Media, Events, Experiments
Posts tagged Japan
Blacklist Tokyo + TLC exclusive concert invitation
Jul 2nd
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Just a quick text animation from the video commercial for Blacklist Tokyo’s exclusive event featuring TLC. (Yes, that band you thought was gone forever.) Wish I could be at the event, but it didn’t work out that way. The total commercial is 30 seconds long, but I’ve decided only to show the first few seconds.
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Shinagawa, Tokyo, 2007 品川、東京
Jun 24th
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A digitally manipulated image of the crowds of commuters in Shinagawa station was recently retrieved from my digital archives, readjusted and submitted to a photographic competition. Whether or not it wins, I still like the photo.
Japan is arguably the world’s most technologically driven society. Common assumptions of society in Japan are that salarymen are all the similar in thought and mind, yet this is not the case. My photograph depicts a man resisting the surge and heading upstream, possibly to forge ahead and conquer unknown goals. A part of a greater whole, yet as individual as anyone on earth.
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SLS AMG Event Proposal Content
May 31st
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I was approached by a client about producing content for an event for the Japan release of the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG supercar. There were three components to the proposal which required visual media content produced by Hfour.
First was an animation for the release of the car which wouldn’t actually show the car, presented on a screen above the car immediately prior to its unveiling. The tunnel theme which has been a dominant trend in the global advertising campaign was also to be included. Making an automotive theme without showing images or video of the car proved to be a creative challenge which was met with motion lines tracing key elements and shapes.
Second was a LED tunnel at the entrance of the event space. The plan was to use large LED panels built into a tunnel shape, and to create an atmospheric tunnel experience with more references to the natural elements than a vehicle.
Third was a large scale video mapping project on the surface of the Kaigakan, the National Picture Museum in Tokyo, featuring photographs from early 20th Century Japan.
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Sakura and Kimono
May 31st
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A quick short film made from stock footage I shot in Tokyo in the spring of 2010. Colour graded and vfx added in May 2010. Cliche or Archetypical? You be the judge.
It is an interesting cultural aside to mention that the lady in the video has only worn a kimono twice in her life. This is a common phenomenon in Japan: the first time a young lady usually wears a kimono is for ‘Coming of Age’ day, when she is 20, and the second time is frequently her wedding or university graduation.
Older ladies find more occasions to wear a kimono, including tea ceremony and other traditional cultural affairs. Does this mean that the cultural heritage of Japan is in decline, and that young people are turning more towards an international style? Hardly so: I remember seeing photographs of a temple’s ladies’ club spanning through several decades, and the members were consistently over 50. Perhaps the keen interest in traditions only grows with maturity over the years.
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NYE 2010 in Tokyo
Jan 20th
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Hfour collaborated with 5, Tokyo’s hottest event team to produce a truly spectacular new year’s eve party for about 350 people at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo.
Stage concept and design and video performance by Hfour.
Two thematic concepts were used for this event:
The first theme was 2010: A Bass Odyssey. (Some motion design content courtesy of vjvault.)
The second theme was NeoTraditionalisme: the fusion of traditional Japanese styles with a countdown party, including champagne and house music.
Three projectors were used: a 7000 lumen for the screen and 2 x 2200 lumen projectors to cover parts of the walls and ceiling with star effects and other illuminating shapes.
The audio coming into the camera’s mic was frightfully distorted, so I’ve uploaded two versions.
Here is one of the videos:
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Ancient Tranquility
Dec 1st
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In the summer of 2009, I traveled to Yakushima, an island in the southern archipelago of Japan, to watch the total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, due to cloudy weather, I was unable to see or film my first eclipse. However, despite the clouds and rain, I journeyed deep into the ancient forests of the island to see the famous Yaku-sugi, (giant cedar) and the gaze upon the landscape which inspire scenes from Hayao Miyazaki’s film, Mononoke-hime (Princess Mononoke).
The island has no large predators, hunting has been forbidden for several decades, and the visitors to the island come with a deep respect for nature. Thus the animals have little fear of humans and wander through the deep forests with relative comfort and tranquility.
Music composed by Only Music. Davy Bergier “Flooting” . Published by Only Music. © 2008 onlymusic.fr
Filmed in HD with a Canon HF-S10
UPDATE: The video has been re-uploaded with new color correction.
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Tokyo Women’s Bunka University Fashion Show
Jul 7th
Hfour produced the video for the annual Tokyo Women’s Cultural University fashion show which was held on June 6th 2009 on the Kokubunji campus. The full edit is just over an hour long and is unavailable for public release. This version is approximately twenty minutes shorter but still contains the show in its entirety.
Sakura in Wadabori Park
Apr 13th
Hanami (Flower Viewing) has become my favourite time of year in Japan. The few days of blossoms remind me of life, renewal, and the ephemeral nature of living things.
Music by Boards of Canada, the song is Zoetrope.
7 For All Mankind Store Opening
Mar 30th
Hfour worked with Bidon and Six Inch to produce a video installation at the party for the 7 for all Mankind store opening in Daikanyama, Tokyo. Three projectors were used to create a seamless image on the ceiling, presenting content following the theme: ‘looking up to nature’.
