[Exclusive]NCT Zen, Jaemin to Top Actors.. Jeong Min-chae (CEO) "Short-form is a Mega Trend" [★Research Institute] [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

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

-Following Interview ①

In particular, Take One Company launched the global K-POP short-form platform 'KITZ' in January. Derived from 'Kinema Shortz', Kitz aims to be a space where users can enjoy sensory premium short-form dramas and K-POP content that feels like watching a movie. The premium short-form dramas promoted by Kitz are works starring K-POP artists produced by top-tier domestic production teams, characterized by beautiful cinematography and solid storytelling that differ from existing short-form dramas.

Kitz is strengthening its competitiveness by building its own content library, including 'Wind Up' starring NCT Zen and Jaemin, a premium short-form drama, 'Jump Boy LIVE' starring VERIVERY's Kang Min, and CRAVITY's Hyungjun's FMV content 'Kill the Romeo'.

Jeong Min-chae (CEO) confidently stated that the short-form drama format itself is a 'mega trend'. He said, "This is also connected to the difficulties in the content industry. In the past, people spent time watching dramas, movies, or playing games, but recently, especially young consumers, spend their time watching short-form content." He added, "I believe the trend of consuming content quickly through Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and short-form drama platforms has also influenced other content industries."

He further emphasized that rather than lamenting changes in consumer preferences, the industry must keep pace with market trends. While noting that China is the originator of the short-form drama market and is achieving tremendous success with a formula that stimulates dopamine and makes it addictive, he explained, "We decided not to simply follow this but to consider what our own competitiveness is."

The competitiveness unique to Korea that Jeong (CEO) envisioned was K-pop. He stated, "K-pop is a strength that China does not possess," and added, "I believed that utilizing actors and K-pop stars with global recognition and star power could provide sufficient competitiveness." He further noted, "Our company has built networks with various companies through existing businesses, and we also have a high understanding of fandoms, so we wanted to actively leverage these aspects."

Regarding K-pop stars, he said, "They have been systematically trained for years and are talented individuals. While they have sufficient acting talent, realistically, opportunities are scarce." He explained, "When entering a drama, they need to clear their schedules for about four to five months, but top idols nowadays find it difficult to spare such time, and their agencies often feel burdened."

He then viewed short-form dramas as a viable alternative to overcome these limitations. Jeong (CEO) explained, "The biggest advantage of the short-form drama production system is the ability to shoot quickly and efficiently. Since filming can be completed in as little as five days or up to ten days, I believed it is a field idols can fully challenge." He added, "In that sense, I saw it as a way to simultaneously meet market needs and the situations of artists."

He further emphasized, "However, we cannot release poor-quality videos, weak stories, or content that is merely provocative or has subpar visuals. Therefore, the prerequisite is to invest in production costs and have good directors, scripts, and staff."

They also discussed the casting process and methods. Jeong (CEO) said, "As we have maintained consistent relationships with various agencies, we naturally receive information about artists who have a strong will to act or have undergone training internally."

He continued, "After confirming schedule information in advance, we match and propose works from our various internal plans and scripts that fit well. Currently, about 40 to 50 plans and scripts are prepared with high quality. We aim to find the right points that align with each artist's needs, realism, and the direction of the work."

He also mentioned, "Sometimes, when we make a proposal, the artist recommends other artists instead. Jaemin and Zen also recommended working together with members from the same team." He added, "There are also cases where we propose based on the judgment that synergy will occur when working with a specific actor."

However, considerations varied by group and agency. Jeong (CEO) said, "Due to idol characteristics, some are hesitant about love stories or request not to appear in the same frame, while others do not mind much." He explained, "Each agency and group has different positions and situations."

He further explained, "Some places want characters that leverage their existing image, while others prefer roles that allow them to show a completely new side. Production methods are also being discussed in various ways, ranging from simple appearances to co-productions."

Although it is still too early to judge results after four months since launch, he expressed confidence in receiving meaningful initial responses. Jeong (CEO) said, "It is not on the level of China's major platforms, but among domestic platforms released so far, we have established ourselves the fastest and achieved results in terms of downloads and sales. Actual data shows this."

In particular, he revealed that the launch title 'Wind Up' received such a hot response on its first day that the server temporarily went down. He stated, "I believe the power of NCT Jaemin and Zen's fans was significant." He further explained, "A encouraging point is that the proportion of downloads and sales in the Southeast Asian market is quite high."

He continued, "Until now, the Southeast Asian market has been evaluated as having many users but not a large actual sales scale. However, in short-form dramas, the sales proportion is appearing quite high. Seeing this, I felt once again that this is a model that can sufficiently target that market."

He added, "This also means that the strategy utilizing K-pop stars has been effective to some extent."

Jeong (CEO) also expressed confidence regarding the content lineup to be released in the future. He stated, "In the future, new combinations of K-pop artists and actors will be prepared, and works by top actors who have not yet appeared in short-form dramas are also waiting. There are even works that have already finished filming."

However, he also revealed that there are realistic concerns felt by actors during the casting process. He said, "Actors sometimes worry that the moment the term 'short-form drama' is attached, the work might appear to be of a lower tier." He explained, "Therefore, we continuously explain that 'what we produce is different from the provocative short-form content people usually imagine.'"

He continued, "We are working with good directors and are not sparing production costs. Above all, we persuade them to read the script first. In fact, many change their minds after reading the script."

He added, "At first, there were actors who drew the line by saying, 'We do not do short-form,' but as we discuss the artistic quality and direction, more and more cases are being positively considered."

-Following Interview ③

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*This content was translated by AI.