Goyang: Today, the iPhone. Tomorrow, Cannes?
Prize-winning South Korean director Park Chan-wook's latest film, Night Fishing, has created a buzz in his native country — it was filmed using 10 Apple iPhone 4s, three of which were controlled by himself.
Park, who won the Cannes Grand Prix in 2004 for Oldboy, also directed the 30-minute tale about a fisherman and a female shaman with his brother, Chan-kyong, and said the circumstances of its shooting gave making the film an unusual flavour.
"Movies that I directed before were meticulously planned ahead and shot just as pictured.
"Compared to that, shooting this film felt free, and everyone had an equal amount of say," Park told Reuters in an interview at his studio in Goyang, north of Seoul.
Careful framing
"Some scenes were shot from more interesting angles than previously intended," he added.
Videos shot with smartphones already exist on websites, but this is the first-time a high-profile Korean director has made the attempt.
Park, whose films are known for careful framing and often tough subject matter, said the limitations of using a small camera brought fresh creativity and life to the film.
He added that there was another advantage — shooting such films is inexpensive.
"When I grow older and less popular, there will come a time when I have to shoot films on low budgets.
"This experience has meaning in that it has prepared me ahead of time," he said of his novel endeavour.
