“Encounter” aka “Boyfriend” synopsis by episode (Eps. 1-16, no spoilers) with in-depth analysis of its cinematography

Jump to synopsis of Episode 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16 (Finale); How I wrote this synopsis without spoilers; Animation (artwork) for intro and outro of each episode; Photography, cameras, and films as recurring motifs; Lessons in cinematography and photography from “Encounter”

From Wikipedia: “Encounter” (literally, “Boyfriend”) is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum. It aired on tvN from November 28, 2018 to January 24, 2019 for 16 episodes. It is one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history airing on weekdays.

Internationally, the series streams via Viu TV and Viki; it was broadcast in Indonesia, Philippines, Chile, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and will be aired in over 100 countries through Mnet Japan.

How I wrote these episode summaries with no spoilers

1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries and watching the videos chronologically.

2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.

3. At the beginning of each summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.

I followed this structure all throughout, except for Episode 16 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — people who have not watched this drama want to know if it has a “happy ending” or a “sad ending” before they invest their time in watching it.

Episode 1: “Enchanted”

Cha Soo-hyun is the daughter of the former mayor and now congressman of Seoul. Her marriage to Woo-seok, the heir of a prominent business conglomerate, ended in divorce, but she still dutifully attends the birthday celebrations of her former mother-in-law, Chairwoman Kim.

As part of the divorce settlement, Soo-hyun became the CEO of Donghwa Hotel. Because of her expansion plans for the hotel, she travels to Havana, Cuba with her secretary and confidante Jang Mi-jin. Along the way to their hotel, Soo-hyun and Mi-jin meet an accident; their driver crashes their car into a sidewalk, nearly hits a pedestrian, and damages the vintage camera of a backpacking, Korean tourist named Kim Jin-hyeok.

After her business meeting, Soo-hyun decides to go by herself to watch the famous sunset at El Malecon Beach. But while she’s resting her sore feet after an uphill climb, her purse is snatched. She’s stranded, without any money or her cellphone. She sits on a high ledge but becomes sleepy when the pill she took before leaving her hotel begins to take effect. She falls slowly off to her side on the ledge.

Notes on Ep. 1:

1. The branding elements in the SLR (single lens reflex) camera that Jin-hyeok is using have been erased. But I think that the camera is a Nikon FM2n model because of its physical appearance and the letter “N” that appears beside the serial number at the back of the camera.

Beginning at that point of Ep. 1 when Jin-hyeok and Soo-hyun walk along the streets of Havana, you’ll notice that Jin-hyeok’s camera now has a square, chrome-like thing attached to the camera body near the lens; from that point on, the drama shows the camera with that square thing. The drama doesn’t explain why that square thing suddenly appeared on Jin-hyeok’s camera; I haven’t been able to find a Nikon model with that square thing attached to the body.)

2. On the plane bound for Cuba, Soo-hyun reads a magazine with a picture of a woman. We then see a painting of that woman on the side of a small building. Later on, we see that woman’s picture on Jin-hyeok’s phone.

That woman is Omara Portoundo; born on October 1930, she’s a Grammy-nominated Cuban singer/dancer and part of the world-famous Buena Vista Social Club.

3. When Soo-hyun fails to show up at the café, Jin-hyeok leaves a note for her on the bulletin board. As he leaves, he mentions the movie “Roman Holiday,” and the scene focuses on a black and white (sepia) picture being sold on a stand outside the café.

The woman in the picture is Audrey Hepburn, star of the 1953 romantic comedy “Roman Holiday.” The movie, directed by William Wyler, won several awards in the Oscars, including Best Actress and Best Story. Hepburn also won Best Actress awards for this movie from organizations such as BAFTA and the New York Film Critics Circle.

Episode 2: “We Sincerely Welcome You”

Ep. 1 recap: Jin-hyeok escorts Soo-hyun around El Malecon Beach; they watch the sunset, and he buys her beer, food, and sandals. They also spend some time in a salsa dance club. At the airport on his way home to Korea, Jin-hyeok finds out that Soo-hyun is the CEO of Donghwa hotel where he applied for work.

