![]() I simply wanted to create a space for the characters written in the script.” Set challenges “Working on Squid Game, I wasn’t mindful of the cultural elements of different countries. “Experiencing foreign languages and culture have become much more commonplace,” notes Chae. It is telling that Squid Game streamed to global audiences with no cuts, changes or tweaks. ![]() Squid Game landed amid a time of international audience appetite for Korean content think of the current success of Korean television formats such as The Masked Singer and The Masked Dancer, and the Oscar success of feature Parasite, directed by Bong Joon Ho and co-written by Han Jin-won. This mix of otherworldly horror, primary colour set designs and the contrast in worlds marks the show out as different and underlines its Korean essence. Visually, we wanted to divert from the typical genre element of survival games and death games.” “I thought it fitted well with the uniquely Korean fairy tale-slash-fantasy that Hwang had in his head. “The illustration had a fairy tale-like feel to it but was also sad - the man being shut out of society and the competition therein seemed disturbing,” says Chae. ![]() Early on, Hwang told Chae he was determined the show would feature one of his vivid childhood memories - of a sunset falling on the alleyways where he played as a youngster.Īnother image that first came to mind when reading the script became Chae’s primary concept for the art design - a broken ladder leaning against high walls that surround a man on the ground, with him glancing helplessly at the damaged equipment. “I wanted to bring to the screen the wide spectrum of emotions of the characters and their changes through the betrayal and trickery in the most desperate moment of survival, the rage and violence, and the selfishness and altruism.” Real-life inspirationĪs the competition is based on children’s games that were played in Korea during the 1970s and ’80s, the show heavily references that era: the giant doll robot Younghee was inspired by illustrations in elementary school textbooks the alleyways in which the contestants play marbles resemble common Korean neighbourhoods of the time. “I used highly saturated colours with strong contrast in light ,” Lee says. But then the horror reveals itself, calling for a change in approach. The game appears to be a fantasy as the characters start to play. “Colours in low saturation, lighting in low contrast and creating the dull and grainy look and feel of a film camera - even though I was using a digital one - were some of the elements I had in mind,” he says. “I just tried to show their story as is.”Ĭapturing the contestants’ dejection and desperation in the outside world was key for cinematographer Lee Hyung-deok. “I refrained from using too many techniques when showing the background story of each of the characters,” explains Nam. Long shots of the contestants entering the games were used to ensure all were visible. “He wanted to show how each contestant who survived each stage changed, and what kind of facial expressions they made, so this is the part that I focused mostly on,” says Nam. “Production design in Korea is mostly centred on recreating existing spaces, but Hwang wanted to create spaces and visuals never-before-seen in Korean shows,” says Chae.Įditor Nam Na-young says Hwang wanted all 456 of the game’s participants to be main characters. ![]() Production designer Chae Kyoung-sun says that when Hwang asked her to join the team, he promised the show would give her opportunities to try something new. It deals with economic strife, class disparity in Korea and capitalism, all through a uniquely Korean lens. The show revolves around a fictional contest in which 456 players, most of whom are in deep financial trouble, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to secure a multi-billion won cash prize, with many dying during the process. Hwang initially touted Squid Game in 2009 but had to wait nearly 10 years until Netflix’s interest was piqued as part of its commitment to grow its international programming. The show landed Netflix its biggest global hit, drawing 142 million subscriber households in its first month of streaming in 2021 and ranking number one in 94 countries, including the UK and the US. He and his team delivered on his lofty creative ambitions, drawing in not only millions of Koreans but mesmerising audiences around the world. Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director and creator of Korean drama sensation Squid Game, wanted to create spaces and visuals that had never been seen before in his home country.
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