Union Pictures CEO Taeho Kwon: "Connecting the Digital and Offline Worlds"

Last year, Union Pictures, a cultural venture company, supplied one out of every five concert and fan meeting IPs through Melon Ticket, one of Korea's major ticketing channels. They were also the team behind SK's first K-pop metaverse festival in Korea!

Until now, Union (www.unionpic.net)has collaborated with top-tier artists such as Kara's Han Seung-yeon, Heo Young-ji, FX's Luna, Lovelyz's Yoo Ji-ae, and 2NE1's Park Bom. They've also produced stages with numerous actors, including Lim Si-wan, Yoon Si-yoon, and Sung-hoon, creating diverse cultural content. Now, with the establishment of a dedicated K-pop XR/3D production team, they aim to create a separate digital team akin to Pixar.

Having navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taeho Kwon, CEO of Union, aims to establish Union as a global cultural venture. He recently shared his insights on the current state of cultural and entertainment content, as follows.

"I believe that Korea's cultural, entertainment, and performance content businesses need to undergo a significant transformation and expansion in two key areas. One is global digital projects, and the other is the establishment of these industries as complex cultural tourism content. 

Future cultural and entertainment content will leverage IT technology, communication speeds, content compression technologies, enhanced real-time stability, and declining infrastructure costs to create diverse real-time online collaboration examples. 

I envision a future where collaborative performances with individuals on the opposite side of the globe become commonplace. We'll also see animation characters and K-pop stars creating various entertainment content within virtual spaces. Looking ahead, I anticipate that performances will evolve from one-way events into integrated tourism content incorporating F&B, accommodation, and experiential activities."

What is the future direction of Union's cultural production?

"Union Picturesaspires to become a production company that brings excitement to people. Our initial steps will involve expanding K-pop experience tourism products combined with performances and developing digital projects such as virtual reality concerts, 3D character IPs, and dramas.

Next, we want to offer people experiences in places they may not be able to visit easily, such as space, the sky, or the depths of the ocean, through an 'avatar' project combined with artificial intelligence. 

Eventually, all of this will be consolidated and distributed through a single OTT channel, Union's 'Universe.' However, I believe it's essential not to lose sight of the fundamentals. During the period of expanding various core performance projects, we have undoubtedly experienced positive moments, but there have also been instances where we failed to satisfy our audience and areas where we could have been more meticulous.

I will never forget the moment I decided that 'my work is about creating moments of inspiration for people,' a decision made during my time as the lowest-ranking FD at a KBS outsourcing production company when I was 21 years old. I want to continue growing and striving to provide people with cultural experiences, opportunities, and comfort they haven't had before."

Currently, Union, in collaboration with Kakao, is involved in music and content distribution. Beyond the planning agency, Union also operates a multi-channel network (MCN), a management division that includes popular golfer Ahn So-hyun, and a joint venture with Virtual Production LLC in the United States, leading to its growth as a comprehensive content production company. They are currently seeking artists and partnerships to contribute to each expanding business area. [Email: ip@unionpic.net]

Source: People Gate https://www.peoplegate.co.kr/2023/10/blog-post_30.html