We talk to the animation director and co-founder of Studio Meditation With A Pencil (Green Days, The Road Called Life)…
Studio Meditation with a Pencil (Studio MWP) was founded over a decade ago by animators Han Hye-jin and Ahn Jae-hoon just as Korean animation was beginning to find it’s own identity. Films like Green Days and The Road Called Life have charmed audiences (and me personally) with delightful slices of Korean life and classic literature. Ahn Jae-hoon was kind enough to answer my questions about his career, the Studio and their work; sharing a rare insight into animation in Korea.
Let’s start right at the beginning; what made you want to be an animator?
In South Korean schools there were illustrated poem competitions. Through participating in such competitions, I began to enjoy writing and drawing. Eventually, I dreamt of being a poet or a writer, but then I also found film. And animation was all these things rolled into one… That’s how I got to choose this path.
Can you talk about your career in the animation industry? I believe you were at the studios that worked on The Simpsons and Family Guy for American television. How did you come to break out with Han Hye-jin on your own films?
When I first entered the animation industry in Korea, there were no original projects in production. So I worked for American and Japanese OEMs but as I grew as an animator, I began to work on projects that were more relatable to me. Director Han also had an outstanding ability to even revise pre-productions of the U.S. or Japan, so we naturally got together to tell a story of our own.
You called your Studio Meditation with a Pencil at around the same time that Disney threatened leaving behind hand-drawn animation completely. Can you tell me about the importance of the studio’s name? Do you make sure your artists always use a pencil first?
The essence of animation varies from each director, but for me making animation with papers and pencils is as close as it gets. Papers and pencils are kind to your wallet and are available equally to anyone.
Listening to the sound of a pencil on a piece of paper is one of the reasons I still love working in animation. Every member of the staff looks into the world with a pencil. It always starts with a pencil. Then you can choose a different device according to your taste.
We didn’t mean to give the studio a fancy name, but 15 years ago one of our fans volunteered to make a website for us, so we thought of this name and it stayed that way.
“We didn’t mean to give the studio a fancy name, but 15 years ago one of our fans volunteered to make a website for us, so we thought of this name and it stayed that way.”
As companies turn away from traditional animation for 3D techniques, what do you think about the place of computers in animation now?
Considering the drastic changes mankind has had to go through over the course of history, a change in tools to make animated films is inevitable. However, I think the rate at which these changes are happening is problematic as it limits room for diversity.
Making the procedure more convenient and changing the direction of animation according to the scale of finance is the role of computers, and I think the importance of technology is just growing up regardless of the drawings.
Can you tell me what it’s like at Studio Meditation with a Pencil? How many employees do you have, and what’s the atmosphere like?
Studio MWP feels like a library filled with good books. The studio consists of animators who are talented but modest and hard working at the same time. There are often staff visiting and leaving from many other countries abroad.
There are 13 main employees. Staff who have more than 10 years’ experience usually help us while working as directors in major production companies or freelance animators.
We always try to have laughter in the studio and take pride in the fact that the studio is a great part of Korean animation industry history.
“We always try to have laughter in the studio and take pride in the fact that the studio is a great part of Korean animation industry history.”
You debut film with Han Hye-jin was the rather fun short film One Day Of Hitchcock. Why Hitchcock, are you a big fan?
When we decided to work on the first short film, we wanted to tell a strong story. And I found Hitchcock very interesting because he focused on the construction of the movie itself, and it was something very different from the way I wanted to approach to the movies.
Just HOW MANY references are there in that film? I’m a big Hitchcock fan myself, but I don’t think I’ve got all of them by any means!
Hitchcock and his films are important even to students who are studying films in Korea. So I placed his films here and there like a little prank. I will inform you again after I organize our data.
“There once were days when erasing the past meant modernizing in Korea. This idea especially affected architectures and streets in Korea, deconstructing many of the buildings and streets. Only now are people beginning to appreciate them.”
Green Days felt like a very personal project to me. You really brought to life a time of great change in South Korea in an honest way, and I doubt many visitors to Korea (or even younger generations in Korea) could imagine Seoul’s slums areas now. How true was it to your memories of growing up? What was the inspiration behind the story?
There once were days when erasing the past meant modernizing in Korea. This idea especially affected architectures and streets in Korea, deconstructing many of the buildings and streets. Only now are people beginning to appreciate them. I hope people can feel the history of Korea through Green Days.
The age portrayed in Green Days is also when I was growing up and I feel lucky to have been raised up in such days.
