Digipedi

Digipedi (디지페디; short for Digital Pedicure) is a Seoul-based South Korean video production company specializing in creative direction and production of music videos, commercial films, and other visual content, particularly within the K-pop industry.^[1][2] Founded in 2007 by lifelong friends and art directors Seong Won-mo and Park Sang-woo, the studio marked its debut with the music video for Dynamic Duo's "Complex."^[1] Renowned for their bold, colorful aesthetics and unconventional, often humorous storytelling, Digipedi's videos emphasize eye-catching visuals and innovative concepts that have helped propel K-pop's global appeal.^[1] The company has collaborated with major artists and labels, producing over 300 music videos—including Psy's "Daddy" and "Napal Baji," Orange Caramel's "Catallena" (which amassed over 1 million views in 24 hours), SHINee's works, IU's projects, EXID's hits, BIGBANG's releases, LOONA's "Butterfly" (a personal favorite of director Seong Won-mo), ATEEZ's "Guerrilla," NMIXX's "O.O," and recent efforts like ARTMS's "Virtual Angel" (2024) and Choerry's "Pressure" (2025).^{[1][3][4][5][6]} Their portfolio has collectively surpassed 205 million YouTube views as of 2016, with continued growth through high-profile partnerships.^[1] Beyond music videos, Digipedi has expanded into international commercials and television, working with entities like JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and even American host Conan O'Brien, while producing over 15 K-pop videos in a single year at their peak activity.^[1] The studio's influence underscores the creative synergy between directors, producers, and artists in shaping hallyu's visual identity.^[1]

History

Founding and Early Years

Digipedi was established in 2007 as a video production studio in Seoul, South Korea, by art directors Seong Won-mo and Park Sang-woo, who co-led the company as a creative duo.^[1] The studio's name derives from "Digital Pedicure," a term chosen to represent the precise and detailed refinement of visual elements in digital media, much like a pedicure enhances appearance with care.^[1] From its inception, Digipedi's mission centered on integrating digital animation techniques with elements of Korean pop culture, particularly K-pop and hip-hop, to create innovative visuals that captured the vibrancy of Seoul's youth scene.^[7] The founders began with experimental short films and low-budget projects, leveraging their expertise in art direction to experiment with surreal and whimsical aesthetics that blended animation and live-action. This approach allowed them to translate cultural narratives into visually striking formats despite operating on constrained resources in the competitive Korean entertainment landscape.^[7] A pivotal early project was the 2007 music video for Dynamic Duo's single "Complex," which marked Digipedi's entry into professional music video production and showcased their signature style of amplifying thematic undertones through clever visual storytelling.^[8] The limited funding during these initial years pushed the duo to innovate with minimal tools, drawing on their art direction backgrounds to emphasize dreamlike, fantastical elements that set the tone for future works.^[1]

Expansion and Key Milestones

During the 2010s, Digipedi expanded substantially as a key player in K-pop video production, securing collaborations with major entertainment companies including YG Entertainment on Psy's 2015 music video "Daddy" and Pledis Entertainment's sub-unit Orange Caramel on their 2014 hit "Catallena," which amassed over 1 million YouTube views within 24 hours of release. This period marked a shift from their early independent projects to high-profile assignments that showcased their signature blend of animation, illustration, and surreal visuals, contributing to cumulative YouTube views exceeding 205 million by 2016.^[1] A pivotal early recognition came in 2011 when Vice Media profiled Digipedi as "visual translators of Korea’s youth music culture," highlighting their role in animating the eccentric essence of Korean pop through 3D graphics and innovative storytelling in music videos like Dynamic Duo's "Complex."^[9] Building on this momentum, interviews in The Korea Herald during 2015 and 2016 emphasized Digipedi's ascent as a premier team for the most inventive and unconventional K-pop videos, with the duo producing over 15 music videos in 2015 alone, including works for artists like Epik High, SHINee, and IU.^[1] In the late 2010s or early 2020s, Park Sang-woo departed the company, transitioning primary leadership to Seong Won-mo, who continued directing major projects. By 2023, Digipedi had produced over 300 music videos, establishing it as one of K-pop's most prolific studios.^[3] The company further grew by venturing into international projects. In the 2020s, Digipedi continued producing high-profile works, including ATEEZ's "Guerrilla" (2022), NMIXX's "O.O" (2022), ARTMS's "Virtual Angel" (2024), and Choerry's "Pressure" (2025).^[3][6]

