TBI’s 2024 Predictions: Jin Woo Hwang, president, Something Special

By Jin Woo Hwang 8th January 2024

Jin Woo Hwang (Source: Something Special)

2024 is set to be a pivotal year for the global content industry, so TBI has enlisted some of the biggest names in the business to share their thoughts on the major trends of the next 12 months and how they’re going to capitalise on them.

Here, Jin Woo Hwang, co-founder and president of South Korean format specialist Something Special, discusses a growing demand for unscripted programming, the importance of proven formats and why co-operation is key to success.

What is the biggest growth area for your company this year?

That would be our format sales. Battle In The Box is now optioned in 16 territories, including a commission by UKTV. This will join one of our most successful format exports after four popular Korean formats – The Masked Singer, I Can See your Voice, Grandpas Over Flowers, Running Man. Furthermore, Something Special will be representing more Korean format in 2024, including the top rating unscripted shows in the charts (titles to be announced soon).

What is the key trend going to be in 2024?

This is probably the darkest time for the industry and there are so many predictions that 2024 will also be a hard year. Therefore, financial issues will become more important and here are my thoughts.

One, more unscripted commissioning than scripted; two, brand integration will become more important; three, rare but super-scaled, co-financed, tent-pole shows will appear in primetime slots, whereas more mid or small-sized shows will be developed and produced; four, more formats will be on the rise – proven formats, no matter where they originated from, will be able to become worldwide hits.

What is your New Year’s resolution and why?

For 2024, the resolution is in co-operation in every way. Co-development, co-financing, co-production, even domestically or internationally. I think the ability to build the most effective cases for this will become the core competency in the business. Experts believe that the long dark time that we are experiencing now will fade in 2025 or maybe even longer. However, the key is execution and how to execute effectively is needed.

What will be the biggest headline (not involving your own company) in 2024 and why?

By the end of 2024, we wish to become the number one format independent format studio in Korea. Still, Something Special considers huge importance in creativity and networking. We will bring the best-undiscovered format gems into the international market.

What show are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Our original format Still Alive. This format is a mystery reality competition show about 10 celebrities being invited to a mysterious mansion where the guest confronts hidden deadly rules prepared by the host. Whoever can evade the rules and remain ‘still alive’ (not being evicted) until the end, wins the show.

This format possesses not only social experiment elements but is also filled with lots of humour. With the recent huge appetite for reality competition, but a cost-effective, quick turn-around format with wacky and funny twists, this format is currently gaining lot of interests in many territories. It is optioned in four territories and we are also discussing this format in Korea and Asia.

Read more from TBI’s 2024 Predictions

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Nomsa Philiso, CEO of general entertainment, MultiChoice Group

Marina Williams, co-CEO, Asacha Media Group

Kate Beal, founder & CEO, Woodcut Media

James Burstall, CEO, Argonon

Julian Bellamy, MD, ITV Studios

Daria Leygonie-Fialko, founder, Space Production

Rob Wade, CEO, Fox Entertainment

Frank Spotnitz, CEO, Big Light Productions

David Michel, president and co-founder, Cottonwood Media

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