Web dramas on the rise

ZE:A member Kim Dong-jun in a scene from web drama "Aftermath"
/ Courtesy of Oasis Company

Broadcaster KBS leaps into make-or-break web drama industry

By Kwon Ji-youn

KBS is making inroads into the web drama market.

The state-run broadcaster and Daum Kakao at a press conference Monday signed a memorandum of understanding that detailed a joint web drama project, and as if to seal the deal, KBS promptly unveiled its production blueprints for two upcoming web dramas.

Actors to star in "Love Detective Sherlock K" and "Prince of Prince," on top of members of the production crew gathered at KBS in Yeouido, Seoul, to promote the release of their new web dramas.

That one of the nation's three major broadcasters has plunged into the web drama market has generated worries that it may be leaving smaller production companies high and dry, but KBS producer Ko Chan-soo stressed that KBS will only be serving as a business partner and platform provider.

GOT7 member JB in a scene from web drama "Dream Knight"
/ Image captured from Facebook's "Dream Knight" official page

"It needs to be understood that our web dramas are unlike the dramas that air on television," Ko said. "We don't do the planning or the producing. We are merely a partner to these production companies."

Ko said that the production companies will have more control over the production of web dramas than KBS.

"Simply said, they will be using our brand to give the market a kick start," he added.
Over the past year, the number of web dramas produced has increased significantly. Naver, the country's No. 1 portal, launched its first web drama in February 2013, and has seen to some 20 productions since.

Web dramas, which began as dramas that failed to make the TV guide, cater to the needs of the country's young population ― who spend most of their free time on their smartphones or tablets ― and these audiences often use 15-minute windows between classes or during travel to check out a video or two.

Poster image for web drama "Dollhouse" / Courtesy of Godin Media

"The web drama project falls in line with KBS's new business that focuses on producing original content fit for online and mobile platforms," Ko said.

Directors find web dramas appealing as they are cheaper to produce and allow producers more risks. It costs approximately 200 million won to produce a single series.

Director Shin Joo-hwan of "Prince of Prince" said that he took to the web drama challenge because web dramas need not conform to convention.

"Each episode is very short so viewers tend to focus more," he said. "And because they're available online, viewers are younger and so we are able to produce dramas that are more unconventional and perhaps a little out of bounds."

"Prince of Prince" is about two men betting on the future of a game company that has employed only good-looking men. It has been published regularly on Naver since last May.

"Our web drama contains a bit of a romance among men, which can be deemed unsuitable to air on major broadcasters," Shin said.

Director Kim Ah-ron of "Love Detective Sherlock K," which centers on an heir to a conglomerate company who seeks help from Sherlock K, began a film director, but chose to work with a web drama out of curiosity.

"It's new to me," he said. "I wanted to give myself a challenge. And it helped that the story is fresh and creative."

Lack of profit model

While the industry appears to be flourishing, Ko said KBS hopes to help these production companies draw up profit models to provide a structure for modeling cost elements.

Web drama production companies are still without a valid profit model, with most production companies covering expenses with sponsorship and receiving approximately 10 million won to provide their content to portals.

"Because it lacks a profit model, it lacks sustainability," Ko said. "The ideas often come from existing webtoons (web cartoons) or web novels, but these creations are finding it difficult to morph into web dramas. This is where KBS, which has recently launched a web drama portal, can help."

Such has led to a thirst in the industry for "hallyu" (Korean Wave) stars and idols who may attract viewers in China.

Child actress Kim You-jung, actor Jang Hyuk and Kim Woo-bin recently starred in "Love Cell," a web drama of which the publications rights were sold to online streaming site DramaFever. The publication rights for "Aftermath" were also sold to DramaFever and "Dollhouse" was unveiled on internet sites in three countries simultaneously ― Korea, China and the U.S.

JYP Pictures and Chinese video hosting site Youku began servicing a joint web drama "Dream Knight" last month, and Korean-Chinese web drama "Dr. Mo Clinic" will feature 2NE1's Sandara Park and actor Kim Young-kwang.

"Love Detective Sherlock K" is said to be in talks with actress Han Chae-young over the role of Sherlock K, and the Chinese dream seems a two-way street as major entertainment companies like SM, YG and JYP are also looking to make web drama debuts with hopes of garnering international popularity.

"In time, KBS producers will take part in the production process for high quality web dramas," Ko said. "But for now, we're all about giving the industry a bit of a boost."

Follow Kwon Ji-youn on Twitter @jennajykwon