Organization and Team

Founders and Leadership

Digipedi was co-founded in 2007 by Seong Won-mo and Park Sang-woo, who were childhood friends from elementary school and initially shared leadership responsibilities in directing and art direction.^[10] Seong Won-mo, known professionally under the alias 1MoreTime, brought an art director background focused on imaginative visuals, while Park Sang-woo, alias Oroshi, contributed complementary expertise in conceptual storytelling.^[10] Park Sang-woo departed Digipedi after 2018 to pursue independent directing projects, including co-directing Heize's "Mianhae" as a Digipedi production.^[11] This transition positioned Seong Won-mo as the primary director and executive producer, where he has steered the company toward its signature style of surreal, narrative-driven, and whimsical high-concept videos.^[12] Under Seong Won-mo's leadership, Digipedi maintains a small core team based in Seoul, emphasizing collaborative creativity in visual production.^[13]

Production Process and Collaborators

Digipedi's production pipeline emphasizes a collaborative and iterative workflow tailored to the high-paced demands of K-pop video releases. Pre-production is led by director Seong Won-mo, who handles conceptual art and storyboarding to craft surreal, narrative-driven visuals that align with the song's mood and artist identity, often drawing from everyday inspirations to infuse humor and originality. Shooting typically occurs in Seoul-based studios, integrating practical sets with on-set VFX elements to capture fluid camera movements and detailed compositions. Post-production focuses on animation, editing for quick cuts, and color grading to achieve dreamlike effects, using techniques like prop close-ups, Wes Anderson-inspired flat shots, and oversaturated pastel filters for vibrant, immersive atmospheres.^[14][15] The company maintains an emphasis on in-house VFX capabilities, employing "digital pedicure" techniques—subtle digital enhancements to performer visuals such as skin texturing and lighting adjustments—to create polished, ethereal looks without over-relying on extensive CGI, allowing for efficient integration of surreal elements like altered realities and intricate animations. This approach enables Digipedi to handle the full spectrum of post-production internally, from compositing to final effects, supporting their signature style of balanced internal and external shots.^[14] Digipedi frequently collaborates with major K-pop labels, including KQ Entertainment for projects with ATEEZ, JYP Entertainment for works featuring Stray Kids and Sunmi, and FNC Entertainment for various artist videos, fostering long-term partnerships that shape group aesthetics. External VFX firms like ORB HAUS have been involved in recent 2025 projects, such as providing specialized 3D effects and supervision for high-concept sequences in Stray Kids' "Ceremony" music video.^[16] These alliances allow Digipedi to scale production for complex visuals while maintaining creative control.^[3] Artist involvement is integral, with directors like Seong incorporating performer input to ensure authenticity, such as synchronizing choreography with visual motifs; for instance, Seong praised Dreamcatcher's precise group synchronization in a 2023 radio interview, noting how it enhances the dynamic flow of their videos.^[17] This collaborative dynamic extends to rookies and established acts, where feedback refines acting and movement to fit the conceptual vision. Digipedi's small team manages diverse projects efficiently from their Seoul office.^[14]

Videography

Music Videos

Digipedi has produced over 300 music videos for K-pop artists since 2007, establishing itself as a leading studio in crafting surreal, narrative-driven visuals that emphasize quirky storytelling and vibrant aesthetics.^[3] These works often feature whimsical transitions synchronized to the music's rhythm, elegant atmospheric lighting, and a simplicity that distills the essence of each track, contributing significantly to the evolution of K-pop videography.^[18][19] In its early years from 2007 to 2010, Digipedi focused on illustrative and experimental concepts, as seen in Dynamic Duo's "Complex," which introduced their signature blend of animation and live-action to depict urban complexity.^[8][9] Similarly, Clazziquai Project's "Beat in Love" showcased rhythmic, color-saturated scenes that captured the electronic project's upbeat vibe.^[9] From 2011 to 2015, the studio gained prominence with high-impact releases like Orange Caramel's "Catallena," a quirky narrative filled with fantastical transformations and meme-worthy choreography that amplified the group's playful identity.^[20] EXID's "Up & Down" followed with dynamic, flirtatious visuals that propelled the track's viral resurgence, while Psy's "Daddy" featuring CL delivered bold, humorous antics in a colorful, over-the-top setting.^[21][1] The period of 2016 to 2020 highlighted Digipedi's narrative depth in LOONA's "Eclipse," a visually poetic exploration of duality and light that is widely regarded as a pinnacle of their work for its seamless integration of symbolism and performance.^[22] Sunmi's "Heart Burn" employed sultry, flame-motif transitions to evoke rising tension, and Tomorrow X Together's concept trailers, such as "The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY," used dreamlike sequences to build immersive lore for the group's debut era.^[23] Since 2021, Digipedi has incorporated advanced effects in videos like ATEEZ's "Work" (2024), which fused industrial motifs with high-energy choreography to reflect themes of ambition.^[24] In 2025, Stray Kids' "Ceremony" featured EDM-trap visuals with ritualistic elements and VFX-heavy sequences;^[25] NMIXX's "Know About Me" delivered introspective, glitch-art aesthetics;^[26] ARTMS's "Icarus" stood out for its bleeding-edge cinematic effects blending mythology with club energy;^[27] &TEAM's "Back to Life" explored vibrant, life-affirming narratives;^[28] NEXZ's "O-RLY?" incorporated playful, interrogative visuals; SUNMI's "BLUE!" featured oceanic, surreal motifs; and ARTMS's "BURN" emphasized intense, fiery transformations.^[29][30][31] Digipedi's portfolio spans diverse artists, including soloists like Sunmi, boy groups such as P1Harmony in "Doom Du Doom" with its retro-futuristic doom motifs, and girl groups like Dreamcatcher's "Chase Me," which pioneered horror-rock visuals through shadowy pursuits and synchronized horror elements.^[32][33] This breadth underscores their versatility in tailoring surreal concepts to various genres while maintaining a cohesive stylistic imprint on K-pop visuals.^[34]

