The film "Free Dogs" (directed by Oh Sung-yun and Lee Chun-baek) has revealed the remarkable technical prowess of Korean animation captured across 145,440 frames.
"Free Dogs" is a touching adventure animation that follows Mungchi (D.O.), an abandoned dog whose destiny changes overnight, as he embarks on a harsh journey to find true freedom alongside friends with diverse stories, such as Jjang-a (Park Chul-min), the survival master of the streets, and Bami (Park So-dam), a girl-crush character who escaped from a dog farm.
Directors Oh Sung-yun and Lee Chun-baek of Studio Dadashow, a leading South Korean animation studio equipped with storytelling that appeals to all generations and outstanding technical skills comparable to American giants like Disney and Pixar, worked with a total of 178 crew members to achieve uncompromising detail throughout every stage of production, from characters to backgrounds.
In particular, to naturally blend the actors' emotions and breathing into the characters, the production chose a pre-recording and post-animation method that is rare in domestic animation. Each of the 145,440 frames was meticulously completed to realize breathing characters and realistic movements.
As a result, "Free Dogs" showcases chase scenes with dog traffickers and large-scale action spanning forests and cities, completing a unique "extreme dog action" that proves the technical capabilities of Korean animation once again. The direction, which simultaneously delivers delicate emotional acting and dynamic action, is expected to offer a high level of immersion for both children and adult audiences.
"Free Dogs" is a 4K newly mastered version of "Underdog", which won the Jury Special Prize at the 23rd Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, the Grand Prize at the 8th Seoul International Children's Film Festival, and Best Animation at the 5th Silk Road International Film Festival in China. By re-editing the original 102-minute running time down to 93 minutes, the story unfolds with continuous interest, and the messages of "living life as oneself" and "the subjectivity of happiness" have become even clearer. Sound mixing enhanced the delivery of the actors' lines, and the overall quality was elevated through music supplementation and revision work.
"Free Dogs", a turning point for Korean animation, will be released exclusively at Lotte Cinema theaters nationwide on August 19.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)