What kind of person are you? What are the things that make you feel elated and thrilled? Presumably most of the readers would not be able to respond to these questions immediately. The alumna the Sungshin Mirror met in this 243rd edition have been pondering this question for a long time. Eun-ji Kim, a graduate from the Department of Korean Language and Literature is presently working as a producer in a company named Blanck Corporation. Before working in the company, she used to work as a freelancer assistant director of Infinite Challenge, Real Men and I Live Alone which are one of the most beloved programs in Korea. As time passed by, she seized this valuable opportunity of entering a corporation, and started directing programs as an official producer. After more than 10 years since graduating, she returned to school to share what she learned in her days to nascent Crystals.
(1) When was the momentum for you to decide to be a producer?
One day when I was a high-schooler, a special opportunity of appearing on a live radio show approached me. During the show, the heartful stories of listeners were delivered, and I replied my own stories with huge empathy to them. That moment was refreshing for me. The fact that someone was moved by what I shared, and the songs I selected touched the listeners’ hearts made me flutter. For that reason, I set up my ultimate goal to be a radio producer in the first place. However later, it was feasible to realize that being one of them is tougher than expected, since generally not a lot of vacancies are allowed for producers. Therefore, I pricked down to be a producer of variety shows, which has a lot of similarities with a radio producer.
(2) How were the classes of your major helpful for your job?
First of all, the critique sessions that I took were extremely invaluable since I could reflect upon myself. I personally think that knowing myself in depth is the most colossal asset. By taking that class, it was capable of pondering what kind of person I am and my eventual desire. It was my favorite class among myriad classes that I took in my whole college life.
Likewise, Korean language and literature helped me when I composed the program’s stories and improved probability of them. Though I would suggest that any majors would be beneficial to be producers, because the work producers carry out is a composition of various fields. One of my coworkers majored in Engineering, and the other studied Math. To sum up, all the majors can be usefully utilized for directing programs.
(3) What was the impression that came up in your early stage of working in broadcasting?
Compared to what I had imagined, it was far too different. Before entering in the field, I thought it would be always exhilarating to work in the site as a producer. If people just take a look at the drama which is covering Producers’ story, it might just look splendid. However, the work is tremendously harsh in reality. To be a producer, it is substantially important to be physically strong. When I rushed into shooting sites, it was impossible to take a rest more than twice a week and I always suffered from sleep deprivation.
But still, deciding to work as a producer is not regrettable. The memes of some scenes from the program ‘Infinite Challenge’ which I worked on are still popular among viewers. It is truly rewarding especially when the audience leaves positive comments toward the captions that I proposed.
(4) In what ways do you remember Sungshin University?
Sungshin university is a paramount foundation that shaped the way I am today. I double-majored in the Fashion Industry, just because of my craving for participating in the fashion show which was held in a hotel. The initial thought that I had was that it is absurd to determine Fashion as my dual major, since both of my majors are totally unrelated. Nevertheless, I determined to challenge and enjoyed every step of preparing the exhibition. I learned a precious lesson from the double-majoring Fashion Industry: I can endure any adversity if it is enjoyable for me.
(5) What is your ultimate goal both personally and professionally?
As a graduate, I pursue to be a respectful example for juniors as an enduring senior. To be honest, it is rare to find women who work perpetually regardless of areas. That is why I desire to remain in my occupation working enthusiastically as long as I can.
As a producer, I do not want to be an inflexible person. I am always going to change following the social trend diligently. That is why I continuously check out the social media and read diverse books. For me, striving to develop myself is an essential task whenever possible.
(6) Could you give sincere advice to the Soojungs as a life mentor?
I hope for Soojungs to love and care for themselves all the time. You don’t have to be harsh on yourself. Remember that the only person who can raise you is yourself. More importantly, do not compare yourself with others. Complimenting yourself with small achievement would rather bring massive positive effects. Just focus on trivial goals such as having every meal or reading one page of a book in your daily lives.
For those who aspire to be producers, I would like to advise to alter yourself endlessly emulating the social tendency. If you insist on certain things, you would not be able to develop. Keep reading the social trends, and absorb it. Analyze why it is altering into new paths though you cannot understand it. Lastly, always remember that there are various and diverse ways. As new media has been developed, online platforms such as YouTube are always open. Look around the world, and go for finding out which would be the utmost way for you. That is the message I want to convey.
Today, Eun-ji Kim cast her mind back to her university life and passed on genuine advice to the younger generation of Crystals. In every word she delivered in this interview, the pride of her occupation and ambition of hard work were clearly observed. She emphasized that loving and taking care of ourselves are the most significant elements that compose our life. By constructively chasing what makes her feel thrilled, she could gladly begin working in her sincere calling and endure any hardship in her career path. For Soojungs who are feeling anxious and painful because of their works, it is strongly encouraged to slow pace down and attempt to think whether you are genuinely passionate about the works. Always remember. Get to know yourself in depth and follow your fluttering heart. As our senior, Eun-ji Kim indicated, ‘the only person who can raise you is you.’
By Yoon So Yeon Cub-Reporter (soyeon5680@naver.com)