Shim, game changer in Korean cinema

In Paju, near the Book City in Gyeonggi Province northwest of Seoul, a building stands alone next to a construction site in a vast barren area.

It looks like a ghost town, with very few people around, except for construction workers.

But the building of Korea’s renowned production company Myung Films ― which has a cafe, film theatre, art center, lecture rooms and student dormitory ― offers visitors a glimpse into the future of this town.

Stepping into a new white conference room with its unhung posters of hit movies such as “J.S.A.: Joint Security Area” and “The Quiet Family,” Shim Jae-myung, CEO of Myung Films, in casual attire sits down brimming with excitement, offering a cup of morning coffee.

“This town is going to be like Hollywood with a complete moviemaking ecosystem that will generate synergy with the Book City next year,” said Shim, 52, in an interview.

“We are preparing for a new era of filmmaking here.”

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Myung Films this year, Shim and her husband, Myung Films cofounder Lee Eun, will embark on a new journey in this new place that will not only include making films, but also teaching to pass on their knowledge to next-generation filmmakers. They are often called the “Korean Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall” after the wife-husband producer duo whose film credits include “Back to the Future,” “Indiana Jones” and “The Sixth Sense.”

As a producer, Shim has been a part negotiator, mediator, entrepreneur and storyteller.

Now, her role has expanded to film lecturer, mentor and exhibitor as she wants to create an opportunity to further build the Korean film industry to be a high-risk business that also offers high returns.

“It is still a high-risk business here. We’re here to find other ‘windows of opportunity’ to transform this industry into high risk-high return, like Hollywood, through other means such as merchandising and exhibitions,” she said.

It will not be easy for Shim and Myung Films to change the game alone.

But if past filmmaking experience has taught her anything, it is that one can innovate and create the next big thing through collaborations and collectivity.

Myung Films’ string of box office hits and very few flops say it all ― she attributes the success to luck and perfect timing.

Overall, Shim said this was only possible because of the people ― the directors, screenwriters and the crew ― she worked with who were courageous to test and experiment new ways of storytelling and filmmaking.

“The film business is very much like starting a venture ― both have to create something new and profitable from nothing,” she said.

“I was very fortunate to work with my coproducing husband and new emerging directors with that kind of (entrepreneurial) spirit.”

Myung Films’ movies such as “The Contact,” “The Quiet Family,” “J.S.A.” and “Leafie, a Hen Into the Wild” told stories that had never been tried or done before.

“J.S.A.” by Park Chan-wook, then a rookie director, was one of the first Korean films with a nonlinear story structure, with the movie beginning from the end and showing sequences in random order to solve a mystery involving the two Koreas.

Chang Yoon-hyun, also then a first-time director, told a story in “The Contact” where the movie’s two main protagonists only communicated through personal computers and met face to face at the end of the film before its credits rolled.

The “Quiet Family” directed by then rookie Kim Jee-woon broke new ground in combining comedy and horror.

“Leafie” broke box office records as an animation film, when almost everyone had doubted that a 2-D cartoon could succeed in the age of digital 3-D animation.

What’s noticeable is that Shim took risks in producing movies directed by young emerging directors, who all later became established filmmakers.

Shim said she was also young, and had not yet made a name in the industry.

“As a rookie producer in my mid-30s with no money back then, it was only natural for me to work with young directors and take risks,” she said.

Her relationship with directors ― producers’ main collaborators ― has not always been happy, easy or perfect, with the two often facing conflict especially over budget and mise en scene.

But as a producer who has the responsibility to show results to a lot of interested parties including investors, Shim said she has always maintained tense relations and constantly kept directors in check.

“That is part of being a producer, and I believed it contributed to maintaining sound working relations with the directors and making quality films over the years,” Shim said.

She does not particularly mention about her leadership as one of reasons for the hits.

Shim is quiet, and prefers to work only behind the scenes, sometimes reading screenplays alone, and joins her husband in meetings with investors when necessary.

Her tenacity and success has helped break the glass ceiling in Korea’s film industry, which used to be dominated by conservative male filmmakers.

“We have a lot of female directors and producers these days compared to the old days, but still like any other Korean industry, we need more,” Shim said.

Her past failure and hardship ― when Myung Films merged with Kang Je-kyu Film to form MK Pictures and expanded into film investment and distribution businesses ― has taught her to focus on what she does best. Myung Films was later spun off in 2007.

“That is telling stories with themes and subjects I am most familiar with, rather than chasing after trends.”

Critically-acclaimed movies such as “Cart,” which dealt with issues concerning nonregular employees, by Boo Ji-young and “Revivre,” which tells a story about a man in his mid-50s dealing with life and death, by film auteur Im Kwon-taek followed Myung Films’ renewed strategy in storytelling.

Myung Films has produced 36 films, including box office hits such as the sports drama “Forever the Moment” and “Architecture 101” after the spin-off.

“Our next move (in Paju) will be to further enhance the status of Korean producers, teaching young filmmakers how to make their dreams into reality, and movie financing for the creation of a healthy and sustainable ecosystem,” Shim said.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)