ENA's 'Director's Arena' is a survival program designed to discover the next generation of directors who will compete against established filmmakers. Selected through a public contest, directors will submit short dramas to compete in a survival format. With the slogan 'If you can't capture the audience in 2 minutes, there is no next,' the final round entries will be produced as short dramas.
Short dramas, with a runtime of 90 to 120 seconds per episode, are considered one of the most promising content genres in the smartphone-expanded drama market. Unlike traditional survival shows that select 'passing works,' 'Director's Arena' will give a 'STOP' to works that fail to capture attention, directly applying the viewing habits of smartphone audiences, making it even more noteworthy.
The panel includes director Lee Byung-hun of the blockbuster film 'Extreme Job,' actor Cha Tae-hyun known for high ratings in his projects, 'Asia Prince' Jang Keun-suk, and beloved comedian Jang Do-yeon.
Production company Epixstorm stated, "To expand the base of the short drama market, we chose a new method of a survival format entertainment program," adding, "We expect 'Director's Arena' to discover directors specialized in short-form content and help short dramas establish themselves as an independent creative genre."
'Director's Arena' will air its first episode on May 15 at 11:10 PM.
Reported by Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr