Korean Movie Magic

[Anchor Lead]

In movies and dramas, a young actor can age by decades in an instant, or meet a creature born out of an artist’s imagination. All this is thanks to special effects makeup. Today we bring you a glimpse into the world of movie magic.

[Pkg]

A travel in time across decades overnight is possible without the use of a time machine.

[Soundbite] "Who are you?"

In a movie, an overweight woman becomes slender in an instant. These surprising developments are possible thanks to special effects makeup.

[Soundbite] Kim Yoon-jin : "I thought, "What could I do without special effects makeup?"

Yes, right! Kim Yoon-jin successfully played a role traveling back and forth across 25 years with the help of special effects makeup. However, the process was tough.

[Soundbite] Kim Yoon-jin : "Frankly, I have to remain seated for a long time. It feels like I'm dehydrated completely."

The veteran actor Cho Jin-woong says that acting in special effects makeup is not easy.

[Soundbite] Cho Jin-woong : "The make up was not easy. I went through a lot of procedures. It took me about four hours."

He had to wear special effect makeup in order to play an old man in the movie "The Handmaiden," Actors who have donned special effects makeup to make them look old complain about the long time the process takes. Why does the old-age special effects makeup take such a long time?

[Soundbite] Lee Han-bit(Special Effect Makeup Expert) : "Wrinkles are not drawn directly. A slab material is used to describe wrinkles on the skin. It is attached here and there, like in the cheeks and chin, and under the nose and the chin. So it takes such a long time."

Here's an example of a very common special effects makeup. That is to make actors look overweight. Actress Chung Hye-sung appeared in the KBS drama "Good Manager," which recently ended. In her previous work, she attracted viewers' attention with her plump shape.

[Soundbite] "What's this? (I will tell you if you eat it.)"

She had to undergo painful procedures.

[Soundbite] Chung Hye-sung : "Artificial skin was glued to my skin in summer. So my face was soaked with sweat. But it didn't air and a sac of water was formed here. I got a skin trouble and that was tough."

Special effects makeup is used to create something that doesn't exist in reality. The prime example is the zombies that appeared in the movie "Train to Busan." With each vein elaborately traced, the realistic makeup was sufficient to frighten actors on set.

[Soundbite] Gong Yoo : "We rushed to escape in a narrow space. We got closer to the infected people. And some of us were touched or caught by them. In those moments, we panicked, forgetting that it was acting."

Special effects makeup plays a crucial role in boosting the visual reality of movies and dramas. Despite the difficult process, these efforts help make movies and dramas better and more realistic. Special effects makeup is an important tool for actors to create completely different characters, to the pleasure of viewers.