Dexter Studios’ subsidiary Livetone won the Best Technical Achievement award at the Baeksang Arts Awards, proving itself once again a powerhouse in content technology.
Livetone (CEO: Choi Tae-young), the audio subsidiary of content specialist company Dexter Studios [206560], announced on May 9 that it won the Best Technical Achievement award in the Film category at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. At this awards ceremony, sound supervisor Kim Byung-in, who oversaw the sound design of the movie “Exhuma,” was honored with the award.
Kim said, “I remember that director Jang Jae-hyun, and music director Kim Tae-seong saying that I might win an award for this given all the work we’re putting in. I never would’ve imagined I’d actually win one at the Baeksang Arts Awards. It’s especially a great honor to be on this stage and win the Best Technical Achievement award for the sounds I worked on.”
He shared his joy, saying, “More than anything, this achievement is a product of my colleagues at Livetone. I am grateful to Livetone CEO Choi Tae-young and all of our staff. I will always remember your contributions to this award.”
Exhuma is an occult and mystery film that depicts strange events that happen to a geomancer, undertaker, and shaman who digs up and relocates a suspicious grave in exchange for a handsome sum of money. The film is the first box office hit to exceed 10 million viewers this year – a cumulative audience of 11.88 million. It also made headlines becoming the first occult genre film in Korea to bring in more than 10 million viewers.
Livetone explained that it spent endless hours perfecting the sound. From the early production stages, the company used Dolby Atmos technology to provide the audience with a more vivid theater experience. Also, in order to take advantage of the bizarre nature of the strange being, the sound was cross-mixed through speakers installed in all directions.
Choi Tae-young, CEO of Livetone, said, “This film is an example of synergy across the Dexter Group resulting in a successful product. Livetone’s expertise in sound and parent company Dexter Studio’s prowess in video Digital Intermediate (DI) technology added sophisticated details to the film. Our company will continue to utilize our technology and artistry going forward to create high-quality content can will contribute to the development of the Korean film industry on the whole.”
Meanwhile, aside from the Best Technical Achievement award, Exhuma won three more awards, including Best Director (Jang Jae-hyun), Best Actress (Kim Go-eun), and Best New Actor (Lee Do-hyun). “12.12: The Day,” another film Livetone and Dexter Studios worked on the sound and DI, respectively, also won three awards – the Grand Prize (Director Kim Sung-su), Best Film, and Best Actor (Hwang Jung-min).
