Facing a script shortage, domestic film studios are remaking many Korean TV series for television networks.
Local film producers told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the job was very difficult.

"Local film studios like to remake these because audiences liked them when they were screened on the national television networks," film director Minh Cao said.

"Audiences and the media will scrutinise our productions and compare them with the original works from Korea," said Cao, who directed Anh Em Nha Bac Si (Doctor Brothers) based on Korean scripts.

The hit Korean TV series Full House with Korean pop star Bi Rain in the lead role was remade by BHD and Viet Studio and screened on Vinh Long Television (VL1) last year.

Ngoi Nha Hanh Phuc, the Vietnamese version of Full House, and Anh Em Nha Bac Si received a cold response from audiences despite the presence of well-known performers like Minh Hang, Luong Manh Hai, Chi Bao and Trang Nhung.

"I like Hang and Hai performing in several locally made TV series but in Ngoi Nha Hanh Phuc, their performance is really bad," said Minh Nga, 18, from HCM City's Teachers' College.

Film director Nguyen Phuong Dien made the 100-episode Du Gio Co Thoi (Even if the Wind Blows) from Korean scripts.

"I made many big changes to the Korean script to suit Vietnamese culture and audiences," Dien said.

Dien's series was among the few productions remade by domestic film studios based on scripts of foreign series popular with local audiences.

"I'm lucky. The original Korean series has not yet been screened in Viet Nam and audiences could not compare it with the Vietnamese version, " the film director said.

"Dialogue in Korean series are full of meaning and emotion that are attractive to audiences," said Dang Thieu Ngan, who works at The Gioi Dien Aûnh (Cinematography World) magazine.

Ngan joined a four-member group that wrote the 80-episode TV series Cau Vong Tinh Yeu (Rainbow of Love) based on the script of the Korean series Family Honour.

"TheVietnamisation of Korean scripts also demands that scriptwriters pay attention to dialogue in the Korean series, " Ngan said.

She said the biggest difficulty for Vietnamese producers was finding actors and actresses for their series.

"Young Korean artists receive strict training that aims to provide them with creative and sophisticated acting skills," Ngan said.

"Many beauties and young models who have not received any professional training in acting have been invited to perform in many recent TV series made by domestic film studios," she said.

"Their soulless performances damage our productions," she said.

"Despite difficulties, I like to remake TV series based on foreign scripts," film director Minh Cao said. "Interesting details in their scripts are attractive to film-makers."

"Domestic film studios are facing acute shortage of scripts and copyrights of more foreign scripts will be bought for production in Viet Nam," said Do Thanh Hai, director of Viet Nam Television Film Centre (VFC).

Hundreds of new TV series including Vo Toi La So Mot (Queen of Housewives) and Tinh Yeu Va Tham Vong (Love and Ambition) based on Korean scripts are being made by local film studios after copyrights were bought from Korean companies.

"Viet Nam has a small number of schools that can give professional training to scriptwriters and film-makers. We can learn a lot from making TV series based on foreign scripts," Hai said.

"Efforts will be focused to improve the quality of domestic TV series so that audiences can accept our productions, " he said.

Six TV series, including 30-episode Nguoi Mau (Model), Cau Vong Tinh Yeu and 80-episode Nhung Nang Cong Chua Noi Tieng (Famous Princesses), are being aired on VTV3, HTV7, VTV9 and Vinh Long 1 (VL1). They have scripts based on well-known Korean TV series.

Model was a big hit when it aired in Korea in 1997. It was broadcast in Viet Nam a year later, receiving warm acclaim from young audiences. Family's Honour had a record-high number of viewers in Korea in 2002, and it won the Best Script Award in 2002 in the country.