Jason HyoYoung Ahn

Emerging as ‘one to watch’ in the Asian live events market, 23-year-old Jason HyoYoung Ahn, has already played a key part in several productions in his native South Korea, as well as developing his own production entity, The Shine People. TPi’s Jacob Waite catches up with Ahn to recap a successful 2019…

As a burgeoning stage lighting designer in the entertainment industry, Jason HyoYoung Ahn has already crossed off several South Korean productions on his personal live events calendar.

Having recently finished an Associate Degree on Stage Lighting at Seoul Institute of Art, he shared details of a breakthrough 2019 with TPi. Ahn began learning his craft at primary school, citing his musical background as a key factor in the success of his flourishing career.

“Being able to understand the fundamental emotions of both music and lighting has been important to my development; I never stop thinking about lighting, and I’m constantly looking for new and exciting ways to light a concert, music performance, musical, or corporate event,” he enthused.

Looking to provide the most realistic visualisation work, Ahn began to meet likeminded individuals, which gradually became his production entity, The Shine People – a design collective that handles visualisation software. “I developed the name while I was in high school,” Ahn reminisced. “Nowadays, it’s an entity which my colleague, Set Designer, Paolo Gaddari, and I have harnessed on several projects.”

Impressively, Ahn’s professional portfolio includes being Lighting Designer for the Seoul Institute of the Arts Applied Music Concert JangDokDae, Korea Folk Dance Festival, Sokcho Light Festival, as well as musician Park Kang Soo and theatrical production, Autumn Town.

His Lighting Director credits include Seoul Street Dance Festival, Pure 100% Live, 2016 Rapbeat Show&Nite, Jaxcoco Launching Party with JYP, Ansan Street Arts Festival, and Pororo Cyberspace Adventure 2 Tour.

He was also a Lighting Programmer for Traditional Korea Classic Music Festival, CCM Concert ComeTour 2012, The Wizard of Oz and Nation of Dosan. A lighting designer by trade, Ahn’s toolbox features Capture 2019 software and his trusty Macbook Pro and iPad. “These are very helpful tools for a design, especially Capture,” he noted.

Asked about the biggest difference between lighting design in South Korea and Europe, Ahn outlined, “fixture types and design shapes”. He said: “South Korea doesn’t typically use a range of lighting fixtures and new technology in the performance space. Stage design shapes, however, are more expansive and ambitious – in both shape and scale.”

Many performances, Ahn said, encompass empty spaces of arena-sized venues, with speakers placed close to the lighting rig, as well as a range of colours in the performance. “These are becoming a trend in projects in South Korea, as opposed to Europe, which seem to be much simpler.”

Last year marked Ahn’s busiest year to date. “I’ve been a part of the Korea Folk Dance Festival, Sokcho Light Show Festival and Seoul Institute of the Arts Applied Music Concert, to name a few.”

His highlight of 2019, however, was his involvement in the Seoul Institute of the Arts Applied Music Concert. “It was one of the first times I witnessed my creative design become a reality – a debut of works my way,” Ahn enthused. “It was so fun and a very exciting experience for me.”

Ahn described his biggest challenge as the sheer size and mechanics of the live events industry. “Although I know the theory, it’s terrifying to be in the driving seat,” he conceded. “When it comes to the operational side of running a large show. I think I’ve trained enough, so now it’s a case of rolling up my sleeves and getting more hands-on experience.”

Having wrapped up the college music concert, with his sights set on LD greatness, Ahn looked towards two exhibition shows – taking place from February until March. “It’s a project which is focused on sound,” he explained. “The creator wanted to experiment with the manner in which light reacts to sound, so it’s a fun project – something slightly out of my usual remit.”

Inspired by world-renowned Director of Woodroffe Basset Design, Ahn shared the best piece of advice he had even been given: “Patrick Woodroffe once said: ‘You should use no more than two colours.’”

Referencing it as a manual for design, Ahn plans to study geometry. “Many great designers’ output involves the basics of geometry,” he said. “Their lights have an element of similarity and are absolutely beautiful, so I plan to fully investigate those conventions. I’m thankful to Patrick for that important advice.”

Looking to the future, Ahn would love to tour the world in the entertainment field – ideally, working on musicals. “It’s a funny world and it requires both sides of the brain to achieve; the artistic and the analytical. It’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s incredibly satisfying when you hear crowds applauding. I’d tell any prospective designer to study art, for that makes you the very best artist.”

TPi

Photos: Kim SungChan

www.instagram.com/kimhaze

www.theshinepeople.com