Jin-hyeok is a college graduate, with a major in hotel management. After telling his parents that he has been hired as an employee of Donghwa Hotel, he spends time with his friends Lee Dae-chan (owner of a moon snails eatery) and Jo Hye-in (an employee of Donghwa Hotel).

After the welcome ceremonies for the new employees, Jin-hyeok is assigned to the PR Department. One of his co-employees, Gu Eun-ji, becomes infatuated with his good looks.

During a visit to her parents’ home, Soo-hyun gets into an argument with her mother, who has been summoned by Chairwoman Kim.

Director Kim of the PR Department, Hye-in, Eun-ji, and other PR staffers welcome Jin-hyeok with food and drinks. Jin-hyeok becomes drunk, and as he staggers to get home, he sits on a bench in a bus stop. Soo-hyun passes by in her car and sees him.

Episode 3: “Yearning”

Ep. 2 recap: After meeting each other at the swings, Soo-Hyun and Jin-hyeok spend time together looking at the negatives of the pictures that he took in Cuba and playing with a claw machine. Chairwoman Kim wants her son Woo-seok to remarry Soo-hyun because Soo-Hyun’s father is planning to run for president of Korea. Soo-Hyun’s picture with Jin-hyeok is published all over the Internet.

Because of the scandalous news of Soo-hyun being with a younger man, Chairwoman Kim warns Soo-hyun that she will invoke the morality clause of the divorce settlement and take back Donghwa Hotel.

Soo-hyun’s mother suggest to her a plan to blame everything on Jin-hyeok; she also forces her to meet Woo-seok. During their meeting, Soo-hyun asks Woo-seok why he hasn’t gotten married again, but he refuses to answer.

Soo-Hyun goes out of town to track down the artist who was supposed to hold an exhibit of her paintings in Donghwa Hotel’s newest branch in Sokcho. When Mi-jin tells him to bring a suitcase of clothes and other things for Soo-hyun, Driver Nam decides to bring Jin-hyeok along with him.

On the beach, while taking pictures, Jin-hyeok meets Soo-hyun.

Note on Ep. 3: Sokcho is a city in Gangwon-do province, South Korea, about 99 miles away from Seoul. The city is a major tourism hub and a popular gateway to nearby Seoraksan national park. The city is known for the beach, natural hot springs and golf courses, as well as its fine fishery products. (Wikipedia)

Episode 4: “That’s Why I’m Trying to Stop”

Ep. 3 recap: Chairwoman Kim wants to get Donghwa Hotel back now that it’s making money. Jin-hyeok’s brother comes home after being discharged from the army. Concerned about Soo-hyun’s well-being after hearing the Spanish song on the radio, Jin-hyeok returns to the hotel in Sokcho. But Woo-seok is also on the way there. When Jin-hyeok asks her what’s the status of their relationship, Soo-hyun says, to his disappointment, that they’re just employee and employer.

Woo-seok sees Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok as they come back to the hotel. Later on, his mother, Chairwoman Kim, continues to pressure him into remarrying Soo-hyun.

During Soo-hyun’s birthday celebration, Mi-jin warns her to stop going out with Jin-hyeok.

Through a subordinate, Chairwoman Kim finds out that Jin-hyeok and Hye-in are friends. The subordinate offers Hye-in a promotion in exchange for putting a message about Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok in the hotel’s bulletin board. Later, after the news is posted in the bulletin board that Soo-hyun is harassing an employee, Director Choi meets Soo-hyun at the hotel lobby. As the employees begin to gather around them, he loudly demands that Soo-hyun explain why she has damaged the hotel’s reputation.

Episode 5: “I’m Good at Holding Back”

Ep. 4 recap: After Soo-hyun gets into a car accident, Jin-hyeok demands that he drive her home. At the stroke of midnight, he gives his birthday present (lipstick) to Soo-hyun. Mi-jin meets Jin-hyeok in Dae-chan’s moon snails eatery and warns him to stop seeing Soo-hyun. In front of Director Choi and the hotel employees, Jin-hyeok identifies himself as the man seen in the picture with Soo-hyun and the employee who Soo-hyun is supposed to be harassing.

