Netflix and BigHit-HYBE held a pre-briefing ahead of the 'BTS comeback live.'
On the 20th at Cinecube Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a pre-media briefing for 'BTS comeback live: ARIRANG' was held. Attendees included Brandon Riegg, Netflix vice president of nonfiction series and sports institutional sector, Garrett English, Kim Hyun-jung, BigHit Music vice president, and Yoo Dong-ju, HYBE Music Group APAC representative.
The 'BTS comeback live: ARIRANG,' which will be held around Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul at 8 p.m. on the 21st, is Netflix's first live event and music performance broadcast from Korea to the world.
This live event is Netflix's first live broadcast of a music performance and the first live event to be transmitted from Korea to the world. BTS's comeback stage, starting in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, will be shared with viewers around the world through Netflix.
Vice President Brandon Riegg oversees Netflix's nonfiction series and sports institutional sector. Since joining Netflix in 2016, he has led Netflix's original nonfiction content lineup, showcasing various reality series such as Queer Eye, Love Is Blind, Selling Sunset, and Love on the Spectrum.
When asked why this collaboration was decided, Brandon said, "I think it's a great honor that Netflix and HYBE can partner on this incredible moment. Because Netflix focuses on delighting the world, it was obvious this moment could not be missed. I think BTS and HYBE were also attracted to a global platform. By joining hands, we are pleased to be able to deliver this event to ARMY and viewers worldwide through a shared global experience."
Asked about Netflix's long-term vision for Korea, he said, "We have always been huge fans of Korean content. So we are happy to be able to share this event with the world. We have been grateful to share countless pieces of content, not only Squid Game Season but many others. I think this is in the same continuum. I also think it's an opportunity to show how much trust we have in K-culture. There may be no bigger moment than this performance, and I'm glad we can be part of such a tremendous moment."
He added, "To add, I think it's especially fortunate to be together in a historic space like Gwanghwamun. We will also hold viewing parties around the world, where many ARMY will come and have the opportunity to experience it in real time. I think these things are extremely valuable and a wonderful opportunity. What we consider truly important is delivering the ultimate moment. Because of that, we consider technological stability important and have invested heavily in local infrastructure. I think single opportunities to connect many people globally are increasingly disappearing. So there's an urgency to do these opportunities when they arise. Many live events we have staged were great moments, and if I dare say, I think this live event may be the largest event of the year."
Regarding preparations, he said, "A challenge was that this performance takes place in the heart of downtown Seoul. We wanted to meet the expectations of countless fans and also satisfy viewers around the world, which I think was an important challenge. From the experience we gained from previous live events, I'm confident this live will proceed without issues."
Regarding plans to expand live broadcasting, he said, "What I hope is to provide the experience that the world's largest pop culture events can happen on Netflix anytime. Beyond that, I wanted to show the members and stakeholders who joined that certain things are possible when collaborating with Netflix. I think this moment will be a spectacle never seen before. I believe various opportunities will continue. I can't say right now, but there are discussions underway. I think you'll see more large-scale, exciting live moments in the future."
He continued, "The reason we continue to collaborate with Korea is simply because we are fans of Korean culture. From sharing Korean culture with members around the world, we've seen that the world welcomed Korean entertainment. Because delighting Netflix members is our priority, we cannot miss such opportunities. We plan to continue staging more live events (in Korea). We are continuing to invest in infrastructure. You will likely see continued expansion and can look forward to even more entertaining live events."
Garrett English is an expert in live TV and events and is regarded as a producer who combines creativity and completeness. He has led large projects across Europe, Asia and the Americas, accumulating extensive content production experience encompassing entertainment, sports and music programs.
Regarding this project to be presented at 'Gwanghwamun,' Garrett said, "It was both a challenge and an exciting process. From the first conversations, we talked a lot about the harmony of tradition and modernity and devoted ourselves to collaborating with local designers. What we wanted was to realize what BTS wanted while proceeding with respect for Gwanghwamun. We worked hard to emphasize this precious place, Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun, while blending modern elements. Through this opportunity, we tried to show Seoul to the world and make the production as dynamic as possible. The most important point was to be sufficiently harmonious with this historic space."
He also spoke about the scale of production. Garrett said, "All I can say is that it is truly a huge-scale performance. I want to express our gratitude that BigHit, HYBE, the members, and the Seoul city government cooperated with us. Despite complex tasks within each major department, I think we were able to realize it thanks to their close cooperation. A major challenge for the broadcast team was to capture how physically large this is while also showing the intimacy between fans and stars. So our approach was to capture the scale while also ensuring the close connection between the seven members and the fans."
He added, "In the early stages of preparing this performance, we had many conversations with the members and all stakeholders. The focus of those conversations was understanding the members' creative intentions and the process by which they could be realized. We focused on ensuring those intentions were conveyed to everyone on site and effectively delivered to those watching live. We had the influence to convey those intentions as they were realized on site. It was important to share this not only with Seoul but with fans worldwide. We especially focused on conveying the relationship between BTS and Korea, Seoul and the fans."
Yoo Dong-ju is the representative of HYBE Music Group APAC and oversees label and solution businesses encompassing music, performances, IP and content.
Yoo said, "Why Gwanghwamun? It connects to BTS's identity. We thought about what being BTS-like means and what a performance only BTS can do would be. BTS is making a comeback after about four years, and I thought it is a historic moment to depict BTS's future. Producer Bang Si-hyuk, who oversaw this comeback, said that if BTS, who started in Korea and became global superstars, were to make a comeback, the starting point should be Korea and it should be Korea's most symbolic place."
He continued, "This comeback also aligns with HYBE's vision. The fan perspective was important: I think it's a culturally rare experience for fans and the public, Koreans and foreigners alike, to raise a toast together and enjoy a performance in Korea's most iconic place. I also think spreading this globally is very meaningful. For a project that creates iconic scenes in a symbolic space like Seoul together with many global fans, we thought Netflix was the most appropriate partner. I'm sure this will become not just a performance but a historic event."
Kim Hyun-jung is vice president of BigHit Music, the label of HYBE Music Group APAC, and leader of HYBE Global A&R Center task force, overseeing artist strategy and global music projects.
Regarding BTS's new record 'Arirang,' Kim Hyun-jung said, "The members have always made albums through music about what they want to say. This 'Arirang' is also an album that encompasses the emotions and stories the members want to express. 'Arirang' is an album that starts from BTS's identity and roots. To deliver this message to people around the world, we used both Korean and English in the album so as many people as possible could understand the message well. I hope this album will be enjoyed across generations, by existing fans and those who were not familiar with BTS."
On the collaboration process between BTS and Netflix, she said, "Whenever we work on a project, we constantly hold many meetings with Si-hyuk, BigHit Music and HYBE people. For this project as well, we rehearsed and held meetings not only internally but also with Netflix to produce the best results. You will be able to see detailed scenes in the documentary released next week."
Finally, Brandon said, "Because this is the first massive live music performance of this scale, I want to say we prepared with the maximum possible resources and time. Because an artist like BTS teamed up with a platform like Netflix, I want to say it will be a uniquely singular event," expressing anticipation for the event.
[Photo] Provided by Netflix
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