Music directors for dramas and films

A music director sets the overall musical direction of a production and either composes the background score or leads a team of composers. When existing songs are used, they may choose the tracks and oversee the licensing process. In dramas, the music director sometimes also supervises production of the OST songs.

A score is instrumental music composed to support the mood of scenes, while an OST is the full soundtrack collecting the music used in a production. In Korea, people commonly use OST to mean the songs featured in a drama. Score pieces are often included on soundtrack albums too.

Both were scored by music director Jung Jae-il. His score for Parasite (2019) drew attention for borrowing the feel of Baroque music, and he also served as music director for the Squid Game series. He worked on Bong Joon-ho's Okja as well.

Music director Jo Yeong-wook has worked on many of Park Chan-wook's films, including Oldboy (2003), Lady Vengeance (2005), The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022). He won the Grand Bell Award for Best Music for Oldboy and the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Music for Decision to Leave.

Composing usually begins in earnest after filming and editing are well underway, so the music can match the length and pacing of each scene. The director and music director decide together where music should go. On some projects, a main theme is written before filming even starts.

Dramas have many episodes and tight schedules, so music teams often prepare theme pieces in advance that can be reused across many scenes. Film scores are more often composed scene by scene to fit the finished edit. OST songs also tend to play a bigger role in dramas.

A temp track is existing music placed temporarily during editing to set the desired mood. Directors use it as a reference when explaining the direction they want to the music director. In the final version, it is replaced with newly composed music or properly licensed tracks.

Historical dramas often blend traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum, haegeum and daegeum with orchestral or electronic music. This approach evokes a traditional atmosphere while still sounding familiar to modern viewers. Musical styles vary greatly from one production to another.

Yes. Large-scale films and dramas sometimes record with live orchestras. Many work with Korean musicians, and there have been cases of recording with overseas orchestras. Depending on budget and schedule, many productions also use music created with virtual instruments. Recording sessions are usually scheduled close to the final mixing stage.

To use an existing song, productions must clear the rights of the composer and lyricist as well as those of the record label and performers. This involves negotiating with copyright management organizations and record companies. The same process applies when period dramas feature popular songs from the era they portray.

Yes. Major film awards such as the Grand Bell Awards and the Blue Dragon Film Awards include a Best Music category. It honors the music director for an outstanding film score of the year. Check each ceremony's official announcements for winners.

Yes. Jung Jae-il was nominated for an Emmy in the United States for the main title theme music of Squid Game. As Korean productions become known worldwide, the work of their music directors is also drawing international attention. Music directors' names are increasingly recognized alongside the works themselves.

For drama OSTs, the music director or an OST production company plans the songs and chooses singers suited to the mood of the scenes. They sometimes review the scenes where a song will play to refine the lyrics and arrangement. Songs and background score occasionally share the same main melody.

Repeating a theme tied to a character or relationship helps viewers instantly recall the emotions involved. For example, if the same melody plays whenever the two leads meet, viewers can feel the relationship change through the music. Films use the same technique.

Strong composing and arranging skills are the foundation, and experience matching music to images is essential. Many music directors come from varied backgrounds, including pop, classical music and bands. A common path is building a career by scoring short films or independent films.

Yes. Film festivals and concert halls sometimes hold orchestral performances of film music. There is also the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, which focuses on both music and cinema. Check the organizers' official information for performance schedules. Hearing a score live alongside film scenes is a special experience.

You can find it in the closing credits of a film or drama under music or music director. Official resources such as the Korean Movie Database (KMDb) also list crew information for each title. Soundtrack album credits are another useful reference.

Film and drama music is protected by copyright, so using it in personal videos or commercial content requires permission from the rights holders. Each platform handles copyright differently, so check its rules. Using music without permission can lead to restrictions on your video.

Depending on the genre, Korean film music often boldly mixes styles such as classical, jazz, electronic music and traditional Korean music. Some films use music that contrasts with a scene's emotion to create tension or irony instead of simply amplifying it. Long-term partnerships between directors and music directors are also common.

After watching, listen to the soundtrack album and try to recall which scenes each piece accompanied. It is fun to notice how a single main theme is varied from scene to scene. Interviews with music directors can also reveal the intentions behind their compositions.