[240905] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

Lim Hyunsik shared, “Actually, I went through a slump around 2019~2020. I couldn’t work well and was in an unstable state. It’s as if I was losing myself little by little. That’s when I contacted the director (Kwon Jinmo) and said I wanted to go diving. I had been putting it off because I was busy, but thanks to the director, I finally had the opportunityto do so. The conversations we had while spending time as a crew led to this big project.”

When asked about the appeal of the sea and diving, Lim Hyunsik explained, “I’ve just always loved the sea since I was little. Just looking at it brings peace of mind. It makes me think a lot about myself. Especially when I’m having a hard time, when I’m losing myself little by little. Looking at the sea helps me rediscover my fading dreams and becoming a complete version of myself again. When I first got into the water, I felt comfortable. Rather,  I felt like I was breathing more than when I was outside. I love how it makes me focus only on my breathing, almost like meditating.”

• For the Daily Sports interview, I only translated parts that were not written in JoyNews24. Read JoyNews24 for full interview.
• Original translation : Link
• Original article : Link
• Translation may contain inaccuracies.

[240904] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

A documentary capturing the making of the music video, ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea,’ is invited to the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. 
“The high-difficulty filming, including underwater guitar scenes, made me feel a sense of solitude.”
“I’m someone who values dreams. I’m happy because I’ve achieved a dream I’ve long wished for.”

BTOB Lim Hyunsik sang and played the guitar in the deep sea. He spent countless days to capture the sea that seemed so stunning that people might have thought it was a CG. He also spent years of planning to create a five-minute music video, and that journey has been documented in an hour-long documentary. The radiant journey of a dream is now unfolding on the big screen.

Lim Hyunsik shared his excitement with a bright smile, “It’s unbelievable. Although I’m a singer, in the documentary, I became an actor as part of the cast. I was already grateful that my first work was submitted, but I never imagined it would advance to the competition section. My main goal was to share and show the work that I had created with such difficulty to as many people as possible.” His first filmography as an actor is impressive. He will walk on the red carpet at the film festival. There will also a scheduled GV (Guest Visit, a Q&A session) with the documentary director, Kwon Jinmo.

On the day of the interview with JoyNews24, both scheduled GV sessions sold out immediately after opening. Lim Hyunsik expressed his amazement, saying, “I heard it sold out in just 30 seconds. Even my mother failed to get a ticket. I haven’t even shown the finished work to my BTOB members yet.”

“I started diving as a hobby around 2019 or 2020. Working on music was exhausting, I also experienced slumps and felt like I was losing myself at that time. It was a time that everyone goes through at some point in their lives, and I suddenly thought I needed a change. I called a director whom I had maintained a good relationship with for a long time, and we left on the very next day. When I got into the pool, the stress disappeared and I felt at ease. I realized, ‘This is something I’ll do for the rest of my life,’ so I bought a full set of equipment.” (laugh)

Since then, Lim Hyunsik and his diving crew have gone on diving tours at least three or four times a year. He found healing through diving to the extent that he began recommending it to those around him and experienced significant changes in his life. He also wanted to capture the beauty of the sea, marking the beginning of his music video and documentary production.

“Divers often say, ‘There is a big difference between being born and experiencing the underwater world and dying without experiencing it. It feels like discovering a new world.’ Although I haven’t been diving for long, I can physically feel the changes in the sea. As the water temperature rises due to global warming, corals are dying, and tropical fish are appearing in Ulleungdo and Jeju Island. Seeing this is upsetting, and while thinking about future generations, I felt a strong desire to capture the sea even more.”

With the advancement of CGI, there are many works depicting the deep sea, but I wanted to record the ‘real’ sea. He stated, “I wanted to show how amazing it is.”

The music video was filmed in Palau in July last year, but the preparation began much earlier. He consistently trained for over 2-3 years for underwater shooting and also conducted location scouting. Lim Hyunsik explained, “I wasn’t in a situation where I could train once a week regularly. I went and enjoyed my training whenever I had a vacation.” Before the shoot, Hyunsik also lost about 7-8 kg. He recalled, “Holding my breath makes my face got puffy. The calorie consumption underwater is enormous, so I endured eating only salad for over a week since the preliminary survey.”

Their passion and effort resulted in a satisfying outcome. Lim Hyunsik swam through the beautiful South Pacific sea, while singing and playing guitar in the deep sea. While the compressed music video is ‘pretty and beautiful,’ the documentary capturing the production process has a much rougher and more vivid texture, deeply infused with their sweat.