Commercial Films

Digipedi's work in commercial films emphasized creative visual storytelling for brand advertisements, particularly from 2007 to 2014, when the studio handled numerous projects for major corporate clients in the technology and consumer goods sectors. These efforts showcased the company's ability to blend surreal, artistic elements with product-focused messaging, creating memorable shorts that highlighted brand identity without overshadowing core promotions. Early collaborations included advertisements for LG Electronics, such as campaigns promoting mobile devices with innovative visual effects that emphasized sleek design and functionality. Between 2010 and 2012, Digipedi expanded into Samsung product launches, incorporating animated effects to demonstrate features like high-definition displays and interactive capabilities in engaging, narrative-driven formats. For instance, commercials for Samsung's HDTV lineup utilized dynamic transitions and stylized animations to convey technological superiority. Similarly, the studio produced viral advertisements for Beats by Dr. Dre in 2012, employing bold, rhythmic visuals to align with the brand's audio heritage while appealing to a youthful audience. These projects exemplified Digipedi's adaptation to shorter ad formats, delivering polished integration of products through concise, surreal sequences that enhanced recall value. From 2013 to 2014, Digipedi contributed to campaigns for CJ E&M, including promotional content for music and entertainment events like Music X Live, where creative direction amplified event branding with immersive, performance-oriented aesthetics. The studio's approach during this era prioritized "pedicure-like polish," refining brand elements into seamless narratives that balanced artistic flair with commercial constraints. Clients ranged from tech giants like LG and Samsung to entertainment entities such as CJ E&M, demonstrating Digipedi's versatility in applying visual expertise to diverse promotional needs. Post-2015, Digipedi shifted toward fewer but higher-profile advertisements, focusing on select tech endorsements. A notable example is the 2018 LG U+ Galaxy S9 commercial film, which featured futuristic visuals to spotlight the device's camera and connectivity features in a compact, high-impact format. Other works included tie-ins for brands like L'Oréal Paris, where surreal beauty narratives integrated product benefits with ethereal styling. This evolution reflected a strategic emphasis on quality over quantity, maintaining Digipedi's reputation for innovative brand storytelling.^[35][36]

Other Works

Digipedi has produced a range of ancillary visual projects beyond music videos and commercials, including concept trailers for album rollouts, experimental short films, and specialized VFX contributions that enhance narrative storytelling in K-pop promotions.^[37] These works often integrate digital animation and surreal elements to build anticipation for artist releases, showcasing the studio's versatility in conceptual videography. A prominent example is the 2020 concept trailer for Tomorrow X Together's album The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY, directed by Seong Won-mo, which features ethereal dream sequences to introduce the EP's thematic narrative of fleeting youth and fantasy.^[23] In 2025, Digipedi directed the trailer for NiziU's third album New Emotion, emphasizing geometric aesthetics and emotional transitions through minimalist digital effects, produced under executive producer Lee Moon-young.^[38] Similarly, the studio contributed to P1Harmony's DISHARMONY series with a trailer that extends the group's dystopian lore, incorporating experimental extensions like the 2022 Doom Du Doom promotional visuals, which blend athletic motifs with animated chaos to foreshadow album themes.^[39] Digipedi's experimental shorts, hosted on Vimeo, highlight their focus on digital animation and narrative innovation, such as the 2023 short Writer's Block, a 1:34-minute piece written and directed by Seong Won-mo that explores creative stagnation through abstract, glitch-infused visuals and introspective storytelling.^[40] These Vimeo projects prioritize artistic experimentation over commercial constraints, often featuring seamless blends of live-action and CGI to evoke psychological depth. In VFX collaborations, Digipedi partnered with ORB HAUS in 2025 for non-MV elements in Stray Kids' projects, including the KARMA trailer, where ORB HAUS handled effects like stadium simulations, fire animations, and cityscapes under Digipedi's production oversight, directed by Seong Won-mo.^[41] This work underscores Digipedi's role in elevating promotional trailers with high-impact digital enhancements. The evolution of these projects traces from Digipedi's early years following their 2007 founding—less-documented experimental pieces—to more integrated 2020s contributions seamlessly tied to K-pop album strategies, reflecting a shift toward polished, narrative-driven visuals that amplify artist branding.^[12]