For their first official date, Jin-hyeok brings Soo-hyun to a tea house whose owner is the wife of the man who gave the camera to Jin-hyeok’s father. Meanwhile, after finding out what happened at the hotel lobby, Chairwoman Kim warns Woo-seok that she will meet the directors of Donghwa Hotel.

Despite the problems that have arisen around them, Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok continue to meet each other. One of the places they visit is an art gallery in Jin-hyeok’s neighborhood.

Woo-seok orders his secretary to find out everything about Jin-hyeok, while Soo-hyun’s father asks Driver Nam about the man who Soo-hyun is seeing.

Note on Ep 5: Soo-hyun and and Jin-hyeok visit a street gallery, and one of the artworks that they stop to admire is a copy of “Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again” by Kim Whan-ki (1913–1974), a pioneering abstract artist in Korea. The painting won the Grand Prize Competition for Korean Art sponsored by the Hankuk Daily News in 1970; its title comes from the last line of the poem “At Eventide” by Kim Gwang-Sup.

If you click the picture above, you will be able to view or download
a much bigger copy — 1516 by 2045 px — of Kim Whan-ki’s
famous painting “Where, What Form, Shall We Meet Again?”

Episode 6: “It’s Already Spring For Us”

Ep. 5 recap: Despite opposition from her mother and Mi-jin, Soo-hyun can’t hold her emotions back and agrees to enter into a “some” relationship with Jin-hyeok.

Woo-seok confronts Director Choi, his mother’s spy in Donghwa Hotel. Later, Director Choi plans to embarrass Jin-hyeok by making him take charge of inviting celebrities to the opening of Donghwa Hotel’s newest branch in Sokcho. He also plans to embarrass Soo-hyun through the reporters at the event.

Hye-in warns Jin-hyeok about Woo-seok and Chairwoman Kim; she tells him about the rumor that they’re planning to take over Donghwa Hotel.

Soo-hyun’s mother barges into her office and warns her not do anything that will interfere with her father’s political plans.

During the celebrations at the newest hotel branch, Chairwoman Kim reminds Soo-hyun’s father that it was her business conglomerate that enabled his political career. Later, at the lobby, she and Director Choi meet Jin-hyeok.

Episode 7: “Sudden Personnel Appointment”

Ep. 6 recap: Woo-seok sees how close Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok are. On the other hand, Chairwoman Kim berates Jin-hyeok for seducing Soo-hyun. During the press conference, Soo-hyun admits to the reporters that she and Jin-hyeok are in a “some” relationship.

Soo-hyun stands firm against her mother who wants her to beg for Chairwoman Kim’s forgiveness; she says that she will live her life the way that she wants from now on. Meanwhile, Chairwoman Kim orders Director Choi to transfer Jin-hyeok away from Seoul and to later fire him; she also pushes through with her plan of uniting the political parties for the next presidential elections.

While waiting for Soo-hyun near a bus stop, Jin-hyeok meets Woo-seok, who wants to confirm what Soo-hyun said during the press conference. Later, while he and Soo-hyun are having dinner, Soo-hyun finds out that an emergency meeting of the board of directors has been scheduled.

Driver Nam goes to see Director Kim’s daughter; she has found out that her father is having an extra-marital affair.

Director Choi tells Jin-hyeok that he will be transferred to the Sokcho branch of the hotel. When Jin-hyeok protests, Director Choi warns him that Soo-hyun could lose control of Donghwa Hotel. Later on, while jogging, Jin-hyeok impulsively visits Soo-hyun at her home.

Episode 8: “Party Must Go On”

Ep. 7 recap: Soo-hyun promises the board of directors that she won’t mix her personal life with the hotel’s business. The PR team finds out that Jin-hyeok is being transferred. Hye-in takes Director Kim’s cellphone and calls Soo-hyun, who is on her way to Shanghai, China for a business meeting.

Soo-hyun warns Director Choi to choose between her or Chairwoman Kim; she also tells her mother that she will never remarry Woo-seok. But Jin-hyeok tells her that if she cancels his reassignment, she will look bad in the eyes of the Donghwa Hotel’s employees.

Chairwoman Kim finds out that Woo-seok lied about his extramarital affair to give Soo-hyun the ground to divorce him.

