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Blokees Becomes Exclusive Strategic Partner of "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" Exhibition

Blokees Becomes Exclusive Strategic Partner of "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" Exhibition

Korea Herald4 days ago
SHANGHAI, July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 2nd, the much-anticipated exhibition "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" hosted its media preview day in Shanghai. The event will officially open to the public on July 5th. The Chinese Assembly Character Toys brand Blokees is participating as the exclusive strategic partner of the Ultraman-themed exhibition, unveiling a series of new Blokees Ultraman model kits and exhibiting nearly 100 Ultraman-themed creations from BFC, demonstrating its strong and long-standing partnership with Ultraman's IP.
Blokees established a partnership with New Creation—the exclusive licensing agent for the Ultraman series in mainland China—in 2021, marking its entry into the "Model Kits" category. In 2022, the brand launched its first Ultraman classic model kits, which have since gained widespread popularity among Ultraman fans.
Over the past four years, Blokees has featured the Ultraman IP across three major product series—HERO10, Legend and preCOOL, resulting in over 10 major editions and more than 80 Ultraman Model Kits, representing over 140 different Ultraman characters.
Driven by its continuously evolving R&D capabilities,Blokees now holds over 500 patents and remains committed to developing innovative charecter-based products for consumers around the world.
During the exhibition, Blokees featured nearly 100 Ultraman-themed BFC works in its dedicated display area, becoming the first Chinese brand to display original user creations at the Ultraman 60th Anniversary Theme Exhibition. These works were created by BFC creators. On-site, Ultraman-themed BFC Creation Competitions let players experience BFC creation culture firsthand. Creators immersed themselves in the imaginative world of assembly, passing on the Fun of Building.
Blokees has always placed a strong emphasis on BFC creation culture and continues to host the annual BFC Creative Competition. Participants are invited to assemble original works using Blokees Model Kits. Winning entries have the chance to be showcased at international exhibitions alongside Blokees. The BFC community has grown into a vital platform for connecting global players and driving the brand's creative ecosystem forward.
With its strong R&D capabilities and innovative product lineup, Blokees is implementing a "Universally appealing, Stepwise pricing, Globally promoting" strategy. Blokees will continue to connect global players through innovative products and community culture.
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Blokees Becomes Exclusive Strategic Partner of "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" Exhibition
Blokees Becomes Exclusive Strategic Partner of "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" Exhibition

Korea Herald

time4 days ago

  • Korea Herald

Blokees Becomes Exclusive Strategic Partner of "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" Exhibition

SHANGHAI, July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 2nd, the much-anticipated exhibition "Journey of Light: A Glimpse into Ultraman's 60th Anniversary" hosted its media preview day in Shanghai. The event will officially open to the public on July 5th. The Chinese Assembly Character Toys brand Blokees is participating as the exclusive strategic partner of the Ultraman-themed exhibition, unveiling a series of new Blokees Ultraman model kits and exhibiting nearly 100 Ultraman-themed creations from BFC, demonstrating its strong and long-standing partnership with Ultraman's IP. Blokees established a partnership with New Creation—the exclusive licensing agent for the Ultraman series in mainland China—in 2021, marking its entry into the "Model Kits" category. In 2022, the brand launched its first Ultraman classic model kits, which have since gained widespread popularity among Ultraman fans. Over the past four years, Blokees has featured the Ultraman IP across three major product series—HERO10, Legend and preCOOL, resulting in over 10 major editions and more than 80 Ultraman Model Kits, representing over 140 different Ultraman characters. Driven by its continuously evolving R&D capabilities,Blokees now holds over 500 patents and remains committed to developing innovative charecter-based products for consumers around the world. During the exhibition, Blokees featured nearly 100 Ultraman-themed BFC works in its dedicated display area, becoming the first Chinese brand to display original user creations at the Ultraman 60th Anniversary Theme Exhibition. These works were created by BFC creators. On-site, Ultraman-themed BFC Creation Competitions let players experience BFC creation culture firsthand. Creators immersed themselves in the imaginative world of assembly, passing on the Fun of Building. Blokees has always placed a strong emphasis on BFC creation culture and continues to host the annual BFC Creative Competition. Participants are invited to assemble original works using Blokees Model Kits. Winning entries have the chance to be showcased at international exhibitions alongside Blokees. The BFC community has grown into a vital platform for connecting global players and driving the brand's creative ecosystem forward. With its strong R&D capabilities and innovative product lineup, Blokees is implementing a "Universally appealing, Stepwise pricing, Globally promoting" strategy. Blokees will continue to connect global players through innovative products and community culture.

