How many hours are young actors and actresses allowed to work ?

[Hankk]

This question is inspired by The Moon That Embraces The Sun. ( I am at 5.2 at the moment )
And the formidable acting of Kim Yoo Jung as young Wol.

All the youngsters are acting very well in this drama, but her acting is from another caliber. At age 12 !

Seeing all the drama's she already worked in, and not the easiest ones, this question came up:
Are there work-restrictions for youngsters working in the movie-business ?
Moon Geun Young was young when she started, and we see lot's of other young kids in drama's.

Just curious.

[supergaara]

good question

[amrita828]

I'm sure there are restrictions as in any other country. The entertainment business is the only one where children are actually allowed to work, possibly because acting (or singing, dancing, modelling) is often perceived as a game, more than an actual job. Most of the time, kids have their parents - or one of them - as manager, as if parental consent would solve the issue. Personally, I think the line between what the kid really wants and what her/his parents/managers want is thin and a little dangerous as well. But then, how else would we have kids in cinematography?

I know I didn't really answer your question. I'm sure there are regulations regarding working hours, but I have no idea of their content.

[Aryael]

There are regulations but they are not as strictly adhered to in Asian entertainment businesses than in.. for example, Hollywood, where ppl are more aware of work hour restrictions and have a more balanced work ethics.

With Asians, if you are on contract, you will have to deliver, regardless... and with the way they do business (which is very competitive and cut-throat), eg: one to two episodes every week while filiming is still on etc, you have no choice but to work under such stress and deliver.

Many years ago, there was a great hoohaa about work hours amongst Asian actors when we started to see some of them migrating over to Hollywood. In Asia, it all depends on who your boss is and how demanding your boss is. Even so, Asians are famous for working over-time and under challenging conditions. We see enough of actors fainting from over-work and actors suing their companies because of breach of contract and actors committing suicide because they were unable to take the stress, to know that working conditions in Asia is different than what you would expect in Western and European countries.

With young actors, it is often down to the contract the parents/managers have with the company and it is not uncommon for these young ones working more hours than they should and their parents "allowing" it because it is all about the $ and fame and the pressure to deliver. Those who objected too much,... well... we don't get to see much of them anymore. In Asia, if you complain or have a bad impression from your previous employer (or if your previous employer bad-mouthed you), you are pretty much done for... no one will offer you another contract. It is very much a dog eat dog world in Asia. I know, coz I worked for more than a decade in Asia in the publishing industry. I had even encountered a bad experience of a senior person in my company then, stealing my creative idea and making it her own... she got the promotion, while I decided to leave the company (keeping things to myself coz if I sue or say something against her who is my senior, I might be given a bad image and it will be hard for me to get another job in the industry). You learn to grit your teeth and move on, in order to survive and do well in Asia. Furthermore, as a foreigner, you are almost certain to be taken granted for and treated like a .. well... foreigner. Anyhow, that's the past - water over the well for me. Despite having someone stealing my idea, I am actually now, more successful than that lady... I do not know what happened to her. For me, it was an invaluable experience because it shaped me into a tougher, wiser and better person.

[Hankk]

Maybe the game is being played harder in Asia compared with Europe and the US and Canada.

Officialy, that is.
I am an enjoyer, not involved in show-businnes in any way.
But I do notice things.
In my neighbourhood, above and around Amsterdam ( Holland ) is a lot of showbizz going on. Endemol-TV, producing worldwide these days, has its roots in that area.
Children taking part in Idol-type programs have to wait many hours, do a lot of travelling, do photoshoots at the same time in cold studio's etc.
True, they don't spend that many hours at school like in Korea.

( There were some scandals lately, where producers forced the parents and children to sign a contract, saying all revenues in case of a hit are for the company. Including the right to sell merchandise, speak with media, etc. Binding the persons for years, The parents were given 5 minutes to read a complicated contract )

In showbusinnes, I think things are perhaps arranged well for the ones that made it. But for the ones that still have to make it, if ever, there is a fight going on that will make children do things not always going by the law.

[amrita828]

While Aryael's post pretty much answers your question and is, as usual, very well informed, I think there's something rotten in the show-business no matter where. In the States and, on a lesser scale Europe, they might be more aware of working hours, but they (or I should say we) are guilty of creating more and more lolitas and their male counterparts. Kids enter the business at a much younger age now and not always to play the part of kids. Frankly, it sickens me, regardless of how open minded I believe I am.

Hankk, forgive me for going slightly out of topic. The issue just... heats me up.

[Aryael]

Originally Posted by amrita828

While Aryael's post pretty much answers your question and is, as usual, very well informed, I think there's something rotten in the show-business no matter where. In the States and, on a lesser scale Europe, they might be more aware of working hours, but they (or I should say we) are guilty of creating more and more lolitas and their male counterparts. Kids enter the business at a much younger age now and not always to play the part of kids. Frankly, it sickens me, regardless of how open minded I believe I am.

Hankk, forgive me for going slightly out of topic. The issue just... heats me up.

You said it, ams! The best way to stop these unscrupulous business ppl is to boycott the product - stop watching movies and dramas from Asia - but how many of us are able to do this? They have effectively made it an addiction and if it is not an addiction, it is idolism (especially for the young lads and ladies nowadays). If ppl stop and think , boycotting Asian dramas and movies now may look as if it will cost our beloved actors and actresses their livelihood, but the matter is temporary and once things change for the better, in the long-term, it actually benefits those in the industry. Someone just have to start putting their foot down and just do it.... that is if we are serious about stopping such unethical practice in the industry. Those in the industry are trapped in this viscious cycle and no matter how they dislike it, they must play by the "rules" to make a living... it is up to us who are out of the industry and make up the bulk of the audience (customer) to make this demand of them.

[Hankk]

A bit off-topic perhaps, because it is not specially about the young kids or Korea.
But I think in the end it is all in the same game, named show-business.

This brilliant '70's song from The Kinks keeps popping up in my mind.

Celluloid Hero's,
"Some will succeed and some will suffer in vain"

Hollywood Boulevard (Celluloid Heroes by the Kinks) - YouTube