[Edaily Reporter YUN GI BACK ] The drama production scene—where scripts were revised right up until broadcast and all-night shoots were used to fill airtime—has changed. A production method is becoming widespread in which the entire script and schedule are finalized before filming begins, and film-quality visuals and sound are achieved. It has been 10 years since Netflix entered the Korean market. Changes have occurred not only in how content is consumed but also in the system for producing dramas. In particular, as talent and technology from the film industry have flowed into series production, the boundaries between movies and dramas are rapidly breaking down.

◇From ad-libbed scripts to pre-production… The changing rules of production
Symbolizing this shift is the successive entry of film directors into the series industry. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of *Squid Game* is a film director by training, having helmed *The Crucible*, *The Stranger*, and *The Fortress*. Director Yeon Sang-ho of *Train to Busan* presented *Hellbound* and *Parasite: The Gray*, while Director Han Jun-hee of *Chinatown* unveiled the *D.P.* series. Director Yoon Jong-bin of *The War Against Crime* also took on the challenge of directing a series with *Suriname*.
With the addition of these film directors, the know-how of film production—including cinematography, art direction, sound, and post-production—was fully integrated into television dramas. Combined with the mass appeal and narrative strengths unique to Korean dramas, this led to the emergence of series with a level of polish rivaling that of theatrical films.
Director Hong Jong-chan, known for *Boy Judge*, *Mr. Plankton*, and *True Education*, cited “works that stand the test of time” as the biggest change he experienced while working with Netflix. “There’s a sense that these aren’t products with a short shelf life, but works that people can revisit at any time,” Director Hong said. “Respecting the director’s vision and creating an environment where it can be realized is the driving force behind my continued work.”
The most fundamental change is the production schedule. In the past, broadcast dramas frequently followed the so-called “last-minute script” practice, where filming and broadcasting were conducted simultaneously to meet scheduling deadlines, and scripts were often delivered just before shooting began. In contrast, Netflix Original series adopt a production method where all episodes are completed in advance. Since localization work—such as subtitles and dubbing—required for a global simultaneous release must be prepared ahead of time, both the filming and post-production schedules are managed systematically.
The principle Netflix emphasizes during the production process is “FIX IN PRE.” The aim is to identify and resolve potential problems that might arise during filming and post-production in advance. A Netflix representative explained, “This doesn’t mean we should solve everything during pre-production,” adding, “It means identifying issues that might arise in post-production early on so we can make necessary decisions quickly.”
Director Park Yoon-seo of “Girigo” also stated, “At first, I often wondered, ‘Shouldn’t I be making a movie?’ but that thought faded as I worked,” adding, “I enjoyed the process because I was working with film crew members and the system was set up exactly like a film production.”
The production process has also become more specialized. The “post-supervisor,” who oversees the schedule and quality of post-production tasks such as editing, color grading, sound, and visual effects (VFX), has emerged as a key role. This marks an expansion of the production focus from the filming set to post-production.

◇A Theater-Like Experience at Home…Rising Technical and Production Standards
These changes in the production system have led to improvements in video and audio quality. Following the introduction of 4K streaming in 2014 and HDR in 2016, Netflix announced support for Dolby Atmos in 2017, coinciding with the release of Director Bong Joon-ho’s film “Okja.” This strategy aims to provide an immersive experience close to that of a movie theater, even in the comfort of one’s own home.
Colorist Park Jin-young, who handled color grading for *Squid Game* and *Possible Love*, noted that the adoption of HDR technology has expanded the possibilities for visual expression. “I realized that we can create and express visuals with even more limitless potential,” he explained, adding that this experience motivated him to focus even more on the beauty and polish of the visuals.
Changes have also emerged in the field of sound. Kim Seok-won, a sound supervisor who worked on *Hell* and other projects, stated, “With Netflix’s entry, high-spec standards were introduced, and a ‘benchmark for sound’ was established.” He added, “Global standards began to come into view, and that gave us confidence.” He is currently expanding his scope of work to include Hollywood productions.
VFX has also evolved from a process of simply enhancing scenes after filming into a core process that designs a production’s world-building and filming methods from the planning stage onward. This is what has made genre productions requiring complex visual effects—such as *Sweet Home*, *Hell*, and *Parasite: The Gray*—possible.
A Netflix representative explained, “Since *Sweet Home*, a consensus regarding VFX in Netflix productions has formed across the industry,” adding, “We have continuously developed our technical capabilities by exchanging feedback with our partner companies.” VFX Supervisor Hong Jeong-ho also emphasized, “We don’t view VFX as mere post-production; we are involved from the moment the director hands over the script until the very end.”