SHINHEE PARK
Dear Hook
BFA Thesis Film (26 mins, 2022)
Production Designer
Time : 2020s
Place : Seoul, Korea
Genre : Fantasy, Drama, Comedy
We all had to become adults as the time went by.
Adults who had to be adults and adults who couldn't be mature all have a hard time living as adults.
<Dear Hook> is a story for all immature adults who suffer from the difficulties of the world.
Synopsis
Peter Pan and his son, Ho-wook(Captain Hook) live together in a humble, old house.
Peter is the leader of a troupe that makes no money, so he lets troupe members stay at his home and feeds them.
Meanwhile, Ho-wook, who had to work overtime to earn money for his family, is exhausted.
Peter invites Wendy, a new investor in his troupe, to his home.
Wendy intends to marry Peter and become Ho-wook's stepmother, and all the troupe members instigates him.
Ho-wook is sick and tired of this whole situation, so he runs away from his home.
He drives the boat and arrives at a cigar stand run by a mysterious guy.
After drinking the liquor that the guy gave him, Ho-wook passes out.
Peter, who followed Ho-wook, finds him lying on the boat with his eyes closed.
Storyboard
Tone & Manner
Fairy Tale / Growth / Boyhood
Dear Hook is an adult fairy tale conceived in collaboration with the director,
navigating the challenges faced by adults.
I undertook comprehensive artwork including overall spatial design, prop, set creation,
fantasy costume design, and special makeup for the project.
Drawing inspiration from the Peter Pan story, I created a film set in the backdrop of the 2020s South Korea,
striving to express the boundary between reality and fantasy in both costume and space.
The costumes were a modernized interpretation of Peter Pan's attire, while the set was designed to blend Neverland with realistic surroundings. I crafted Easter egg-like props borrowed from the fairy tale, incorporating them abundantly. Above all, in crafting a coming-of-age film for a father and son, I dedicated significant effort to portraying the psychological states and development of the two protagonists within the film's spatial context.
Characters
Ho-wook (Captain Hook)
A 23-year-old boy who is sacrificing himself to cope with his livelihood.
He always works overtime and is getting tired.
The trauma of his mother's absence is largely in place, so he is afraid of Peter Pan leaving him. As a result, he is particularly weak to Peter Pan.
He supports Peter's dreams and does not directly reprimand Peter Pan.
He is displeased at troupe members and Wendy.
Peter Pan
Ho-wook's dad who is 10 years old and affected by Peter Pan Syndrom.
The leader of a small troupe.
Brings Wendy into his house and ends up getting into an argument with Ho-wook.
Troupe members (Linda, John, Mike, Sophie, Paul)
The children Peter Pan brought home which is Neverland.
Innocent, tactless kids who believe in Peter Pan quite a bit.
Wendy
A theater investor who has indecent desires for Peter Pan.
Pil-do (True self of Peter Pan)
Ho-wook's dad who is 50 years old.
Stallholder (Tinker Bell)
A mischievous fairy who hosts the story.
Character Analysis
Peter : Peter Pan Syndrome
Ho-wook : A grown-up kid
Ho-wook is a mature boy who always conceals feelings and pretends to be an adult.
Fairy tales appropriation
the alligator with a ticking clock in its belly
: hardships of life
Tinker Bell
: a narrator who proceeds the story and secretly helps Ho-wook
Captain Hook's severed hand
: Ho-wook's sacrifice
Lost Boys
: Adults with nowhere to go
who happened to stay at Peter's house
Costume Design
Wendy
n_1.jpg)
Peter Pan
(kid version)
Pil-do
(adult version of Peter Pan)
Ho-wook
(indoor)
Ho-wook
(outdoor)
Tinker Bell
Linda
John
Mark
Sophie
Paul
Special Makeup
Ho-wook's sacrifice for his family is expressed through his severed fingers.
Stye that is getting bigger shows Ho-wook's dissatisfaction is growing.
Contrary to the original fairy tale, Tinker Bell is played by a threatening,
big man with a special makeup of a large scar on his face.
Prop Design
To convey the dark and sorrowful reality of an adult fairy tale, ominous elements were added.
In this world, currency takes the form of severed fingers.
Ho-wook himself resorts to cutting his hand for survival—a detail derived from Captain Hook's one-handed portrayal.
They're made with Radol clay and painted with special makeup and watercolors. We made two types of fingers - short-cut fingers were made in the shape of cereals symbolizing a meal, and long fingers symbolize living expenses.
Fake Fingers
Production Still
Drawings
Peter Pan is a dreamer. His head is filled with imagination.
Since I decided to make his room a fantastical space, we drew many dreamy drawings to put on the wall.
13, 14-hour Clocks
Ho-wook's time runs 36 and 48 hours, because he has to support his family
by working on behalf of his dad who is suffering from Peter Pan syndrome.
On the wall of Ho-wook's room, there are many of these distorted clocks.
After creating clock images with Adobe Illustrator, we disassembled various clocks and attached these images.
Ho-wook's watch was also made in the same way.
Boat & Paddel
The boat is an important prop in our film.