Legacy and Influence

Recognition and Awards

Digipedi has garnered significant media recognition for its innovative contributions to K-pop videography, though it has secured limited formal awards. Early acclaim came from international outlets highlighting the studio's role in visually representing Korean youth culture through animation and graphics. In a 2011 Vice feature, Digipedi was praised as illustrators of contemporary Korean youth, with their debut music video for Dynamic Duo's "Complex" and collaborations like Clazziquai Project's works noted for blending 3D elements with eccentric narratives to elevate music visualization standards.^[9] By the mid-2010s, Digipedi's reputation as a leading K-pop video production team solidified through domestic and global press coverage of its unconventional aesthetics. A 2016 Korea Herald profile described founders Seong Won-mo and Park Sang-woo as one of the most sought-after duos, crediting their colorful, imaginative concepts—such as Orange Caramel's sushi-themed "Catallena" and Psy's "Daddy"—for producing over 15 videos in a single year and amassing more than 205 million YouTube views across projects with artists like SHINee and IU. This coverage emphasized their departure from formulaic K-pop visuals, fostering creative freedom that resonated with international audiences.^[1] Subsequent industry articles in the late 2010s and early 2020s further underscored Digipedi's influence on K-pop as an emerging art form. A 2018 Dazed piece on iconic music video production featured Seong Won-mo discussing the studio's surreal storytelling and character-driven experiments, including 16 interconnected videos for LOONA members that prioritized global appeal through visual devices like dance and fashion over language barriers. Similarly, a 2019 Asia Times article positioned Digipedi at the forefront of transforming K-pop videos into digital pop art, highlighting their mid-2000s introduction of edgy, intense color palettes that became an industry norm, as seen in works like EXID's "Hot Pink" and the risk-taking humor in Orange Caramel's "Catallena," which critiqued K-pop tropes despite facing censorship.^[19][42] In more recent years, Digipedi's prolific output continued to draw attention for its narrative depth and artist collaborations. A 2023 Koreaboo interview with Seong Won-mo revealed the studio had directed over 300 K-pop music videos, with LOONA's "Butterfly" cited as a personal favorite for its pre-debut synergy, alongside memorable projects like ATEEZ's "Bouncy" and "Guerrilla," ENHYPEN's Japanese versions of "Blessed-Cursed" and "Given-Taken," and TXT's "Nap of a Star." While Digipedi has not won major international accolades such as MTV Video Music Awards, its consistent featuring in over a dozen reputable industry publications by 2025 reflects strong domestic influence within K-pop visual media.^[3]

Impact on K-pop and Visual Media

Digipedi's stylistic legacy in K-pop is marked by its pioneering use of zany and surreal visuals, which introduced unconventional and imaginative concepts that shaped the genre's aesthetics during the 2010s. The company's emphasis on eye-popping colors, small-room settings, and dreamlike narratives challenged the more conventional light-based styles prevalent at the time, influencing groups to experiment with odd themes in their music videos. For instance, their direction of Orange Caramel's "Catallena" (2014) featured whimsical elements like performers in sushi-inspired outfits, achieving 1 million YouTube views in just 24 hours and setting a precedent for playful, surreal storytelling in idol content.^[19] This influence extended to later acts like LOONA, where Digipedi produced the majority of their music videos and LOONAVERSE-related content, incorporating fantastical elements that aligned with the group's lore-driven concepts and further popularized narrative-driven visuals in K-pop. In the 2020s, Digipedi evolved its approach by synchronizing visual effects (VFX) with intricate choreography, enhancing the dynamic interplay between performance and digital augmentation in videos for groups emphasizing synchronized dance. Their work on Stray Kids' "Ceremony" (2025), for example, utilized advanced VFX to amplify the track's ceremonial motifs, contributing to the song's rapid accumulation of over 80 million YouTube views within months of release.^{[36][25][16][43]} As one of K-pop's leading music video production firms—alongside Zanybros—Digipedi has played a pivotal industry role, producing dozens of high-profile videos annually and handling a substantial share of output for major labels like Cube Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. Their Vimeo portfolio, showcasing experimental shorts and behind-the-scenes reels, has inspired a new generation of independent directors by demonstrating innovative techniques in digital color aesthetics and composition. This body of work has also extended K-pop's cultural reach globally, with Digipedi's visuals in projects like "Ceremony" driving international fan engagement through viral streaming success and cross-cultural appeal.^[42][8][35]