2 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: Park Min-Kyu, prima of Netflix reality show Single’s Inferno, is making his acting debut successful FlareFlow microdrama One Year Love.
He will look other Nicole Lee (Amoeba) and Regina Tan successful nan Singapore-filmed series, which debuts connected nan COL International-owned vertical video app connected April 9. TSL Group is nan producer.
The bid is billed arsenic a “high-stakes romance built connected a elemental lie,” successful which A Korean expat enters a matrimony of convenience pinch a Singaporean workaholic, and conscionable arsenic nan statement originates to consciousness real, nan return of his erstwhile partner threatens to unravel everything.
“I judge nan maturation imaginable for microdramas is limitless,” Park told Deadline. “People are already utilized to short videos connected TikTok, Instagram aliases YouTube Shorts, and microdramas are precisely what tin meet that demand. As a result, I deliberation nan marketplace will grow significantly.”
The microdrama industry, already worthy billions successful China and nan U.S., has been expanding importantly astir nan world, pinch countries crossed Asia looking to trim nan dependancy connected shows from those markets and go cardinal players successful nan adjacent procreation of apps, contented and acting talent.
One Year Love is notable arsenic a operation of location talent and storytelling geared towards nan world market. FlareFlow and its Singapore-based parent, COL, person been astatine nan forefront of cross-border vertical video production. Bryan Choo, CEO astatine Singapore’s TSL, is afloat financing nan series.
For Park, nan accumulation marked a crisp opposition to his erstwhile acquisition successful unscripted TV, successful which he competed successful Season 3 of Netflix’s South Korean making love show Single’s Inferno. “When it comes to thing for illustration Netflix, we filmed almost 24 hours a time complete astir 9 days straight,” he said. “In contrast, pinch nan microdrama, nan schedule allowed maine to negociate my power better, which I appreciated.”
The sprout represented South Korean prima Park’s first acting role, first overseas production, and first clip performing successful English.
“I had a batch to learn, but I gave it my all,” he said. “Overall, it was a really enjoyable experience, and I was happy because my colleagues supported maine a lot.”
He added that nan Singapore sprout could unfastened nan doorway to much world work. “I’d emotion to person much filming experiences abroad, not conscionable successful Korea.”
FlareFlow has emerged arsenic 1 of nan main players successful vertical video. The app has 33 cardinal registered users and is disposable successful much than 200 countries. It has released astir 5,200 bid to date, pinch its top-performing title, Oops I Married My Bestie’s Brother, surpassing 193 cardinal views and generating complete $15M successful in-app revenue. China-listed COL has besides been striking world distribution agreements, arsenic nan microdrama marketplace continues to mature and activity much revneue streams.
“Global request for microdrama is growing, but nan adjacent activity will beryllium driven by beardown location voices,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International. “Our attraction is connected backing section storytelling and giving creators nan assurance to compete connected a world stage. One Year Love is simply a clear illustration of that, a Singapore-led communicative built for world audiences.”
