TV
Kang Yun-seong “I did everything I could with ‘Casino’”
'Casino' is the story of Cha Moo-sik (played by Choi Min-sik), a casino legend, who faces a crisis and begins to make the last bet of his life against the persistent pursuit of Korean Desk Oh Seung-hoon (played by Son Seok-gu). Director Kang Yun-seong, who directed his first series, expressed satisfaction with his work on ‘Casino’.
Director Kang Yun-seong chose the ending, where the main character dies in vain, as a famous scene. He said, "Ordinary people, neither superhumans nor greats, struggle to survive at all costs. I just wanted to portray the image of fire moths rushing toward their desires. I don't think there are any lessons to be learned in a battlefield where you have to kill each other to survive. That's why 'Casino' “I didn’t want to send any message. I just wanted to tell the story that a world like this exists.” The following is a Q&A with director Kang Yun-seong, who led ‘Casino.’
Q. How do you feel about finishing ‘Casino’?
A. When I first started, I had a lot of concerns. It is a work set in the Philippines, but filming abroad was difficult due to the coronavirus. However, the work was completed safely and the feeling was truly extraordinary. In the end, we felt a sense of accomplishment and confidence that we had done it.
Q. How do you feel about taking on many challenges with ‘Casino’, from directing the first series to utilizing AI technology?
A. I wish I had drawn a better picture, but there are some parts that are disappointing. However, everything that could be done with ‘Casino’ was done. There was a lot of pressure because the first series was 16 episodes, but after finishing it, I thought it was a good idea to attempt a long-running work. Isn't 'Casino' the first work to use AI technology in various ways, such as face de-aging and voice synthesis technology? It was a job that really showed a lot of potential.
Q. What would be the best scene?
A. The ending scene of Cha Mu-sik (Choi Min-sik). I think it best expresses the theme of ‘Casino’. Human life is fleeting. Ordinary people, neither superhuman nor great, struggle to survive in any way they can. I just wanted to draw the image of a fire moth rushing toward its desire. I don't think there are any lessons to be learned from a battlefield where you have to kill each other to survive. So I didn’t want to send any message through ‘Casino’. I just wanted to say that a world like this exists.
Q. Are there any scenes that you had planned impromptu?
A. The scene where Sang-gu (played by Hong Ki-jun) decides to betray and goes to Seung-hoon and confesses that the culprit who killed Philip (played by Lee Hae-woo) and So-jeong (played by Son Eun-seo) is Cha Moo-sik. I think that the death of his close brother Philip was just an excuse and that Sang-gu also dreamed of ambition while Moo-shik was away. But as ignorance returned, everything went back to square one. I had a lot of concerns about how I could capture this scene in a concise way.
We rehearsed with the actors 30 minutes before the end of filming to get them together, but we couldn't come up with a good answer, so we planned to postpone filming to the next day. However, everyone was so absorbed in this energy that we were able to finish filming within the remaining 30 minutes. Sang-hoon and Sang-gu had a confrontation, exchanging lines as if they were possessed, and I really liked this scene.
Q. If you had to pick your favorite character, who would it be?
A. My favorite character is definitely Cha Mu-sik. If I had to pick one other than Moosik, it would be Choi Hong-il, who played the role of Representative Jeong. While filming in the Philippines, Choi Hong-il visited casinos whenever he had time and observed the psychology of people who lose money. (I didn't gamble) He was truly a fanatic. I think it's the best. And actor Kim Min, who played ‘John’. When we first filmed, his Filipino English accent sounded strange, but I thought it would soon become the character. I really prepared in great detail. amazing.
Q. Is there a character that has changed the most from the original plan? What prompted the change?
A. As I've already said in several interviews, Oh Seung-hoon's character has changed the most. Next is Jeong-pal (Lee Dong-hwi). The image of Jeongpal I drew at first had a heavy and mean feeling. However, after seeing Lee Dong-hwi's first acting role, I thought I should go for a buddy movie with Cha Mu-sik. Lee Dong-hwi plays characters that are likely to be around us in the most natural and skillful way. Jeong-pal, an unpredictable character, has many parts that cannot be understood, even in his relationship with Moo-shik. However, Cha Mu-sik thinks that no matter how much he hates Jeong-pal, he is a friend who will always play with him, and he hugs Jeong-pal even though he gets stabbed in the back every time. Jeong-pal also knows this kind of ignorance and always uses shallow tricks.
Q. The series was filled with surprising actors in every episode, including Lee Kyu-hyung, Jin Seon-gyu, Jeong Woong-in, Choi Moo-sung, and Lee Je-hoon. Is there a special story behind the casting process for actors?
A. All actors readily accepted the offer to appear. I think the power of great actor Choi Min-sik is probably great. There is an interesting anecdote about Choi Moo-sung's casting. While filming 'Casino' in the Philippines, I happened to meet Choi Moo-sung, who was on vacation, at a Korean restaurant. Right then and there, I suggested casting him for the role of Chairman Na. The timing was perfect as the role of Chairman Na had not yet been cast.
Q. I am curious about the hidden behind-the-scenes story in ‘Casino’ that can now be told.
A. ‘Casino’ is a long story with 16 episodes, but it was also not enough to tell everything in 16 episodes. I wanted to tell a deep story, such as what changes in the minds of Sang-gu and Jeong-pal occurred while Cha Moo-sik left the Philippines for a year and was on trial in Korea, and why Seung-hoon is obsessed with catching Moo-sik. However, because the story may have stretched too far for that, many parts had to be abbreviated for rapid development. So, in some ways, I thought that the actions of each character might seem improbable. If I get a chance someday, I'd like to try solving these things.
Q. Why do you think ‘Casino’ received so much love?
A. I think ‘Casino’ raised the topic, ‘A world like this exists for many subscribers.’ People break away from their daily lives and live with curiosity and longing for a new world. ‘Casino’ showed a new world in that respect. The production team also put a lot of effort into making us believe that such a world exists.
Q. Your chemistry with Choi Min-sik must have been truly special. Is there any story you shared with actor Choi Min-sik after the release of ‘Casino’?
A. I have a feeling of camaraderie beyond respect for Choi Min-sik. In fact, Cha Mu-sik was a being whose true nature was vague, but Choi Min-sik made the character Cha Mu-sik into a clear being little by little every day. It was a work that clearly showed Choi Min-sik's mastery. I was so happy to be with him, and I am really grateful to Choi Min-sik.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
