[Interview] ‘Gosta Busta’ PD Park Joon-cheol Creates a New Performance Culture in the Untact Era

Singer Kim Tae-woo's YouTube Channel 'Gosta Busta' Project
Producer Park Joon-chul: "We Want to Become a Channel Brand That Delivers Unimaginable Stories Through Various Collaborations"

Kim Ho-jung, Na Tae-joo, Ahn Sung-hoon, and Insooni who appeared on 'Gosta Busta' / Photo by Gosta Busta

[Culture & Life Department Reporter Kim Hee-young] The performing arts, culture, and arts sectors have truly experienced a slump during the COVID-19 era. Performances that were scheduled one after another had to close because of large gatherings, and artists lost their stages. During these difficult times, there is a man who quit his stable job to create a project.

‘GoStar BuStar - Now Boarding’ planned by PD Park Jun-cheol is a mobile variety program where singer Kim Tae-woo travels to destinations, restaurants, or people guests want to meet, all from a 45-seat bus studio capable of producing multi-content.

The playful PD Park Jun-cheol is very curious about fun things. His Instagram is full of witty phrases and photos expressing himself. ‘GoStar BuStar,’ which contains everything about him, might have seemed reckless, but it has been growing steadily. We conducted an interview with PD Park Jun-cheol, who is creating a new performance culture in the untact era.

Q. I’m curious about the background of producing GoStar BuStar.

Before 2015, I first met singer Kim Tae-woo on a program called ‘Melon Radio Star DJ’ produced by my previous company Kakao M. Working with him, who had a natural talent as a DJ, we recognized each other’s passion and promised to do something together if the opportunity arose. Fate was decided at a bossam restaurant in Ilsan. In December 2019, after buying a bus and converting it into a studio with the producer of GoStar BuStar, we talked about making a show where we pick up people with stories, listen to their worries, and help solve them. At first, I felt disappointed because he was only looking at his phone without interest in my story. It turned out he was checking the bus price right there. (laughs)

Q. How was the preparation process afterward?

Both the producer and I were confident. The phrase ‘Now Boarding’ was created then. We had already decided that Kim Tae-woo would be the host. After the discussion, I immediately resigned the next month. We started preparing in March, the bus was completed in a month, and filming began in May.

Q. It must have been challenging to plan content connected with a large bus. Were there any difficulties during preparation?

There was no reference to consult when building the bus initially. We often say we are the world’s first, but there is no bus with a studio integrated with a kitchen anywhere. So, we spent a lot of time considering the form and structure during the design phase. Especially considering the tall stature of the main MC Kim Tae-woo, we simulated size, materials, and colors with CG. Through this meticulous work, the current bus was completed.

Q. These days, due to COVID-19, people’s movement is restricted. Starting GoStar BuStar during this time, were there any difficulties?

There were no difficulties from a production perspective. Because of COVID-19, outdoor filming and location shoots became difficult, but GoStar BuStar operates in a system isolated from the outside, so it is easy to rent venues even in places with restricted access recently. Although unintended, I think we created a studio highly useful in the COVID era. Since singers have no events, they want to appear on the program to communicate with people and perform live, which is an advantage. Of course, it would be a lie to say there were no hardships. The entire industry has shrunk, so originally planned outdoor busking performances (performances in front of the bus) and campus tours have been postponed a lot. There are many regrets, but I believe things will gradually improve.

Goods produced by 'Gosta Busta' / Photo by Gosta Busta

Q. You appeared briefly on Video Star, and it seems GoStar BuStar has merchandise. Are you interested in product content as well as music content? What was the reason for producing it?

I was really surprised when the logo first came out. Art director Son Beom-kwon, who oversaw the design, made the GoStar BuStar logo versatile so it could be attached anywhere. At first, we produced products with the logo to use as broadcast props. When a guest boards, the first thing they receive is a welcome drink mug and a reusable tumbler, short-sleeve T-shirts worn on filming days, ball caps actively reflecting Tae-woo’s opinions, snapbacks, and other products were made one by one to strengthen channel branding. However, the response from stars who appeared and viewers was quite good. We started selling them, and the response has been decent. We plan to release various products such as hoodies and keyrings in the future.

It’s fascinating that a YouTube channel can become a brand. Going through that process, I realized the limitless potential for content development and plan to study the ‘merchandise’ content field more and gradually expand.

Q. You collaborate with various celebrities. What are the goals and future plans for GoStar BuStar?

We aim for music content with ‘pleasant dignity’ and ‘sophisticated silliness’ never seen on YouTube. We believe our goal can be achieved by meeting protagonists with gem-like stories undiscovered by the world and capturing the scene with great music and delicious food. Actually, we didn’t build an expensive studio for a YouTube channel but started with the ambition of creating the lowest-cost broadcasting station. As a mobile platform, we want to plan and produce all forms of creative works possible and become a channel brand that tells unimaginable stories through diverse external collaborations.