KBS is launching a major special three-part documentary series 'World 1945' (planned by Son Jong-ho, executive producer Lee Ki-yeon, producer Kim Jong-seok, directed by Jeong Beom-soo, Park Nam-yong, Kim Do-won, Kim Sang-beom) ambitiously in 2025, with only the final episode remaining. 'World 1945' will conclude its journey by airing the third part 'The Weight of the Crown, the Dollar' on the 24th (Sunday) at 9:30 p.m. on KBS 1TV.
The first part, 'Black Blood of Desire, Oil,' and the second part, 'Journey of Death, Nuclear,' were aired with the narration of the reliably regarded actor Kim Seo-hyung, recounting the process and historical backstory of how 'oil' and 'nuclear' correspond to the 'absolute ring' of the current world. The third part will focus on the United States' 'dollar,' which is regarded as a representative 'safe asset' and the center of international transactions worldwide, even at this point.
Kim Do-won, the KBS producer responsible for directing the third part, used generative AI to visualize the appearance of economist John Maynard Keynes, who can be considered one of the main characters of the third part, based on photographs from that time. This will provide viewers with a new experience that vividly depicts the actual circumstances that could only rely on imagination at that time.
Q. What is the primary planning intention of the third part of 'World 1945'? A. It is to glimpse 'the future of the dollar.' The dollar became the world's strongest currency 80 years ago. And it has remained the world's strongest currency to this day. However, can it still be the strongest currency in the future? The production team has constantly posed this question while making the broadcast.
Q. If you were to highlight what differentiates the third part of 'World 1945' from the first and second parts? A. While the first and second parts focused on World War II, the third part concentrates more on the world after the war. The world after the war grows on money. Where presidents, scientists, and soldiers have fought, civilians must live again. Cleaning up the debris requires money, and it also costs money to rebuild and restore daily life. Who supplies this money to Europe, which had nothing left after the war, was a critical issue, which is why the U.S. and the U.K. staked their national fates on post-war economic hegemony. We pondered how to convey this brain game, just as interesting as war history, in a more engaging and accessible manner.
Q. Please tell us about the scenes in the third part of 'World 1945' where 'generative AI' was used and the production process.
A. The parts where 'generative AI' was used include scenes featuring the economist 'John Maynard Keynes,' who can also be considered the main character of the third part. There are many photographs of Keynes, but video footage is very rare, so there were many instances where we had to rely on imagination. Therefore, using ChatGPT, the production team trained the photographs of Keynes they secured, repeatedly generating images to create the most realistic appearance. Based on these generated photographs, they created short videos multiple times while guiding desired actions, gradually increasing the specificity of the requirements until the result was suitable for broadcast.
Q. These sound like very intriguing scenes. In the documentary production process, what additional roles do you foresee AI taking on in the future? A. In this broadcast, I received substantial assistance from AI in restoring photos that seemed too poor in quality to be used in the broadcast. I also relied on AI to create sketch-style illustrations. Tasks that would have taken a lot of time and money in the past are completed in less than an hour with AI's assistance. In terms of both economics and time, as well as accurately conveying the producer's intent, there are many advantages. There are still many functionalities that have yet to be utilized, so I believe AI will be a great help in moving towards a direction that can sufficiently reflect the rapidly changing demands of viewers.
Q. What kind of program topics do you plan to feature in the future, and do you have any concepts in mind? A. In the process of creating this three-part series, we uncovered many rare videos that we couldn't use due to length constraints. In particular, we discovered many videos that shed light on the intersections of Korean history and world history, and I would like to plan a program that assembles these topics to illuminate the moments when the world and Korea met.
Q. The reliably regarded actor Kim Seo-hyung provided the narration for 'World 1945'; what do you think aligned well in that regard, and how did you feel as the production team when you heard the results? A. Although classified as a 'historical documentary,' this three-part series is actually a kind of chronicle with main characters. I planned it as a storybook that unfolds how America gained power and how the world reacted, centered on video, so I believed in Kim Seo-hyung's acting ability. We paid special attention to this aspect during the dubbing direction process. Ultimately, I felt proud and grateful that she played her role well as a storyteller unfolding the narrative.
[Photo] KBS
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