With the recent conclusion of IDOL: The Coup, producers Daniel Park and Charles Chu share details about its creative process!
IDOL: The Coup, an iQiyi original and exclusive, follows the story of a fictitious girl group named Cotton Candy on their journey to reach number one before they disband.
Although it may have included several fictitious K-pop groups, the drama resonates with people who have encountered failure not limited to idols. Moreover, it also presents various issues in the entertainment industry.
In an exclusive interview with the producers of the drama, Daniel Park and Charles Chu answer questions regarding the conceptualization and production process of IDOL: The Coup.
K-Drama Review: “IDOL: The Coup” Rises Above from a Story of Failed Dreams
Motivation and Inspiration of the Story
When asked about their inspiration in producing IDOL: The Coup, Daniel Park relates how Transparent Arts has worked in the international music scene with K-pop artists, and the country responsible for producing K-pop has limited scripted content about the industry. He elaborates how he is drawn into producing stories about the pursuit of dreams.
“Since we’ve worked with so many K-pop artists in the past I thought it would be interesting to show a more realistic look at what it’s like. In general, I’m kind of obsessed with dreamers and the pursuit of these dreams.”
Charles Chu recognizes that there are artists that never reach the top, and it was interesting to write a story that sheds light on that experience.
“Hearing about the darker sides of the k-pop industry, and later further researching what happens to the k-pop artists that never make it, there are many heartfelt stories as you can imagine. These artists spend their entire lives since their childhoods with one linear dream without plan b. So the question of what happens to the ones that don’t make it was an area that our writer Jung Yoon-jung wanted to explore, and we were very interested in.”
Cotton Candy in the Entertainment Industry
Daniel Parks clarifies that the story in the drama is a collection of stories they have heard inside the industry. He shares a back story on how Hani felt like writer Jung Yoon-jung researched about E.X.I.D. while writing the script.
“A fun back story is that when Hani got cast to play Jenna, she asked for a meeting with our writer Jung Yoon-jung. At that meeting Hani asked Jung Yoon-jung if she researched E.X.I.D. for the show, she thought the situations felt so similar to what she and her group were put through! Jung Yoon-jung explained that she didn’t research the group specifically but she was aware of many stories of hardships within the K-pop industry.”
He continues by saying how many tears were shed during the casting as it was a story close to the hearts of people who have been in the K-pop industry.
“During the casting process, we must’ve seen more than 100 girls who have had some sort of experience in K-pop. Many of them were brought to tears recalling their past or current situations. So although Cotton Candy is a fictional group I know for a fact that their stories are absolutely familiar to real K-pop acts.”
Charles Chu states how he sees that a lot of K-pop idols could relate to the story.
“They’re going to feel like it’s their stories. I think that’s another reason why the acting is so phenomenal in the show. They have so many real-life circumstances to derive from and that’s just a testament to the amount of research our writer Jung Yoon-jung did before penning this project.”
CEO Cha is a character that used to live in America. Although the drama does not necessarily try to portray the differences of the entertainment industry in different countries, Daniel Park has given some key points about the differences he sees.
“I would say that the music companies in Korea encompass everything (development, management, distribution, etc.). In America, it’s a bit more ala carte, management vs the labels, and everything in between. As a result, there are some key differences in how talent acts.”
He elaborates on how artist development is the key focus of the Korean system.
“I think the American system sets up the artists to have a more independent mindset and forces them to be more aware of how the business is done. In the Korean system, the artists aren’t really included in the business dealings but they are provided the tools necessary to focus intensely on their artist development.”
Charles Chu summarizes that all entertainment industries, regardless of the country, would have hardships and competition.
“It portrays the hardships of the entertainment industry. And the entertainment industry no matter which country we’re talking about is going to be cutthroat. Celebrity isn’t just handed out. And in some cases, celebrities can become traumatized. Exploring the human condition in how it overcomes this trauma is where the root and heart of where our story starts.”
Distinction from Other Idol-Themed Dramas
As 2021 is a year well-represented with idol-themed dramas, Charles Chu points out how IDOL: The Coup highlights more on the transactions inside the industry compared to other idol-themed dramas he has heard that centered around love.
