Lee Cheol-ha
Encyclopedia
Lee Cheol-ha is a South Korean film director known for his stylish portraits of the human experience.
Born in South Korea
, Lee was raised in Seoul
. He eschewed the film school route, doing other hands-on work for commercial film productions. He next got a job at Sidus FNH in 1999 with his first screen credit being for Il Mare
as an assistant director
. He left Korea to study a film at Academy of Art University
in California
. One of his short film won 1st place at the College Emmy Awards.
After he graduated at Academy of Art University, he came back to Korea and direct commercial
s and music video
s. This quickly brought Lee to the attention of producer
s in Korea and he got the chance to direct a feature film
. Though he would continue to direct spots for companies like GM Daewoo Motors, Pantech Curitel
, CIGNA
, Global Gillette
, Innostream and Orion Confectionery
, Lee Cheol-ha soon discovered that the slightly expanded format of music video
s was an even better place to try things out.
With his sights set on a directing career, he made a video-production company H Films and started off directing music videos and commercials. Lee directed music videos for artists such as BoA
, TVXQ
, Kangta
, Shinhwa
, S.E.S., Jaurim
, Fly to the Sky
, S
and g.o.d.
, as well as commercials. Like a number of other music video directors, he then moved into film.
Lee Cheol-ha's feature debut was Love Me Not
(2006), which was then the most expensive picture ever made by a first time director. Unfortunately the film was not a pleasant experience for him, having had a bad critic with the people at Korea film industry. While it received Grand Bell Awards
nominations for Art Direction, Costume Design
and Best Leading Actress, the film was not well received by critic
s or movie goers.
Born in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Lee was raised in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. He eschewed the film school route, doing other hands-on work for commercial film productions. He next got a job at Sidus FNH in 1999 with his first screen credit being for Il Mare
Il Mare
Il Mare is a 2000 South Korean film, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae. The title, Il Mare, means "The Sea" in Italian, and is the name of the seaside house which is the setting of the story. The Korean title, Siworae is the Korean pronunciation of Hanja characters "時越愛", which means...
as an assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
. He left Korea to study a film at Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University
The Academy of Art University , a for-profit university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. One of his short film won 1st place at the College Emmy Awards.
After he graduated at Academy of Art University, he came back to Korea and direct commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
s and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. This quickly brought Lee to the attention of producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
s in Korea and he got the chance to direct a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
. Though he would continue to direct spots for companies like GM Daewoo Motors, Pantech Curitel
Pantech Curitel
Pantech Curitel is a South Korean company specializing in manufacturing mobile phones. It was established in 2000. Its market is mainly domestic, but Pantech Curitel also has interests in Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, China, India, Europe, Australia, Taiwan, USA, Mexico and Canada. It is currently the...
, CIGNA
CIGNA
Cigna , headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only to approximately 80 percent of its clients...
, Global Gillette
Global Gillette
Gillette is a brand of Procter & Gamble currently used for safety razors, among other personal care products. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was one of several brands originally owned by The Gillette Company, a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was...
, Innostream and Orion Confectionery
Orion Confectionery
Orion Confectionery Co, Ltd. is a confectionery company, headquartered in Munbae-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea. The company which is one of the three biggest food companies in Korea was established in 1956 and Orion has manufacturing facilities in Seoul, Iksan Jeollanam-do and cities in China,...
, Lee Cheol-ha soon discovered that the slightly expanded format of music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s was an even better place to try things out.
With his sights set on a directing career, he made a video-production company H Films and started off directing music videos and commercials. Lee directed music videos for artists such as BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
, TVXQ
TVXQ
TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
, Kangta
Kangta
Ahn Chil-Hyun , better known by his stage name Kangta is a South Korean pop, R&B singer, first known as the lead singer the boy band H.O.T. ....
, Shinhwa
Shinhwa
Shinhwa is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members , and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, g.o.d., Turbo , Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S...
, S.E.S., Jaurim
Jaurim
Jaurim is a rock band from Seoul, South Korea. They had performed in the indie scene before 1997, and became major with their first released single 'Hey Hey Hey'...
, Fly to the Sky
Fly to the Sky
Fly to the Sky was a South Korean R&B duo, consisting of Korean American Brian Joo and South Korean native Hwanhee.Initially marketed as a duo that can sing, rap, and dance, their early works featured bubblegum pop and upbeat techno music. The duo later changed their image and style with the...
, S
S (group)
S was a South Korean project group consisting of three members: Kangta, Lee Ji Hoon and Shin Hye Sung. The group was active only in 2003, under the SM Entertainment label.-History:...
and g.o.d.
G.o.d.
g.o.d. was a Korean pop music group. The name is an acronym for Groove Over Dose. Their name is lower cased to avoid confusion with God. The group was one of the few groups to have an album become a "million seller" in K-pop. The members have gone to solo careers after dis-forming.- Career:The...
, as well as commercials. Like a number of other music video directors, he then moved into film.
Lee Cheol-ha's feature debut was Love Me Not
Love Me Not
Love Me Not is a 2006 South Korean romance film directed by Lee Cheol-ha and starring Moon Geun-young and Kim Joo-hyuk. It is based on the 2002 TBS Japanese drama 愛なんていらねぇよ、夏 , featuring Ryōko Hirosue.- Plot summary :Julian has lived off with the money he lures from his rich female customers...
(2006), which was then the most expensive picture ever made by a first time director. Unfortunately the film was not a pleasant experience for him, having had a bad critic with the people at Korea film industry. While it received Grand Bell Awards
Grand Bell Awards
The Grand Bell Awards is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea....
nominations for Art Direction, Costume Design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
and Best Leading Actress, the film was not well received by critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s or movie goers.
Filmography
- The Toothbrush (1997)
- Teensmoker (1998)
- O[ou] (1999)
- My Tear (1999)
- Like (2000)
- Love Me NotLove Me NotLove Me Not is a 2006 South Korean romance film directed by Lee Cheol-ha and starring Moon Geun-young and Kim Joo-hyuk. It is based on the 2002 TBS Japanese drama 愛なんていらねぇよ、夏 , featuring Ryōko Hirosue.- Plot summary :Julian has lived off with the money he lures from his rich female customers...
(2006) - Story of WineStory of WineStory of Wine is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Lee Cheol-ha and starring Lee Ki-woo .-Profile:* Movie: Story of Wine* Revised romanization: Seutori Obeu Wain* Hangul: 스토리 오브 와인...
(2008) - Stray CatsStray Cats (film)Stray Cats is a 2009 South Korean short film directed by Lee Cheol-ha and starring Kim Byul.-Cast:* Kim Byul* Choi Jin-ho* Jung Gyae-soon* Cho Jae-yoon...
(2009) - Pricked Grape Prince (2009)
- Meet (2010)
- Pyega (2010)
Awards
- ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 1999 (1st Place) - The Confessional (1999)
- ATAS Foundation College Television Awards 2000 (3rd Place) - O[ou] (1999)
- 12th Sonoma International Film FestivalSonoma Valley Film FestivalThe Sonoma Valley Film Festival traditionally takes place in April in Sonoma, California and is hosted by the Sonoma Valley Film Society. The 10th anniversary of the film festival in 2007 honored two-time Academy Award winning director John Lasseter of Pixar and Disney Animation studios.The 11th...
2009 (Official Selection) - Story of WineStory of WineStory of Wine is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Lee Cheol-ha and starring Lee Ki-woo .-Profile:* Movie: Story of Wine* Revised romanization: Seutori Obeu Wain* Hangul: 스토리 오브 와인...
(2009)
External links
- Lee Cheol-ha at Asian Movies Catalogue