Interview with Young Man Kang,
director of Kimchi Warrior animation series
by DANIEL TODORAN-RARES on Mar 20, 2013 •
Young Man KangWhat experiences do you have in animation? What does this art mean to you, Mr. Young Man Kang?
As a filmmaker, I have made it a priority to have experience in both live-action & CG animation, as even live-action films need CG effects. So one has to understand both CG and animation to direct a successful movie.
My first experience with animation was during my college years in Seoul, Korea. I concentrated on the meticulous art of clay animation. My graduation project was created using various clay materials and was shot with a 16mm Bolex Camera. The Bolex camera has the ability to shoot in stop-motion frames.
There were no CG effects around at the time.
My second animation experience was in 2005, when I directed a 6-minute trailer using 3D animation in Chennai, India. I stayed in Chennai for about 6 months and had an amazing experience working in a completely different culture.
I had the opportunity to work with close-to 60 Indian animators who helped me better understand the new culture, as well as, have a stronger grasp on CG technology. Most specifically, I was able to learn the painstaking process of creating digital creatures.
Preproduction and ADR (Audio Dialogue Recording) took place in Hollywood, California. Soon after, all of the pre-production materials were brought to India.
There, the whole creation of the film’s cinema graphics occurred. Under my direction, the India team completed the film that was then transferred into 35-mm film.
Overall, this experience was very valuable for my future film endeavors that also required CG animation. Moreover, it allowed me to better understand the whole process as a filmmaker.
Kimchi WarriorWhat can you tell me about Kimchi Warrior? Is it an animation series exclusive for the Internet? Where can we see Kimchi Warrior? How many episodes are in this series? Who produced it? What animation techniques were used for this production? What kinds of difficulties did you encounter in creating Kimchi Warrior?
Kimchi is one of the world’s top 5 healthiest foods. It is believed it even prevented the outbreak of SARS in South Korea. Kimchi’s probiotics protect the body against even the worst viruses and bacteria.
So when I was developing a new character for my animation, I wanted to promote Kimchi and Tae Kwon Do into the world of entertainment. This was the birth of the Kimchi Warrior superhero.
Based on the premise of Popeye, Kimchi Warrior obtains supernatural powers by eating Kimchi. He strives to defend our health from the world’s most notorious diseases like Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease, Malaria, SARS etc.
Kimchi Warrior has received international recognition and is currently live on YouTube with 15 episodes. You can find episodes of Kimchi Warrior atwww.KimchiWarrior.com or just search “Kimchi Warrior” on YouTube.
The animation’s production company, YMK Films of Los Angeles, and Young Man Kang, the producer/ director, has also received many awards.
With only a limited number of animators in both Los Angeles and India, the team was still able to produce 15 episodes within a year. The animation uses 2D animation with Flash, Photoshop, and After Effects. Only one character, the giant robot Onggi Bot, is in 3D. He was created by the very talented Christopher Nadolski, an animator who recently received an Academy Award for his visual effects in The Life of Pi.
We cast all voice-over actors in Hollywood. One noted voice-actor was Tim Colceri, the door gunner in Standley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.
The biggest difficulties of production were the extremely low budget and short time constraint. Still, with only $100,000 USD and a year of production, we made 15 episodes.
I really would like to thank to all of the voice-over actors and artists who graciously worked within our low budget restraint.
The Kimchi Warrior superhero saga continues on as a book series written by Cristina Ducu, a talented actress who also has experience in Korean culture.
The Onggi Bot animation will be screened at the biggest Onggi Festival in Olsan in May of 2013. “Onggi” are traditional earthenware vessels that store key fermented ingredients in Korean cuisine. Onggi vessels are porous with tiny holes that allow air to penetrate inside while still preserving ingredients for long periods of time.
Also, Canal Plus, a TV station in France will put Young Man Kang’s recent film activities and footage of Kimchi Warrior in their documentary. The documentary narrated by “Antoine de Caunes” introduces Korean culture to the French community and will air this May.