“The underwater filming took place for over two days, working about 4 hours a day, with each underwater session lasting at least 40 minutes to an hour. I had to appear comfortable in the water, so I did a lot of mind control. I practiced calming my mind extensively. Agreements with the camera crew were also important. Since my visibility was poor underwater, it’s hard to know where the crews were. We set up specific signals for camera rolls and actions. Since I took off my breathing apparatus, I had to hold my breath until they arrived, so I did a lot of breathing training. Just like the title of the song, I felt a deep solitude while doing this. There’s a scene where I had to lip-sync underwater, and eventually, I became comfortable to do so.”

“I did a lot of testing for the filming, and the director was aldo doing things they had never done before. I went to Gangneung and bought a broken guitar for training. Weight is crucial for diving, so I drilled holes in the guitar to insert weights and adjusted them, while I also added a 1.5 kg weight on my ankle. I had to find the right weight to create the scene of jumping and sinking in the water. I even tried using waterproof makeup for the visuals, but it was all in vain (laughs).”

The staffs’ dedication, which wasn’t seen in the music video, was also impressive. Not only the underwater filming crews but also the staffs who waited for a long time on the boat. Even when faced with harsh weather and various other challenges, they comforted and encouraged each other.

“When I was getting my hair and makeup fixed, I would come up on the boat, and the staff members fixed it while their eyes were out of focus due to seasickness. Some people lost their mental composure during the filming, and I had that experience too. After keeping my eyes open underwater for several hours, I found that I couldn’t open them properly outside. I realized my vision was affected. That was when I lost my mental composure.”

Lim Hyunsik recalled, “When water got into my nose, it felt like my brain was also filling up with water. I thought my body wasn’t my own, so I entrusted everything to the people around me. I had such a big trust to them.”

He vividly remembered the sound of “Last Cut” as they wrapped up the filming. All the staff embraced me and expressed their gratitude. Lim Hyunsik shared, “I felt so overwhelmed while looking at the sea and drinking coffee. I felt a sense of accomplishment for achieving something I had dreamed of for a long time.”

When asked if he would do the same shoot again, he laughed, saying, “While watching the director edit the documentary, I thought, ‘I did something crazy.’ I wondered how I managed to do it and said many times that I don’t think I could do it again.”

This project exhibits a glimpse of the authenticity and passion of artist Lim Hyunsik. His solo concert ‘Dive Into You’ held last October, his second mini-album ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea’ released in February, and this documentary are organically linked to each other.

At the end of the documentary, Lim Hyunsik said, “I have confidence, but I never think highly of myself and always feel that I’m lacking. Still, I am growing. I am striving to show myself as a good artist.” The reason behind his constant effort and passion is ultimately to become a ‘good artist.’

“I am well aware that I am lacking and weak. I don’t have many worries in life, but what keeps me constantly contemplating is how much I can grow. I think I need to live while continuously feeling those things in order to grow more musically and artistically. When I released an album after four years, I wanted to show a more mature version of myself. I want to show that I have grown even more next time, and I am confident that I can do that.”

As a solo singer Lim Hyunsik, as member of BTOB who established BTOB Company and announced their second act, and as an actor with his first filmography, the sea Lim Hyunsik will swim through remains vast and deep.

• Original translation : Link
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[240827] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

Lim Hyun-sik said in an interview with SPOTV News, “I wanted to show that ‘I can do this much’. I wanted to express myself, whether it be through video or music.”

Regarding making the music video behind-the-scenes into a documentary, Lim Hyunsik said, “I’ve been looking for projects that filmed underwater for a long time. There aren’t many music videos or films that were actually shot under the sea. Especially with the advancement of CGI technology. That’s why, as someone who deeply loves the sea, I wanted to show the process of filming the music video in the real sea. Although there is a making film, but I felt it would be a shame if it’s only captured in the making film.”

“Initially, we just wanted to release it in any format, but Director Kwon Jin-mo suggested to release it in a film format. He is a film professor at Dong-A University and had also visited the Busan International Film Festival. He had a dream of doing a GV (guest visit) at a film festival as a director, and I had a similar thought. At first, I vaguely thought, ‘Let’s go to the Busan International Film Festival if we get the chance and have fun watching films.’ But as we talked, it turned into a shared desire to actually do it.”

Director Kwon, who established a connection with Lim Hyunsik as the art director for BTOB’s debut song “Insane,” is also Lim Hyunsik’s diving mentor. In the documentary, it’s notable that Director Kwon refers to Lim Hyunsik not as a “singer” but as “Lim Hyunsik the diver.”

The things that Lim Hyunsik vaguely dreamed of while looking at the ocean while learning and enjoying diving have now become a reality. Lim Hyunsik, who is at a pre-master level (equivalent to a professional) and even obtained a rescue license (capable of rescuing people), has participated in everything, from the preliminary investigation to the documentary production, inside and outside of the music video shoot. Completing a project of, by, and for Lim Hyunsik.

