Kim Young-ho (cinematographer)

1996 to 2001: Early career, study in San Francisco

After graduating from the Department of Photography at Chung-Ang University, Kim began work on his first film in 1996 as a camera operator. Kim worked as a camera crew in films such as, Im Sang-soo's film Girls' Night Out, Min Byeong-cheon's film Phantom, the Submarine (1999) and Kim Sung-su's film Musa (2000). Despite having the opportunity to debut as a cinematographer, he chose to study at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This bold decision, proved to be the foundation for his career. Studying abroad exposed him to the latest filming equipment in Hollywood and advanced filming techniques.^[1]

2002 to present

After returning to South Korea, Kim made his debut as a cinematographer with Yoo Ha's film Marriage Is a Crazy Thing in 2002. He drew inspiration from films like The Thin Red Line (directed by Terrence Malick, cinematography by John Toll), Kiss of Death (directed by Kathleen Bigelow, cinematography by Adam Greenberg), Hatred (directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, cinematography by Pierre Haïm), Fargo (directed by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins), and Alien 3 (directed by David Fincher, cinematography by Alex Thompson).^[3] He continued to hone his craft through projects like Father and Son: The Story of Mencius (2004, Kim Ji-young), Mr. Gam's Victory, and Hello, Brother.^[1]

In 2006, Kim's career reached new heights with his work on director Jo Dong-oh's film The Restless. He reunited with film crews of film Musa (2000), such as music director Shirō Sagisu.^[4] The film explores the concept of souls awaiting reincarnation for 49 days. Kim's expertise in CG and color correction in post-production was showcased in this project.^[1] In 2007, he won the bronze medal for Best Cinematography for The Restless at the 30th Golden Cinematography Awards.^[5]

Kim met lighting director Yang Woo-sang when he was working on Beat and have been working with him ever since. Mr. Gam's Victory, Hello, Brother, The Restless, and A Good Day to Have an Affair.^[6] His work in A Good Day to Have an Affair (2007, Jang Moon-il), and Harmony (2009, Kang Dae-gyu) further solidified his reputation as a leader in the industry.^[1]

His proficiency in filming scenes using CG was highlighted in Tidal Wave (2009, Yoon Je-kyun), where he successfully integrated CG elements into large-scale settings like skyscraper, Gwangan Bridge, and wide sandy beaches.^[1] Kim received the cinematography award at the 29th Film Critics Association and the 5th Korea University Film Festival.^[7]

Kim collaborated with director Yoon Je-kyun for the film Quick. Yoon Je-kyun served as producer and co-directed with Jo Bum-goo and producer Yoon Je-kyun. Kim, along with special effects director Hong Jang-pyo, worked on the action scenes in Quick, including creating high-speed video sequences at 300 km/h. The film's highway speed, chain collision, and explosion scenes were praised for pushing the boundaries of Korean cinema.^[8]

Kim explained that making a 3D movie required specialized and expensive equipment like a "rigging system" to capture the left and right eye perspectives, a more complex and 30-day longer filming process, and about 30% higher production costs compared to 2D movies. He noted that South Korea's 3D filmmaking technology still lagged behind the United States, and it was "not easy to express a three-dimensional effect like Avatar", highlighting the significant technical challenges involved in achieving high-quality 3D results.^[9]

Kim joined Director Cho Bum-goo' 2011 film Quick. He worked with special effects director Hong Jang-pyo.^[10]

Kim joined Director Oh Ki-hwan's Korean-Chinese co-production "The Breakup Contract" (分手合约), which was released in China on April 12, 2013. The team included lighting director Hwang Soon-wook, music director Lee Ji-soo, and editor Shin Min-kyung. Malaysian Jeffrey Kong served as the art director.^[11]

In 2014, his film The Pirates was released. He collaborated with Director Lee Seok-hoon, scriptwriter Cheon Seong-il, martial arts director Ko Hyun-woong, art director Kim Ji-ah, costume designer Kwon Yoo-jin, VFX supervisor Kang Jong-ik, and music director Hwang Sang-joon, all of whom are top production staff members in the Korean film industry.^[12][13]

In 2014, Kim and Choi Young-hwan participated in the 3rd 'Korean Director Showcase' in Beijing, China, organized by The Korean Film Council. The event aimed to promote Korean directors, cinematographers, and screenwriters in the Chinese film market and enhance Korea-China co-productions following a co-production agreement. Selected participants were highly recognized in China and chosen through a survey by major local production investment companies. During the event, they visited the China Film Business Center, a planning and development support center for Korea-China joint production films, and the Korea Film Council's 'China Film Business Center' to share information for Korean filmmakers and their entry into the Chinese market.^[14][15]

My Sister, the Pig Lady (2015).^[1]

On October 23, 2017, The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Do Jong-hwan) announced seven non-permanent members of the Korean Film Council: Now Film CEO Lee Jun-dong, producer Kang Won-sook, cinematographer Kim Young-ho, writer Kim Hyun-jung, director Mo Ji-eun, director Cho Young-gak of the Korean Independent Film Association, and professor Joo Yoo-shin of Busan Yeongsan University. cinematographer Kim Young-ho was appointed upon recommendation by the Korean Cinematographer's Guild. They responsible for comprehensively discussing and deciding on film-related policies, such as the establishment and implementation of the Basic Film Promotion Plan and the KOFIC Operation Plan, as well as the revision and abolition of the Articles of Incorporation, during their two-year term until October 2019.^[16]

Kim is a frequent collaborator of director Park Hoon-jung. He worked on Park's directorial debut "The Showdown" (2010), where he collaborated with costume designer Jeong Kyeong-hee and editor Shin Min-kyung.^[17] He also worked on "VIP," where he collaborated with art director Cho Hwa-seong, costume director Cho Sang-gyeong, and makeup director Kwon Soo-gyeong.^[18][19] Kim was part of director Park Hoon-jung's "The Witch" franchise, working on "The Witch 1" with art director Cho Hwa-seong, costume director Cho Sang-kyung, martial arts directors Park Jung-ryul and Kim Jung-min, and music director Mowg.^[20][21] In "The Witch 2," he worked with art director Cho Hwa-seong, art director Choi Hyun-seok, music director Mowg, and action director Kim Jung-min.^[22][23] Kim also collaborated on Park Hoon-jung's "Night in Paradise" with art director Cho Hwa-seong.^[24] He joined Park's first OTT drama "Tyrant" (2024).^[25]

His best-known works include Won Shin-yun's film The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019), where he also worked with Art Director Lee Jong-geon and Martial Arts Director Kim Min-soo.^[2]

In 2022, Kim collaborated with director Jeon Woo-sung on the TVING original series Bargain.^[26]

In 2024, Kim served as panel in Conjinwon-Netflix, Production Academy Program Operations.^[27]

Feature films

Web series

Awards and nominations

Listicles