Skate video is the skater's identity.
When did you start filming "Nice To See You"?
Kamei:About March of last year. At first, I started working with "Vans" to shoot a video just for the Japan team. But after the Corona disaster, we started producing a global video featuring skaters from all over the world, and we decided to use the Japan team's video for that.
Kajiya:. It was about June when I shifted to shooting for global use. In the beginning, I was shooting mainly for Daiki (Hoshino), but I also started shooting Shogo Zama and Rimuo Morishige, as well as many other skaters.
Shogo Zama: You have released two models of shoes from Vans in collaboration with Magenta Skateboards.
Kajiya:It was a real accomplishment to have "Shogo" in the model's name! You must have had a hard time shooting the photos, going to Hokkaido, Okinawa, and many other places with everyone.
Kamei:. it was very difficult. . especially in Tokyo, where it is difficult to shoot on the streets. . That's why there was a lot of nighttime footage.
Kajiya:Watching such spots is also a highlight of skate videos, I think. What do you usually pay attention to in skate videos?
Kamei:. the spot, the music, and the skaters' outfits. Of course, I also look at what they are doing.
Kajiya:A skate video is like a skater's identity, and it is very important. It is a way to show what kind of skater you are, including your moves, clothes, and music. How did you decide on the music?
Kamei:We were asked to choose our favorite song, but we had a hard time deciding. I thought about a lot of things, such as Japaneseness, but I couldn't come up with a good idea. Then Piet (a staff member of Vans) suddenly suggested "YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra)" as a good idea.
Kajiya:I think the music used in skate videos has become genre-less: punk in the 80s and hip-hop in the 90s, but now it doesn't matter anymore.
Kamei:In the 2000s, they started using four-stringers and such, and everything became more and more popular. . But I think there is a trend. Some people choose simple sounds that sound more like a movie than music, and others use city pop-like songs. I think that Japanese videos have had an influence on foreign countries, and that this has changed things even more.
Kajiya:I am really deeply moved by the participation of Japanese skaters in "Nice To See You," Global's video. It would have been unthinkable in the past.
Kamei:Indeed . I am very honored to be able to participate in this project, and since it uses 16mm film footage, I think it will be worth seeing as a work of art.
Kajiya:. I can see foreign locations and listen to good music. I would be happy if more people become interested in skateboarding as a result of this event.
An extraordinary amount of time and effort is put into skate videos featuring skaters performing spectacular tricks, and "Nice To See You" is no exception. The creative imagination of skaters on the streets of the world is a must-see. The full project introduced here, in which Kajitani and Kamei explain parts of "Nice To See You," is now available on McGuffin. The content is easy to understand even for those who have never skateboarded before, including the appeal of the skaters who appear in the film and explanations of their techniques. Watching it, you will be able to fully enjoy the creativity of "Nice To See You".
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