Lee Sung Jin was significantly frightened that he would possibly get deported for inflicting an damage to a nationwide treasure whereas capturing the video for BTS singer RM‘s new solo single, “Come Again to Me.” The author-director and Beef creator spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about assembling what he referred to as the “Korean Avengers” to shoot the mini film for the primary single from RM’s upcoming second solo album, Proper Place, Fallacious Particular person (Might 24).
The director mentioned he was pleasantly shocked by how recreation RM was to rehearse, take notes and put in lengthy hours to get the visible’s tone excellent, particularly after the possibly disastrous incident that unfolded throughout the capturing of the very first scene.
“He [RM] bent down and his head hit the digital camera and it was an enormous gash on his eye and instantly I believed, ‘Oh nice, I’m going to be deported instantly as a result of I’ve simply scratched this nationwide treasure,’” Lee mentioned he frightened. “To his credit score, he went to the hospital, received stitched up, got here again and he was able to go. He was so versatile and open to route and I feel he was additionally pushing me. He would come and examine the monitor and be like, ‘Oh, I feel we will get that one somewhat bit higher.’”
Lee mentioned RM bounced again and was on set once more that very same day for the video that shot over three days in Paju, South Korea, which is close to the border with North Korea. The shoot marked the primary time Lee had been again in South Korea since elementary faculty, recalling that his Korean got here again to him fairly rapidly as he received “so snug” with the “wonderful” crew he’d assembled.
Lee was so excited he pulled collectively an all-star staff to movie the clip, together with artwork director/manufacturing designer Ryu Seong-hie (Oldboy), cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung (Assasination) and actress Kim Minha (Pachinko), Emmy-nominated Beef star Joseph Lee and Kang Gilwoo (The Glory).
“I feel everybody actually got here collectively for the thought and it actually felt like we had been assembling the Korean Avengers,” Lee informed THR in regards to the clip that initially had some elaborate dance numbers. “I’m so grateful to them for taking the time. I do know music movies are at all times somewhat bit powerful and somewhat little bit of a grind, and the truth that they confirmed up and gave such unimaginable performances, I’m actually grateful.”
And, not for nothing, the staff had been rewarded with some tasty treats “They had been simply working so onerous on this factor and I’m not going to lie, the meals in between takes — in America, we received some good artful over right here, however the Korean artful simply hits on one other degree as a result of I couldn’t wait to go on break and get a few of that [Korean food],” the director mentioned. “I used to be identical to, ‘Dang, received to convey this over to America.’ Simply each facet of it felt actually snug. I’m actually excited to shoot one thing once more in Korea. I’m keen to return.”
Lee took the gig after being pleasantly shocked by the “sneakily catchy” vibe of the tune that floats on a mattress of acoustic guitars, whistling and the singer’s hushed vocals. “I heard it as soon as after which all day lengthy I used to be buzzing it to myself. I’m like, ‘Man, that’s an earworm. It simply will get in there,’” Lee mentioned. “I used to be actually shocked as a result of it [had] such a unique aesthetic and tone and a unique aspect of RM that I hadn’t seen earlier than,” he famous of the BTS member finest recognized for his expertise as a rapper. “It was so refreshing and surprising and I received so excited on the thought of arising with a music video for a tune like that.”
As soon as the tune received caught in his head, Lee ditched his extra conventional authentic dance-heavy therapy after realizing “they need to actually go for it” on the clip by telling a layered story, which made sense since RM, 29, was a giant an of the onion-like storytelling in Beef. “I feel he was actually taken with attempting one thing new, [and] we simply type of placing apart the dance facet, virtually even placing apart the music and tapping into what the themes of the tune really are and how much story that we will inform that feels true and relatable, but additionally type of mysterious and open to interpretation on the similar time,” Lee mentioned of the visible through which RM performs a number of characters, together with himself as a child man as a way to inform the “unusual story a few man that’s trapped up to now, current and future and appears to not be capable to go away his own residence.”
Watch the “Come Again to Me” video under.