TOURISM PROMOTION VIDEO GOES VIRAL

[Anchor Lead]

A video produced as a parody of a famous chase scene from the Hollywood movie Mad Max to advertise tourism in Korea has gone viral. It features agricultural cultivators instead of cars, and is set in a Korean marshland.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "Get ready. We’re taking off."

A procession of cultivators heads toward a marshland. Dozens of cultivators get ready for a race. It’s a parody of a famous chase scene from the Hollywood blockbuster “Mad Max.” The video is set against a marshland in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do Province. In trying to reimagine the intensity of the film, fast-paced music blares in the background and its clever title "Mud Max" is unveiled. Movie props were recreated and cultivators were painted to ensure that the finished promotional video was polished to create a proper homage. The skeletons were recreated using clam shells instead of Seosan garlic, as many had presumed.

[Soundbite] Choi Ji-hoon(Creative director of ‘Mud Max’) : "This appears in ‘Mad Max’ as well. These clams are collected by local fishermen. Rather than just making a parody, we wanted to include more details unique to the video."

This cheerful video starts with hip-hop and ends with a Korean folk song. It’s a sequel to the promotional video produced last year to advertise tourism in Korea. The first production featured a contemporary version of Pansori with unique, ambiguous choreography. The newly released eight episodes feature the traditional mood of the ancient city of Gyeongju with rap verse playing in the background. One of the episodes shows ordinary people dancing in their homes and neighborhoods in downtown Daegu.

[Soundbite] Oh Chung-seop(Korea Tourism Organization) : "We produced these videos to attract foreigners who may want to visit Korea when the pandemic is over and for locals to enjoy. We wanted to make it feel young like the MZ generation. It’s a little bizarre, but we wanted to make it more entertaining."

As the video went viral, the Korea Tourism Organization has decided to disclose the behind the scenes, making-of video for“Mud Max.”