South Korea
Film Locations. Bustling Seoul streets. Namdaemun Gate. Cheonggyecheon design creek running through Seoul. Gyeongju temples, pagodas and royal tombs. DMZ - Demilitarised Zone. Jeju Island volcanic landscapes and beaches. Seoraksan National Park mountains and forests. Ski Resorts. Rice fields.
Korea Film Location Permits. Korea has a streamlined permitting process. Permits usually take three days to a week. It's not possible to lock off streets in Seoul so the best approach is to film on the weekend when there's less traffic. Same goes for Namdaemun Gate. Cheonggyecheon design creek is best filmed on week days as crowds gather for picnics on weekends. Please contact us for more location specific information.
When to shoot? Korea has a moderate four season climate. The hottest part of the year is during the rainy season between July and August, and the coldest is December to February. Spring and autumn are mild and mainly dry and are generally considered the best times to shoot.
For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. Korea is a relatively expensive place to shoot, certainly compared to the rest of Asia. Korea has a similar price point to Japan, USA and Western Europe. To avoid overages, it's wise to cap and lock in the budget before shooting starts.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Most citizens are of Korean descent. Korea also has a small pool of international models who live and work in Korea for extended periods of time with the peak season for international talent being in the summer months. There is also a large number of westerners teaching English in Korea. Please see here for examples of locally available talent:
Dobe Model Management
View Management
Creative talent. Korea has a good pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Unfortunately most do not speak fluent English.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews are non-union. Good depth of professional experienced crews. Korean crews are very hard working. Unfortunately most do not speak fluent English and the ones who do are often booked.
Fringes. No hidden extras.
Premiums. We package deals.
Equipment. Korea has a range of standard and specialized equipment available locally including tracking vehicles, jimi-jibs, technocrane and some heli-mounts. Russian arm needs to be brought in from abroad.
Art department is of the highest standard. Korean set construction crews work quickly and to a high standard.
Studios and backlots. Several good options exist.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in Korea.
Film Stock. Both Kodak and Fuji available locally.
Post Production. Korea has some of the most impressive sound, editing and VFX facilities in the world. Examples include:
Locus
Vixen
Giant Step
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Korean embassy or representative for more information.
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are up to international standards. Korea is very well serviced by domestic carriers and speed trains. Several international airlines service flights to Korea.
Accommodation. Recommended options in Seoul include:
The Westin Chosun Hotel
The Shilla
Park Hyatt
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Web posted casting, scouting and videoconferencing.
Safety. Korea is a very safe and reliable a filming centre. See here for up to date travel advice.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in South Korea, please see below:
Our production service companies, line producers and fixers have serviced TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries for:
AXA Belgium, BBC UK, Canon Singapore, Coca Cola Indonesia, Concord Canada, Dove Malaysia, Deutche Bank Germany, Dressman Sweden, Evian France, HBO USA, Heineken Ireland, Hyundai Korea, Intercontinental Hotels Global, ITC India, Kirin Japan, Kraft USA, Landrover UK, LG Korea, Meunil China, McDonalds Australia, MUFG Japan, Nikon Hong Kong, Nokia China, Orange Moblie Slovakia, Philips Netherlands, Proctor & Gamble USA, Chery Riich China, Rimowa Germany, Samsung Korea, Sinoland Hong Kong, Skipper Italy, Smirnoff USA, Sony United Arab Emirates, Stella Russia, Telefonica Spain, Vidal Sassoon China, Virgin Media UK, and much more.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Korea, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
