[Exclusive]SBS Director of Photography Yeom Han-rim: "YouTuber Rooster Case, 'That Unknown' Trial Cited... It Was Rewarding"[★Research Institute][Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

[Editor’s Note] [★Research Institute] StarNews meets with individuals driving the entertainment industry to uncover their unique expertise and success strategies. We introduce the practical experience and philosophy of those who quietly pave the way behind glamorous stars.

SBS Director of Photography Yeom Han-rim revealed the reason he came to view the world through a camera.

Recently, StarNews met with Yeom Han-rim at an unspecified location in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and engaged in various conversations.

Yeom, who joined SBS in 2020, is currently affiliated with the Video Production Team of the A&T Broadcasting Production Division at SBS. He has participated in numerous programs including "That Unknown" (hereinafter "That Unknown"), "The Story of That Day Following the Tail" (hereinafter "Tail Story"), "While You Are Being Deceived" (hereinafter "Deception"), "Genius Discovery Team Infinity," "Crazy Even If It's Women's Baseball," "Ji-seon's Cinema Mind," and "Strong Heart VS."

In particular, "That Unknown" has established itself as a representative investigative reporting program beloved by viewers since its first broadcast in 1992, covering diverse fields such as society, religion, and unsolved cases. Director of Photography Yeom captured the truth through his camera in socially significant episodes including Episode 1353 "The Suspicious Hospital of the Chairman - The Truth Behind Seo Se-won's Death," Episode 1372 "Whip and Training - The Murder Case of the American Army of Christ," Episode 1435 "The Fugitive on the Streets, 1653 Days of Pursuit," and Episode 1488 "Fallen Dreams, The Penthouse - A Fraud Case Involving 15 Billion Won."

Regarding his participation in educational programs such as "That Unknown," "Tail Story," and "Deception," Director of Photography Yeom stated, "I believe all these programs are connected by a common root. The first program I joined after entering the company was 'Tail Story,' and I made my debut with 'Deception 2.' After learning about tone and manner through 'Ji-seon's Cinema Mind,' I joined the 'That Unknown' team."

Additionally, he has a significant history of participating in variety programs such as "My Little Old," "Same Bed Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny," "Strong Heart VS," and "Sunmi's Show! Interview." Among these, Director of Photography Yeom specifically highlighted "Crazy Even If It's Women's Baseball," which aired in January this year.

He said, "I became connected with PD Do Jun-woo, who directed 'That Unknown That Unknown' and 'Ji-seon's Cinema Mind,' and joined as the main director for 'Crazy Even If It's Women's Baseball.' When filming sports, especially baseball games, equipment configurations such as lenses inevitably change. Since color grading plays a smaller role in post-production, it was also important to establish the right tone and manner from the beginning. Moreover, being able to respond immediately to situations (as with any sports event) was crucial; however, above all else, it was extremely hot during filming. It was maddeningly hot," he confessed with a smile.

He continued, "I remember having many discussions with the PD and writers about how much of the planned structure the director of photography could capture. We always kept in mind that the main focus should be on players training and competing, and we approached filming with this in mind."

The program occupying the largest portion of Director of Photography Yeom's filmography is undoubtedly "That Unknown." He stated, "I am drawn to documentaries as a genre that aligns with my personality and interests. It is interesting because it captures realistic situations through cameras and visual language. Especially in the case of 'That Unknown' reenactments, since factual content is reconstructed into fiction, exaggeration or underexpression must be avoided. I believe 'reenactment' is the most important device for expressing the seriousness of an incident."

Among the "That Unknown" episodes he has filmed, Episode 1435, "The Fugitive on the Streets, 1653 Days of Pursuit," stands out as particularly memorable. This broadcast drew significant attention by focusing intensively on the whereabouts of so-called "street fugitives" who evaded imprisonment despite final sentencing.

When asked about the reason, he replied, "This episode was made possible through the cooperation of investigators from the Prosecution Service. Naturally, facing criminals created tension, and finding leads was initially difficult. However, as always, the answer lies in the field. When filming such episodes, we sometimes use hidden cameras like Daejeon or GoPro to avoid detection. Through filming, a drug offender was incarcerated at Seoul Detention Center, and I felt a great sense of reward in such moments."

He added, "Fortunately, there have been few instances where we were exposed to dangerous situations. However, depending on the case, we sometimes meet victims or their families, which often makes me feel a strong sense of responsibility."

Director of Photography Yeom also contributed to Episode 1472 of "That Unknown," titled "Supercars and Lies - The Mystery of the Kidnapping of a YouTuber with 1 Million Subscribers," which aired in January and generated significant buzz. This episode covered the case where YouTuber Rooster, who had 1 million subscribers, was kidnapped and murdered. Although Rooster suffered serious injuries from assault, he fortunately survived without life-threatening harm.

Director of Photography Yeom stated, "In this case, the content investigated by 'That Unknown' was cited in court. As a result, some perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment in the first-instance ruling. Seeing that the diligent efforts of the production team (helped the victims) and led to appropriate punishment for the perpetrators brought great satisfaction."

One indispensable element of "That Unknown" is its reenactment scenes. Since it is a program dealing with actual incidents, these reenactments serve as one of the 'devices' necessary to effectively convey events and situations to viewers. In fact, filming these reenactment scenes alone takes 2–3 days.

Director of Photography Yeom explained, "An editing plan is created based on the investigated content. Since sound is not included during reenactment filming, every detail of actors' performances, actions, and even small gestures plays a crucial role. Especially since reenactments must express short moments intermittently, it is important to capture key points well. Above all, we pay close attention because we must assist viewers in understanding."

Meanwhile, the SBS Special program "Escape Project, Gomsun Cafe," which aired in 2022, brought Director of Photography Yeom the honor of winning the New Director of Photography Award in the Documentary/Educational category at the 2022 Grimae Awards. This broadcast, which dealt with the social adaptation process of a shut-in, generated significant public reaction upon airing.

Regarding this, Director of Photography Yeom said, "This was a program made possible through the help, encouragement, and support of many seniors. Initially, it took time to build rapport with the participants, but we naturally became close over time. I am sincerely grateful to those who stepped out of their isolated situations, which makes the award even more meaningful."

He continued, "I believe this program also holds significance in that it was able to comfortably address the social issue of shut-ins through 'Gomsun Cafe.' For the participants' interviews, I wanted to capture their sincerity without any artificial techniques, emphasizing their appearances solely through lighting. I created a visually appealing environment with the hope that viewers could focus entirely on them."

He added, "The most impressive and rewarding moments in this work occur when society changes or when social voices are raised. The very ability to do such work is itself rewarding."

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*This content was translated by AI.