This doctoral research explores the complexities of transcultural screenwriting by developing a feature-length screenplay, Into Dust, conceptualised for Korean audiences by a non-Korean anglophone screenwriter residing in Korea. My creative practice, ingrained in writing screen narratives set within my adopted nation, seeks to integrate a domestic appeal with my transcultural perspective as a culturally fluent, albeit non-native, inhabitant of Korea. This research addresses screenwriting in my specific transcultural context, highlighting the challenges and concerns encountered when representing a cultural group as an outsider and crafting a narrative in a bilingual framework.
This inquiry was achieved using both practice-based and critical research methodologies to chart the evolution of Into Dust, an apocalyptic family drama featuring a Korean family endeavouring to complete a road trip across Korea, accompanied by a British hitchhiker, against the background of an imminent asteroid collision. The accompanying critical commentary contextualises the screenplay’s developmental trajectory within an academic framework, analysing various iterations of Into Dust to underscore the foundational role of research in its evolution to become an academic screenplay and research artefact.
The critical commentary explores various issues arising for a non-Korean, anglophone screenwriter when scripting for a targeted Korean audience. A significant issue entailed the negotiation of permission within transcultural screenwriting and the creative strategies needed to navigate the internalised and externalised notions of permission when representing Korea and its people as a cultural outsider. The insights derived from this research avenue underscore how the cultivation and refinement of transcultural competence emerge as pivotal in fashioning a screenplay that resonates with my target audience. Moreover, the research validates that thorough engagement with Korea’s contemporary socio-cultural landscape is productive in mitigating internalised and externalised notions of permission when portraying a specific cultural group as a cultural outsider, facilitating exploration into transcultural themes that echo the intrinsic tensions surfacing in societies undergoing globalisation.
The critical commentary further interrogates the challenges of scripting dialogue for a dual-language narrative, examining strategies for creating bilingual characters and overcoming language barriers between Korean and English-speaking characters within a narrative. The research substantiates that scrutinising the effects of bilingualism on personality and the nature of ritualistic activities in communication can substantially enhance character development in transcultural screenwriting, enriching the narrative world by infusing it with dramatic conflicts and presenting a more authentic and nuanced depiction of cross-cultural communication dynamics.
Within the frame of a non-Korean anglophone screenwriter scripting for a Korean audience, this thesis highlights strategies pertinent to the bourgeoning field of transcultural screenwriting research. In an era where cultural transformation and the ardent preservation of cultural uniqueness can clash, transcultural scenarios are becoming more frequent and are poised to persist. Consequently, globalisation precipitates new scenarios, prompting screenwriters to embrace a transcultural view in their practice. While this research is embedded in the specific transcultural context of a non-Korean screenwriter writing in Korea, it touches upon a universal inquiry, reverberating with all screenwriters working beyond their cultural boundaries or engaging with narratives divergent from their personal cultural experiences. The devised strategies offer scholarly value and extend their applicability to screenwriters navigating similar creative hurdles.