Riding on word of mouth from audiences, "Humint" (director Ryu Seung-wan, distributor and provider NEW, production Woyunaegang Co.) releases a Q&A with martial arts director Lee Won-haeng, who completed the film's real action.
The film "Humint" constructed action that reflected characters' psychology and circumstances in every scene of shootings, chases and clashes between characters. Lee Won-haeng, who densely designed the genre spectacle, differentiated the rhythm and intensity of action according to each character's personality and emotional line, and focused on securing both scale and realism at the same time. The action of "Humint," completed through close collaboration with director Ryu Seung-wan, delivers a genre thrill that is only fully realized in theaters and has led to high audience satisfaction.
Q. You have worked with director Ryu Seung-wan several times. On set, how did the director typically direct action? I'm also curious about Ryu Seung-wan's directing style as you experienced it as the martial arts director.
Director Ryu Seung-wan views action not as mere genre spectacle but as an important element that functions within the flow of story and emotion. On set, he guides with an emphasis on the scene's mood, tension and rhythm, and the martial arts director then designs and adjusts the action to those standards. I think he is a director who emphasizes realism rather than simply stylish action.
Q. The film condenses a variety of action including firearms, close combat and vehicle chases. What was the core concept of "Humint"'s action? Compared with conventional action films, was there a point you especially wanted to emphasize?
The most important value of action in "Humint" is "realistic tension." Although various elements such as firearms, fights and chases appear, above all we focused on ensuring the plausibility of the situations. Rather than exaggerated style, we aimed to preserve the vivid sensation of characters actually colliding and wearing down. We especially emphasized the weight of action and the characters' realism, approaching it so that changes in characters' stamina and the flow of emotion would connect naturally.
Q. I heard you minimized CGI and proceeded on a live-action basis. Which scene was the most dangerous during actual filming, or which scene did you put the most effort into?
Because CGI was minimized, high concentration from both actors and staff was required throughout the shoot. The scenes we put the most effort into were the close-combat action scenes. Elements like timing, distance and camera movement had to mesh precisely rather than flashy moves. Sometimes restrained movement creates greater tension. We worked focusing on the fact that a small detail can determine the realism and completeness of the action.
Q. Since each character's personality is distinct, the tone of the action must have differed as well. Please explain what distinctions you made in designing action for each character.
Rather than technical differentiation of action, we designed it around each character's tendencies and atmosphere. Captain Jo (Zo In-sung) focused on efficient and restrained movements, while Park Geon (Park Jeongmin) approached with a rough action tone in which emotion is directly projected. We valued the reason why a character would have to move that way more than what specific moves to show, and paid attention so that the character's personality and tension would be conveyed naturally through action alone.
Q. Jo In-sung's action felt both polished and realistic. From the martial arts director's perspective, what were Jo In-sung's strengths? How was the rapport on set?
Jo In-sung is an actor with excellent basic body balance and movement stability. Thanks to his extensive action experience, his understanding of movements is very fast and his adaptability on set is outstanding. Above all, his attitude of treating action not as mere technical execution but as an extension of emotional expression was impressive. Through constant thought and active communication, Jo In-sung played a decisive role in enhancing the plausibility of scenes.
Q. Park Jeongmin's first action appearance was particularly striking. How was that scene designed? Were there any memorable episodes during filming?
Park Jeongmin's first appearance focused on effectively conveying tension and atmosphere rather than physical intensity. Even without flashy moves, we wanted the character's presence to be imprinted through the scene's weight and rhythm, and we considered the overall flow and mood as well as the intensity of the action. On set we repeatedly adjusted small nuances of speed and breath, and each time Park Jeongmin's high concentration and thorough preparation were particularly impressive.
Q. After "The Witch: Part 1," you worked together again. From the martial arts director's perspective, what kind of actor is Park Jeongmin? If there were differences compared with the previous work, what were they?
I was glad to work with him again after the previous project. Through this set I felt Park Jeongmin's way of interpreting and realizing action became more flexible and precise. If the previous work showed refined, swordsmanship-centered movements, this film naturally handled rough and realistic tones of firearms and hand-to-hand action. Beyond technical proficiency, I think his strength is that he considers the character's emotions and narrative context as well.
Q. Since it was an overseas location shoot, there must have been many environmental variables such as weather, terrain and equipment operation. What difficulties did you encounter on set or what moments impressed you?
The biggest variable in overseas shoots is communication with local staff beyond simple climate or natural environment. Physical conditions can be prepared for to an extent, but differences in work methods on set can greatly affect the completion of action. So for "Humint" we closely shared the intent of the action design with local staff from the preparation stage and coordinated closely. We paid a lot of attention to narrowing gaps in safety standards or rehearsal methods that differ by country. To do this, we actively used storyboards and previs to clearly visualize movements, collision timing and camera paths, and meticulously synchronized the set.
Q. Which scene are you most personally attached to? If you could also point out the action points you want audiences to pay special attention to.
I am attached to every scene, but the stair action sequence is especially memorable. It was the first action shoot on an overseas location, and it captured the brutal confrontation between Park Geon (Park Jeongmin)'s rage and Assistant Manager Im (Jung Yu-jin)'s fight for survival. It wasn't simply running down stairs; we put effort into bold movements like throwing the body between steps and leaping down, and the director seemed to value these realistic points as important.
The film "Humint" is the story of people with different motives clashing in Vladivostok, where both secrets and truth are sunk into a cold sea of ice, and it is approaching 2 million admissions.
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