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From a former KPOP trainee


Infiniti

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Hi guys, I've been a member of Soompi since it was just a page with KPOP information without the bustling forum you guys know today. During my time following KPOP, I also pursued a career in the KPOP world in the form of training with entertainment companies. I've since left the industry and have matriculated into law school. I'm a bit older than most of you guys (25) and as such, I have quite an extensive history with entertainment companies and auditioning. 
I know a lot of you want to pursue a career in Hallyu and I'd like to answer some questions for you guys.
In the coming weeks, I'd like to help you guys out with any questions you guys might have about the industry.
Leave your questions in this topic, and once we get a few questions together, I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability in the form of a video.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest SMtheDream

maybe you can answer some of my questions on this post:http://forums.soompi.com/en/discussion/2026096/auditioning-at-sm-this-march-2015-any-help-appreciated#latest

any help would be appreciated :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some of the questions I've been getting involve age; people seemed to be worried about the age limit(s) to auditioning. The age requirements will generally be listed on the audition information page.
While it's true entertainment companies prefer younger to older, companies are more concerned about your marketability than anything else; this involves your capabilities as a celebrity, potential for growth, and tenacity as an employee.
Younger trainees have more time for practice and error; if the company has the money and time to invest in the trainee, younger trainees are accepted into companies at a proportionally higher rate than their older counterparts. The older you get, the closer you need to be "debut-ready" when auditioning because companies become limited on the time they have to invest and create a professional artist out of the trainee.
The trainees in the entertainment company I was last in ranged in age from 12~26. This is quite a large range and the older ones have yet to debut even though it's been over a year since I left the company.

If you guys have any more questions, let me know or you can inbox me as well.
Warm regards,Infiniti

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest babblu0_stv

So let's say if your S/O secrectly likes creepy stuff like ecchi games. Ecchi are basically fanservice that usually depicts cute bubbly girls with big breast. EX: Hyperdimensional Neptunia. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest aimeeravelo26

Hi! Thank you for this thread. I look forward to your advice. :) 
May I know why you chose to pursue law school instead of a career in the entertainment industry? I'm a financial adviser at the moment but my dream is to become an actress. So last year, I sent audition materials to YG and LOEN. Neither one replied. That's okay, maybe I should level up my materials and try again. 
I sent audition materials (monologues in Korean and in English) for applying as an actress to YG and LOEN. Maybe YG didn't reply because they aren't open for actor auditons at the moment, they're holding auditions for modeling but not acting. 
With those thoughts in line, would you guys mind watching my Korean monologue and let me know your thoughts? I'd love some feedback on my acting. It's a monologue from Secret Garden Episode 6. Yoon Seul was directing her ex boyfriend Wooyoung's (aka Oska) music video and he couldn't get his acting right as a heartbroken man running after the love of his life. Yoon Seul then stops the filming and proceeds to tell Wooyoung what it's like to be heartbroken by using her own experience of brokenness from their breakup. 
Feedback like 

  • how is the acting, 
  • the set up of the video, 
  • and in your opinion, do you think it can pass? Thank you in advance!

Here's the video:

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  • 2 weeks later...

A lot of the questions I’ve been receiving have been in regard to the actual trainee life itself.

 

Two reasons, out of many, that make trainee life difficult is because people are

1. Not accustomed to Korean culture

2. Not used to having to organize so many things themselves.

 

Today I’ll be covering the first topic: Korean culture in entertainment.

 

To begin, get ready to bow to EVERYONE

 

You enter the company knowing NOBODY. That means you have to go around and greet and bow to everyone EVERYDAY once you get in the office and when you leave.

 

There were a couple of 12 year olds practicing in my company and whenever we ran into each other in the halls or the main lobby, we would always bow to one another. I was in my 20’s, but it didn’t matter: that’s how serious Korean culture is on hierarchy and respect.

 

Korean culture is very hierarchical in nature. It’s not just between adults and children, but also between seniors and juniors in companies, people born even just a year earlier than you, and so forth. Basically, if you enter a company as a trainee, you’re at the bottom of the totem pole. Your interaction on a personal level will be with other trainees, and even in that realm there will be hierarchical divisions.

 

This isn’t unique to the entertainment world; it’s how both professional and personal life in Korean culture is organized.

 

Having said that, the strictness of how you’re treated will deal heavily on the people constructing the totem pole. For example, you might have a real hardass senior that bosses you around and tells you to go get this and clean up that; you could also end up practicing with seniors who treat you like an equal and are lax on the concept of seniority. Regardless, however you decide to interact with your fellow trainees will determine the stress and lifestyle you have while at the company.

 

Over time, you might be able to develop personal bounds with your trainees and management company. Until you do, however, there’s going to be a lot of bowing involved.

 

Let me know if you guys have any questions and I’ll cover part 2 soon.

 

 

Warm regards,

Infiniti 

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