Filming in the depths of the sea, where humans have no control ini everything, was particularly challenging because nothing could be guaranteed. The music video, which flawlessly executed everything from acting to lip-syncing in the vast open sea rather than a studio, has value beyond a mere challenge.

Lim Hyunsik, who said that a few ‘Avengers’ also took part in the filming, explained, “It was fun, but it’s also tricky since we couldn’t control nature. It rained a lot, but if the weather had been sunny or clear, it might not have matched the lonely feel of the music video. So, I think the weather actually helped us.”

“The staff worked incredibly hard. They would sometimes have to go vomit while doing hair and makeup on the boat. Looking at their eyes, you could see they were unfocused from exhaustion. Only a few staff members who could dive went into the sea for the shoot, while the rest had to wait on the boat, so it was tough for everyone.” He described the valuable results is achieved through this ‘extremely difficult filming condition.’

• Original translation : Link
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• Translation may contain inaccuracies.

[240827] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

In an interview with SPOTV News, Lim Hyunsik shared his emotion, “It’s my first time attending a film festival, and it’s also my first time participating as an actor. It’s meaningful to be building my first filmography.”

The behind-the-scenes film for Lim Hyunsik’s second mini-album, ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea,’ was invited as a feature-length film in the Korean Competition section of the 20th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF). The Jecheon Film Festival is the largest music film festival in Asia, and is a place to introduce outstanding music films from around the world.

Lim Hyunsik explained, “It’s my first time attending a film festival, walking on the red carpet, and especially my first time going to a film festival as an actor. I really love movies, so it feels surreal to have the opportunity to attend a film festival.” By attending the Jecheon Film Festival as the lead actor in a competition section film, he is adding filmography to his career, which has been filled with discography.

He stated, “If I have the chance, I’d like to try acting someday. But for now, my goal is to continue growing in a musical aspect as a solo singer, as I have a strong desire to express myself through my music.” He continued, “It’s meaningful that my first filmography is being invited to a film festival, and to add, I can attend the festival as part of the cast.”

Lim Hyunsik explained, “Our goal was to submit the film to a film festival. We didn’t specifically aim for the competition section from the start. Since it’s a documentary and only an hour long, it feels a bit short compared to other feature-length films. So our initial goal was to submit it to any film festival, even if it’s in the non-competitive section. But we ended up in the Korean Competition section, with a total of six films in that section. I was so surprised when I heard that there were thousands films in the beginning,” he laughed.

Lim Hyunsik shared, “When I heard the news of the invitation, I called Director Kwon through phone and we both screamed excitedly and made a fuss while talking. I usually don’t act like that, but this time, the corner of my mouth and cheeks were truly lifted with excitement. I immediately bragged to my family. My mother was so happy and even already bought tickets for the festival. She’s happy not just because of my music but also because of the results from this new challenge, saying that it’s not something just anyone can achieve. She’s truly looking forward to watch it soon.”

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[240827] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

In an interview with SPOTV News, Lim Hyunsik stated, “I believe that BTOB can grow even more and go even higher”.

BTOB recently toured seven cities, including Seoul, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan, meeting fans through their fan concert ‘Our Dream.’ Despite the busy schedule of the fan concert, Lim Hyunsik revealed that he’s been busy with music work, saying, “I’ve been working on BTOB’s songs whenever I have time. I’ve written quite a lot.”

BTOB recently entered their second act as a team. After concluding their exclusive contracts with their former agency, Cube Entertainment, Seo Eunkwang, Lee Minhyuk, Lim Hyunsik, and Peniel established BTOB Company. Lee Changsub joined Fantagio, and Yook Sungjae signed with the drama production company iWill Media. Despite being with different agencies, they continue their group activities together, writing a new path of “separately yet together”.

Lim Hyunsik said, “Since the members are separated, it’s not easy to manage everything smoothly in terms of work. It’s true that it’s difficult to coordinate schedules and things like that. We’re used to always being together, so being apart for the first time made us worried, but I think things will turn out well.” He added, “I believe that BTOB can grow even more and go higher. Even recently, when we went overseas, so many people came to see us.”

He continued, “I plan to have more interactions with my fans in the future. I want to create more opportunities to meet my fans and focus on working a lot. I’m planning to ‘work hard.’ I think I’ll be very busy, whether it’s solo or with the team, it’ll be the same.” He hinted at the ‘simultaneous hustle’ of both solo Lim Hyunsik and BTOB as a united team.

