[CinemaNe] Yoo Se-yoon and Yoo Tae-oh, Why Did the Stars Pick Up the Camera?

Yoo Se-yoon, Yoo Tae-oh / Photo by History Channel, Atnine Film

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Yoo Tae-oh and comedian Yoo Se-yoon take the camera into their own hands to unfold their stories on screen.

This December, the two stars who have stood in front of the camera will meet audiences with Yoo Se-yoon's "Isangjonjae" and Yoo Tae-oh's "Log in Belgium," both presented in a fake documentary format to tell their own stories.

A "fake documentary" refers to a film completed by realistically reenacting the story one wants to tell using documentary filming techniques.

"Log in Belgium," presented by actor Yoo Tae-oh, depicts a story found in a virtual world through the sensibility of cinema after being isolated in a strange hotel in Antwerp, Belgium, following the pandemic declaration.

While visiting Belgium for filming, Yoo Tae-oh entered self-quarantine due to the sudden pandemic and recorded his daily life on his smartphone, which was then woven into a film. He participated directly in planning, production, directing, filming, editing, and music, earning the title of director.

Additionally, Yoo Se-yoon, together with director Cha Jin-woo, incorporated his own experiences into "Isangjonjae." It was planned based on numerous videos he filmed intermittently, including home video footage from his childhood, often called "middle school syndrome videos."

Under the concept of "a real-life video mystery film of popular comedian Yoo Se-yoon," Yoo Se-yoon captures his daily life on a camcorder for 15 days to reveal "Isangjonjae." Director Cha Jin-woo explained that after hearing Yoo's story of struggling with strange phenomena and watching the footage he filmed, he decided to participate in the project.

Yoo Se-yoon and Yoo Tae-oh both agreed that their projects started from the "emotions" they felt by chance.

Yoo Tae-oh told Asia Economy, "I was lonely and scared, so I started recording. Being isolated in a hotel in Belgium, I wondered who would remember me if I died."

He continued, "During self-quarantine, I started filming solely to survive. Days felt like weeks, and I thought I had to do something, express myself, so I began shooting," explaining the background of the project. "While filming and expressing myself, I tried to relieve that fear."

Yoo Se-yoon also described it as "a record of experiences that felt strange and scary," adding, "Some might see it as an embarrassing past or feel sorry for me, but I felt it wasn’t just my story alone. I started it with the hope of talking with others who had similar experiences."

Why do these stars attempt challenges as creators? A film industry insider said, "It’s an effect of the pandemic expanding creative platforms." They explained, "In the past, the concept of a movie was something screened on a big screen in a theater, but now, movies can be watched at home on a mobile phone."

The insider added, "With the emergence of online video streaming (OTT) platforms, the channels to showcase creative works have increased, and the barriers to entry have lowered. As a result, there is a growing atmosphere where actors attempt to shoot and present works they have conceived like drafts," analyzing, "The freedom in creative activities seems to have made it easier for them to pick up the camera without burden."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.