[Yetterview] "I want to make a variety show like 'Slam Dunk' in the soccer world".

Producer Cho Hyojin of "Shooting Star".

"I don't know basketball, but 'Slam Dunk' is fun."

Coupang Play's original "Shooting Star" is a program that dreams of becoming an entertainment show that even people who don't know soccer can enjoy, just like "Slam Dunk," the epitome of basketball comics.

'Shooting Star' is about legendary players who represented the K League gathering as a team again to try to play active roles. It started with the proposal of general manager Park Ji-sung and raised expectations by accepting coach Choi Yong-soo and joining coach Seol Ki-hyun. In the first episode, which was released on the 22nd of last month, the formation of a team of players from FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung, the representative rival teams of the K-League, evoked nostalgia and excitement among fans.

"Shooting Star," which has finished broadcasting until episode 4, features elements that can make viewers who don't really know soccer well. The first game reminded the past of the spectacular careers of soccer stars, but also heated the hearts of viewers by showing the sweat and passion caused by new challenges. The story of the opposing team's players, who did not let go of soccer while exercising during the day and working part-time in the evening, resonated with viewers who did not know soccer well. As the game goes on, the players who are looking for their skills in the past make you feel joy.

The tearful re-challenge of retired players who left behind the glory of the past, the struggle of lower league teams to move forward, and the story of those who grow up fighting together are certainly subjects that many people will love. Producer Cho Hyo-jin, who directed the program, and Choi Yong-soo, who led the soccer team, delivered sincere words in the interview, hoping that the undoubtedly passion of the players would reach the audience.

Q. You are here as the director of "Shooting Star" and the director of "FC Shooting Star", how was your chemistry? PD Cho Hyo-jin (∀} (hereinafter referred to as Cho): There are two reasons why the director is so good. The first is someone who is more sincere than anyone else in soccer. Second, it plays a very large role in entertainment. "Why didn't this person do a lot of shows?" The players were rigid at first, but they easily adjusted to the program by communicating with the coach. He is truly a "woke leader." (laughs)
Director Choi Yong-soo (hereinafter Choi): There has never been any friction with the production team. It was refreshing to know how the program works. It's so comfortable to act as an overall control tower for this team, and he's good at dividing roles and seems like a wise friend. Article
: Wow, I've never heard compliments from the director before. Hahaha.

Q. I can feel the intention to promote the K-League. Article
: The most pleasing comment was that a housewife in her 30s, who was not interested in soccer at all, felt 'I can do it' while watching this program. I wanted to convey well how we got here and how sincere we play soccer without playing soccer. The active players of the opposing team also said after the game, "I didn't know they would do it this seriously." When our players go on the ground, they say, "I don't think it's an entertainment show, I feel like I'm playing soccer." If you're not a soccer fan, you don't know that the K-League has K1 to K7. Starting with such basic knowledge, I want to know about various soccer. Even if you don't like basketball, just as "Slam Dunk" is fun, I want to spread the charm of soccer by reinforcing sports cartoon stories and characters.

Q. The first opponent was Yangju Civic Football Team. Group
: The first practice match is important, so I looked it up a lot and discussed with the coach as well. In the meantime, I found out that I played in K4, but I couldn't play at all due to financial difficulties. If you look at the cartoon, our team looks attractive only when the other team is attractive. I heard that the viewers also cheered for Yangju team a lot. But during the second E-Land, they cheered for us because we were beaten so loudly.(Laughs) All the teams worked really hard, so there was no fierce game every time. Even if I win, there are no easy games to win, and I don't have any easy games to lose. The opposing team's narrative will continue to come out in the future.

Q. Is there any difficulty in finding a place when there is no home stadium? Article
: The principle is that natural grass should be used because they are retired players and have a higher risk of injury. As a result, it was more difficult to get a stadium. Thankfully, however, after the broadcast, there have been many calls from professional clubs that they will open it unconditionally unless the dates overlap.

Q. You've done a lot of outdoor reality shows from "Running Man" to "The Zone," so how do you feel about doing sports entertainment shows? Group
: This entertainment show was very comfortable on the spot because director Choi was present. Among us, the implicit rule does not touch anything for 30 minutes before entering the game and does the same as the actual game. This is because breaking players' routines can affect the game. At that time, I didn't even talk to the director. It's a fresh experience for me as well. Honestly, as an entertainment producer, I think, "We have to lose a little this time, so we'll have a sports-dramatic picture that we're going to step up next time," but when we go into the game, we can't predict it and just cheer for it. The programs I did before were very different and fun because I was in the soccer game if I put celebrities in it. Meanwhile, in the part of conveying the players' stories and characters, the experiences of existing entertainment programs helped.

Q. How did the 'FC Shooting Star' players react after the broadcast was released? Group
: The players have really good reactions. First, the family likes it very much. In the case of young children, they didn't recognize how famous their father was, so they heard a lot about their father being cool while watching this. It's an entertainment show, but I tried to deal with the game very realistically, so I heard that fellow players complimented it and said it was fun.

Q. How do I decide the order of league matches? Article
: Completely consulted with the opposing teams. I'm very grateful that they're playing against us while they're playing in the league. Since the opponent team should not be harmed, they arranged the order by recruiting when there is no game or setting the schedule over the recovery period. The opposing teams also said, "I still have this passion and I didn't know that I would do it sincerely." He said, "We're learning a lot, too."

Q. I can feel the liveliness of the video. Is there a special filming technique? Article
: The most important thing as a director was that players should not feel uncomfortable. So, the body cam was also disassembled and assembled from the market and made a new one. They also completed tests to see if there were any inconveniences to the players. In addition, he wanted to show an angle that could not be seen in an actual game, so he asked the players for their understanding and followed it to the ball point of view using a drone. However, some viewers are not familiar with soccer, so I am refraining from directing it, but I want to use it more actively in the future.

Q. Do you have any drawings for season 2?
: It's not confirmed yet, but director Choi must be with us. If we do season 2, it means that we have known more about Korean soccer, and that the viewers are also interested in Korean soccer, so I want to play that role better. I also want to talk about the future of youth players and the second act of retired players.

[Photo = Courtesy of Coupang Play]

* YTN star receives reports related to celebrities and people in the entertainment industry. Please feel free to contact us at
ytnstar@ytn.co.kr . Thank you.