Busan, a hot filming location for hit movies
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Busan is famous for its crowded beaches and international film festival but is also enjoying its popularity as a filming location. A number of high-grossing Korean movies released last year including The Thieves, Deranged, The Neighbors, and Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time were partly filmed in Busan.
According to the City of Busan, a total of 61 visual materials including 24 films and 13 TV dramas were filmed in the port city. The number of production days spent in Busan for each added up to 698 in 2012 compared to 660 in 2011.
The Thieves in production (photo courtesy of the City of Busan)
In particular, the number of international co-productions and TV dramasfilmed there increased considerably. The fact that three-dimensional production center Digital Bay, which is Asia's first virtual studio, also opened and completed its first commercial work in 2012 is also notable For foreign films, Indonesian film Hello Goodbye, Chinese film Lemon, and two international Korea-Japan co-productions were filmed in Busan last year. Lemon is the first Chinese movie ever filmed in Busan.
A total of 37 TV dramas and commercials were filmed in Busan in 2012, compared to 34 in the previous year, with the number of days spent on production drastically rising to 316 days in 2012 from 114 days a year before. In particular, a total of eleven TV dramas were produced by network television stations such as SBS, KBS, and MBC, marking a steep increase from five in 2011.
The Busan Cinema Complex studio was fully operational in 2012, with eight films including The Neighbors, Perfect Number, and New World filmed there.
A number of blockbuster films to be released this year were also filmed in Busan. Man on the Edge starring Park Shin-yang, New World featuring Choi Min-shik, and AM 11:00 starring Jung Jae-young are also set in Busan.
The Neighbors in production (photo courtesy of the City of Busan)
Busan's role in the local film industry is expected to grow as the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB), now both located in Seoul, are slated to move to Busan this year.
In order to further promote the city as a filming location, the Busan Film Commission said it plans to create a film production fund, operate a lodging facility for production staff, and provide city tours for directors, producers, and scenario writers.
The source of news: Korea.net
