By Honorary Reporter Ghada Mohamed Ali from Egypt

Photos = Lee Eun-gyeol, Netflix

"The Sound of Magic" is a Netflix fantasy musical released on May 6 based on the 2010 webtoon "Annarasumanara" by Ha Il-Kwon. The plot centers on high school student Yoon Ah-ye, who cares for her younger sister alone. She initially doesn't believe in magic but changes her mind after meeting magician Ri-eul.

How did the actor playing the magician learn to do magic tricks? For more on that, the following are excerpts from a May 16 email interview with illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol, who directed such scenes. 

Illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol served as "magical scene director" for the Netflix series "The Sound of Magic."

Please briefly introduce yourself.
I am an illusionist who performs a variety of magic tricks and have been working in Korea for 25 years. I majored in broadcasting at Dong-A University in Busan and my hometown is Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do Province.

Why did you take up magic?
I couldn't adapt to city life when I moved to Seoul as a child, so I grew introverted. My parents were worried about me and sent me to the first magic academy in Korea after seeing a newspaper ad saying "magic is good for interpersonal relationships." 

How much do you practice your craft?
When I was young, I did physical training for more than 12 hours a day. But now, I spend most of my time envisioning and directing when I need to or have a performance. I usually test new tricks and experiment with and improve them for a solo show.

How did you get the job of "magical scene director" for "The Sound of Magic?"
I'd worked with the drama's choreographer before and she arranged a meeting for me with the production team. I was impressed by the webtoon and wanted to add more dramatic effects to the symbolic expressions used in the webtoon, so I agreed to take the job. In preproduction, I created scenes of magic reflecting the main character’s personality and the drama's overall tone and manner. 

In Episode 2 of "The Sound of Magic," the magician Ri-eul gives the younger sister of Yoon Ah-yi an egg after performing a trick with it.

Did you suggest magic tricks for the main character or followed the script?

I'd participated in the series since preproduction, so I suggested the magic tricks the writer wanted in each scene when he was working on the script. A lot of changes were made as such tricks had to be reflected.

How did you train actor Ji Chang-wook, who plays Re-eul, to do magic tricks?
Due to my schedule, I trained the Magic Scene Production Team the same way I train professional magicians. I felt that Ji practiced alone a lot at the time on the set.

What is the most effective and quick way to perform magic tricks well?
Dramas and movies can be reshot or edited afterwards, so I always focus on the actors' performance. I had an on-site magician adviser to help with acting such as facial expressions, hand gestures and body language.

Illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol said his favorite magic trick shown in the drama was this one from Episode 3.

Did you consider appeal to all ages while designing the magic tricks?
I knew that the main plotline was that of an adult fairytale. I wanted viewers to look at the magic tricks from an innocent point of view like that of Ri-eul, who has no prejudice.

What has been the highlight of your career?
I've focused on directing and expression through magic, and I'm creating a show with my perspectives and themes. Most magic shows merely show a variety of phenomena, but none express a sense of theme, so I'm working to fill that.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.