During Donghwa Hotel’s masquerade ball on New Year’s Eve, Woo-seok plans to win back Soo-hyun’s affections. Meanwhile, Jin-hyeok is stuck in the front desk of the hotel in Sokcho.

Episode 9: “Don’t Be Afraid”

Ep. 8 recap: Driver Nam picks Jin-hyeok up from Sokcho and brings him to the masquerade ball. At the stroke of midnight, to Soo-hyun’s surprise and delight, the ball turns into the salsa bar that she and Jin-hyeok visited in Havana. Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok kiss.

As Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok kiss, Woo-seok sees them and leaves brokenhearted.

Another trouble erupts when a picture of Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok on their early New Year’s Day date is published. When Soo-hyun later visits her father to apologize, he tells her about the impending fight between him and Chairwoman Kim.

Woo-seok proposes to remarry Soo-hyun, telling her that they can leave Korea to escape from Chairwoman Kim’s control.

Jin-hyeok’s mother becomes worried about him after finding out about his picture with Soo-hyun. Meanwhile, Soo-Hyun’s mother goes to Sokcho and confronts Jin-hyeok.

Soo-hyun tells Jin-hyeok that they should let things cool down between them.

Note on Ep. 9: The movie that Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok watched on their New Year’s Day date is “Loving Vincent” (2017), the world's first fully painted feature movie; it is an experimental animated biographical drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh (Wikipedia). You might be familiar with Don Maclean’s iconic song “Vincent” aka ”Starry, starry night.”

Episode 10: “It Proves That I Was the First to Like You”

Ep. 9 recap: Soo-hyun turns down Woo-seok’s marriage proposal. After a month of separation with no communication and after developing Jin-hyeok’s picture in the darkroom, Soo-hyun decides to go to Sokcho and reunite with Jin-hyeok.

Taking to heart the advice of Mrs. Lee, the tea house owner, Soo-hyun reconciles with Jin-hyeok. They smooth things out between them and later begin video calling each other.

Soo-hyun’s mother begs Chairwoman Kim to give Soo-hyun another chance. Meanwhile, Woo-seok continues to pursue Soo-hyun.

Director Choi and Manager Lee scheme to get Soo-hyun into trouble with the owner of the Havana property; Director Choi also calls an emergency meeting of the board of directors to discuss kicking Soo-hyun out as CEO of the hotel.

Because of Director Choi’s scheme, the owner of the Havana property refuses to deal anymore with Donghwa Hotel. Remembering the man whom he talked to when he was in Havana and with his time off and benefits, Jin-hyeok decides to travel to Havana.

Episode 11: “My Heart Is Full of You”

Ep. 10 recap: Woo-seok finds out through his spy that his mother and Director Choi were behind the scheme to sabotage Donghwa Hotel’s deal in Havana. Soo-hyun also goes to Havana and reunites with Jin-hyeok on El Malecon Beach.

Because of the good PR that Jin-hyeok got when he helped the girl who lost her teddy bear, he’s transferred back to Seoul.

Woo-seok shows Director Choi the video of his meeting with Manager Lee and the manager who sent the malicious email; he promises Director Choi that he will not give Soo-Hyun the video if he helps him regain control of Donghwa Hotel.

For his mother’s birthday, Jin-hyeok uses his benefits to get his parents to stay at Donghwa Hotel for several days.

As Jin-hyeok goes home, he’s confronted by Woo-seok, who says that he’s still in love with Soo-hyun. Meanwhile, in the hotel, Soo-hyun gets a surprise visit.

Episode 12: “I Cherish You Very Much”

Ep. 11 recap: Jin-hyeok gives Soo-hyun a couple’s ring. Soo-hyun’s father gives up on his presidential ambitions, promising to support the opposition party. Woo-seok tells his assistant to buy up all the shares necessary for him to take control of Donghwa Hotel. Jin-hyeok’s father visits Soo-hyun in her office.

Jin-hyeok’s father tells Soo-hyun that he worries about her relationship with Jin-hyeok. But Soo-hyun reassures him.

