K-Content News
- September 06, 2021 | Broadcasting
Rediscovering Pork Belly
Written by Ra-Hee KWON
Photos by Sung-Jae KIM (Ssauna Studio)
Love Letter to Pork and Pork Belly
Q. Why did you decide to produce ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’?
A. Global over-the-top (OTT) content influenced me quite a bit. Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’, ‘Street Food’, and ‘Taco Chronicles’ piqued my interest concerning international cultural food programs. I thought a Korean food program could work in the global market should we give it a more international flavor. I chose pork belly because pork is one of the iconic Korean ingredients and represents the Korean spirit. Foreigners are also fascinated by pork belly BBQ that’s cooked directly on the table.
Q. ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’ is a program you shouldn’t watch in the middle of the night. You show different ways to cook pork—grilling, steaming, and boiling—in delicious detail.
A. The most important parts were video and audio. Food programs should make both the individual ingredients and the finished dishes look delicious. The sounds of cooking and eating are also important factors in helping audiences live the culinary experience. We wanted to distribute this program globally, so we had multiple meetings with both the cinematographer and the lighting director. We also had to choose the proper equipment to make a high-quality documentary.
Q. Why did you choose Jong-Won PAIK as the ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’ narrator?
A. I wanted to make a new kind of culinary documentary. I thought Jong-Won PAIK was a food celebrity. I think ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’ made it on KBS and Netfilx thanks to Mr. PAIK. We also had perfect filming, interviewing, and tasting sessions.
Q. ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’ was the first South Korean documentary to be shown on both KBS and Netflix. Is there a platform that simultaneous streams and broadcasts content? How did you prepare the documentary for the different mediums?
A. I think the title, ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’, worked as a hook. I also think both companies liked our focus on pork and pork belly, diverse dishes made from a pig, and economic and social stories about both. Mr. PAIK’s role as our narrator also played to our advantage. Finally, since we own the IP, we had flexibility in distributing the program. We were able to put the program on both OTT and a public broadcast.
The Joy of Treasure-Hunting
Q. How did you start your career as a documentarian? How did you end up working with PAIK?
A. I produced and planned for the first and second seasons of ‘University Students Walk Across the Country’ between 1998 and 1999 at MBC. I walked and lived with students for 20 days. I also produced ‘Global Economy Adventure’, ‘War against Blood Veins’, and ‘Late Night Special’. I became fascinated with cultural food programing when I became the team leader and director of MBC’s ‘Discover food, discover the world’. I produced MBC ‘Spot!Tasty Food’, MBC Documentary ‘Naengmyeon’, MBC Special ‘Crazy for Coffee’, and ‘Ark of Taste’. In 2017, I wanted to get an independent IP, so I funded the documentary ‘Jonggasijeol’.
Q. You’ve been making documentaries for 20 years: What makes documentarian work interesting?
A. Finding stories is the most interesting part. It’s like going on a treasure hunt for exciting new stories and showing them to the world through your eyes.
Q. How has the documentary environment changed since you started out?
A. There are more platforms now, so programs have a better chance of being aired. There’s been a decade’s worth of good documentaries, so the investment environment has also improved.
Q. How do you make a good documentary?
A. You need time to make a good documentary. You need to find your style and the right genre. After you find them, you must persist and avoid burnout. When you can make dynamic frames with your own style, you can make a good documentary.
K-Food Rhapsody
Q. Who are ELTV’s members? Are they all fascinated by food?
A. I founded the company in 2005. Both my co-founders are still with me. Two others have worked with me for 10 years and one has worked with me for nine years. Most of them like food programs.
Q. What direction is ELTV trying to go in? What does it most value?
A. If you can understand human history and cultural cuisines, you can understand people and their regions. Food programs that feature these stories work as tools for communication. I want to show the world interesting stories and the values imbued in Korean cuisine. I always focus on telling the truth since nobody should lose money or get in trouble from these programs.
Q. Do you have something to say to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) as a documentarian or a CEO?
A. KOCCA helped us turn ‘Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody’ into a reality. Without their financial support, making the documentary would have been difficult, bordering on downright impossible. Thanks to KOCCA, we were able to take risks and received the footage we wanted. We were able to work in a more interesting environment. I showed my gratitude to KOCCA at the 33rd ‘Korean Producer Awards’ ceremony—but it was cut for time. I want to thank them again.
Q. You were chosen as a member of the 2021 Broadcast Video Content Production Support Program and are preparing to make a new documentary, titled ‘Korean Beef Rhapsody’. Are there any more ‘Rhapsody’ documentaries in the works?
A. We’ve been making ‘Korean Cold Noodle Rhapsody’ independently of the other piece since February 2021, and it’s set to premiere on KBS ‘Docu Insight’ on July 29 and Aug. 5. It’ll be released internationally on Netflix, too. We’re also working on ‘Korean Beef Rhapsody’, which will be out in early December. Starting in 2022, we’ll make another 20 Korean Rhapsody pieces with 10 themes, including ‘Kimchi Rhapsody’ and ‘Korean Rice Soup Rhapsody.>
Q. Do you have a particular goal?
A. I want to make new content based on all the knowledge I’ve learned making food documentaries. I have a dream of making a web series or a movie based on food. The first food featured on the series will be cold noodles.
Hun-Suk BAEK, ELTV CEO
BAEK earned a Bachelor of Electronic Engineering and a Master of Journalism from Hanyang University. He started his production career at MBC Production in 1993. He became CEO of Baekpro Production in 2005 and produced cultural documentaries and nonfiction programs. He has made cultural food programs for 20 years, including MBC’s ‘Find! Delicious TV’, MBC Documentary ‘Naengmyeon’, MBC Special ‘Crazy for Coffee’, and ‘Taste Ark’. He’s currently working on ‘Korean Cold Noodle Rhapsody’ and ‘Korean Beef Rhapsody’.
Broadcast Video Content Production Support Program
A program focusing on finding and supporting innovative and globally-competitive broadcast video content. It supports the production of dramatic and entertainment documentary programs based on broadcast, new media, new technology, OTT, and other industry needs.
ELTV Hun-Suk BAEK CEO ⒸSung-Jae KIM(Ssauna Studio)
Presenter Jong-Won PAIK ⒸELTV
‘Crazy for Coffee’ ⒸMBC
‘Jonggasijeol’ ⒸMBC