Director Yeon Sang-ho expressed confidence regarding the decision to film the movie 'Face' on a very low budget in a small scale, stating it was "the appropriate way for the film."
On the morning of the 22nd, a production briefing for the movie 'Face' (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) was held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in the Gwangjin District of Seoul. The briefing featured director Yeon Sang-ho, actors Park Jung-min, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Hyun-bin, Lim Sung-jae, and Han Ji-hyun, who shared their thoughts.
The movie 'Face' tells the story of 'Lim Dong-hwan,' the son of a visually impaired craftsman 'Im Young-kyu,' known as a living miracle, who digs into the truth behind the discovery of his mother's skeletal remains, which he believed had been missing for 40 years.
'Face' is particularly remarkable for being filmed on a very low budget in the low 200 million won range, with staff numbering around 20, which is about one-third of that in a typical commercial film, resulting in an exceptional project that was completed in a short production period. In this light, director Yeon Sang-ho noted, "If you watch the film, there are indeed major scenes consisting of just five conversations, and there are stories from the past that have been recreated. The actors have structured these five conversational scenes very well, so just by having them converse, it has been designed to immerse viewers completely and deeply into the experience."
He emphasized, "The fun part of this project was that I was able to directly communicate with the actors while designing these scenes and create the parts they liked. It allowed for mobility. Because it was a production, it was possible. In larger films, even a brief discussion can lead to many changes, restricting mobility. However, we could intuitively implement ideas discussed in meetings right away, which allowed us to create more realistic performances, scenes, and situations. I thought it was the perfect production method for this film."
Park Jung-min also explained, "Since we are making a film with significantly reduced production costs, the makeup team used the equipment and techniques they had. The costume team didn't buy new outfits but instead brought in clothes stored from that time. Consequently, there were actually more options available in this film compared to choices in a more expensive production."
He conveyed, "I was surprised. There were plenty of clothes. During makeup, I tried various lenses and wore different wigs while assembling them piece by piece. Given the limited time and budget, we prepared deeply in advance to avoid any accidents on set. We were able to discuss and try out much more, allowing the production to proceed without complications and be enjoyable."
Director Yeon Sang-ho opened up about the reason for producing the film under these limited conditions, saying, "Having made various works, I've always thought about wanting to create a new movie. To express it more literarily, it has been like a driving force in my heart to make a film with a new soul. One day it struck me that to create a film with a new soul, wouldn't I need a new body? I thought about making it in an entirely different way, a way I hadn't done before."
He said, "Of course, there was fear. What if the film turns out poorly? The term 'poor' is usually associated with larger films, so I worried about the resulting quality and output not meeting expectations. The very fact that I was worrying was a stumbling block in the diversification of my new approaches to production. I set out with the mindset to shake off that fear. Once I started and gathered with the team and the actors, that fear vanished entirely. On the contrary, I think it will be completed in a much better way. Even when the budget is said to be limited, budgets have always been limited. I have never filmed abundantly. It is always rushed for time. Yet paradoxically, 'Face' turned out to be the most abundant, most relaxed, and the film where I spent the most time."
Meanwhile, the film will be released in theaters on Sept. 11.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Choi Kyu-han
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