The boat has been used as a vehicle of escape in many old tales.
Ho-wook rides the boat to escape from his house and the fact that Wendy might become his stepmother.
We attached four wheels to the bottom of the boat so the actor could ride it on the road,
and painted paddles with similar color that matches the boat.
Finally, we attached a long rope to the back side of the boat.
Bonfire
We made the bonfire with logs and a fake rock.
They were fixed with radol clay and glue gun, and painted with watercolor.
Finally, we put an LED light inside the bonfire to make it seem like the fire was flaming.
I changed the 1960s-style old, traditional house into a 2020s fantastical house.
Choosing an old Korean house as the location,
the fantasy derived from the passage of time was harnessed.
I collected several vintage pieces of furniture and used them in film.
I consider vintage furniture special because they have the special energy of old users.
Set Dec
Neverland serves as both Peter Pan's home and his idealized world.
For Peter Pan, Neverland is also an artistic world.
By bringing home the troupe(lost children), he brought his dream to his home.
Computer-made Model
Used software : Sketchup
Hand-made Model
Scale 15:1
Final result
Model Video
Peter's room
Reference
Disorder / Unmade / Imaginative / Free / Dreamy / Vinatge / Plants
Dear Hook's space is divided into Peter's and Ho-wook's spaces.
I wanted Peter's room to be felt like inside of a pirate ship.
It is Peter's own safe space, free and blocked from reality.
It incorporates settings like sleeping on a hammock instead of a bed, a love for drawing,
abundant plants, and candlelights.
Emphasizing tree textures and actively using green tones aimed to evoke a natural and carefree ambiance.
Peter's color is green.
It means immaturity, growth, and freedom.
Sketchup model
Shot plan - characters on the model
S#13. Peter Pan's room / Night :Wendy seducing Peter Pan
Original Location
After Dressing
Production Still
Kitchen
Reference
The living room and kitchen in Peter's space feature wooden floors, vintage decor, and warm lighting.
The kitchen is also where Peter, the children, and Ho-wook gather around.
There are small chairs for children around the round table.
There are cereals, meaning the livelihood of Ho-wook and Peter.
Originally, two different wallpapers were attached to the original location, and I had the idea to use them.
The scene of characters having a conversation was filmed in front of this divided wall,
implying their future confrontation.
Shot plan - characters on the model
S#3. Kitchen / Day : Peter Pan and Ho-wook having a conversation
Original Location
After Dressing
Production Still
Living room
Reference
The living room is where everyone gathers and holds a party on the day Wendy comes.
I made it feel like the children decorated it diligently.
Overall, it feels like a cave in a fairy tale.
Shot plan
Sketch
Shot plan - characters on the model
S#9. Living room / Night : Wendy, Kids, and Ho-wook having a conversation
Original Location
After Dressing
(Production Still)
Ho-wook's room
Ho-wook's room and bathroom exude a different atmosphere compared to Peter's spaces.
Ho-wook's room, based on deep red wine and white colors, imparts a more monotonous and rigid feel.
Reference
Minimalistic / Monochromatic / Stillness / Realistic / Wine color
Ho-wook's color is red wine.
The red wine color symbolizes blood, wounds, and instability.
There is a clock on the wall showing 36 or 48 hours, symbolizing his twice-as-busy life to sustain his family.
Ho-wook, who feels a psychological burden, wakes up every day with a loud clock ticking noise.
Ho-wook's room and bathroom are his only refuges, but it nevertheless does not give him a comfortable rest.
Shot plan - characters on the model
S#2,14. Ho-wook's Room
Original Location
After Dressing
Production Still
Bathroom
Reference
Among the spaces inside the house, the bathroom is the closest to reality.
This narrow, damp bathroom is a place to evacuate for Ho-wook.
This place serves as his refuge in times of extreme stress,
and it is also a space where Ho-wook is triggered when he receives a call from his boss.
The audience can see Ho-wook and Peter's difficulties in life in this bathroom by its dull color and humble props.
It is modeled after a damp and confined prison.
Shot plan - character on the model
S#4. Bathroom / Day
Production Still
Street stall
(Outdoor Scenes)
Concept Illustration & Drawing
Tinker Bell only appeared in the movie as a voice narrator.
The street stall is the only place where he appears. I wanted to give a strong fairy tale vibe,
so I decided to make a stall that would not exist in reality. It is a magical street stall operated by Tinker Bell
selling cigars and whiskey, adorned with red light, symbolizing Ho-wook's salvation.
Ho-wook, who ran away from home and rode a boat, arrives tired and encounters Tinker Bell.
Tinker Bell offers him a drink when Ho-wook fainted.
Original Model
After Dressing
Production Still
Full Video
5-minute version
(with English Subtitle)
Written and directed by: Minji KIM
Assistant Director: Suyeon PARK
Producer : Sangmi JANG
Cinematographer: Dowon LEE
Production Designer: Shinhee PARK
Costume Designer : Shinhee PARK
Art PA : Dahyun YEOM, Chaemin JUNG, Minji KWON