This was such a blast! We love that CBC is embracing the K-Pop phenomenom with brand-new ten episode series GANGNAM PROJECT! We got to attend a fun celebration for the Series with most of the Cast in attendance. There were Korean drinks and snacks, plus an intro the Cast. We hear lead Julia Kim Caldwell was busy with studies and unable to make it! Why is this so ironic, considering she plays a tutor who finds herself unexpectedly on the path to stardom? This streams now on CBC Gem!
Some highlights from the bash:
Synopsis:
Set in Korea, GANGNAM PROJECT tells the story of Hannah Shin (Julia Kim Caldwell), a spirited Canadian/Korean teen with dreams of becoming a K-pop star and connecting with her Korean heritage. One summer, she accepts a job as an English tutor and flies to South Korea to work at an elite K-pop training school and ends up getting much more than she bargained for. Hannah is tasked with tutoring one of the school’s top students, Chan-Mi, who is proving a little challenging.
In a bid to win her and the other students over, Hannah showcases her talent with some impromptu performances, but instead her talents attract the attention of the school’s owner which leads to the opportunity to become a student herself. Along with singing, dancing and Korean lessons, there’s a lot of drama – Kdrama, especially when Hannah discovers that her father had once been a K-pop star himself!
The series celebrates the world of K-pop featuring an original soundtrack composed by recording artist, songwriter, producer and musician, August Rigo, who has written songs for global talents including K-pop superstar group BTS (Black Swan and On, amassing over 1 billion views combined on YouTube), U Smile for Justin Bieber and Gotta Be You for One Direction.
Developed with CBC Kids and produced by Pillango Productions and Aircraft Pictures, series co-showrunners are Sarah Haasz (Circuit Breakers) and Romeo Candido (The Next Step). The series is produced with the financial participation of Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund. Federation Kids & Family is handling worldwide sales.
GANGNAM PROJECT is executive produced by co-showrunners Sarah Haasz and Romeo Candido. Aircraft’s Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen also Executive Produce along with Cottonwood Media’s David Michel. The series is directed by Romeo Candido, Justin Wu, and Gloria Kim. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports; Marie McCann is Senior Director, Children’s Content, CBC Kids; and Swin Chang is Executive in Charge of Development and Production, CBC Kids. For CBBC, Sarah Muller is Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+, Aubrey Clarke is Commissioning Executive 7+ and Desiree Peeters is Assistant Commissioner – Submissions Lead 0-12.
(Photo/video credit: CBC/Mr. Will Wong)
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