(Korean Movies) GONJIAM: Haunted Asylum, 2016

There is a reason not to go there!
CNN's 7 most creepy places in the world
'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' is finally made into a movie!
“Gonjiam Asylum” was selected as one of the 7 most creepy places in the world by CNN in 2012 along with Chernobyl Amusement Park in Ukraine, Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic, Aokigahara Forest in Japan, Togo Animal Amulet Market, Island of Mexican Dolls and Japanese Warship Island. '. Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital has been the main character of Korea's representative ghost story that has continued to this day since it closed in 1996. Konjiam Mental Hospital, which has been talked about countless times through the community, broadcasting, and online media, catches the attention of domestic horror enthusiasts with a grotesque image that overlaps with rumors about the whereabouts of the director and patients and mysterious incidents. caught More than 1,000 related postings on the portal site, more than 2,000 videos related to the YouTube channel were posted, and the video with the highest number of views reached 300,000. In addition, as a TV program dealing with the mystery of 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' became an issue among horror enthusiasts, the number of visitors to the place increased. 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' with such a strong presence was finally made into a movie by director Jeong Beom-sik, who paid attention to the topicality of the place, the eul-like atmosphere, and the mystery of the ghost story. Director Jeong Beom-sik said, “Reality and movies are clearly separated, and I thought that if we film a virtual movie based on a real place, we can make a new type of interesting horror movie.” He expressed his confident ambition to present real horror.

Experience the greatest horror you can feel in the theater!
A new paradigm for Korean horror movies! The birth of the 'experience horror' genre!
Director Jeong Beom-shik and the production team, who challenged a new horror genre called 'experienced horror', which had never been tried before, did not stop making fresh and unconventional attempts in all areas, from film planning to location, filming, art, and sound. As the motif of the movie <Gonjiam> is a real place, the concept of 'personal broadcast live broadcast' was adopted to realistically express the overbearing fear of the space, and maximized the reality in the same way as watching a live broadcast of a famous YouTube channel. . Here, he shows off his delicate directing skills in setting the place, which is the main background of the movie. The exterior wall of the entrance and the hallway on the first floor are perfectly reproduced based on the materials of the 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' published online such as various portal sites, blogs, and YouTube experience videos. was newly born by In particular, by giving a differentiated concept to each location, the intensity of the fear was doubled by configuring not only props, but also shooting composition and sound mixing. The first-person camera angle taken by the actors directly conveys the raw vitality to the audience. In addition, the process of revealing the truth hidden behind the horrors such as the sorrow, sadness, and revenge of the unjust ghosts familiar to you in Korean horror movies, or the heartbreaking drama, are excluded, and the story development that focuses only on the extreme fear itself can not take your eyes off of it. It overwhelms the audience with unparalleled tension and thrill. As such, the movie <Gonjiam> presents a new paradigm for Korean horror films through an unconventional production method, making the audience feel the vivid thrill of being in the real 'Gonjiam Asylum,' as well as becoming the protagonist in the movie and fighting for escape. It will even give you a real sense of fear.

Excellent mise-en-scène and unrivaled directing!
The master of horror movies, James Wan of Korea!
The Return of Director Jeong Beom-shik!
Director Jeong Beom-sik, who has proven his outstanding mise-en-scène and directing skills by continuously challenging the horror genre through the series <Gidam> and the omnibus film <Scary Story>, which showed new possibilities for Korean horror films, is a groundbreaking horror film set in 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital'. I'm back. His comeback work <Gonjiam> is a work that shows the delicate and unique sense of mise-en-scène that he has accumulated in the horror genre. The film's attempted first-person shooting and limited camera angles due to minimal lighting induce a high-density immersion in the audience and create tension that cannot take their eyes off them. In addition, his proprietary patent gradual adjustment, which hints at clues about upcoming events while exposing information about key spaces from the first scene in advance, helps to elevate the thrill of the film to the climax. In particular, the last bastion of room 402, a space kept in complete secrecy, stimulates the imagination and drives the audience with more horror than it seems. Director Jeong Beom-shik said, “You never know when, where, or what will pop out. I hope you enjoy it while screaming as if you were riding a ride in an amusement park. You will have fun finding the symbols hidden throughout the film like a treasure hunt.”