Woo-seok succeeds in getting enough shares and is named as co-CEO of Donghwa Hotel. But the board of directors is split between those who have sided with him and those who remain loyal to Soo-hyun.

After visiting Soo-hyun in her office, Woo-seok goes to the PR department to gloat in Jin-hyeok’s presence about his victory. Later on, he tells Jin-hyeok that he will win Soo-hyun back.

Driver Nam finds out about the telephone calls made by the manager who sent the malicious email.

Soo-hyun’s mother pleads with her to cooperate with Chairwoman Kim even only during the electoral campaign. Soo-hyun then becomes torn over attending the memorial service for Woo-seok’s father and having dinner with Jin-hyeok and his family.

Note on Ep. 12: The painting behind Soo-hyun is based on the statue of the Little Prince and the fox that overlooks Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, a famous tourist destination. Korea also has a tourist spot called Petite France that pays homage to the “Little Prince” novella and all things French.

Episode 13: “I Can No Longer Live Without You”

Ep. 12 recap: Soo-hyun chooses to have dinner with Jin-hyeok’s family rather than attend the memorial service.

Angered by Soo-hyun’s refusal to attend the memorial service, Chairwoman Kim orders her legal team to prepare in taking over Donghwa Hotel.

When Soo-hyun apologizes to her father about the negative effect on his political career of her refusal to attend the memorial service, he assures her that whatever happens won’t be because of her.

Through her secretary, Soo-hyun finally finds the exact model of Jin-hyeok’s camera that was damaged in Havana. Later, Jin-hyeok gets the chance to use it for the hotel’s wedding promo.

Soo-hyun confirms that it’s Manager Lee who was in contact with the manager who sent the malicious email that nearly derailed the Havana project.

Episode 14: “It’s Your First Love Too”

Ep. 13 recap: Soo-hyun enjoys her time spent with Jin-hyeok’s family. Director Choi is fired from his position, but he refuses to name the person who masterminded the scheme to derail the Havana project. Jin-hyeok’s mother pleads with Soo-hyun to end her relationship with Jin-hyeok.

Soo-hyun becomes depressed over her conversation with Jin-hyeok’s mother, who pleaded that she wants a normal, happy life for Jin-hyeok and her family.

Having come to a decision over his political career, Soo-hyun’s father gets together with Jin-hyeok for dinner. Later, he visits the columbarium where his old friend’s ashes are stored. There, he meets Driver Nam and Director Kim.

While Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok are at an art gallery, Woo-seok’s former girlfriend sees them.

In Dae-chan’s restaurant, a customer mocks Jin-hyeok’s relationship with Soo-hyun; Jin-hyeok’s brother gets into a fight with the customer and lands in jail.

Soo-hyun finally finds out that Woo-seok faked his extramarital affair to give her a chance to get out of his mother’s domineering ways.

Episode 15: “I’m Sorry”

Ep. 14 recap: After Soo-hyun’s father publicly announces his withdrawal from the presidential race, Chairwoman Kim vows to oust Soo-hyun as CEO of the hotel. After seeing how her relationship with Jin-hyeok has affected his brother, Soo-hyun decides to break up with Jin-hyeok.

Soo-hyun’s father announces that a corporation illegally funded his campaign and that he will be cooperating with the police investigation.

Soo-hyun breaks up with Jin-hyeok, but he pleads with her that he promised her father that he will take care of her. Later, he finds out that his mother asked Soo-hyun to break up with him.

Jin-hyeok’s father also finds out that his wife talked to Soo-hyun about ending her relationship with Jin-hyeok. He gets angry with her, but she refuses to admit that what she did was wrong.

Although Woo-seok gives her a way to take full control of Donghwa Hotel, Soo-Hyun refuses his help. She decides to leave for Havana and focus on the hotel project there.

Episode 16, Finale (with spoilers): “I’ll Wait in My Place”

Ep. 15 recap: The police issue a search and seizure order against Chairwoman Kim’s conglomerate. But Chairwoman Kim is confident that Soo-hyun’s mother will never testify against her. Jin-hyeok goes to Soo-hyun’s office to confront her.

Soo-hyun’s mother testifies against Chairwoman Kim. Later on, Soo-hyun’s father and Chairwoman Kim are charged with and convicted of corruption and of illegal campaign contributions.

Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok are reunited, and a year later, after the Havana hotel has been completed, Jin-hyeok asks Soo-hyun if they can go to Cuba as newlyweds.

Animation (artwork) for intro and outro of each episode

“Encounter” uses animations of beautiful artwork at the start and end of each episode (1) to give a preview of the episode and also (2) to highlight certain events in the episode. These digital artworks were created by Korean artist Jamsan; you can read more about him (his techniques, career, sample works, etc.) in “Korean Illustrator: Jamsan” and in “Concept artist discusses success behind ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ storybooks” (The Korea Times).

For example, here’s the animation for the intro of Ep. 1 that previews Soo-hyun traveling to a faraway, sunny land (that is, Cuba) where she meets a man reading a book. The early part of the animation reflects the complexity of Soo-hyun’s life as a politician’s daughter and as a chaebol’s wife, which contrasts with the simplicity of the happiness that she will find.

Posted below is the outro animation of Ep. 1. The freeze frame of Jin-hyeok and Soo-hyun at the airport cross dissolves into the artwork of a man and woman meeting on a sunny island.

Posted below is Jamsan’s exquisitely beautiful artwork used in Ep. 3. In the intro animation, you will notice that the butterflies move backwards from the upper right corner to the lower left corner, with one butterfly staying on the girl’s face. In the outro animation, the butterflies move naturally from lower left to upper right, and the last image we see is the girl who’s now all alone because all the butterflies have flown away. The animation represents Soo-hyun’s past relational failures and her present fear of becoming romantically involved with Jin-jyeok.

The first picture below is from the intro animation of Ep. 7; it shows a boy’s face with one spark (or star) flitting on his face. The second picture below is a GIF of the outro animation of Ep. 7 that shows mumerous sparks (or stars) bursting from his face. This outro represents Jin-hyeok and the mature way that he handled his reassignment to Sokcho. He could have easily griped to Soo-hyun about the reassignment, but he placed Soo-hyun’s welfare first and considered her precarious situation with the board of directors and her former mother-in-law.

The animations can express some profound things as I stated above. But they can also express some simple things, such as the intro and outro of Ep. 8. As the screenshot of the intro below shows, the intro depicts a man and a woman passing each other, which indicates a break in the relationship or a failure in communication. On the other hand, the screenshot from the outro shows the man and woman reuniting and coming to an understanding.

Ep. 8 intro

Ep. 8 outro

The animations can also be highly suggestive as in Ep. 10; if you watch the kissing scene at the balcony near the end of the episode, you will then read a lot into what the outro animation depicts.

Ep. 10 intro

Ep. 10 outro

Jamsan using Painter to create his artworks

Photography, cameras, and films as recurring motifs of “Encounter”

I love photography, and when I found out from a friend on reddit that this drama uses photography, cameras, and films as recurring motifs, I decided to give it a try. When I saw Jin-hyeok (male lead character) using a manual SLR camera in Ep. 1 to take black and white pictures, I was hooked.

1. The branding elements in the SLR (single lens reflex) camera that Jin-hyeok is using have been erased. As I explained in my notes on Ep. 1, that camera is probably a Nikon FM2n model.

From 1985 up to 2009, I used a Canon AE-1 Program camera, which, along with the AE-1, is the biggest selling manual SLR camera in history. But I was also able to use the Nikon FG and Nikon F models in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The very first SLR camera I handled was the Olympus OM-1, and the camera of my dreams was the Pentax Spotmatic.

2. Ep. 1 opens with black and white images of Soo-hyun campaigning for her father, getting married, and getting divorced. Later, as Soo-hyun walks towards a small gallery, the images transition from black and white to color. This technique of transitioning from black and white to color (or blending color with black and white) has been used in various movies.

For example, the video below shows the scene from the landmark 1953 movie “The Wizard of Oz” where Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) is shown first in black and white (technically, sepia) and then in Technicolor.



