Meet Hyun woo Lee | Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hyun woo Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hyun woo, how do you think about risk?

I would typically describe myself as a very calm person who is accustomed to making reliable and comfortable choices. For instance, I tend to consistently order the same items from the menu. However, when it comes to my career, I’ve come to realize that I have consistently embraced decisions that involve a significant degree of risk-taking.

In my first year in undergrad, I joined a club to pursue my love for musical theater and dedicated my summer and winter breaks to directing musical productions. I also decided to spend a semester in Albany, NY, as an exchange student to venture beyond the boundaries of Korea. During my senior year, I took the risk of learning filming and editing for the first time, despite having no prior experience. At the time, I was primarily following my passion for storytelling and the entertainment industry, but most people were surprised by how I was taking risks by not following the conventional path of engaging in career-focused activities aimed at securing a job.

Interestingly, it was after taking the biggest risk of my life—leaving my job in Korea and relocating to LA—that I realized these risks had helped me find my own voice as an emerging producer. They allowed me to gain a better understanding of the stories and genres I wish to explore, as well as a deeper understanding of myself. Thanks to these challenging decisions, I now know that my heart belongs to movie musicals and heartwarming narratives.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

What keeps my passion going is meeting other creative people who are passionate about storytelling and learning something along the way. I moved to LA in the summer of 2022 for the MFA Producing Program at American Film Institute Conservatory in hopes to keep that passion alive.

I’ve always known that my heart belongs to the entertainment industry ever since I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Culture and Design Management at Yonsei University. However, I wasn’t always certain about the specific role or department that would fit best with what I can do best and enjoy. I knew I had a sense for story, but I also knew deep inside that I was not a pure artist with a specific vision to tell. This realization led me to become an entertainment explorer on a mission to discover more about myself.

Through directing amateur musicals, I was able to learn the skills of understanding the essence of stories within scripts. Being part of the school festival planning committee helped me understand about the importance of logistical planning. Learning how to create digital contents through filming and editing allowed me to not only distinguish the differences among video contents from web variety, short films, music videos, to sports events, but also my talent for adapting to different platforms. With these experiences, I was able to work as a marketing intern at Sony Pictures Television Korea where I created digital content by re-editing Japanese animes and managed the company’s YouTube channel. After transitioning to a full-time role at Animax Broadcasting Korea, I continued to work with Japanese anime, but also assisted the production of a children’s variety show ‘Ddotty’s Afterschool Ranking’ working with outsourced vendors and assisted the licensing of the titles the company acquired. Although I really enjoyed the work and having the opportunity to grow insights about the industry, I realized that I wanted to be more involved in the process of creating a story, rather than working with a content that was already made.

Leaving my job to pivot my career was a challenge for me, but it became clear that pursuing a producer program was the right path for me. By producing three short films and working as a line producer/unit production manager on multiple shorts at AFI, I came to realize that the role of a producer aligns with what I have pursued: being able to capture the bigger picture of a story and having an analytical mind to navigate practical situations efficiently to bring the story alive. Most of all, you get to meet with so many creative collaborators who can inspire you along the way. Now, I am able to acknowledge that all my past entertainment expeditions were not in vain; they were stepping stones guiding me towards my own path as a producer.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I feel like there are so many places to explore here and I’m still in the midst of figuring it out myself! Two places that I really enjoy visiting are the beach near Santa Monica and the Griffith Observatory. While Santa Monica Beach can be a very touristy destination, I think the pier and stores near the beach is a very pleasant area to walk around, which I particularly enjoy since I love walking. To enjoy the actual beach in a less busy area, I would recommend walking further down the coastline. The Griffith Observatory is a great place to visit at sunset to enjoy the stunning view of the city below. The trail leading up to the observatory from the Griffith Park is a fairly easy hike, so I recommend that as well. Lastly, people say that LA has the best Korean food next to eating them in Korea. So, I always take my friends to K-town, even if they just flew in from Korea!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
For me, I would like to shoutout to Musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ since it made one of the biggest impacts in my journey. I was mesmerized by watching the show on Broadway in 2017 and I wanted to share that experience with those around me but was unable to because the musical numbers were in English. Since I’m the type of person who goes all the way and an extra mile when I become a fan of something, I decided to translate the lyrics of the song into Korean that fits the original melody. This was solely out of passion for the musical, but it helped me to produce and run a musical cover YouTube channel that specializes in introducing English based musicals with our own Korean lyrics. Most of all, the lyrics I crafted recently led me to become the Korean lyrics translator for the official Korean production of Musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ scheduled to begin performances in 2024.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h_woolee_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyunwoo-lee94/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@muem4564