Lang Lee ‘If I Were God’
2023 • Music Video
Executive Director, Director, Colorist
Responsibilities
• Oversaw the project, coordinating creative direction and feedback across eight directors and motion graphic designers.
• Directed and edited the 02:58–03:33 finale.
• Led meetings and presentations with the artist.
• Color grading, graphic design (title, end credits, subtitles), location scouting.
• Designed the title sequence, end credits, and subtitles.
Goal
Eight voices into one vision
Since its founding in 2021, FFF (Feminist Filmmakers Forever), a community of female filmmakers based in Seoul, has collaborated with female musicians to create music videos that bring together emerging filmmakers and artists. In winter 2023, eight directors and motion graphic designers collaborated with award-winning musician, author, and director Lang Lee on her song “If I Were God.” Through candid, direct lyrics, the song reflects on the climate crisis and questions humanity’s relationship with the world.
As directors, our goal was to create a music video with a cohesive narrative and a unified visual mood. Bringing together eight filmmakers with diverse professional backgrounds in advertising, film, social media, art, and motion graphics presented a unique creative challenge. The project required us to work contrary to the traditional filmmaking process, which has a strict hierarchy.
Approach
Create unity through collaboration
As the executive director, I gave each filmmaker creative freedom while coordinating the individual segments into one cohesive narrative. Communication was central to the process. I organized regular meetings with the directors, consolidated feedback through messages and calls, and translated multiple creative perspectives into a unified direction. I also developed structured documents and presentations to communicate the project clearly to the artist.
The project also adopted a horizontal production structure. Each director took the lead on their assigned segment while supporting other directors as part of the crew. Creating an environment where no one was positioned as another’s boss and where filmmakers could collaborate with mutual respect was essential to fostering synergy among all the directors.
I established a dreamy, nostalgic visual tone through the final color grade. For the titles and subtitles, I used Climate Crisis Font. (Roman alphabet initially created by Helsingin Sanomat, and a Korean script (Hangeul) created by Noh Type) Inspired by melting glaciers, the typeface added another visual metaphor to the song’s message.
Achievement
Build a world around God
At an early project meeting, we focused on the “God” referenced in the lyrics, who is almighty and can turn back time. We questioned whether a God who allowed the current crisis to happen could truly be considered benevolent. One of the directors suggested that God might be a devil in disguise, and that suggestion became the foundation of our visual concept.
From there, we developed a character, portrayed by Lang Lee herself, who is both God and the devil. Across an interior set, a forest, and virtual spaces created through motion graphics, we incorporated the sphere/circle as a recurring visual metaphor for the “world.” Each of the eight directors interpreted these symbols through their own visual language, gradually building a single narrative from eight distinct perspectives.
I directed the finale of the music video (02:58–03:33), interpreting the “devil” aspect of the God character through cult imagery. I designed the sequence to leave the character’s identity deliberately open to interpretation, allowing the same figure to be read differently depending on whether she is understood as God or the devil.
What made the project particularly rewarding was watching eight filmmakers who initially envisioned completely different approaches exchange ideas and gradually shape them into one cohesive story. The music video has now reached 100K views on YouTube.
Lyrics
뭐든지 처음일 때는 즐겁고 재미있었는데
맛있는 걸 처음 먹을 때도 입안이 신비로워서
이런 걸 매일 먹으면 얼마나 좋을까 하면서도
막상 그렇게 되면 어찌나 질리고 물리는지
인간의 욕심이란 끝없이 끝도 없어서
내가 만약 신이라면 그를 만든 걸 후회하고
지구를 만들기 전으로 되돌리고 싶을 텐데
오늘도 북극에선 배고픈 북극곰들이
녹아가는 얼음 위에서 발만 동동 구르고 있을 텐데
나는 친구의 차를 얻어 타고 시내에 나가면서
엄청 편하고 좋다 히터 좀 더 틀어도 되겠냐고
내가 만약 신이라면 이런 이기심에
엄청 화가 나서 다 엎어버리고 싶을 텐데
내가 만약 신이라면 이미 다 죽여 버렸을 텐데
Everything is fun when it’s new
Even the first bite of something good
Feels like a little miracle
You think, It’d be nice to have this every day
But give it time, and you’ll get tired of it
Human wants go on forever
If I were God, I’d regret ever creating them
I’d want to turn everything back
to before I ever made the Earth
Somewhere up in the Arctic Hungry polar bears on melting ice, pacing helplessly
I’m riding into the city in my friend’s car
thinking how comfortable and nice it is
asking, Could you turn the heat up?
If I were God, I’d be furious at all this selfishness I’d tear the whole thing down
If I were God I would’ve killed us all
엄마 이상해 추워야 되는데 너무 더워
엄마 이상해 우리집이 자꾸 녹아내려
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면
라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면 라면
미안해 살아있어서 엄청 피해만 주고
그래도 살아있는 동안
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
내가 만약 신이라면 내가 만약 신이라면
Mom, something’s wrong
It’s supposed to be cold, but it’s so hot
Mom, something’s wrong
Our house keeps melting down
If I were God, if I were God
If I were God, if I were God
Ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon
Ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon, ramyeon
I’m sorry I’m still alive
For all the damage just by being here
But while I’m still alive
If I were God, if I were God
If I were God, if I were God
If I were God, if I were God
If I were God, if I were God