The journals I have been writing and the talks I had with young adults I’ve met inspired me to make Green Days.
One aspect I found rather interesting in Green Days was the Western references such as Love Story and Wonder Woman. I thought it was rather clever, as it both said so much about 70s and 80s Korea, but they were references that Western audiences (at least of our age!) would immediately recognise too. Was that deliberate?
Thank you for letting me discover a new perspective to the movie. Sometimes the audience makes an even better interpretation than directors which gives me a challenge to reflect on grounds even further when I write a piece.
That scene was originally planned for middle-aged people who have memories of the days portrayed in Green Days.
The Road Called Life is based on three short stories that are well known and loved in Korea, often taught to high school age children. Can you tell me how the project came about? Where these stories you loved?
If we don’t have these stories in the text books, children these days who are being raised up with smart phones will lose their chance to read these stories at all. I wanted them to last within the hearts of grownups.
Also, Korean animations haven’t been attracting much of an adult audience. I hoped that this movie would be an opportunity for the adult audience to open up to animation more.
Like Green Days, The Road Called Life conquers up a time even more distant from today’s generation. How important was it to be accurate with details like how Seoul looked in the 1930s?
Back then, Korea could not afford to leave any recorded history. Therefore, we had to research any documents left by foreign missionaries and Japanese officials and gather information from museums.
I noticed that you adapted the stories yourself. What decisions did you make in adapting the stories? Did you add anything or take it away?
As a director my aim was to convey the writers’ intentions as they are through drawings, without touching the dialogues.
However, I did add dialogues in A Lucky Day for Kim’s colleagues, and I also added a scene in which Kim buys a bowl of seolleongtang (beef soup) after considering the context and the circumstances portrayed in the story.
I was quite interested in how you present the middle story, Spring Spring: the narrator recounts it as though he were part of traditional musical theatre troupe, his voice exaggerated, with a Pansori style accompaniment. Can you tell me how that about?
Yu-Jeong Kim, the author of Spring Spring, is known for his distinctive use of humour. I found some sort of rhythm in this unique use of grammar, and I wanted to make this rhythm vibrant in the film. I thought Pansori would be a good tool to deliver this, and we were very happy to find out how well the end product was received by the audience.
How do you go about voice casting for your films?
I take recommendations from the casting director near the end of drawings of films. I get to meet the voice actors in the process, and I require them to visit the studio before recording to feel the atmosphere of the production site.
What input did the EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) have in co-producing The Road Called Life? How did they become involved?
I told the EBS that I would adapt Korean short stories into an animation in the distant future, and the managers who watched Green Days agreed on producing without hesitation, believing that the studio who created Green Days would be more than capable of producing Korean short literature animations as well. So the EBS took a responsibility for part of investment and broadcasting.
I’ve heard from one of the animators who worked on the final film in The Road Called Life that the deadline for the film was quite tight. Was that really the case, and if so why?
There is no such thing as a ‘finished article’ in animation. Someone who claims to be fully satisfied with their drawings is probably either a genius or someone who doesn’t push themselves to the limit.
We need to produce the best quality in the given time. This is more of a problem regarding the satisfaction of the creators themselves than a problem of an environment. And the fact that there aren’t enough animators who can meet the standard of the studio is also one of the reasons the studio is under staffed.
One quote I’ve read states that you intend to make more short films on Korean stories. Is that true? And why is that, are you afraid these stories might be lost to younger generations?
I believe bridging the gap between younger and older generations is one of the most important virtues of this Korean short literature animation project. Not only did I intend to introduce Korean literature to younger generations through this movie, I also want the movie to be a consoling gesture for older generations who did not have a chance to experience culture through animation.
Introducing Korean literature and sentiment to a global audience through animation also means a lot, and it was made possible because animation has no barrier.
“Introducing Korean literature and sentiment to a global audience through animation also means a lot, and it was made possible because animation has no barrier.”
Your character style is very individual and I think can be easily recognised as ‘Studio MWP’. Do you deliberately try to avoid styles that are more like Japanese Anime, which can still be seen to influence other Korean and Chinese animations (and nowadays even US animation!)
Anyone who draws knows where their drawing came from. There are already plenty of different styles and characters in the world, and the U.S. and Japan have developed their own style over the course of time. I did not intend to distinguish my drawings from others but wanted to start from observing my surroundings and draw from it. Obviously, my characters look like Koreans because I am surrounded by Koreans.
