BTS's Concert Director Reveals the Process of Organizing Group's Concerts
A concert director who worked with BTS for years reveals the process of organizing the superstars' concerts.
Keep on reading to know more.
Concert Director Reveals the Process of Organizing BTS's Concerts
On April 23, The Korea Times conducted an exclusive interview with BTS's concert director, Kim Sang Wook, who worked with the group from 2013 to 2019.
During the interview, it was revealed that he was one of the people who conceptualized many of the popular elements in BTS's concerts, such as the inflatable leopards that greeted the audience in BTS's "Dionysus" performances.
Live performance of 'Dionysus'
Kim Sang Wook and his team also conceptualized the giant plastic bubble Jimin sits in during his solo performance of "Serendipity." In addition, the concept of Jungkook being flown over the crowd supported by a harness during his solo performance of "Euphoria" was also the brainchild of Kim Sang Wook and his team.
Being able to be a part of directing a concert to one of South Korea's - even the world's biggest act was a golden opportunity and experience, Kim Sang Wook revealed.
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Jungkook performing 'Euphoria'
According to Kim Sang Wook, the workload when it comes to organizing and directing BTS's concerts was unbelievably heavy as it was the first time a K-Pop act would hold a concert on such a large scale around the world.
He adds that the most demanding thing that came with the responsibility is thinking beyond imagination to live up to everyone's expectations and the group's reputation. In order to provide something new and fresh for the audience, they did extensive research on Youtube and Google.
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When he was asked about the process behind directing one of the biggest K-Pop concerts yet, Kim Sang Wook reveals the complicated process and preparations that underwent for BTS's concerts. According to Kim Sang Wook, he and his team start preparations about two months to a year before a concert is held.
They begin by conducting meetings to talk about the overall concept of each event with the artists and their agency, where they would then propose an idea based on the size of the venue. After that, they would begin discussing the stage design and the flow of the setlist - in which they would have a lot of considerations to make, such as the storyline, flow, and how physically strenuous a song is.
After that, Kim Sang Wook and his team will begin contacting experts in certain fields such as lighting, special effects, and costumes after they have conceptualized the concert's elements. For example, for the lift used in Jungkook's "Euphoria," the team had to hire engineers and consult with them how long Jungkook could fly and where he should take off and land.
Kim Sang Wook also emphasizes on creating narratives in his works. Although it's not really something a concert director or producer gets asked to do, him and his team do so to add unique elements to storytelling through BTS's performances.
He first started working with BTS in 2013 for their debut showcase. He revealed that over the years when he reads reviews that praise BTS's concerts and hear the audience cheering, he feels rewarded.
In other news, Kim Sang Wook published a book titled "A Show Director's Logbook in K-pop Wave: From Clubs to Wembley Stadium, Directing Notes on K-pop Shows," which shares behind the scenes stories from his time as a concert director for BTS.
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Written by Robyn Joan
