Many K-pop music videos feel like being in a fantasy land. Who is the wizard who conjured these lucid dreams? The mind behind the design, the titular OZ? That would be prolific director, Samin Han.

Responsible for a multiplicity of famous music videos, in which he takes initial concepts and sculpts and molds them into lyrical realities, polished to a blinding sheen of bombast!

 

Born in Seoul to a creative family, Samin’s interests ranged from fashion to graphic design. He found himself working on the cutting room floor at MTV and Mnet (who’s also known for hosting the MAMA Awards), before branching out to direct music videos at YG Entertainment as early as 2011.

 

As a longstanding fixture in the YG Entertainment history books, he’s penned countless collabs with artists such as BigBang, BlackPink, 2NE1 and G-Dragon, giving life to some of their most seminal works. If producers like Teddy are synonymous with branding the YG sound, and stylists like Gee Eun are integral in crafting their wickedly imaginative fashion looks, then Samin has definitely helped to define and rewrite its cinematic universe.

 

Each video is a visual present waiting to be unwrapped with a click of the play button. Rearranging familiar elements into something fresh and evocative. Going from merely a taste of eye-candy to a full on visual feast!

 

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them yet, you'll be treated to layers of urban grit and a glamorous flow! And to those who have spotted his name appearing as the credits roll, it will likely call to mind the glitter and grunge of ‘Crooked’, the Malibu Harley-Quinn Dream House of ‘XOXO’, and ‘Bad Boy’s swagger-filled traipse beneath the metal canopy of New York. Depending on the track, he seamlessly highlights the emotion of the song while building out an immersive world that brings the listener right into the center of it all.

 

In the realm of K-pop, loyalty and talent are synonymous, so it’s not unusual for Samin to have done projects repeatedly with the same talented individuals. He’s enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the YG family, one of the original Big 3 labels, which has allowed him to expand and grow and also branch out to work with other bands and labels such as StayC and BoyNextDoor.

 

We eagerly await his next project! Though maybe this will tide you over until then :)

 

A sincere “Thank You!” to Samin for taking the time to answer our questions amidst his jam-packed schedule!

 

 

• I had read that you studied fine art since you were 10, it sounds like you were surrounded by awesome creativity ever since you were little! :) Can you tell us a bit about how that inspired you and your journey?

 

Yes, I studied various forms of fine art from childhood until I entered university, largely thanks to my mother, who had a deep passion for art.

 

I naturally had many opportunities to be exposed to different art works, and I think those experiences played a big role in shaping the aesthetic standards and sense of beauty that I have today.

 

 

• Your major was in fashion and graphic design, a lot of us want to know how did you pivot into directing?

 

Actually, becoming a director wasn’t originally my dream. I was studying fashion design and graphic design.

 

In college, I happened to receive my first camcorder as a gift, and I started playing with it—shooting and editing videos. I submitted some of those videos to contests held by music broadcasting stations, ended up

 

winning awards consecutively, and through that connection,

 

I began working at a music channel after graduating, which naturally led me into directing.

 

Even though I didn’t major in directing, I kept getting opportunities to direct because of my work, and I think continuing with a learner’s mindset and growing through each project allowed me to naturally stay on this path.

 

 

• Having worked with so many large studios, can you tell us how you got your first job in the film industry? What was that like?

 

I first started my career at a Korean music channel, creating various types of video content. I joined the company thanks to the awards I had won.

 

At the beginning, I mainly worked on video graphics — creating “channel IDs” that expressed the channel’s identity in different visual ways.

 

Then one day, I unexpectedly got the chance to direct a shoot inside the company, and that project received very positive feedback both internally and externally. Because of that, I began taking on more and more directing assignments of different scales within the company.

 

After about three years there, I left to start my own production company, and that’s when my directing career truly began.

 

• You are the go-to director for a number of artists, creating multiple music videos with G-Dragon, Somi, and Blackpink! :) What’s it like collaborating with artists you have worked with before? Can you share a bit about the creative process, like as far as artists input, in your experience? :)

 

Working with artists multiple times is actually a huge advantage for me. When I work, I tend to build an artist’s character in my mind, and when I get to create several projects with the same artist, I’m able to give that character different roles, add new colors, and explore them in a much deeper way. As a director, it really helps me visualize the artist more fully.

 

Although I have a strong tendency to build a very defined world and concept for each project, I place great importance on conversations with the artists and genuinely listen to their ideas.

Sometimes their input may feel abstract or light from a purely visual standpoint, but when I interpret it in my own way and we collaborate, I believe it leads to even more satisfying results.

 

 

• Your videos are dripping in fashion! How does style inspire your work? Specifically, maybe you could mention ‘Crooked’? :) I’ve watched it like a zillion times!

 

In music videos, I believe the fashion an artist presents is especially important. It’s something that can never be left out of the scenes I imagine. I also think fashion becomes one of the strongest forms of artwork within a music video frame.

 

 

‘Crooked’ visualizes the psychology of a rebellious youth—expressing sadness, loss, and anger through a defiant attitude—using G-Dragon’s emotions and performance.

The core direction of the project was to show as many facets as possible of G-Dragon’s emotions, his unique style, his distinctive performance, and his unmistakable fashion identity.

