BTS of [Video] “2013 Greetings: This is Our Promise From Eels All Over The World”

Here we share some BTS stories of making [Video] “2013 Greetings: This is Our Promise From Eels All Over The World”. To keep this memorable event in eels’ history, we share them on the blog.

Title: Our Promise
Jang Keun Suk’s 20th anniversary debut commemorative video by International fans
Behind-the-scene Account by: Kimi Song (English translation by Hazy Lee)
tenshi_akuma’s note: This is a summary of BTS by Kimi, later full-version will be shared.


With the new year approaching, 20 years had past. This is the new beginning of another 20 years, 40 years for you, eels all over the world would like to send our promise to you through this video – that we will always be with you!

The whole video (from the concept to production) is done by eels in a very short time frame – one week. Time zone and language differences are some barriers we had to overcome. Hence many a times, eels had to work over the night in order to communicate with each other. In this short 4 minutes video, it is filled with overflowing love from eels all over the world, and eels treasured this special opportunity.

Thank you to all eels who participated in this video production, thank you for your support, thank you for your sincerity.

THANK YOU – our WORLD PRINCE – Jang Keun Suk!!
THANK YOU – eels all over the world!
THANK YOU !

Video production – Eels club International
Video editing – Phuog Quyh (Vietnam)
Video writing – Eileen Tan (Singapore)
Translation – Avisha Patel (Malaysia)
Kimi Song (China)
Text edited by – Kleidy Hernandez (USA)
Whitney Amy Chapman (USA)
Picture – Kikimon
Overall coordinator — KSC
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Title: An Urgent Project that Means So Much to Us because that’s Our Promise!
Behind-the-scene Account by: Eileen

Got a call on 17 December 2012 from Kimi.. It was an urgent call!! A message filled with excitement about the said plan. Her challenge to me was simple.. A Yes or No? With our busy schedule and tight dateline to fulfil, I can’t help but to agree on this project without hesitation – a YES. With the assurance to her that I will take care of all the video making and coordination work, actions were taken immediately to type out the “URGENT PROJECT #1” to all members in ECI.. 2 important agendas on our list.. A talented eel that is willing to do the video production work and participation from eels all over the world.

Im concerned if eels will be courageous enough to do a recording within the time frame. With no concrete plan in mind, I’m in fear.. How do we start? What should we do.. With suggestions coming in and all eels writing in to lend their support, a draft message was done up to pave a direction of the objective of the video.. Because of him, we met great friends from all over the world, and because we want to continue to walk this journey with him, this vow was drafted out.. “No Matter Where You Are, Or How Far Your Dreams Are, Eels All Over the World, Will Always Be with You, Our Promise”.. WOW!! This message means so much to us, and we hope everyone will bring this vow along with them.. And within the next 10 hours.. Many more eels all over the world, writing in to lend their support.. It was heart warming.. We were really moved with each and everyone’s effort to write in to lend in their support.

For the video production, I have a candidate in mind that I wanted to work with, because her love for him is beyond words to describe. An invitation has been sent out to her to be part of this project. A day passed, she didn’t reply to my message. Im were worried sick.

URGENT PROJECT UPDATE #2 was done soon with the finalized message. It was day 2 of the project and all participating sis and bro started to get ready for the project.. Some posted in ECI with the scripts and lines prepared, some posted that they were in the midst of rehearsing the lines and the excitement of doing the recording, few eels arranged a gathering to do the recording together. A few other fan club admins came to offer help from their own members. I’m moved with swarms of fan club admin from all over the world pulling in their resources to help. A few recordings were sent in swiftly. The girl that I wanted to work with has also replied to the invitation that she’s honoured to do the job. Deep down.. When she said she’s honoured to do the job, I think she didn’t know I was actually feeling blessed to have her onboard in this project with us! You all should know who is she by now, that’s our dear Phuog from Vietnam.. (she’s the one who did this project.. http://jangkeunsukforever.com/archives/19678)

Up Next.. the Singapore team.. We have an eel from Hongkong having a vacation in Singapore, and eels from Singapore have arranged for a gathering and a surprise event of releasing wishing ball by the Esplanade. I was told that last year, the organiser from Singapore did a similar event. During her birthday last year, she wrote on the wishing ball.. “I wish for JKS to be a World Prince”. Her wish has indeed, came true!;) And this time, she’s back again with eels from Hongkong, China and Singapore. In the name of him, to wish for.. “Eels all over the world, will always be with you”.. It was a meaningful event with a wish that we wanted him to convey so much to him.

UPDATE #3 Soon, it was the last day of the video submission, and more than 50 clips worldwide were received. I watched the clips one by one, in the midst of doing the selection of videos to be put into the storyline. With the same message echoing over and over again, replaying more than a hundred of times in total, I cant help but to feel really touched and at some point with teary eyes.. I can feel so much of emotions from eels all over the world, saying the same message and vow to him. With one thought, one hope, one wish, as we promise him we will be with him.. I have seen videos of eels braving the winter, some with eels shivering in cold, some eels gathered together to do the recording.. We have seen eels of different skin color / culture / languages gathered together as one, reciting the same message in 1 common language. Despite eels who are not fluent in English, because is not their native language, all of them shine so amazingly!

Update #4 Working against tight dateline on what to be done with all of the recordings.. Selection process was tedious, as I wanted to capture the best emotions in each and every of them.. It took me almost 2 days to complete the whole scene write up and video selections.

Update #5 Scene write up & vids selection complete, handed the working files to Phuog and this warrior sister started working on the files.. We know it was not easy for her with all the coordination work and communication going on. She was afraid she will not be able to deliver what we require, and I am terrified to put her in a difficult position. The final video was done so beautifully, nothing can thank her enough. If we are the brain behind this project, she’s the soul to it.

Update #6: Both Kimi and I had sleepless night as we have many concerns how will this project ended up to be. Will he be able to see our efforts, a new year gift from eels all over the world, with a meaningful message just for him? Kimi and the Chinese team had an immense stress doing all the coordination work to see about how we can pass on this little gift to him. Our heart sank and raised a couple of times this week, just like a roller coaster ride.

Is my greatest honour to be part of this project! From the initial drafting of the message and to watch the final video, is like witnessing the birth of a nobody to a somebody! Just like witnessing a new chapter of him. If eels have missed the early years of him, is okay.. Because, we have made a promise to him, to be with him so that we will never miss a single second from now. From Asia Prince to World Prince.. We have witness this moment. Eels all over the world will always be with him, and that’s our promise!