MTV Asia is a multimedia platform that broadcasts a wide range of content, including music videos, reality shows, and music-related programming. Showcasing both local and international artists, it has gained popularity among young audiences who are interested in contemporary music and pop culture.
What's Krashin'?
MTV Asia wanted to broaden their YouTube viewership while retaining their dedicated SEA K-pop enthusiasts to maximise their channel’s impressions and engagement rate.
Superminted produced an engaging 10-episode YouTube series called Krash Kourse for MTV Asia, designed as an edutainment experience. This entertaining series featured a wacky cast that underwent fun challenges to learn about Korean culture including K-pop, fashion, food, and more.
In a refreshing departure from the typical approach towards content during the pandemic (which often involved monotonous Zoom questionnaires and interviews), this series offered a creative reimagination of what remote Korean variety shows would be like. It preserved the lively spirit and high-energy interactions among the cast members, all while involving them in activities made for an entertaining and engaging experience.
The Game Plan
Our on-set creatives strategically developed the influencers’ characters in post-production to make the series addictive. We built relationships and developed tropes that viewers would want to ‘stan’. Our creatives, editors, animators and designers all collaborated to elevate the narratives and create iconic moments. They also included interesting tidbits about Korean culture and language, which added an educational twist to the content.
Our creative direction and processes for this project were driven by the inspiration to capture the essence of Korean variety shows. To achieve this, we researched Korean reality shows and dissected their editing formulas to identify what made them truly engaging.
With that, we created an entertainment show that prioritised raw, authentic content. Our production and editing team not only understood but also expertly executed this distinct style, blending it seamlessly into our project and creating an enjoyable edutainment experience for our viewers.
Throughout the episodes, the cast was only given stripped-down versions of the script, which kept everyone in suspense. This secrecy kept the show exciting for everyone involved!
Behind the scenes, the cast was directed to showcase their true personalities on camera. They skillfully played up their strengths and weaknesses in distinct ways for each episode, resulting in a dynamic and engaging viewing experience.
Navigating Challenges
Fun fact! The influencers that participated in the shoot were actually located in four different countries — Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines. This geographical diversity presented logistical hurdles that demanded efficient coordination and adaptability. But in exchange, our diverse group of cast brought each of their unique flavours to life.
We encouraged the influencers to infuse their natural personalities into their on-screen personas while also providing reminders about their roles. This approach was pivotal in keeping the show’s candid and unscripted feel, akin to Korean variety shows. During each filming session, we routinely conducted brief recaps of their on-screen roles, ensuring they remained aligned.
The influencers were assigned the task of recording against a white background, ensuring consistency in their camera and lighting setup. Then, the real magic happened in post-editing, where our team skillfully blended these backgrounds to craft the illusion that the cast was in the same physical space, despite their remote locations. This seamless visual flow helped keep distractions to a minimum and directed everyone’s attention to the charismatic personalities of the cast.
Besides video, sound management was another critical aspect. Live sound mixing presented its own set of challenges as we worked diligently to provide viewers with a smooth and uninterrupted audio experience. Using a unique communication system, each influencer was given an in-ear monitor or Bluetooth earpiece while their camera was connected to Zoom. This setup allowed our directors and the shooting crew to keep a keen eye on every shot’s composition. We carefully managed the volume whenever any of our cast members spoke. This was to ensure that there were minimal disruptions to the audio and that the dialogue remained crisp and clear.
Additionally, our Art Director, Kyra, played a pivotal role in providing artistic direction for the treatment and design of motion graphics that compensated for the ‘empty canvas’ look, dramatising certain scenarios and maintaining the show’s youthful, energetic vibe.
Despite these challenges, we strengthened our adaptability, technical expertise, and creative prowess. Further reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional content and memorable experiences to our clients and audiences alike, solidifying our reputation as a forward-thinking and innovative agency.
Conclusion
Together with the cast, we krushed it! The average viewing duration and retention rate performed the best in comparison to other videos of similar duration on MTV Asia’s YouTube channel. The project successfully reinforced MTV’s brand values and increased its brand recall in Southeast Asia.
The entire series garnered:
819,303 impressions
248,367 views
41% retention rate.
Our approach aligned with MTV’s values of pushing boundaries and challenging norms. MTV’s association with the Hallyu community in SEA was strengthened and served as a bridge between Hallyu fans and the Korean entertainment industry.
With this project, our tribe also clinched the Gold and Local Hero awards at the Agency of the Year Awards 2023, under the Video/Production Company of the Year category. Our Art Director, Kyra, also snagged the Gold award under the Rising Star category for her work on MTV Krash Kourse.
Watch the series here.
