''SF8'' () is a South Korean
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...
anthology television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...
. It is a movie-drama crossover project between
MBC, the Directors Guild of Korea, the
OTT
Ott, OTT or O.T.T. may refer to:
Entertainment
* OTT (group), a pop band from the late 1990s
* Ott (record producer), British record producer and musician
* "O.T.T" (song), a song by Fugative
* ''O.T.T.'' (television series), a UK TV programme f ...
platform and the production company Soo Film. The director's cuts of all episodes were released on Wavve on July 10, 2020 while
MBC TV aired one episode a week from August 14 to October 9, 2020.
The series has been regarded as a Korean equivalent of the British series ''
Black Mirror
''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology—a type of speculative ficti ...
'' as they have the same format and similar themes, though
Min Kyu-dong
Min Kyu-dong (born September 12, 1970) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. He made his feature directorial debut in horror film ''Memento Mori'' (1999), followed by romantic comedies '' All for Love'' (2005) and ''All Abou ...
believes that ''SF8'' is more diversified since eight different filmmakers were involved in the project. ''SF8'' was screened at the 24th
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurate ...
.
Synopsis
''SF8'' revolves around people who dream of a perfect society. It tackles the themes of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, robots, games, fantasy, horror, superpowers and disasters.
Episodes
Short summaries adapted from
BiFan.
Production
Development
Min Kyu-dong
Min Kyu-dong (born September 12, 1970) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. He made his feature directorial debut in horror film ''Memento Mori'' (1999), followed by romantic comedies '' All for Love'' (2005) and ''All Abou ...
, creator of the series, said that "sci-fi movies were the driving force behind many movie directors' dreams. Unfortunately, due to the relatively high budget and narrow market limitations, various works were not able to be produced." He had been working on this project for two years before he partnered with and
MBC. He also took charge of casting the actors, which lasted for a year.
During a press conference held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
on July 8, 2020,
Min Kyu-dong
Min Kyu-dong (born September 12, 1970) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. He made his feature directorial debut in horror film ''Memento Mori'' (1999), followed by romantic comedies '' All for Love'' (2005) and ''All Abou ...
said that all the episodes were produced with an equal amount of budget and that the overall budget was lower than one of a small commercial film.
Roh Deok
Roh Deok (born 1980) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Her 2015 film '' The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo'' has been described as "thoroughly entertaining" by ''The Korea Herald'' and her debut ''Very Ordinary Couple'' (2013 ...
, who co-wrote and directed the "Manxin" episode, mentioned that "while commercial film productions
..inevitably limit the directors' freedom as a creator,
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
had more independence in production" and "although there were physical limits,
ethinks
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
went through the process of discovering what
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
can do inside those boundaries."
Filming
Eight directors from the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) each directed an episode from the series. Filming began on February 21, 2020 with
Jang Cheol-soo's "White Crow" and ended on May 7 with Kim Ui-seok's "Empty Body". Filming was completed within 10 filming sessions for each episode.
Credits
Credits adapted from BiFan.
Release
The
director's cut
A director's cut is an edited version of a film (or video game, television episode, music video, or commercial) that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit in contrast to the theatrical release. "Cut" explicitly refers to the ...
was released on the OTT platform on July 10, 2020 and the original episodes were aired on
MBC TV from August 14 to October 9.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
SF8at
BiFan
{{Min Kyu-dong
Korean-language television shows
MBC TV television dramas
2020 South Korean television series debuts
2020 South Korean television series endings
South Korean science fiction television series
South Korean anthology television series
Science fiction anthology television series
South Korean pre-produced television series
Wavve original programming