[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] There is an increasing number of cases where novels are written with video adaptation in mind from the planning stage. This differs from the past practice where popular works were later adapted into movies or dramas. Blossom Creative, an agency representing famous writers, is collaborating with CJ ENM on an IP discovery project. Publisher Saentgagak has partnered with the OTT service Watcha, and publisher Dongasia has joined forces with the story development company 21 Studio.
Beyond individual writers, there are cases where expert groups jointly plan to discover original intellectual property (IP). The first appearance of a domestic IP development company was in 2011, with Gozneok ENT as the pioneer. Experts familiar with video grammar collaborate with writers to ‘co-write’ novels, attempting a novel approach. The agency represents about 150 writers and signed twelve video adaptation contracts last year alone. They also achieved the milestone of exporting US rights. We asked Yoon Seung-il, director of Gozneok ENT, about the increasing trend of writing novels for video adaptation.
- Recently, many works tailored for video adaptation have emerged. There is also a noticeable increase in contests.
▲ Hollywood has been doing this for decades. Japan started roughly 20 years ago. Large markets like Hollywood have high demand for works. Considering video adaptation from the planning stage shortens the time to produce scripts. Recently, with the growing influence of OTT platforms, interest has increased domestically as well. The process is becoming systematized to shorten video adaptation time. The drama of the same name based on the web novel ‘Sanaematsun’ is a recent example.
- Gozneok ENT is a ‘genre novel IP development company.’ That sounds a bit unfamiliar.
▲ It is a company that develops IP suitable for video based on web novels. It is both a publisher and a content developer. The main task is OSMU (one source multi-use) content development. From the planning stage, a PD (video expert) joins to co-write the work with the author.
- The concept of ‘co-writing’ a work is also unfamiliar.
▲ When writers write novels, it is not easy to consider the reader’s perspective. Of course, they try, but writers tend to focus on expressing the world they envision. Writing a novel with a video adaptation perspective is a completely different concept. PDs assist with that. Most works are decided from the start whether they are for drama or film. We were the first in Korea to start this system. For this to work, the writer must be given great trust. Only then will they follow with confidence. Currently, twenty-five works have signed film or drama contracts. Last year, the visual effects (VFX) company Wizwick Studio reached out (and acquired Gozneok ENT) because they highly valued this potential.
- What is the biggest difference between novels for video adaptation and general novels?
▲ Actually, there is not much difference. However, novels for video adaptation must be clear. They must not be ambiguous. The characters’ outlines must be distinct. Sometimes novels have unclear boundaries, but novels for video adaptation cannot be like that.
- But they are not screenplays either.
▲ First, they must satisfy readers as novels. They do not develop as quickly as screenplays or focus only on action. Fundamentally, they must remain novelistic. At the same time, the elements must be clearly presented.
- What are the advantages of writing for video adaptation?
▲ It can shorten the video production period. The cost is also reduced. Sometimes planning costs exceed rights fees, but this can be lowered. Korean films are doing well these days, and if the original stories are well supported, the film industry will flourish further.
- On the other hand, are there disadvantages? Could it lead to bias toward commercially profitable writing?
▲ With more contests, it might seem so. However, the basic goal is well-written novels, so there is little concern. Genre literature is not low quality. When people hear web novels or genre novels, they might think of amateurism, but the level is quite high. In fact, many of our writers debuted in the established literary circles. They did not enter this path for money. It is more of a new experimental approach.
- Still, isn’t it true that there is a higher possibility of earning more money than royalties?
▲ Of course, it is true that it is profitable. Although I cannot disclose exact figures, twelve contracts were made last year. The rights fees paid to writers range from 30 million to 100 million KRW per contract.
- Is overseas expansion also happening?
▲ There is indeed high interest in overseas markets. Recently, we signed a rights contract with a major US studio for the thriller novel ‘Cheonggyesan Jang’s Trial.’ It is the first Korean novel to be produced as a Hollywood TV series. While remakes were common before, now there is great interest in original source content from publications. We have video calls several times a year with Warner Bros., a US film company. A direct channel has been established. We feel the growing interest in Korean content.
- What is the outlook?
▲ Continued growth is certain. In advanced markets, the original source is a novel. To create video content, original source stories are essential. The importance of stories will continue to increase.
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