Our feature this week for our segment Offstage is about a television and film director that has a very particular and interesting vision in many of his productions. Today’s feature is about TV/Film director Ahn Pan-seok.
He has a lengthy list of work, he started working as an assistant director in MBC in 1991, and from then he has built an incredible filmography, however, as a drama fan he definitely caught my eye with his direction in ‘Secret Affair’. Many of the scenes in this drama felt very intimate making viewers feel almost like intruders. They were personal, intense and heartfelt (more than usual) and I found that quite interesting.
‘Something in the Rain’ and ‘One Spring Night’ are dramas in which the same filming style can be perceived. Even though they have very different plots, the filming, lighting, setting and full vibe of the scenes are drawn to the feeling of the scene, making it almost palpable.
A common ground between all of these productions is the way the lighting and filming is done. The settings are mainly in what is considered as personal spaces with very dim lights, the camera work focuses a lot on facial expressions and joint with the full set visuals it definitely creates an intimate feeling in the scene.
Other productions such as ‘How Long I’ve Kissed’, ‘Heard it Through The Grapevine’ and the movie ‘Over the Border’ follow a very similar style of directing. They focused a lot on the emotional side of the stories and created a full experience for its viewers.
If you are curious about other works by this very talented PD, make sure to see his imdb page here. And if you are looking for productions that will have you emotionally wrecked look no further, the fantastic filmography of this producer is for you.
