California gold rush is on for top Korean animators
Published: 24 Feb. 2008, 23:11
He liked it here, but then Sony Pictures came calling. They convinced Ryu in 2006 to move to California from JM Animation. That meant more prestige for Ryu and a big raise, to 100 million won ($106,000) a year.
Today, he’s working on the animated version of “Spider-Man 3.”
“It’s a dream come true,” Ryu said.
About 100 graphic artists have followed a similar path in the last five years: Make a name for themselves in Korea, then get recruited to a big firm in the United States, according to an official of the Korean Artists Association in Film, Game Animation (Kafga) who declined to be named.
“At first, it was not easy for me to find other Korean artists in the United States, but now things have totally changed,” said Kim Sang-jin, the president of the Los Angeles-based Kafga. “Other artists in Korea also plan to come here, too.”
Once there, however, the artists in the animation, movie and game industry fields are finding the same hardships many immigrants face, including cultural adjustments and loneliness.
“Even though they are not fluent in English, their skills are better than anyone else in the world,” said Kim Min-jung, a marketing director of the Korea Culture and Content Agency in Los Angeles, a government-run organization which aims to raise the profile of Korean culture. “These days, many U.S. companies ask me to introduce them to skilled Korean artists for recruiting.”
The Korean graphic artists said the high salary is the biggest reason they left home to go to the United States. A move there almost guarantees a much higher salary for the Koreans. In fact, it generally more than doubles, a Kafga source said.
However, that’s not always as good as it sounds. A former top official of the Korea Culture and Content Agency who declined to be named said the artists are surprised to find out that after taxes, high rents and car insurance payments, their money doesn’t go as far there as it did here. In addition, many of them are homesick and have trouble communicating with Americans.
Still, the U.S. work environment tends to be less demanding. The artists usually get more days off and, in general, fewer working hours. “Most experienced Korean artists get an annual salary between 60 million and 120 million won,” said a computer graphic artist from a worldwide company who declined to be named. “In the big U.S. market, companies think skilled and experienced workers should get a competitive salary regardless of their race, sex and age.”
Globalization is another factor. A lot of Korean artists want to become global leaders in their field, working at brand-name places.
The United States, leading the movie and game industry with world-famous companies such as EA Sports, DreamWorks, 2K Sports, Blizzard and Sony Pictures, is a primary target.
Working for a famous company gives Korean artists the chance to raise their profile, build international relationships and enhance their nation’s image in the world.
“I am so proud that I am working for such a great company,” said Chung Jae-won, an animator for EA Sports. “I have a lot of chances to show off my ability and improve.”
By Park Sang-woo Contributing Writer [enational@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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