Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho stands out as one of the most adept creators in the content industry, adapting swiftly to its ever-evolving landscape and working across platforms.

Having gained attention through his early independent animations with unique themes and techniques, Yeon's big break came when the 2012 debut animation, "The King of Pigs," was screened at the Directors' Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival.

Since then, he has taken on the roles of directing and writing, making a name for himself with animations like "The Fake," "Seoul Station," films such as "Train to Busan," "Psychokinesis," "Peninsula," "Jung_E" and drama series like "Hellbound" and "Monstrous." He has also delved into the world of graphic novels with works like "Hellbound" and "Peninsular Prequel 631."

Yeon’s creative journey spans an extensive filmography (and bibliography), boasting over 25 projects in the last 12 years.

Creative intensity fills the air in his Mapo-gu studio, where posters of his projects and other paraphernalia attest to the director's time spent there. Yeon noted that most of his work is done here.

"If I don't have an appointment, I drop off my eldest child at school and head straight here to the studio. That's usually around 9 a.m.," said Yeon in an interview with The Korea Herald.

"If you ask what I do all day, it varies. I sometimes do interviews, write scripts, have meetings -- it's a diverse array of tasks," he continued.

Having predominantly worked through freelancing, the director realized the potential fragility of a lifestyle without defined parameters, and set some personal standards.

"I don’t spend all my time writing, it rarely works out that way. Often, I find myself contemplating and, in some cases, leaving for home without having done much. Most of the time is spent in reflection, regret, and just passing the hours. There are moments when I get home and wonder, 'What did I do today?'"

So, Yeon started assembling Gundam models or figures, and then a year ago, he tried his hand at playing the guitar. Although he dabbles in his hobbies to take his mind off things, that does not mean he has a lot of free time. In fact, he has a full schedule for the next three to four years.

Last year alone, his Netflix film “Jung_E” was released January. In August, he collaborated with comic book artist Choi Gyu-seok on the graphic novel "Revelations" and the serialization of the webtoon "Hellbound 2" in late September, also with Choi.

With three upcoming releases in the pipeline, including "The Bequeathed" (as a playwright), "Parasyte: The Grey" (as a director), both completed and set to be released on Netflix this year, and the ongoing filming of "Hellbound Season 2," Yeon said his plate is nearly full for the next three to four years. ("Parasyte: The Grey" is based on Japanese comics of the same title)

As someone who has worked with various platforms, how does Yeon perceive the differences among these channels?

"They are all different. It feels like they are still evolving. And especially after COVID-19, the way audiences consume content and the format (of the content) have undergone significant changes. It's quite diverse and distinct," observed Yeon.

"It's difficult (and meaningless) to say which one suits me better because each one is quite unique. I make an effort to tailor my work to fit each platform. I spend a lot of time contemplating the format and the platform that would be most suitable for a particular project.”

When he first worked on the drama script for "The Cursed” (2020), Yeon was new to the landscape, so he monitored similar series and viewer reactions to understand their likes and dislikes.

"In the case of theaters as well, the dynamics of the places have undergone significant changes before and after the pandemic. So, if I were to make a film again, I would likely approach it differently.”

An overarching element in Yeon's diverse filmography could be identified as genre films.

"Genre movies inherently appeal to a core audience who enjoy that specific topic. I happen to be one of those people who love such works.”

"It seems that works catering to more niche or core audiences are thriving. While in the past, universality was highly valued, now there's a recognition of cultures satisfying specific core groups. It aligns more with my preferences.”

Nevertheless, Yeon acknowledges the need to balance artistic satisfaction and commercial viability.

“I still have a lot of worries. But, with global streaming platforms like Netflix, the criteria seem to have shifted somewhat.

"In the past, if you were targeting a certain niche audience in Korea, it was a very small group. But with streaming platforms, if you target niche audiences worldwide, that significantly broadens the scope.”

When asked about the kind of projects he envisions for the future, Yeon said that he's already exploring some of the genre tropes he had longed to delve into.

"I was really keen on trying out the trope of cosmic horror, which deals with the fear of things that humans dare not interpret. I think the outcome of that exploration is 'Hellbound.'"

"Following that, there was a trope I wanted to do called body snatcher. It involves aliens coming and taking over human bodies. Although it hasn't been released yet, 'Parasyte: The Grey' is exactly that.”

Talking about his aspirations for his next venture, Yeon mentioned his keen interest in exploring body horror.

"If I can do something next, I definitely want to try body horror at least once. It involves transformations of the human body into different forms," he explained.

A multitude of imaginative experiments in progress were evident at Yeon's studio.