“This one is about the inner workings of the industry, the determination and savviness an idol must-have. It’s essentially a story about the human spirit.”
For Daniel Park, he sees that the drama’s focus is not just limited to K-pop, and is more inclusive for all people who have dreams.
“The show is about what happens when you aren’t able to achieve your dreams. The challenges and emotions that our characters go through are relatable to everyone. K-pop serves as the vehicle to show one possible scenario for failed dreams.”
Although it has been said that the drama’s focus is not romance, it did not shy away from dropping hints of it throughout the series. Daniel Park shares how the story still focuses on failed dreams even with the hints of romance.
“…In the end, the show is more about the love shared between the members of the group. This affects the tone of the series by solidifying our desire to produce a show where the focus of the story is about failed dreams and how to cope with them. We didn’t want any romance threads to take away from the big picture.”
Casting & Production Process
With regards to the casting process, both producers Daniel Park and Charles Chu agree how long and difficult it was. Daniel elaborates on the criteria they needed to meet in order to make the girl group more believable.
“Casting was extremely difficult. We needed to find a group of 5 girls who could not only act but sing and dance as well. On top of that, they needed to have good chemistry together and be believable as hardened K-pop veterans.”
He then emphasizes how the cast’s experiences in the K-pop industry were essential, and gladly shares that they have achieved in having cast members who could emotionally connect to their characters.
“After much consideration, we decided that it was probably best to find actresses who have had some experience in the past in K-pop. Their experiences in K-pop were essential to how they could emotionally connect to their characters. I’m proud to say that I think this was achieved in the show.”
Charles Chu reveals how the team went over the casting choices repeatedly, and did a good job in creating a fictional idol world believable.
“Sometimes when you look at something for too long, you lose perspective. Like when you say a simple word over and over and then you question if it’s spelled correctly. To me, the most important part of casting was chemistry and their idol competency, so that the world could be believable. The team did an amazing job in accomplishing that.”
Daniel Park commends the diligence and efforts that the cast put into the show as there were a lot of music performances in the drama. He reveals how the members of Cotton Candy and Mars were treated like real K-pop groups.
“We had them record songs in professional studios after hours of rehearsals. All the choreography was done by 1 Million and the groups would gather at their headquarters to practice.”
He also shares that Cotton Candy members who have undergone the process with other K-pop groups are familiar with the process. The whole process of recording and rehearsals might have been new for other cast members who have little to no experience in the K-pop industry.
“For Cotton Candy, it might have been business as usual since 4 of the 5 have backgrounds in other K-pop groups, however, for Han So-eun the whole process was completely new! The members of Mars were also put into a new situation as most of the members had little to no experience in K-pop. Jo Joon-young (who plays Ray) had his first-ever experience in a professional studio for the recording of Cloud 9.”
Message to the Viewers & Future Drama Genres
When asked to give a message to the drama’s viewers, Daniel Park asks for continuous support to the show, and encourages fans to have determination like Jenna’s in sharing the show with others.
“I know we have a great show with some very important themes. I don’t think we’ve even come close to the true potential of the show’s reach. I call out to all the fans to have a “Jenna-like” resolve to help spread awareness of our show!”
On the other hand, Charles Chu expresses how proud he is to be part of this project, and assures viewers that there would be no disappointment when they consider watching the drama.
“You don’t always get to be a part of projects that you’re proud of, and I can honestly say I’m very proud to be a part of this one. This team, from our wonderful writer, Jung Yoon-jung our co-producer Sung Ji-hae, I adore and would work together again for sure. The cast is brilliant, if you give this drama a chance, you won’t be disappointed.”
Following the production of IDOL: The Coup, Transparent Arts also aims to develop more music-based dramas. However, Daniel Park shares that they are still open to diverse genres, and would most likely focus on telling taboo stories that are yet to be talked about in public.
“We plan to develop more music-based dramas, but we have several other scripted series in development in diverse genres. I would say that our focus is to tell stories that are under-represented. Stories that may have been taboo or discouraged, are topics that interest us.”
Watch IDOL: The Coup, now available on iQiyi.
Photos: JTBC
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