To achieve this, I tried incorporating dozens of different outfits so that each look could express a different emotion, and I focused on creating a wide range of cool, stylish imagery.

 

 

• How long does the filming for a music video usually take? Any approximate time of when you’d be working

 

on them? As some seem super extensive :)

 

I think the overall working period, from pre-production to final delivery, usually takes about 2 to 3 months.

 

 

• Each of your vids is like a finely detailed masterpiece with so many exquisite touches in every aspect of the set design! :) What would be your process for creating the physical world of each video? Do you help find the props and furnishings?

 

I try to create the most detailed setup possible for each scene.

 

Of course, I always discuss ideas for the key props as well. In particular, when it comes to elements that need to be custom-made, I usually envision and decide on those myself.

 

 

• We love your behind the scenes storyboard sketches! They are amazing to see! Can you tell us more about them?

Thank you for liking my sketches — they’re actually pretty rough :)

 

I tend to quickly draw the images that come to my mind, so I end up with a lot of these sketches.

 

I don’t really enjoy making rigid, standardized storyboards. Instead, I sketch whatever images come to me first, and later I create a more organized board to explain those ideas.

 

 

• Across the music videos you’ve worked on, were there any particular scenes that were tricky to film? And any that went particularly smoothly?

 

At the moment, I can’t think of any scenes that were particularly difficult or especially easy to film :)

 

 

• You recently collaborated on G-Dragon’s videos for ‘Too Bad’ and ‘Drama’, both beautiful and very different! What was it like collaborating on these videos that were introducing the new album and Ubermensch era? And are there any secret easter eggs for these videos you can share? :)

 

Yes, the two projects are completely different.

 

 

“Too Bad” is a song that focuses on a simple, cool vibe, so the concept started from a very classic music-video approach built around fun, diverse scenes.

I wanted to show a wide variety of playful, stylish moments without worrying about narrative connections, and I paid extra attention to editing every single sound detail.

In the end, thanks to the efforts of all the artists involved, I think it came together really well. Working not only with G-Dragon but also with Anderson .Paak and Karina was such a great and enjoyable experience.

 

 

“Drama,” on the other hand, was my attempt to express a deeply personal emotion about relationships—something universal that any human can relate to.

I didn’t start from a detailed script, but I did have a very specific story in my mind as I built it.

However, the audience doesn’t need to understand the video in the same way I do. It’s a music video, and each viewer can interpret it differently—and that’s perfectly fine.

 

I'm not sure if you’d call it an easter egg, but the winding mechanism in “Drama” symbolizes the amount of time the relationship between the two people lasts.

 

• Somi’s video for ‘Gold’ is filled with take after take of fabulous extensions on the concept! Can you expand on how you created this gold universe?

“Gold” is built on a very simple visual world: everything the artist loves is gold.

 

The concept for the music video was decided almost immediately in our very first meeting, and both the artist and I approached it in a light, simple way. It was a project we worked on very enjoyably.

 

 

• What do you think is the most unexpected skill that’s helped you out in directing?

 

One of the most unexpectedly helpful things for me as a director has been the fact that I’ve spent a lot of time doing video design myself.

 

The way you control a virtual camera in graphics work has surprisingly helped me a lot when operating a real camera on set.

 

 

• Tips for people looking to start creating music videos?

 

K-pop trends are changing faster and becoming more uniform than ever, and that’s one of the defining characteristics of the market today.

 

But the more that happens, the more important it is for a director to stay focused on their own instincts, ideas, and personal style.

 

As projects diversify and environments keep shifting, the desire to express your vision clearly becomes even stronger — and in those moments, I believe the most important thing is to stay centered on yourself.

 

 

• As a director, what is your goal on set like? And how do you communicate that with the artists and crew you work with?

 

I first try to clearly organize and articulate all the vague visuals and images I have in my mind. After that, through multiple meetings, I explain to the cinematographer exactly what I want.

I keep refining and thinking about the vision until the moment I walk onto the set so that I have a very clear picture of what I’m aiming for.

But once I’m on set, I tend to embrace changes depending on the artist and the atmosphere of the location.

 

• Are you a big movie fan? If yes, any favorite movies you’d recommend?

 

I don’t watch as many movies as people might expect, but I really enjoy Quentin Tarantino’s films. :)

 

 

• If you could pick, one location to visit, one outfit/designer to wear there, and a concert to see there, what would be your dream mix? :)

 

New York (my favorite city besides Seoul), Balenciaga (my favorite designer), and BIGBANG (the most fun concert I’ve ever been to).

 

 

• What’s your favorite candy?

 

I love all kinds of chocolate the most.

 

• I understand you are working on your own film project! Is there anything you’d like to share about it at this time? :)

 

I'm always working on original content — and I'm in no rush with it :)

 

I want to shape the ideas I’ve been carrying with me and the stories I want to tell in a way that reflects my own style and sensibility.

 

If things go well, I plan to shoot a pilot as early as next year.

 

I'm already spending time on these original projects, but next year I expect to devote even more of my energy to them.

 

Of course, I’ll always continue making good music videos as well.

 

 

 

You can follow Samin and keep up with his many exciting projects on his Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/sa_min_han