Min: Until now, f(x) had a story. was just giving people a small taste of what f(x) truly is. You make people associate with a secret garden. A mysterious personal space. And now finally we’ve invited others from the outside. You didn’t need to show everything from the beginning. It was significant already that we’ve invited you in our private place. was confirming that identity. showed that delicate part of your instinct. illustrated the girls’ episodes of meeting their secret love and at the same time, illustrating how the girls recognized their sense of identity. I liked all the works, but personally, I feel attached to . Q: Why? Is there any reason? Min: That album was covered all over with symbols. We put a picture of a bear on the cover and this was an important element to represent the meaning of “electric shock” and yet at the same time representing the psychology of f(x) members. A bear is animal that can kill a person. But if you just tweak it a bit, it’s a teddy bear which many children hug to sleep. Rather than just simply representing this “electric shock” message through love, this simple shock can be terrifying for others. It’s all about irony. Q: It’s all about storytelling. How do you create it? Min: I think an art director needs to assume the role of a storyteller all the time. I’m always thinking about things. It’s not that I always have something to do. Sometimes, it just comes into my mind, or I just think about random thoughts and imaginations. Then when a music is given to me, I just choose from the thoughts I have already in my mind. “Since this time it’s this type of music, if we tell this kind of story, it will be fun” Q: But why is it a “girl’s” world? It seems like a trademark for SM. They seem to like girl and boy images. Min: Well, the average age of the members are young. It’s only fitting to wear rightful clothes. Personally, I love incomplete soul, immature being, those things. Isn’t it everyone’s dream to feel young like boy and a girl? Every human being longs for that beautiful innocent moment.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 08:20:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015