Hyunsik added, “Even yesterday, I talked with Eunkwang hyung late at night. We were discussing songs on KakaoTalk, and I said, ‘I think we’re going to do well.’ It really feels like the start of a second chapter. Now that I’m in my 30s, it truly feels like a second act for me. All the members have a deep affection for the team, and I think it’s even greater now.”

He continued, “I’ve been producing BTOB’s albums for 7-8 years, and I believe I’ve helped shape BTOB’s musical identity. I’ve been involved in many aspects, including albums, music videos, and art. Of course, the current situation in the music market isn’t great, but it’s fascinating how new Melody keep coming to us, and even younger fans are starting to like us. I’m also planning to keep practicing and improving in the musical aspect,” he said.

• Original translation : Link
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[240906] Translated by hyunsikdaily. Please take out with full credit.

“The Young Man and the Deep Sea” is a feature-length film in the Korean Competition category at the 20th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival. It is also the title of the 2nd mini album by Lim Hyunsik, a member of BTOB and a solo artist. On the 6th, the day after the opening ceremony, I met actor Lim Hyunsik at the Seoul Arts Center. He smiled as if embarassed by the title of an “actor”, but once the interview began, he seriously and calmly shared his musical journey and future plans. His story, which is as deep and blue as the sea, was thoughtfully flowing without hesitation.

I heard that ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea’ tickets were sold out as soon as the film festival tickets started. I also heard that even actor Lim Hyunsik’s mother failed to get the ticket.
Yesterday, I participated in the opening ceremony and walked on the red carpet. It felt unfamiliar, but also good. Just sitting in the opening ceremony made me feel like I had taken my first step on the path of a filmmaker, and it filled me with excitement and gratitude. I’m also incredibly thankful for the fans who showed so much interest. My mother, though, only watched the opening ceremony and then headed back to Seoul (laughs).

As a singer, attending a film festival must not have been easy for you.
It was a huge challenge for me. When I submitted my work, I was hoping it would at least be selected for a non-competitive section, but I’m so grateful that they liked my work to select it for the competitive section. I tend to be calm and reserved, but when I got the news from the director over the phone, I was so excited that I felt ‘high’ for the first time in a while. I couldn’t believe it. The waiting period from the submission to the start of the festival was such a happy time for me.

I wanted to express the feeling of ‘The Young Man and the Sea’. The music video was shot with such hardship that I almost passed out. Every moment was a challenge.

I heard that you got the inspiration for your album and film titles from Hemingway’s novel ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.
When I read ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, I found the old man is so cool (laugh). To be able to do one thing for a long time is so admirable, and I love how he quietly pursued his dream to achieve something on his own. While preparing my solo album, I also felt that solitude was necessary for me to shine brighter and to advance to the next level. I spent a lot of time alone, intentionally trying to embrace that solitude. That’s why I wanted to pay homage to Hemingway’s work by expressing the feel of ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea’ and ‘The Young Man and the Deep Sea’.

I’m curious if there are any scenes or points in the film that you hope the audience will pay special attention to.
Many people think that the music video was filmed in a studio with a lot of CGI. However, none of the scenes were filmed in a studio; all underwater shots were taken in the sea. I think that’s a key point of the film. Filming underwater was physically and mentally exhausting. You may wonder about it since I appear so happy in the film. There were many challenging scenes that made me think, ‘I must’ve gone crazy’ or ‘How did I manage that?’ I hope people notice this aspect. There’s a scene in the film where I hold my breath for a really long time, which isn’t shown in the music video. I even remember feeling emotional when I saw that scene during editing.

I wonder as to why you chose to produce this as a movie rather than releasing it as a making-of film.
I’m a musician and I love music, but I also have a high passion for various forms of art, and film is one of them. I’ve loved watching movies since I was young, and I often got inspiration from films while doing my work. I also have a desire to eventually try to do film music. In that sense, bringing this film to a film festival can be seen as a challenge in itself.

If you were to challenge yourself with film music, what genre of film would you like to work on?
I really admire Ennio Morricone. He worked on film music across many different genres. Among his works, I particularly love the lovely pieces that emphasize the romantic atmosphere. This album mainly contains my own story, but someday, I’d like to work on film music for a romance between two lovers.