For more information, please read:

Clip joint: films that use both black & white and colour (The Guardian)

Films In Both Color and Black and White

How to Use Selective Color in a Black-and-White Video with Premiere Pro

Alfonso Cuarón’s Black-and-White ‘Roma’ Was a Cinematic Master Stroke

3. The picture below from Ep. 1 shows Jin-hyeok and Soo-hyun in a split screen. But the images are placed in frames that look like a 35 mm film strip, minus the perforations at the top and bottom portions.

Here’s another example of a split screen that uses frames in the form of a film strip without the perforations.

In Ep. 5, however, we can see an image of Soo-hyun and and Jin-hyeok in the tea house; they’re framed inside a 35 mm film frame, and if you look closely, you will see the perforations at the left and right sides, not at the top or bottom. As the camera slowly zooms in on Soo-hyun and and Jin-hyeok, the perforations slowly become discernible.

4. At the start of Ep. 2, we see Jin-hyeok inside the darkroom, printing his pictures and inspecting his negatives by eye and by the use of a loupe (magnifier). This scene reminds me so much of the late 1980s and early 1990s when I developed black and white films and printed pictures in my high school’s makeshift darkroom.

In the pictures below, the negative image cross dissolves into the positive image of the library that Jin-hyeok visits regularly.

In the pictures below, the 35 mm film strip (with a loupe in the middle) cross dissolves into the image of the bus that Jin-hyeok is riding on his way home.

5. Posted below are three pictures composed of two images each — the first image is out of focus, while the second image is in focus. Why did the cinematographer shoot the scene starting with an out of focus image? I think that this device was part of the concept for the whole drama (that is, using photography, cameras, and films as recurring motifs). Remember that Jin-hyeok uses a manual focus SLR camera; you have to focus the lens in order to get a clear and sharp image.

6. In Ep. 9, we can see this out of focus shot of Soo-hyun’s reflection as she tells Jin-hyeok that they should cool things off between them. It’s a brilliant shot because the out of focus image reinforces the sadness and emotional confusion that Soo-hyun experiences at that moment.

7. In Ep. 8, when Jin-hyeok asked Soo-hyun to take his picture, he was outside the restaurant, with a glass window between them.

Notice that the images of Soo-hyun are hazy because the cinematographer shot her from behind the glass window, that is, from Jin-hyeok's point of view. (Same thing with Jin-hyeok’s images; they're hazy because the cinematographer shot him from behind the glass window, that is, from Soo-hyun’s point of view.)

But the cinematographer also shot Soo-hyun from inside the restaurant, making her image sharp and clear.
So, why didn’t the cinematographer shot Soo-hyun this way? Or, the production crew could have easily removed the glass window, allowing the cinematographer to avoid the hazy images of Soo-hyun or of Jin-hyeok. (A polarizing filter would have also probably removed the haziness.)

Answer: because the hazy images visually reflect and reinforce the strain in their relationship as Jin-hyeok prepares to move to his new work assignment in Sokcho, which is around 3 hours drive away from Seoul.

Lessons in in cinematography and photography from “Encounter”

A. Song Hye-kyo (female lead star of “Encounter”) has a standard clause in her contract that she can only be filmed with an Alexa camera, which is the top of the line camera for cinematographers. For example, the Alexa 65 camera model was used as “the primary system on over 70% of the top 100 grossing films since 2016.” Some movies that have been shot with an Alexa 65 are “Skyfall,” “Sicario,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “Roma,” and “Parasite.” If I remember correctly, Song Hye-kyo’s dramas have been shot with the Alexa Plus camera model.

B. Proper way of handling a manual SLR camera: In Ep. 8, Jin-hyeok gives Soo-hyun the manual SLR camera that he used in Cuba. (As I said earlier, the camera is a Nikon FM2n model.)

(a) Soo-hyun is not holding the manual SLR camera properly; with a short lens, the camera base should be on her open left palm.
With the camera base resting on her open left palm, she can (1) focus the lens with her left hand’s thumb and pointing finger, and (2) take her right hand off the camera and the camera will still be safe on her left hand.

With the way she’s holding the camera, she has to move her left hand from the side of the camera, focus the lens, and then move her hand back to its previous position. In Ep. 11 (at around the 48:27 mark), this is exactly what she does. This is not an efficient way of handling a manual SLR camera. (With a longer lens, however, the left hand supports the lens, not the camera body.)