CJ ENM unveils plans to expand use of AI across content pipeline
CJ ENM unveils plans to expand use of AI across content pipeline

Korea Herald

time6 days ago

  • Korea Herald

CJ ENM unveils plans to expand use of AI across content pipeline

Entertainment giant aims to streamline operations and cut costs with AI, spotlighting a new content strategy centered on AI-driven films, series and animation South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM announced plans to expand its use of artificial intelligence across its content pipeline as part of a broader strategy to boost production and realize ideas that would otherwise be limited by budget constraints. During a press event Monday, the company said AI will be applied across four key areas: scriptwriting, production (such as the editing process), international distribution of content, and original content such as films and series developed using generative technology. Among its AI-driven projects is "Cat Biggie," a no-dialogue short-form animation about a cat who becomes a father to a baby chick. Created by a six-person team over five months, which is a fraction of the typical workforce and timeline, the 30-episode series will roll out globally on YouTube in July. Each episode will run for two minutes, and the series will be released for free to boost character recognition among global audiences, the company said. Jung Chang-ik, who created "Cat Biggie," said during Monday's CJ ENM Culture Talk event held at the company's Talent Studio in Seoul, that deploying AI significantly shortened the creation process. "In comparison to traditional animation production methods, which typically require at least 20 to 30 staff members and a development period of over one to two years when including the planning and development stages, our team of just six creators completed the project in only five months," said Jung. "This can truly be considered an innovative process, and it was made possible due to the integration of AI solutions," he said. Baek Hyun-jung, head of AI Business & Production at CJ ENM, emphasized the company's long-term vision for AI, citing two additional AI-based projects in development: the Greek mythology-inspired series "Legend" and the film "Apartment," both targeting late 2025 releases. Baek also pointed to AI's potential to unlock previously unattainable concepts, particularly in high-cost genres like sci-fi and fantasy. "As production costs and related factors continue to grow on a massive scale, the amount of content that can actually be produced each year is, in reality, very limited," she said. "Fantasy and sci-fi genres, in particular, require substantial budgets, which leads to genre-based limitations, especially when compared to Hollywood, where large-scale action blockbusters are produced much more frequently," she said. "Because these genres often involve astronomical production costs, no matter how many creative sci-fi or fantasy ideas exist, very few of them are actually realized. That's why our goal is to integrate AI-driven graphics technologies into traditional dramas and films, allowing us to tell richer stories and deliver higher-quality visuals without being restricted by subject matter," Baek added. One hurdle in AI-led production remains consistency, a critical component for serialized or long-form storytelling. "Even when using the same prompts, (AI is) very limited in generating identical characters or backgrounds. This makes it extremely challenging to produce video content with coherent storytelling. However, at CJ ENM, we are working to advance our solutions to ensure consistency tailored to the desired style," Baek explained.

Meet, perhaps date your favorite K-pop star with VR headgear
Meet, perhaps date your favorite K-pop star with VR headgear

Korea Herald

time24-06-2025

  • Korea Herald

Meet, perhaps date your favorite K-pop star with VR headgear

VR technology brings fresh energy to K-pop-themed films Imagine your favorite K-pop star being just within reach, confessing their love or playfully teasing you. Picture them beaming as they offer a bouquet of your favorite flowers. It's no longer just a fantasy — thanks to VR concerts. On Wednesday, CGV released "Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories." Viewers wear a VR headset and are immersed in a romance-movie-like experience, stepping into the role of the romantic lead opposite the singer. By raising a hand while wearing the headset, the system recognizes your gestures, allowing you to choose essential story items based on your preferences, leading to different scene outcomes. As the film is also a concert movie starring the K-pop idol, performances are woven into the storyline. Viewers can watch Cha singing and dancing just like in any other concert, but much closer. "It was fascinating to see a nearly 180-degree background view and how Cha Eun-woo seemed to come right up close. The headset was a bit heavy, but it was really fun," said Ha Ji-yeon, a fan in her 20s. Just a few years ago, K-pop films were either documentaries that shed light on artists' off-stage lives or concert films that captured performances and behind-the-scenes footage. Wheesung's "Live in 3D Wheesung: It's Real," released in 2010, is often remembered as the beginning of this trend. It was followed by BigBang's "Big Show 3D" in 2011, Beast's "Beast Encore Concert 3D" and Infinite's "Second Invasion Evolution The Movie 3D" in 2012 — all live concert films watched with 3D glasses that became quite the trend at the time. After the 3D film wave passed, BTS's "Burn the Stage: The Movie," which documented the group's world tour "Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour," was released in 2018 and drew 315,010 viewers. Since then, many major K-pop acts have followed up their world tours or large-scale concerts with accompanying films to extend the excitement. Now, VR films are breathing new life into the now largely predictable patterns of K-pop cinema. The company behind Cha Eun-woo's VR concert, Amaze VR, which previously produced TXT's "Hyperfocus: Tomorrow X Together VR Concert" in 2024, has ambitious plans to expand the K-pop VR concert market. Amaze VR CEO Lee Seung-joon confidently predicted that VR concerts to become one of the leading trends in the K-pop scene. 'Last year's TXT VR concert sold over 170,000 tickets worldwide. That's about 30-40 percent of what a live concert sells, and based on that success, we plan to launch a new VR concert every two months starting June,' said Lee. He explained that the filming process for realistic VR visuals is similar to shooting a Marvel movie. 'We film the artist directly on a green screen stage and then add backgrounds and effects using CG. All of the backgrounds are computer-generated,' explained Lee. "Cha Eun-woo VR Concert" is also set to be released in Japan, the US and South America. To screen the concert, each seat must be equipped with a VR headset, synchronized with the screen and sound system and managed by staff overseeing the devices. Amaze VR owns over 2,400 headsets and has set an ambitious goal of establishing 'Amaze Theaters' worldwide, akin to IMAX auditoriums. "Using just one or two days of an artist's time to create an experience that lasts forever holds immense value. I hope someday all artists would release a VR concert alongside every new album or tour — and this marks our first step toward that world," said Lee.

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