I heard that you enjoy diving so much to the point you have a RESCUE license. Even so, shooting a music video in the sea without equipment must have been really challenging.
There were so many things that happened that I can’t even describe. We did a lot of tests since it’s dangerous. Although we visited the locations during the preliminary survey, but every day was different. To keep me from floating, we attached various weights to my body, and dealing with the costume and hair was difficult too. To make certain expressions were also challenging. The hardest part while filming was when I kept my eyes opened for a few hours, it felt like I couldn’t see because my eyes were so strained. I couldn’t open my eyes, and even when I did, I still couldn’t see. It was to the point where I wondered if my eyes were damaged. The final scene involved sinking into the water, and after multiple takes, water kept on entering into my nose, it felt like seawater was filling my brain. I couldn’t see anything, couldn’t breathe, and water was coming in through my nose. I thought I might faint if this continued, and I kept thinking that if I did, someone would rescue me (laugh).

In the film, the weather always seems unpredictable. There are days that were more beautiful than expected, but there must have been many days that were not good. I recall you mentioned that some days were like a ‘disaster movie-level weather’.
During the preliminary survey, we encountered some truly big waves. It was the scariest wave I’ve ever encountered in my life. We ended up changing our location because we couldn’t go to the originally planned spot, but in that new location, we encountered a huge manta ray. It was my first time seeing a manta ray, and it felt like a lucky sign before the filming. Whenever the weather was bad, the director and I would tell each other that even if things didn’t go as planned, it might lead to better results. So, we accepted it right away and proceeded with the filming. In a way, I think it made me feel even more in solitude. Palau is a beautiful place, but if everything had been too sunny and bright, it might not have felt as solitary.

I’m so grateful to the BTOB members who understand and support me, and I’m always thankful to the fans whose lives have changed because of my music.

In the interviews with BTOB members in the film, I felt like they really understand what kind of person actor Lim Hyunsik is, what you have been striving for, given the long time you’ve spent together, and they also completely trust you.
I plan to invite the members to watch the film together. I’m going to rent out a movie theater and invite the members, acquaintances, family, and fans. I also watched the member interviews during the editing process, and I was really grateful to see how well they know me after all these years. I think the members might be even more surprised when they watch the film. They already called me ‘crazy’ just from watching the music video, so I wonder if they’ll think, ‘He’s even crazier than Hyunsik that I knew!’ after watching the movie (laugh).

How did the fans react after the release ‘La Mar’ music video?
The reactions from fans who gain strength from listening to the music I created are the driving force behind my life. It’s the most rewarding feedback for me. When I hear that people have found strength from my music during tough times, it really gives me strength. I’m also amazed when fans say that they’ve become better person because of me. It makes me feel a greater sense of responsibility and motivates me to be more serious in producing my music.

I’m also curious about the path that artist and actor Lim Hyunsik will take in the future.
Although my MBTI is P (laughs), I actually have many long-term plans. I want to try working on film music, and while I’ve released many songs as part of a team, I feel like I haven’t fully expressed my music as a solo artist yet, so I’d like to release albums. I have a strong desire for solo work. In the near future, I want to release a full-length album and continue studying music. I’m also taking instrument lessons. I hope to gradually build up my skills and eventually work on film music as well someday. I want to keep upgrading myself.

I’m planning to make the film accessible to more people.
Someday, I’d like to challenge myself at film music as well.

There is also ‘One Summer Night’ performance scheduled for the 7th.
Since the film is themed around the sea, I’ve prepared songs related to the sea. I think the mood will feel a bit different. It’s exciting just imagining performing on a music stage at a film festival where the film I appeared in is being showcased. Although I find it awkward to call myself an actor (laughs), I want to go on stage as someone who is both a singer and an actor. I tried to embrace solitude, but in the end, I shine because of the people who support me. I felt this even more while working on this album.

I wonder if there will be more opportunities for those who couldn’t watch the film at the film festival.
Although it’s not confirmed yet, so I’m cautious about saying this, but I’m preparing to make the film available to as many people as possible. I’m considering options like screenings on theater or making it available on OTT platforms. I hope not only fans but also divers, filmmakers, and those who love the sea, as well as people interested in underwater filming like directoe James Cameron, will have the chance to watch the film (laugh).

Finally, please send a message for the audience who will watch the film.
First, I want to express my gratitude. Since this music video and film were made with the determination to die (a great dedication and effort), so I hope you see my sincerity. And if you find the film is good, I’d be grateful if you give your support for my future endeavors. The film festival has helped me to shine more brightly, and I hope you look forward to my repeated process of going through solitude and growing to be better. Above all, I hope you watch the film a lot (laugh).

Actor Lim Hyunsik, who constantly yearns for growth, mentioned that he wishes to continue pursuing art in some form even as he grows older. As he expands his domain from idol to solo artist to actor, the path of art he will create is bound to be diverse. Could he return to the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival as a film music director someday? The path of artist Lim Hyunsik, who crosses limits and boundaries, is certainly worth watching.

• Original translation : Link
• Original article : Link
• Translation may contain inaccuracies.