C. Lesson in cinematography from Ep. 1 (cross cutting):

Cross cutting is taking two or more scenes and cutting between them as they progress; it is used to establish actions taking place at the same time, whether in the same place or not. In this example, Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok are in their separate hotels, remembering the happy moments they spent together.

For more information about cross cutting, surt to “Film Editing Techniques: Cross-Cutting 101” (Film Editing Pro)

D. Lesson in cinematography (walk and talk):

The characters move from one point to another, with the camera following them. In this example from Ep. 1 (38:54 up to 40:40 marks), Soo-hyun and Jin-hyeok walk along the streets of Havana, and as they move forward, the camera moves backward to keep them in focus and in frame.

The “walk and talk” was popularized by Aaron Sorkin, director of “Sports Night” and “West Wing.” The “walk and talk” may seem simple to do, but it needs a lot of rehearsals for the actors and cinematographer to synchonize their movements. For more information, please read “The Walk and Talk: Crafting Exposition That Won’t Bore Your Audience” (Premium Beat).

E. Lesson in cinematography from Ep. 1 (rack focus): One element is in focus while the other element is out of focus. As the element in focus becomes out of focus, the element that is out of focus becomes in focus. Thus, in the GIF below, Jin-hyeok’s feet are in focus but then becomes out of focus as Soo-hyun’s shoes become in focus.

F. Lesson in cinematography (rack focus): The green grass in the foreground is in focus, while Soo-hyun (in the background wearing a red dress) is out of focus. The green grass then becomes out of focus, and Soo-hyun becomes in focus.

G. Lesson in cinematography and editing (eyeline match and the 180-degree rule):

In a scene where two actors are talking, if a character (“A”) is on the left side of the frame (or in the middle) and looking to the right towards the person (“B”) he/she’s talking to, then the next shot should have “B” on the right side of the frame (or in the middle) and looking to the left. Otherwise, it would result in a mismatch in eyeline and tend to confuse the viewers.

From “Film 101: What Are Eyelines? How to Use Eyeline Match to Tell a Story and Drive a Narrative”: Eyeline match also refers to an editing technique that ensures continuity of the characters’ gazes. It gives the illusion that the two characters are looking at each other. In a scene with multiple shots of different characters interacting, it must be clear who is looking at whom.

Example of eyeline match from Ep. 10:

Soo-Hyun is on the right side of the frame (or almost in the center) looking to the left, from our perspective. Thus, in the next shot, Jin-hyeok is on the left side of the frame (or almost in the center) and looking to the right, from our perspective.

Example of error in eyeline match from Ep. 12:

Soo-hyun is looking to the right; based on eyeline match, we would expect Jin-hyeok to be on the right side of the frame, looking left towards Soo-hyun.

Instead, as you can see in the picture below, Jin-hyeok is in the center of the frame and looking to the right. Either the cinematographer disregarded the 180-degree rule when the scene was being shot, or the editor messed up.

H. Lessons in photography

Out of focus highlights, Bokeh (aesthetic quality
of blurred areas of a photograph)

Background blur

Balance and symmetry, natural frame

Conveying depth through overlapping elements

Background blur, natural frame

Converging lines

High key lighting, shallow depth of field

Balance and symmetry, background blur

Line of direction, partial frame

Foreground blur, natural frame

Red is a dominating color

Bokeh (aesthetic quality of blurred areas of a photograph)

Foreground blur, compressed perspective

Lens flare

Balance and symmetry

High angle shot, diagonal lines

Rule of Odds

Low angle shot, Dutch angle

Converging lines, Dutch angle

Out of focus highlights, Bokeh (aesthetic quality
of blurred areas of a photograph)

Background blur

Shooting against the light, lens flares

Lines of direction

Natural frame

Red and yellow are dominant colors

Arabesque

Reflection, natural frame

Red (warm color), blue (cool color)

Shallow depth of field

Low angle shot

High angle shot

Golden hour (sunset)

Silhouette

Establishing shot

Reflection

Simple, uncluttered background

Reflection

Reflection

Reflection, balance and symmetry

I. Symmetry and balance