Dear Kpop Music Industry:

Dear Kpop Music Industry:

You and I have had a tumultuous hit-and-run relationship for the past… 4 years, in which I’ve consumed sugary addictive single tracks and glossy music videos to feast my eyes with without ever having to actually pay for something — Thank you, YouTube [1]. However, I thought enough was enough and that if I ever wanted you to develop yourself seriously, I needed to support you monetarily.

Against my policy of one-track buys, I began buying your singles as they became available through iTunes.

It seemed like a small step from me, but I thought I was fair to you by settling down with ease instead of imposing myself onto you. However, for this relationship to work, you have to give me something back.

I know your common relationship with fandom is through idols, but it’s not enough for me. I need more, I need you to show me that you care about your industry by also caring about your creative professionals behind the camera, the people behind the scenes, the people that fandoms don’t generally want to talk about. Now, listen. This is important~ a fan of a music video director is very likely to spend money buying music video director anthologies, just ask Michel Gondry [1][2], Spike Jonze [1] or Chris Cunningham [1] fans out there.

I’m sure Tom Breihan from Stereogum agrees with me that you guys would make our job of loving you much, MUCH easier if you decided to put just a simple credit telling us who directed a video. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated… just a simple:

Directed by: OOO

or

Director: OOO (if you want to save on that “by”)

But, why, Korean music industry? WHY must you make it so difficult for us to find out who directed a music video?

It’s been a month, A MONTH (!!!) since the release of G-Dragon’s That XX [MV], and I’ve yet to find the information with more than just a simple Google search for the term.

I want you to give this small step for me, for the sake of the fan that cares who did what and the hows. I won’t mind if you give me a Making Of that has nothing to do with making the music video, but is instead a video of the idol. I won’t mind it, as long as you give me a director’s name. I know not everyone can be a Cha Eun-Taek, Seo Hyun Seung, Han Samin, a Hwang Soo Ah, or a Zany Bros production, but directors need to build up somewhere.

I want you to show me the way… for this relationship to last.

amy

YAM Magazine editor, photographer, blogger, translator and part-time web designer. Film junkie, music junkie… and lately series (a.k.a. TV) junkie.

16 Responses

  1. giacomo says:

    is there a site dedicated to k-pop directors and video analysis?

    • amy says:

      @giacomo, no, there isn’t T_T a lot of people say Kpop is building itself up because of it’s glossy music video, tight choreography, colorful sets, etc. but no one bothers to post about these because most sites talking about Kpop just care about idols.

      At least in Cpop and (sometimes) Jmusic, there’s almost always a director credit to google on your own. No such luck in Kpop.

  2. ghost says:

    BEG, NEGA and LOEN might love you. They do post these stuff or it’s easier to find these stuff out when it’s coming from them.

  3. amy says:

    @ghost, but YG and SM (specially SM) hate me T_T. LOL

  4. Camiele says:

    OH. My. GOOOOODDDD!!! Standing-effing-OVATION!!!!

  5. Mel says:

    I can’t agree more. KPop is such a visual genre of music that it seems weird to me that stylists, designers, artists are all getting recognition from work of idols, but the directors get nil. Especially when you consider KPop has some really interesting music video work.

    • amy says:

      @Mel, sometimes it’s not really the fault of labels… sometimes the information is there, but it almost never gets translated… sadly. :(

      But labels (especially YG and SM) should put at least that credit in their description boxes…

      thank you for your comments :)

      do you have to have a favorite Kpop MV director? Just curiosity…

  6. April Mann says:

    Yes! This is my issue now. I’m trying to research K-Pop music video directors..and it’s so hard. And when you find a name…you can find much more info. Like the production company they are with. I know Han Samin did a lot of Big Bang work..but what company is he with? Does he have a site? Can’t someone make that Wikipedia page already with a list of Korean Music Video directors?? or is that asking for too much?? lol

  7. manuel trevino says:

    Hi,amy!!!!! I see that many commenters are interested with music video directors. I in recent months I’ve concentrated on the director hong Wonki of “ZANYBROS”, If you want more information on directors not using GOOGLE, You use the search NAVER,so I did and I found much more information, such as interviews, works and more of them. Much information is not translated but even so I looking in korean and translated it into english, Here I leave a video of Hong Won-ki one of the best directors in korea, the only interview that this translated,Look at the video I really recommend it to you. link of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f48PqVVKcWk

    • amy says:

      Hi, Manuel! Thanks for the link! I don’t usually use Naver for searches because I don’t read or speak Korean T_T But I’m so glad Zanybros are so active online nowadays :)

      • Manuel trevino says:

        Hi amy !!!! Please can spend your email to me?
        Because I am very interested in music video director,
        for all those who are VERY interested in music video and music video directors,
        Join me to investigate deeper and maybe put into practice what we learn.
        this is my email: [email protected]

  1. October 20, 2012

    […] Dear Kpop Music Industry: Why is it so hard to find out the director of a video? (YAM […]

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