[KOCCA People Insight]“Growing with AI as a Partner and Lever: An Interview with Harry Hyun, CEO of MooAm”

“A five-year-old production studio staffed entirely by people in their twenties—other than the CEO—has lived up to its provocative motto, ‘Youngsters get it done.’ In just three years the firm has created 22 original IPs and earned consecutive showcased to Cannes.

The secret behind these achievements, accomplished by only ten employees, is the unfettered adoption of generative AI across every stage of work—from idea generation and revision to feedback and pitch rehearsals. We spoke with Harry Hyun, CEO of MooAm Co., Ltd., about what a small studio can achieve when it embraces AI.”

Compiled by the Broadcast & OTT Trends editorial team (https://www.kocca.kr/trendott/vol02/people_2.html)

A Young Team, a Small Footprint, and the Synergy of AI

Hyun — “Rather than saying AI creates for us, I see it as a partner that offers new angles and perspectives to improve our work.”

Q. What kind of company is MooAm?

Hyun — MooAm is a creative studio that plans and develops K-content and original IP. I founded the company in November 2020 to generate proprietary intellectual property. I began alone, but directors and writers gradually joined; we now number about ten and hold 22 original IPs. We also produce content with generative AI.

Since 2022 we have achieved remarkable output: two feature films, one variety show, one documentary, and 26 AI-driven short films in just three years.

Q. How did you accomplish so much in such a short time?

Hyun — The primary driver was generative AI. From the earliest large-language models (LLMs), we integrated AI into planning and development. A story begins with a single logline capturing a social trend from a distinct viewpoint; that logline grows into a synopsis, a treatment, and eventually a screenplay. Visualizing the script—creating pre-boards or teasers—was once almost impossible for a lone creator, but AI has supplied the ideas needed to advance each stage. Today we rely on AI at virtually every point in the creative pipeline, allowing even a solo creator to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Q. At which phases is AI most heavily used?

Hyun — Practically all phases, but three benefits stand out during planning and development:

Condensed brainstorming. AI can distill free-wheeling discussion into a concise outline within seconds, letting us proceed directly to substantive work.

Structured divergence. When drafting a synopsis, AI proposes multiple plot branches and endings, making narrative design more efficient.

Simulated feedback. Because our team is young, we ask the model to adopt the persona of a “30-year commercial producer” and critique our projects. Even if the imitation is imperfect, the external viewpoint yields valuable insight into market positioning and target demographics. Rather than an autonomous creator, AI is a collaborator that sharpens our perspective.

Once a story is ready, visual persuasion—for production funding or investor pitches—becomes crucial. We used to assemble mood boards from existing films; now a single prompt can present the intended cinematic tone, which I consider our greatest production breakthrough.

Last month we completed the AI short The Wrong Visitor, which won the Grand Prize at the inaugural CGV AI Film Contest. The piece features a beast-man—animal face, human body—a character whose conventional production would have been prohibitively expensive, if not impossible. Many studios, including ours, have now begun 60-minute AI-driven features, and initial results could appear as early as this year.

Q. Why are small, youthful teams especially suited to AI?

Hyun — Generative AI benefits small, agile teams because we can test ideas immediately, discard them without hesitation, and pivot quickly. Large studios often face cumbersome approval layers and must honor established creative intent; smaller groups move faster and at lower cost. As a result, SMEs and individual creators currently exploit AI more extensively and generate more output than many larger firms.

Q. What obstacles remain in AI-based production?

Hyun — The greatest challenge is that core AI technologies are owned overseas, imposing usage limits that constrain creativity. We aim to establish partnerships or technical alliances that will remove such constraints, while also developing safeguards so creative work does not become overly dependent on AI. These issues require sustained attention, starting now.

Project Spotlight: Tales By AI Screens in Cannes

Kim — “At Canneseries we became convinced that Korea is the world’s fastest and most intensive user of generative AI.”

Q. What did you present at this year’s Canneseries, and how was it received?

Kim — Since last year we have re-imagined Korean folk tales and literary works with AI—Heungbu and Nolbu, Janghwa Hongryeon, and poems by Yoon Dong-ju and Yi Sang, among others. We wanted to revive elements such as obangsaek (the five traditional colors), dokkaebi (goblins), and gumiho (nine-tailed foxes), which existed only in illustrations or text. Western AI outputs skew toward science fiction and fantasy featuring Western characters, so we emphasized Eastern narratives.

In Cannes we screened completed pieces and demonstrated our multi-model workflow. European producers told us they had never seen such visuals and offered numerous collaboration proposals. The feedback confirmed both Korea’s technical proficiency and the narrative power of Korean stories rendered through AI.

Q. How did you produce the Tales By AI shorts?

Kim — Take Natasha and I as an example. I handled most planning myself—story, synopsis, music—using the AI music tool Suno for composition. As a director, I needed AI artists to translate vision into visuals, much as a traditional crew separates directing from cinematography. A producer later joined to evaluate story appeal and source effects and sound. The three-person team completed a ten-minute film in seven to ten days. AI subscription fees are the largest cost, followed by high-end GPUs for speed, then personnel.

The Future and Global Competitiveness of AI Content Creators

Q. How has MooAm’s AI capability supported its global reach?

Hyun — We developed a workflow that transforms a single still into cinematic motion, eliminating on-set complexity and costly polish. Generative AI has leveled the playing field between big-budget studios and small teams like ours; even university students can now compete on equal footing. Titles and credentials matter less than demonstrated output.

Q. Which capabilities should emerging creators cultivate in the AI era?

Hyun — Execution ability. The interval between idea and deliverable has collapsed. With AI you can develop a 20-second proof-of-concept trailer in a day. Technical barriers have fallen, but the willingness to act remains decisive. Creators must experiment immediately: craft prompts, refine synopses, generate visuals, and present tangible results. Technology accelerates prototyping; only human passion and persistence can turn prototypes into finished works.

Q. What advice would you give aspiring AI content creators?

Hyun — Generative AI is a powerful enabler, yet some fear job displacement. I emphasize that AI itself can never be the final product: audiences and consumers are human. I view AI as a staff member, not a substitute. By delegating routine tasks to AI, we free time for new ideas, broadening our potential.

If you have never used AI, there is no need to rush. AI will soon be a staple of creative work, and Korea already offers abundant training and support. Focus on the opportunities: draft a script, build an AI film, take the first step. Korea’s infrastructure can help.

Treat AI as both partner and leverage. Use it to accelerate your work, and you too can plan, develop, and produce as many stories as our small team has achieved at MooAm.