Meeting the Producer of "Train to Busan"

Everyone knows the 2016 South Korean movie Train to Busan (TTB) – its popularity even inspired us Singaporeans to come up with our very own “Train to Bishan” meme!

And that's why we were really pleasantly surprised and honoured when we learned that we were going to be able to meet the producer of the film, Mr Lee Dong-ha. We even had the great privilege to sit down with him and ask him whatever questions we had!

After introducing himself and showcasing some of his impressive works, he went through with us about the successes that TTB brought – even providing us statistics from every country it was released in. We then had a very insightful Q&A section, where the floor was opened for us to ask questions related to film production and what contributed to his success as a producer.

The entire interview was translated by our lecturer, Mr Douglas Kwon, and has been paraphrased where appropriate for better translation.

What was your thought process behind TTB?

“I never expected the commercial success of TTB. I can only hope that I will be recognised for making good movies, producing good movies. I am just awaiting, like what is the interesting and funny movie to produce after all the long tries and finally, I made it.”

Why do you think TTB achieved the success that it did?

“We don’t focus on the zombies themselves, but also on a well-made disaster movie. People around the world would enjoy watching because (the movie) is family-oriented and relatable. For example, the KTX train in Korea gives a common sense of feeling. However, what made it the success point of the movie was that the family-related aspects made the film more appealing and touching to a wider audience, and not just the thrilling aspects of it.“

One of the key aspects of TTB’s success is its state-of-the-art CGI and special effects production. Before they even started to produce the film, they first found their visual effects team. Once they had figured out the CGI, makeup and hired a zombie choreographer, they started teaching the extras on how zombies walk, run and behave.

What do you need before choosing what content to produce?

“Something new and different, something with uniqueness. It is not just a drama, but a showcase emotions.”

James Wan, a director, wants to make a United States (US) remake of TTB. Do you think it is necessary?

“I think it’s better to have a film remake.”

Are you worried that the US remake would lose the emotions in the film?

“There’s many remake movies that US does from Korea, but most of them aren’t successful. They have their own style and culture, so there’s no point in comparing. I am not worried too much about the remake, i’m just more worried and focused on the next part of TTB.”

What keeps you going, especially after the discouraging results you shared with us from the various films you released in the year of TTB?

“I always question myself once a film is finished: Can I go for the next movie? But with all the interesting content I want to produce and interesting stories that come to mind every time I finish a film, I’m always determined to produce more films.”

What advice would you give to young producers/directors?

“First, find good content – it is the basic foundation of starting out. The next important aspect would be to find a good director. He also highlights how with good content, you can work with any kind of director.

Producer-wise, finding and developing content is the most important thing.

He also thinks that with globalisation, a lot of Hollywood people ask for their content to be produced in Korea and Japan. As compared to decades ago, comparing and developing content is easier as it just requires co-production and exchanging ideas.”

"I never expected the commercial success of Train to Busan. I can only hope that I will be recognised for making good movies, producing good movies." – Mr Lee Dong-ha