Dexter Studios showcased the essence of post-production by drawing out the profound resonance and lingering impact of the film ‘The King’s Warden’.
Dexter Studios(206560, hereinafter Dexter), a comprehensive content specialist company, announced its technical participation in the DI(Digital Intermediate, digital color grading) department for the hit film ‘The King’s Warden’, meticulously realizing the emotional flow of the work.
‘The King’s Warden’ is a film set in Cheongnyeongpo in 1457, depicting the story of a village chief who voluntarily exiles himself to revive his village and a young former king exiled after being deposed. It is acclaimed for achieving both artistic merit and mass appeal, built on director Jang Hang-jun’s smooth direction in his first historical drama and the ensemble acting of premium actors including Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, and Jeon Mi-do. After surpassing 1 million viewers within just five days of release, it received overwhelming audience support during the Lunar New Year holiday period, becoming the first film of 2026 to break the 4 million viewer mark.
Among the film’s box office success factors, the lingering emotional impact created by the actors’ overwhelming performances stands out. Dexter handled the digital color grading, meticulously adjusting the emotional temperature to heighten narrative immersion, thereby elevating the film’s overall quality. Dexter explained that they focused on creating a unique color design for ‘The King’s Warden,’ one that clearly shows the characters’ emotional flow rather than relying on the conventional formal beauty of historical dramas.
Park Jin-young, Colorist at Dexter’s DI Division, explained, “We aimed for a structure where emotion comes first and color takes a step back. The goal was for the audience to feel that ‘the characters’ hearts are visible on screen.’”
Notably, this project differentiated itself by subtly lowering contrast in scenes where characters gaze at each other, softening the texture of the space rather than emphasizing dramatic contrast. Colorist Park Jin-young stated, “Since ‘The King’s Warden’ had a structure where emotions seeped through, we chose colors that leave a lingering impression instead of exaggeration. We focused our efforts on the work so that emotions could reveal themselves rather than the colors explaining them.”
Through this technical participation, Dexter once again demonstrated its strength in period dramas, solidifying its position as a key partner enhancing the completeness of visual content. Dexter’s DI division has previously delivered specialized color grading for numerous period dramas, including ‘The Age of Shadows’, ‘The Fortress’, ‘The Battle: Roar to Victory’, ‘The Man Standing Next’, ‘Escape from Mogadishu’, ‘12.12: THE DAY’, and ‘HARBIN’. Through this work, they have realized each film’s unique, original atmosphere with tailored color direction.
Finally, colorist Park Jin-young shared his thoughts on ‘The King’s Warden’, stating, “I think it will be remembered as ‘the project where color was the quietest, yet spoke the loudest’.”
Meanwhile, Dexter is expanding its technical participation portfolio beyond film and drama genres into animation, variety shows, and short-form content, including its recent entry into the short drama post-production market.
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