The movie 'Humint' features scenes of gunfights, chases, and confrontations, each reflecting the characters' psychology and situations. Stunt director Lee Won-haeng meticulously designed the genre's spectacle, differentiating the rhythm and intensity of the action according to each character's personality and emotional arc, while ensuring both scale and realism. The action, completed through close collaboration with director Ryoo Seung-wan, offers a genre-specific thrill that can only be fully appreciated in theaters, leading to high audience satisfaction.
Q. You've worked with director Ryoo Seung-wan multiple times. How does he typically direct action on set? What is your impression of his directing style as a stunt director?
Director Ryoo Seung-wan views action not just as a genre spectacle but as a crucial element functioning within the story and emotional flow. On set, he provides guidance centered on the scene's emotion, tension, and rhythm, and the stunt director designs and adjusts the action accordingly. I think he emphasizes realism over mere stylish action.
Q. 'Humint' is packed with diverse action, including gunfights, close combat, and car chases. What was the core concept of the action in 'Humint'? Was there a particular aspect you wanted to emphasize compared to other action films?
The most important value of the action in 'Humint' is 'realistic tension.' While it features various elements like gunfights, combat, and chases, the focus was on ensuring the plausibility of the situations. We aimed to capture the vivid sensation of characters actually clashing and exhausting themselves, rather than an exaggerated style. We particularly focused on the weight of the action and the realism of the characters, ensuring that the changes in their stamina and emotional flow were naturally connected.
Q. I heard that CGI was minimized and the film was shot with a live-action base. What was the most dangerous scene during the actual filming, or which scene required the most effort?
With minimal CGI, the entire filming process demanded high concentration from both actors and staff. We particularly focused on close combat scenes, where elements like timing, distance, and camera movement had to be precisely aligned. Sometimes, greater tension arises from restrained movements. We concentrated on how even a small detail could determine the realism and completeness of the action.
Q. Given the distinct personalities of each character, the tone of the action must have varied. How did you design the action with differentiation for each character?
Rather than technical differentiation, we designed the action based on the characters' traits and atmosphere. For Jo Gwang (played by Jo In-sung), we focused on efficient and restrained movements, while for Park Geon (played by Park Jung-min), we approached with a rough action tone that directly reflected emotions. We prioritized the reasons behind the characters' movements over the movements themselves, ensuring that the action naturally conveyed the characters' personalities and tension.
Q. Jo In-sung's action scenes felt both sophisticated and realistic. What were his strengths from the perspective of a stunt director? How was the on-set chemistry?
Jo In-sung has excellent physical balance and stability in movement. Thanks to his extensive action experience, he quickly understands movements and adapts well on set. Most impressively, he approaches action not just as a technical execution but as an extension of emotional expression. Jo In-sung played a decisive role in enhancing the scene's plausibility through constant contemplation and active communication.
Q. Park Jung-min's first action scene was particularly intense. How was that scene designed? Do you have any memorable episodes from the filming process?
Park Jung-min's first appearance focused on effectively conveying tension and atmosphere rather than physical intensity. Even without flashy movements, we aimed to imprint the character's presence through the scene's weight and rhythm, considering not only the intensity of the action but also the overall flow and emotion. The process of adjusting the subtle speed and rhythm on set was repeated, and Park Jung-min's high concentration and thorough preparation were particularly impressive.
Q. You worked with Park Jung-min again after 'Battlefield.' How has he changed as an actor from your perspective as a stunt director?
I was delighted to work with Park Jung-min again after our previous project. Through this project, I felt that his way of interpreting and executing action had become more flexible and sophisticated. While the previous work showcased refined swordplay, this film naturally incorporated rough and realistic gun and hand-to-hand combat. I think his strength lies in going beyond technical proficiency to consider the character's emotions and narrative context.
Q. Given the overseas location shoot, there must have been many environmental variables like weather, terrain, and equipment operation. What challenges did you face on set, and were there any memorable moments?
The biggest variable in overseas shooting is not just the climate or natural environment but communication with local staff. While physical conditions can be somewhat anticipated, differences in on-set working methods can significantly affect the action's completeness. Therefore, from the preparation stage, we closely shared the action design intentions with local staff to align our efforts. We put a lot of effort into bridging the gap in safety standards and rehearsal methods between countries. We actively used storyboards and pre-visualizations to clearly visualize movements, collision timing, and camera paths, refining the on-set synchronization.
Q. What is your personal favorite scene, and what action points would you like the audience to particularly notice?
While I have an attachment to all scenes, the stairway action scene is particularly memorable. It was the first action shoot on an overseas location, and it effectively captured the intense confrontation between Park Geon's (Park Jung-min) fury and Im Dae-ri's (Jung Yoo-jin) struggle. We focused on bold movements, like jumping between staircases rather than simply running down them, and the director also seemed to consider these realistic points important.
The movie 'Humint' tells the story of individuals with different objectives clashing in Vladivostok, where secrets and truths are submerged in the cold ice sea. It is currently showing in theaters nationwide.
By Yeji Ryu, TenAsia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr