“I’m majoring in directing, and I was looking for production experience when I found out about the blockbuster shoot coming to Busan. I didn’t hesitate for a second to apply.” (image captured from Captain America: Civil War)
BUSAN, March 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The first film shoot for Marvel’s upcoming superhero film Black Panther began on Friday in Busan, South Korea’s largest port city, with hundreds of local film students (or former students) participating as staff or assistant staff members in this rare Hollywood experience.
Some 450 students and graduates applied for the shoots according to the Busan Film Commission.
Roughly 200 people will work on each of the nine shoots scheduled until March 29, although larger sessions, like the one scheduled for March 21 by Gwangalli Beach, could see the participation of up to 350 staff members alone.
Seven alumni from Dongseo University with film-related majors are participating as official staff, while some 80 other students from the school will take part as assistant staff members for smaller roles such as traffic control, safety, and other necessary preparation for the shoots.
Two dozen students each from Kyung Sung University, Dong-Eui University, Youngsan University, and Pusan National University also made the list as official assistants.
“I’m majoring in directing, and I was looking for production experience when I found out about the blockbuster shoot coming to Busan. I didn’t hesitate for a second to apply,” said 24-year-old junior, Lee, from one of the schools here. “I know it’s going to give me tremendous help in understanding the industry on site.”
The shoots will mark the second time that Marvel’s production visits a South Korean city after Avengers: Age of Ultron. The filming took place in several locations in Seoul in 2014, with the city highlighted in the final cut for about 20 minutes.
“Participating in a Hollywood blockbuster production as part of the crew is going to be a valuable experience for film majors,” said Kyung Sung University professor Kang Nae-yeong.
Much of the details of the shoots remain undisclosed, apart from the timing and the location of the shoots, including whether actor Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther, will make an appearance during the team’s Busan schedule.
Black Panther is set to be released in the United States on February 16, 2018.
By Joseph Shin (jss539@koreabizwire.com)
