A Korean Master of Movie Title Sequences
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Well-made films distinguish themselves from the very outset. The title sequence does more than merely list the names of the cast and crew -- it also signals how the storyline of the movie will unfold.
"Spider-Man 3" captured viewers right from the beginning with fragmented images that resembled a shattered mirror and droplets hanging in spider web. "Ninja Assassin" shocked viewers with end credits written in a font that looked like spilt blood accompanied with an image of a whirlwind of swords. Both sequences were created by Lee Hee-bok, the Korean creative director for Kyle Cooper, the "wizard" of title sequences.
Lee moved to the U.S. in 1998. A graduate of the prestigious Seoul Arts High School, he failed to pass the entrance examination for four-year universities against his own and his family's expectations. "You have to produce work in a formulaic way if you want to pass. But on the day of the exam, I don't know what got into me, but I made something that was very unconventional. There was no way I'd get in", he recalls.
His parents advised him to take a gap year and try again, but he did not want to spend a year preparing for "...ing" art. "At that time, there was the Samsung Art and Design Institute, and I heard that if you study there for two years, you could get into a design school abroad", Lee says. So he applied to SADI and studied communication design there for two years before transferring to the communication design department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Lee was still sort of rebel in the U.S. He was enamored of digital graphics and insisted on doing all his assignments digitally. He also delved into 3D graphic design. His talent was discovered by a leading authority in digital media design, Prof. Dan Boyarski. Surprised at the high level of works produced by an undergraduate, Boyarski let Lee take part in some of the projects and research he was doing. This was the first of several lucky breaks.
Lee collaborated with Boyarski until graduation, and then was scouted to a media art firm Pittard Sullivan. For five years now, he has been a creative director at Prologue Films set up by Cooper. "If I'd passed the university entrance exam in Seoul, I wouldn't have had all the opportunities I've had. That failure really turned a misfortune into a blessing", Lee says.
Working on title sequences, Lee strives to find the most effective metaphor for the gist of the entire film. Finding suitable material is the most difficult part. "Making a title sequence is totally different from making a film as it recreates the story through font, music and image. Although I'm a graphic designer, perhaps in a different way I create little stories too".
Lee's new goal is to make Korea better known in Hollywood. This is the reason why he worked on the title work for "Speed Racer" and "Ninja Assassin", which featured Korean singer and actor Rain. "I'm currently working on a film featuring a Korean actor that's being planned by U.S. producers Maybach and Cunningham Films", he says. "You can look forward to it".
"Spider-Man 3" captured viewers right from the beginning with fragmented images that resembled a shattered mirror and droplets hanging in spider web. "Ninja Assassin" shocked viewers with end credits written in a font that looked like spilt blood accompanied with an image of a whirlwind of swords. Both sequences were created by Lee Hee-bok, the Korean creative director for Kyle Cooper, the "wizard" of title sequences.
Lee moved to the U.S. in 1998. A graduate of the prestigious Seoul Arts High School, he failed to pass the entrance examination for four-year universities against his own and his family's expectations. "You have to produce work in a formulaic way if you want to pass. But on the day of the exam, I don't know what got into me, but I made something that was very unconventional. There was no way I'd get in", he recalls.
His parents advised him to take a gap year and try again, but he did not want to spend a year preparing for "...ing" art. "At that time, there was the Samsung Art and Design Institute, and I heard that if you study there for two years, you could get into a design school abroad", Lee says. So he applied to SADI and studied communication design there for two years before transferring to the communication design department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Lee was still sort of rebel in the U.S. He was enamored of digital graphics and insisted on doing all his assignments digitally. He also delved into 3D graphic design. His talent was discovered by a leading authority in digital media design, Prof. Dan Boyarski. Surprised at the high level of works produced by an undergraduate, Boyarski let Lee take part in some of the projects and research he was doing. This was the first of several lucky breaks.
Lee collaborated with Boyarski until graduation, and then was scouted to a media art firm Pittard Sullivan. For five years now, he has been a creative director at Prologue Films set up by Cooper. "If I'd passed the university entrance exam in Seoul, I wouldn't have had all the opportunities I've had. That failure really turned a misfortune into a blessing", Lee says.
Working on title sequences, Lee strives to find the most effective metaphor for the gist of the entire film. Finding suitable material is the most difficult part. "Making a title sequence is totally different from making a film as it recreates the story through font, music and image. Although I'm a graphic designer, perhaps in a different way I create little stories too".
Lee's new goal is to make Korea better known in Hollywood. This is the reason why he worked on the title work for "Speed Racer" and "Ninja Assassin", which featured Korean singer and actor Rain. "I'm currently working on a film featuring a Korean actor that's being planned by U.S. producers Maybach and Cunningham Films", he says. "You can look forward to it".
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