A divine move that maximizes the reality of the movie!
All 'Horror Times' members cast new actors! Looking forward to Chungmuro!
Efforts to maximize the reality of <Gonjiam> continued during the casting process. All seven members of 'Horror Times' appearing in the movie cast new actors whose faces are unknown. The production team held a unique audition to find actors who could handle the rare production method of the live-broadcast concept. Participants who finished their usual self-introduction in the first individual audition were given a mission to reproduce the same self-introduction in semi-verbal language once again. This was not just acting, but to see if he could digest the realistic tone and reaction of a YouTuber who seemed to be talking to viewers. In addition, in order to balance the unity and balance between the actors, the 26 people selected through the first audition were divided into 4 teams and the final audition reminiscent of a theater performance was held. , Park Sung-hoon, Yoo Je-yoon, Oh Ah-yeon, Park Ji-hyun, and Moon Ye-won were cast. The seven members of the horror channel 'Horror Times', which broadcasts the process of visiting Gonjiam Mental Hospital live through YouTube, all used the names of real actors, except for 'Charlotte', a study abroad student. contributed to increasing the immersion of Director Jeong Beom-shik said, “Most of the actors were filming for the first time. Besides, it must have been a lot of pressure because it was filmed in a long take without interruption like a play. Nevertheless, all the actors showed vivid, raw performances without dramatic exaggeration. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerity, saying, "I want to express my sincere thanks to the seven actors who did a great job in acting and filming." As Korean horror films have created numerous stars as a place for new actors to be discovered before, the main actors of <Gonjiam>, who showed infinite possibilities from the first leading movie from acting to filming, are also expected to be reborn as future-generation prospects in Chungmuro. collect

[ PRODUCTION NOTE ]

When the movie starts, it becomes Gonjiam Asylum!
A grand campaign to create a completely new form of 'experience horror'!

The filming process of an unconventional method that will pioneer a new era in the Korean horror film industry, a detailed set design that perfectly reproduces a part of the existing 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital', sound directing and screen X shooting that will allow you to experience the maximum of horror. The production process that made 'experiential horror' with high suction power possible will be revealed.

#One. Total of 6 types, up to 19 cameras simultaneously REC!
First ever in film history! The greatest reality ever filmed by the actor himself!
<Gonjiam> is the first film in the history of commercial films in which most of the running time was filmed by the actors themselves. At the beginning of filming, the cinematographer personally filmed the main scenes and inserts, but ironically, the production team decided that the professional shooting angle did not fit the genre of 'experience horror', so they made a bold decision to shoot directly by the actors. It was not an easy challenge, as director Jeong Beom-sik said, “It was chaos itself,” recalling when the actors first started filming. However, as the episodes went on, the actors quickly adapted to the shooting method, and surprisingly, they were able to perform more realistic performances. Moreover, <Gonjiam> draws more attention because it does not use a single camera that is generally used in commercial films. In <Gonjiam>, a total of 6 types, including GoPro Hero 5 Black, GoPro Hero 5 Session, Camcorder, Osmo, VR, and Drone, were used simultaneously, up to 19 cameras. GoPro Hero 5, which is widely used in entertainment and YouTube because of its light weight, is easy to move, shoot, and deploy. was used to give The GoPro Hero 5 Session, which is similar to the GoPro Hero 5 Black, has a much smaller size, is easy to attach and detach anywhere, and boasts a wide angle of view. It was used to take a shot (POV). Thanks to the simultaneous capture of viewpoint shots and face shots, the audience can enjoy a lively realism that makes them feel as if they are at the scene. In line with the concept of the movie, a camcorder was also used to capture the dynamic movement, although it is commonly used by ordinary people. On the other hand, the Osmo, which can rotate 180 degrees, was used to take stable viewpoint shots that cannot be captured with a GoPro or camcorder. A VR video camera was also introduced to highlight the bizarre atmosphere of <Gonjiam>. The VR video camera used to capture the secret and grotesque scene maximizes the sense of space by sketching the inside of Gonjiam Asylum, which everyone will be curious about due to the 360-degree cam. Also, thanks to the feature with a lot of distortion, it amplifies the feeling of strange and bizarre fear that something is about to come out. Finally, a drone camera was used to relieve the angle limitation, which can be somewhat frustrating, and to give a sense of weight. In particular, unlike other cameras that emphasize a sense of presence, the bird's eye view (aerial view) provides an overall view of the experience group caught in the trap of 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital', suggesting what will happen to them in the future. <Gonjiam>, with a total of 6 types of cameras, provides a high level of immersion with the lively realism that the actors have filmed themselves through thorough pre-preparation such as detailed storytelling and rehearsals by the director and cinematographer, and creates a vivid horror for the audience. We invite you to the field of experience.

#2. A closed school in Busan that was found after interrogating haunted families across the country, transformed into a 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital'!

'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' exterior and hallway: 100% synchro rate, even graffiti has been moved!
In order to find a place to replace the 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital', the production team searched for all kinds of abandoned buildings across the country for over two months. completely transformed. First of all, by collecting data and images on the Internet and mobilizing all the sketchup programs, the exterior of the building, graffiti on the wall from the entrance to the lobby, and the nurse's desk are reproduced with CG, so that people who have actually experienced Gonjiam will be mistaken even when they see it. Completed the exact same visual. In particular, in order to embody the texture of the walls and the grotesque feeling of the old ruins in the hallway, we hired an expert Scenic artist (an artist who creates backdrops and background pictures for movie sets). Scenic artist and production team set up the space first, then sprayed water and stepped on it to create an atmosphere that was damaged and neglected. In addition, the terrifying space of the actual 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' was completely restored by using detailed props such as collecting and setting garbage such as ice cream wrappers, newspapers, magazines, and drink bottles from the 80s and 90s.

