[Enter Direct] 'Mobius' Press Conference Without Reporters, Why a Recorded Broadcast?

Photo by Sony Pictures

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Why can't we see Korean reporters? It would be nice to see everyone's faces, interact together, and wave to each other. I hope we can do that next time."

Actor Jared Leto expressed his disappointment with a raised voice over the non-face-to-face schedule during the recorded live broadcast of the 'Morbius' virtual press conference at 9 a.m. on the 24th.

On this day, Jared Leto said, "I have never been to Korea. It's unfortunate, but I do know how to write my name in Hangul," as he traced his surname 'Leto' in the air.

He plays the tragic Dr. Morbius, a brilliant mind suffering from a rare blood disease that causes increasing pain, in 'Morbius.' Ahead of its release on the 30th, Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, and director Daniel Espinosa held a virtual recorded press conference with domestic reporters.

The 'Morbius' team announced that due to the time difference with the local area, the event would be conducted as a 'recorded live broadcast.' They explained that the press conference was recorded internally and the video was released only to domestic reporters. Typically, such events are live-streamed for the media, but 'Morbius' chose a recorded format.

The press conference is usually unedited. Reporters ask questions, and actors and production staff answer. Therefore, except in unavoidable cases, it is conducted live. The process of asking and answering questions face-to-face was conveniently held online.

However, on this day, 'Morbius' drew criticism for editing some scenes between questions and during free exchanges of opinions between the director and Jared Leto. Even if the edited parts were not important or disruptive to the flow, there should be no 'editing' in a press event. This can be seen as a form of 'censorship.'

Photo by Sony Pictures

Recently, considering the difficulty of face-to-face meetings due to the pandemic, holding press conferences via video connection has become a new format. Domestic media events also adopt real-time video streaming for production briefings, except for preview screenings. The videos created this way are used as another promotional tool and sometimes feature unique scenes that become online topics.

For foreign films that find it difficult to visit Korea, the promotion schedule generally reflects the Asian reporters' timetable considering the time difference. However, recently, some films have adopted the incomprehensible method of 'recorded live broadcast,' drawing unfavorable views. Can their stories delivered through 'recording' be called a 'press conference'? Why should we watch edited videos?

Jared Leto's impassioned shout with arms wide open resonates even more. A press conference of unknown recording date. What is a press conference without reporters? It is only bittersweet to have no choice but to watch their unknown-time recordings belatedly on screen.

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