[Limelight] "Seolleung Made by Digging Ground and Pumping Water, Looks Real, Right?"

Film 'Dogul' Art Director Shin Yoo-jin Realistically Crafts Stolen Artifacts with Thorough Verification
"Challenging Work to Avoid Making Them Look Fake... Also Giving Special Meaning to Props"
Five Typhoons Pass While Building Seolleung Set "Team Members Covered in Dirt Every Day, Grateful"

The movie "Dogul" features various cultural heritage artifacts. The Hwangyeongsa gilt-bronze Buddha statue, Goguryeo tomb murals, Seoul Seolleung... The protagonist Kang Dong-gu (Lee Je-hoon) gathers experts from various fields, including Dr. Jones (Jo Woo-jin) and Sapdari (Im Won-hee), to steal major valuables.

To give significance to the simulation and crime, above all, the forgeries must appear as genuine as the originals. The production company Siren Pictures entrusted this important task to art director Shin Yoo-jin. They highly valued her experience accumulated from historical films such as "The Royal Tailor" (2014) and "The Swordsman" (2020). They also noted her ability to highlight characters' personalities through spaces and props in films like "Office" (2014) and "Your Name is Rose" (2018).

Director Shin created various cultural assets realistically through thorough verification and interpretation. Additionally, she arranged various props in different spaces to give special meanings. This is another visual element to pay attention to in a film that maintains a lively rhythm throughout.

- The depiction of cultural heritage in modern dramas differs greatly from that in historical dramas. The forgeries must be indistinguishable from the originals we are familiar with. The traces of time must also be evident.

"Making them not look fake was a challenging task. I paid a lot of attention to verification. I visited museums and libraries multiple times to lay the foundation for the design. During production, I received help from writer Ryu Seon-gyu, who wrote the script, and experts restoring cultural assets. Fortunately, they appear like real artifacts in the film."

- The nine-story stone pagoda of Hwangyeongsa appears first. It reminded me of the eight-sided nine-story pagoda of Woljeongsa from the early Goryeo period.

"The scenario states that it was built during the Goryeo period. In the news footage, a reporter says, 'Inside the excavated nine-story pagoda of Hwangyeongsa, it is presumed there were a Buddha statue and a sarira reliquary from the Goryeo era.' We referenced many characteristics of pagodas built at that time. The size and shape were designed based on actual images and architectural styles of the period. The special props team handled the production. They secured and created an actual temple space to minimize any sense of fiction."

- The hotel basement storage of Jin Sang-gil (Song Young-chang), where antique art pieces and relics are exhibited, was specially arranged.

"In the scenario, it was just a simple warehouse. To highlight Jin Sang-gil's greedy personality, a feeling like a private museum was needed. I proposed a new concept to director Park Jung-bae, decorating the space stylishly with advanced sensors attached. We worked meticulously to give the corridor a sterilized feel. Director Park liked it so much that he even added lines for the safe technician. He explains various functions to Jin Sang-gil, saying, 'Temperature, humidity, and light intensity are automatically adjusted according to seasonal changes.' The interior was filled with various cultural assets and replicas. We were able to achieve this with help from antique dealers and relic restoration experts."

- Among the many cultural assets, the portrait of King Sejong stands out. It looks quite different from the familiar face we know.

"The original portrait was preserved until the Imjin War (1592?1598) but was lost afterward. Since there was room for different expressions from the standard portrait, we made it resemble Kang Dong-gu's face. An Oriental painting artist worked hard on this."

- The junk shop of Mangi (Joo Jin-mo), where Kang Dong-gu grew up, was unique. Unlike typical junk shops or recycling centers, it had old televisions, typewriters, telephones, and more.

"This was to express Mangi's personality. I wanted to give the feeling of a warm father who treats old things with care. So, we named it 'Treasure Junk Shop.' I hoped the idea that old things can become treasures over time would be evident throughout. The filming took place in an actual junk shop. It took a week just to rearrange the items. It was a difficult task, but I am satisfied that it gave a warm feeling to Mangi's family."

- The most impressive space was the interior of the Goguryeo tomb. I heard you referenced Anak No. 3 Tomb in Anak County, Hwanghae Province.

"Although it is a widely known cultural asset, there was not much related material. We barely obtained help from a museum that had exhibited Goguryeo tomb murals. We also referred to photos of well-known hunting scenes, dance scenes, and four guardian spirits. Director Park Jung-bae wanted to fill the walls with paintings to give a grand feeling. This was only possible by selecting and reorganizing necessary parts from late Goguryeo tomb murals. It took about a month to complete the paintings. Many active artists collaborated on set to express even the aged feeling."

- You also placed tomb murals on the ceiling. They appear only once in a full shot where Kang Dong-gu shines a lantern inside.

"We made it a wooden ceiling. Due to production conditions, we couldn't compose all the tomb murals as paintings. We printed paper in appropriate color tones and attached it to the ceiling, asking active artists to express an aged feeling."

- You also built a set for Seoul Seolleung. I heard more than 500 tons of soil were used.

"The production team found an environment similar to Seolleung in Gijang, Busan. Seolleung is a well-maintained historic site. To recreate such a space as a set, the ground had to be newly compacted from the bottom up. The construction took about two months. It was made in summer, but we faced considerable difficulties as five typhoons passed through. Rainwater filled the dug pits, and we had to bail water out several times. I was anxious that the ground might collapse."

- Filming in tunnels is no easy task. You have to secure space not only for cameras but also for actors' movements in cramped areas.

"It was a tough job for both actors and staff. Various camera angles were required inside the narrow tunnel. We made places that could open and close like doors here and there, but every time we closed them, we had to fill the gaps with soil. The art team members had to go in and out of the narrow, soil-covered tunnel repeatedly."

- It seems you gained a lot from the hard work.

"What I remember most is pouring water all at once into the pit dug in the ground. I thought a lot about how to make the pit look real. I think I gained know-how through this complicated process. It was a task possible because of the art team friends working together. I want to say thank you for enduring the hard work in the hot weather."