Inside 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital': Breathtaking as soon as you enter! A space of imagination that transcends reality!
Most of the interior spaces where important events take place in the story development of the movie are newly born with the director's concept idea and the passion of the production team. In particular, although the actual 'Gonjiam Mental Hospital' is a three-story building, it was set as a four-story space with one basement floor added to the cinematic imagination of the production crew. To give the impression that the first floor was a place where a learned person stayed, he purposely found an old book, tore it up, laid it on the floor, wet it with water, and stepped on it to create a feeling of ruin. The group therapy room located on the second floor was made around objects inspired by the torture tools used by the Japanese during the Japanese colonial period. As if it was destroyed by bombing during the war, the coffin was knocked down and arbitrarily damaged using a hammer to create a space that was in chaos, creating a feeling of accumulated years. The ceiling was also inspired by the fact that the ceiling of the actual Gonjiam Asylum is made of wood, and the bark was intentionally removed to bring back the old feeling. The laboratory where the necromancer takes place in the movie was carefully set by calculating the spacing of the lines to create a magical space in which red threads with bells were tightly hung within a limited angle. In the bathroom scene on the 3rd floor, the cement bath in the abandoned school created an atmosphere similar to the real Gonjiam building, which was made with the feel of a government office in the 70s, and used it as it is to create a grotesque scene. Finally, Room 402, which was produced with the motif of two unopened rooms known to exist in Gonjiam Asylum, is an important place where the horror of the movie explodes, so it is the space where the production team and the director put much thought and effort. The bizarre graffiti on the iron gate was made by the crew to make it look like a trace of several people visited, and the interior space was made in a minimalist structure to create a secret atmosphere that was not opened for a long time unlike other spaces. In particular, every time the members of the horror experience group entered, a different atmosphere was created to create a warped space and a supernatural and mysterious atmosphere.

#3. No background music, no sound effects!
A raw horror created only by the sound of the scene!
Background music and sound effects are one of the common ways to maximize a terrifying situation in a horror movie. However, as it proposes a new concept of 'experience fear', <Gonjiam> uses only 'ambience' called spatial sound, excluding all background music and sound effects. The film increases the dependence on hearing while limiting the field of view by using the perspective camera angle of the actors who explore the ruins by relying on subtle lighting in the pitch-black midnight. The film creates a sharp tension with only the sound of the scene and raises the audience's immersion by raising the sense of touch. The sound of water droplets falling while moving from place to place, the sound of a door closing, the sound of an object moving, the sound of a camera flash exploding, the sound of footsteps and breathing of actors, etc. It amplifies, stimulates the imagination, and elevates fear to its peak. As a result, the film creates a high-density tension and thrill with only the sound of the scene and space, not the artificially added sound, leading the audience to become a member of the horror experience group. The audience will also experience complete horror in the fear of a mysterious existence that will not know when or where it will come.

#4. The most perfect encounter in horror genre history, <Gonjiam> and Screen X!
The ultimate horror designed and completed from the shooting stage!
<Gonjiam> is a movie that was prepared for ScreenX screening from the filming stage so that you can experience the maximum level of fear. ScreenX is the world's first multi-screening system developed by CJ CGV and KAIST, and it is a system that shows images on three sides by connecting the screen to the front, left and right walls. <Gonjiam>, which captures the extreme horror that unfolds throughout the interior of the Gonjiam Asylum, is also a work that can maximize the merits of ScreenX screening. The moment the corridors and wards of Gonjiam Mental Hospital are spread out on three screens, the audience will fall into the illusion of being part of a horror experience group beyond just watching a movie. In particular, in the movie's climax scene, the main actors directly hold and act with a screen X cam, providing an extremely immersive feeling. <Gonjiam>, which implemented the ScreenX effect, which has evolved to a higher level than the technology of <Train to Busan>, which realized the space inside a moving train through sources shot with a normal camera, is more realistic by filming the confined space of a mental hospital with the ScreenX Cam. and constructed a three-dimensional screen. Thanks to this, scenes that cannot be seen during 2D viewing will appear and disappear on the Screen X side screen, stimulating the imagination of the audience. The scene composition in which the live broadcast of the horror experience group in the play is implemented on the 'Horror Times' website is also special. The streaming scene in which the experience group appears is located in front of the screen like a normal movie, but the real-time search word window and the comment window are simultaneously displayed on the left and right side screens, maximizing the enjoyment of the scene in the YouTube broadcasting concept.