Colorful Set Breaking the Brutal Game Mold Wins 'Squid Game' Art Directors Guild Award in the US

Art Director Chaekyungseon Wins Award... Neighborhood Alley Set Receives High Praise
"A Blessed Work Combining Nostalgic Alleys and Imagination"

Netflix original 'Squid Game' art director Chae Kyung-sun received the Art Directors Guild (ADG) Award in the United States. On the 5th (local time), at the 26th Art Directors Guild Awards ceremony held at the InterContinental Downtown Hotel in Los Angeles, USA, 'Squid Game' was selected as the winner in the 'One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series' category. The set of the neighborhood alley where Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), Il-nam (Oh Young-soo), and Saebyeok (Jung Ho-yeon) play marbles in episode 6, 'Gganbu,' received high marks. This award is given to art directors or set designers who create beautiful and artistic backgrounds and mise-en-sc?ne designs in films, TV dramas, commercials, music videos, and more. Accordingly, the recipient was art director Chae Kyung-sun.

Director Chae created colorful sets that starkly contrast with the brutal survival competition in 'Squid Game.' These include the massive dormitory with beds for 456 participants, maze-like staircases painted pink, green, and yellow, and alleys that look as if 1970s-80s houses were transplanted intact. The spaces evoke nostalgia so strongly that the actual actors described feeling "ecstatic" every time they went to the set. Director Chae explained, "Most existing survival games are depicted darkly and gloomily, so I intended to work in a different direction. Since childhood games I played with friends appear in the show, I naturally incorporated spaces from my memories."

Majoring in stage art, Director Chae began working as an art director out of a special affection for film. She collaborated with director Hwang Dong-hyuk not only on 'Squid Game' but also on films such as 'Silenced,' 'Miss Granny,' and 'The Fortress.' She said, "He is one of the directors I respect most because he trusts and collaborates without filtering the roles an art director must perform. I would be very happy if he asked me to work with him again." She added, "'Squid Game' was a blessed work that allowed me to unleash infinite imagination. I will not be complacent but will continue to challenge myself and develop my profession with the strength I have received now."

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