How has the Korean animation industry changed since you’ve been working professionally? From an outside perspective, it seems like there have been some substantial films by studios like your own, and other directors such Yeon Sang-ho, over the last decade – but it’s still not quite enough to be considered a ‘scene’. Do you think that’s true, and what do you think the difficulties Korean animation faces are?
One of the notable changes in the Korean animation industry is a rapid growth of animation made for children. Another one is that feature films are starting to communicate with the audience little by little. And I believe we are taking a different path from the past by putting efforts to make a new environment to meet the audience. There has always been a struggle, but the struggle we are experiencing now feels more like a hope because we are struggling to make a better future for Korean animation.
One of the difficulties that Korean animation faces is to make the Korean audience who grew up with American or Japanese animation open up to Korean animation. We are now starting to communicate better with them through Green Days and The Road Called Life.
Of course, finding a sponsor willing to invest is still an issue. Animation is still not an attractive option for investors since live action films tend to be produced faster and there are many other entertainments available with famous celebrities. So our studio chose a path to tell a story with a deep philosophy and earnest drawings.
“One of the difficulties that Korean animation faces is to make the Korean audience who grew up with American or Japanese animation open up to Korean animation. We are now starting to communicate better with them through Green Days and The Road Called Life.”
How important has commissions for TV series such as Winter Sonata and OVAs been in keeping your studio thriving?
Commissions for TV series and OVAs played a very important role. They provided us funds to make the films we wanted to make, and it also gave staff a good chance to grow up. And also, we learned to figure out the golden mean between ‘a film filmmakers want’ and ‘a film audiences want’.
What projects are you working on next?
We are continuing on the Korean short literature animation series. The next project includes The Shower and A Shaman’s Story. The Shower is a story that’s considered one of the country’s favourites. I am giving more responsibilities to staff members as we create these films.
The other piece is an original feature film called 1000 Years Together. Right now, I am writing the script with other staff members, and we are planning a production sneak preview with a pilot film in February.
In the UK and US, I believe that animation (much like comic books) still struggles with being labelled as ‘for kids’, where that’s never been the case in Europe or Asia. (Ironically, it has been TV series like The Simpsons that have been pivotal in changing perceptions.) Though Green Days could be seen as appealing to pre-teens and younger children, The Road Called Life deals with themes more suitable to teenagers and adults. Does that concern you in selling the films to these regions?
I believe each country produces unique films, and through these films, the audience look into their cultures and lifestyles. If The Road called Life can bring such insight for Korean literature and Korean society as well, then I believe we can approach those who appreciate diversity.
I’ve always loved animation. I think it was seeing I’ve always loved animation. (I think it was seeing the Classic Disney films when I was young and the work of Aardman, the old MGM cartoons and the Fleischer Studios.) In fact at certain points in my life I wanted to be an animator, but the furthest I got was a short mock trailer (a reaction to all the Cockney gangster films of the late 1990s and early 2000s, I made them gangster pigeons). However, I felt I just wasn’t patient enough. What qualities do you think an animator needs? What advice would you give to anyone wanting to take up a career in animation?
I’ve only read a few lines of the description, but your film already sounds very interesting. We will watch with the staff if you can send it to us.
It’s hard to write a word for all the animators, but there’s something I always tell my staff. I believe listening to the world and loving what’s around us surpasses financial means and talent. I think that is the requirement for being a good animator or, at least, an animator who wants to work with me. And of course, the end product that is created from listening to and loving the world should not be something grave, but something cheerful, warm and happy.
“I believe listening to the world and loving what’s around us surpasses financial means and talent. I think that is the requirement for being a good animator or, at least, an animator who wants to work with me. And of course, the end product that is created from listening to and loving the world should not be something grave, but something cheerful, warm and happy.”
Lastly, I travelled to South Korea last year on Holiday (and loved it!) but if I make the trip again soon… is there any chance of a studio tour?
We call visitors “son nim” in Korean. When a “son nim” visits, that means they never forget us. We would be more than happy to see you if you visit us. We will treat you with all kinds of alcohol.
There is just one thing I ask for from our visitors. If possible, please bring a hand-sized stone from where you live. We are making a stone monument out of all these stones that the visitors have brought us. Hope to see you at the studio.
That sounds like an offer too good to resist! Thank you so much!
The Shower and A Shaman’s Story are currently in production. We’ll continue to keep you posted on the latest from Studio Meditation with a Pencil. You can find out more about them on their website, Facebook page and Twitter account.
We’d like to thank Ahn Jae-hoon, the team at Studio MWP and particularly Frances Yoo for her tireless support in making this interview happen! Images supplied by Studio MWP.
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