‘BTS: The Return’ Director Bao Nguyen on Capturing an Intimate Look at the Band and Why Each Member Has an ‘Additional Cinematography By’ Credit

Mar 30, 2026 12:28pm PT ‘BTS: The Return’ Director Bao Nguyen on Capturing an Intimate Look at the Band and Why Each Member Has an ‘Additional Cinematography By’ Credit By Jazz Tangcay Plus Icon Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor @jazzt Latest World of ‘Frozen’ Debuts at Disneyland Paris: How Walt Disney Imagineers Brought Olaf and Elsa’s Ice Palace to Life 2 days ago ‘Stop That Train!’ Trailer: RuPaul Is President Gagwell, Who Must Prevent a Trainwreck Disaster in Action-Comedy 3 days ago Disney’s ‘Moana’ Trailer Has Fans Mocking Wigs and Overall Look, but Film Won’t Undergo Creative Changes 4 days ago See All Pay close attention to the end credits of “BTS: The Return,” now streaming on Netflix, and as the documentary’s credits roll, viewers will see that Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook all earn individual “additional cinematography by” credits. How did that happen? The doc follows the band from Los Angeles to Seoul, South Korea, as they reunite after serving mandatory military service. All seven members return to the studio to record and mix their latest album, “Arigang.” When director Bao Nguyen set out to film the documentary and tell the story of the biggest band in the world, he knew he wouldn’t have access to the band 24/7. Speaking at the Los Angeles screening of the documentary, Nguyen said, “I had this idea of, what if we gave them their own camcorders?” He added, “They shoot their own content on their phone, but that’s a very specific visual language.” He added, “I wanted to evoke something like your brother, mother, or uncle were filming a vacation. To give them the cameras, added this texture that I think is very intimate.” Related Stories Rob and Michele Reiner Remembered as ‘Superheroes’ at Human Rights Campaign Gala: 'They Helped Make It Possible for LGBTQ+ People to Marry the Person They Love’