K-Content Outpost, Meeting the Future of Studios

Visiting Paju CJ ENM Studio Center...
Built Excluding Touristic Elements, a Content Production Hub with High Demand
Large-Scale One-Stop Production System Produces 'Alchemy of Souls' and 'Little Women'
Realizing Content + Latest Technology 'Contech'... Dawn of the Virtual Production Era

The studio business is risky. Models linking open sets with tourism are proliferating rapidly. There is an oversupply that exceeds content demand. Construction costs are considerable. The increasing requirements for technology and equipment make reinvestment inevitable. The burden doubles with open sets. Once a film or drama ends, its status plummets sharply. Tourist numbers drop drastically, often turning the site into an eyesore. China, like Hollywood in the United States, builds large-scale studios to enhance tourism appeal. However, only 5% of these studios turn a profit. They fail to differentiate their buildings and cluster related industries, leading to neglect by tourists. They also face criticism for damaging nature.

◆Content Production Hub with Overflowing Demand

On the 5th, the CJ ENM Studio Center in Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, was unveiled without any tourism elements. It was faithfully developed to focus on its original purpose: content production and research & development (R&D). On a site area of 211,570㎡ (64,000 pyeong), there are thirteen indoor sets, open sets, permanent sets, an art center, conference rooms, restaurants, cafes, waiting rooms, makeup rooms, and parking lots, all neatly constructed.

The large-scale one-stop production system was possible because sufficient demand was guaranteed. CJ ENM recorded its highest-ever sales (3.5524 trillion KRW) and operating profit (296.9 billion KRW) last year. The media sector led this growth, with sales of 1.7745 trillion KRW and operating profit of 166.5 billion KRW, showing strong performance. This year, about 860 billion KRW will be invested. Across channels and online video services (OTT), more than 2,500 hours of content will be produced.

The Studio Center is an outpost to realize ambitious goals. Currently, six dramas including ‘Alchemy of Souls’, ‘Little Women’, and ‘Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-poong’ are in production. Film, variety shows, music, and advertising productions are also being prepared. It offers ample space and the latest equipment, allowing for wide-ranging use. Notably, five sets are the largest in Korea (5,289㎡ / 1,600 pyeong). Their effective height (19.6m) is substantial, enabling the production of K-pop programs that require diverse visual expressions.

Han Eung-su, head of CJ ENM’s Corporate Communication Team, said, "We successfully held the global music awards ‘MAMA’ at the end of last year." The other six and five sets measure 2,644㎡ (800 pyeong) and 1,652㎡ (500 pyeong), respectively. In building 8, where ‘Alchemy of Souls’ is produced, key backgrounds such as Cheonbugwan, the constellation observatory, and Jang Wook’s (played by Lee Jae-wook) room are functionally connected. The production team moves around as easily as if they were at home, facilitating smooth filming.

Han added, "About twenty dramas are expected to be produced annually." This is about half of the forty dramas produced this year by Studio Dragon, a CJ ENM subsidiary. There is no economic difficulty in operation to the extent that studio expansion is being considered.

◆The Dawn of the Virtual Production Era

Kim Sang-yeop, head of CJ ENM Content R&D Center, introduced the Studio Center as a place where ‘ConTech’?the fusion of content and cutting-edge technology?is realized. The essence can be seen in building 2, the virtual production stage. The virtual backgrounds displayed on the Light Emitting Diode (LED) walls provide on-location-like realism and various camera angles.

Two LED walls are installed. The main LED wall is a horseshoe shape with a diameter of 20m and a height of 7.3m, composed of 2,200 monitors. The ceiling is also decorated with LEDs, enabling wide-angle shots in films and dramas. The sub LED wall is a straight shape measuring 20m in length and 3.6m in height. It is used for extended reality (XR) stages, commerce, and R&D. It can be used simultaneously with the main LED wall. For example, in the launch video ‘M’ produced by CJ ENM, shots emphasizing distant backgrounds were filmed on the main LED wall, while shots highlighting close-ups were taken on the sub LED wall. This spatial separation enables efficient work performance.

The LED wall model is Micro LED 1.68 Pitch. Micro LEDs are ultra-small LEDs with chip sizes below 100 micrometers. They outperform traditional LCDs in contrast ratio, response speed, color reproduction, viewing angle, brightness, resolution, and lifespan. They are made by connecting LED chips, so there are no size or shape limitations.

A Samsung Electronics official explained, "LED chips emit light themselves and form pixels, making them much thinner than LCD and OLED displays, and minimizing the risk of breakage when bent. Unlike OLEDs, which use organic materials and suffer from burn-in, Micro LEDs have a longer lifespan."

Jung Chang-ik, head of CJ ENM’s Virtual Production Team, added, "The color space (range of colors that can be displayed) is wide and the resolution is excellent. The image quality is about four times clearer than typical LED walls, and moir? effects (wavy patterns visible to the eye) are almost nonexistent." Without moir? effects, there is no need to use out-of-focus backgrounds (a technique where the background is intentionally blurred). This allows for natural depth in filming.

CJ ENM controls and resolves all management internally. They have hired a large number of specialists and built an optimal environment to support the Micro LED wall. Large air conditioners are installed behind the wall, and hoists (cranes for lifting objects) are sufficiently provided on the top floor of the three-story structure. The cameras used are Arri Alexa Mini LF models, which were used in films like ‘Eternals’ and ‘Dune’. They deliver smooth large images at a resolution of 4448×3096. The jib crane is a Super Techno Crane, favored by Hollywood studios, capable of silent movement up to 15 meters.

Technical issues are addressed in collaboration with Epic Games. By expanding the use of the real-time 3D production platform Unreal Engine, they develop technology to minimize the sense of incongruity. Jung said, "Thanks to Micro LED, basic problems have been solved. We only need to overcome the unfamiliar feeling caused by lighting," expressing confidence in early stabilization.

"Virtual production requires different lighting design compared to conventional filming. By conducting workshops for directors and cinematographers, we can solve detailed issues one by one. If we produce just one piece of content without incongruity, like ‘The Mandalorian’, concerns will turn into opportunities. We intend to be the main players in this."