"The Loneliest Human in the Universe Captured"

Disney+ 'Star Wars' Series Cinematographer Jung Jeong-hoon
Recognized for Unique Style, Assigned to Shoot 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'

Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is blinded by darkness and destroys the good in the world. His master, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), fails to awaken him. Reluctantly, he paralyzes his apprentice. However, the apprentice is reborn as the cyborg Darth Vader and threatens the world once again.

The process of Obi-Wan drawing his lightsaber again is depicted through the camera work of cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon. He is the person behind films such as "Oldboy" (2003), "New World" (2013), and "The Handmaiden" (2016). Recognized for his unique style, he has been active in Hollywood for over five years. He has worked on "Hotel Artemis" (2018), "The Current War" (2019), "Zombieland: Double Tap" (2019), "Last Night in Soho" (2021), and "Uncharted" (2022). He has also ventured into the sci-fi genre, participating in the Disney+ original series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which is considered part of the American mythos known as the "Star Wars" series, delivering visual delight.

Cinematographer Jung focused more on the characters than the background, capturing emotional changes. He said, "I freely used low angles and wide high angles. I also used handheld techniques a lot," adding, "I wanted to move like another actor and portray Obi-Wan as the loneliest man in the universe."

For natural acting, cinematographer Jung did not instruct actors on their movements. He said, "Except when using telephoto lenses, I did not give specific directions," and added, "Restricting movement or insisting on flattering angles can negatively affect the acting."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" becomes darker and gloomier starting from the third episode. The process of Obi-Wan descending into the pitch-black Darth Vader is expressed dramatically yet statically. Jung said, "The entire screen was composed with a deep darkness not seen in previous 'Star Wars' series," but also noted, "It was not easy as it was my first time working with virtual production."

The filming method involves placing actors in front of an LED Wall displaying virtual backgrounds. Using In-Camera VFX (ICVFX) technology, the LED Wall screen is physically captured. This provides a sense of presence comparable to on-location shooting and allows for various angles to be realized, but it has the drawback that the footage cannot be corrected in post-production. Jung said, "I constantly communicated with the production designer and computer graphics director to try to achieve a finished image during the shooting stage."

Regarding the final product, director Deborah Chow expressed gratitude, saying, "Cinematographer Jung performed the role of a creative partner exceptionally well." Jung modestly waved off the praise, saying, "There are many staff members in Korea who are more talented than me," and confidently added, "I would have no problem entering Hollywood immediately."

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