IDOLS | Korean Short Film Cinematography

I worked as Director of Photography (DoP) on IDOLS, a short film written and directed by MatT Halsall and produced by Pierce Conran, with Hojo Shin taking on the dual lead role of aspiring K-pop idol Kim Min-ha and superstar Park Hye-mi.

Set against the world of Korean pop culture, IDOLS explores identity, ambition and the destructive need for recognition. The story follows a struggling wannabe K-pop idol whose resemblance to a successful star gives her access to the celebrity’s home, where their encounter develops into an increasingly violent confrontation.

The short was conceived as a proof of concept for a feature film, combining a contained, high-tension home-invasion story with the psychological dynamic of two women who look identical but occupy opposite sides of fame and success.

For the Korean short film cinematography, we wanted to create a heightened cinematic world while keeping the characters and their confrontation at the centre of the film. We shot IDOLS on the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF with Cooke Anamorphic/i Full Frame Plus lenses, using the large-format anamorphic image to bring texture, depth and a distinctive visual character to the confined setting. The cinematography plays with the contrast between the polished world of celebrity and the darker psychological territory beneath it.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

NILS CLAUSS

PRODUCTION

A PIKY PICTURES, ANOTHER THEATRE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAMANSA