Why does director Maki have to be a movie?
PROFILE
Born in 1979 . Born in Hyogo, Japan, he wrote and directed his first short film "japing" in 2014 for only 200,000 yen, which won the Gold Award in the short film category at the Houston International Film Festival, where Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have also won awards. He continued to work as an office worker and independently produced the HIP HOP feature film "Spit and Honey" in 2017. The film won awards at the Nice International Film Festival and other national and international festivals , and was released to the public in a single theater system. This is his memorable commercial film debut.
It is difficult in this day and age to make a commercial film with an original screenplay, isn't it? . Please tell us about your commitment to original screenplays.
Pasture:. I wasn't that particular about being original. . I started from the point of thinking about how to realize what I had written, which was the kind of work I wanted to leave behind. Once the script was completed, I thought about how I could best shape the work, but considering the scale and other factors, it was not possible to do so on an independent basis. Then I had a miraculous encounter with Mr. Susumu Fujita of CyberAgent, who served as the producer of the film. As a result, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to make a commercial film with my script.
Why did you choose Mr. Fujita?
Pasture:I have always been aware of you, Mr. Fujita, and I hope to talk with you someday, since we have a lot in common in that we both like Abema and, above all, hip-hop. I was most influenced by hip-hop when I was 20 years old, and it was my encounter with hip-hop that led me to make the film I am making now. As I depicted in my previous film "Spit and Honey," I met my junior high school classmates again as a college student, and they had become top-class hip-hop artists in the underground. . On the other hand, I was just an ordinary college student....
I learned the beauty of hip-hop from their ability to freely manipulate the Japanese language, rhyme, and create art with a clear message. I realized that words themselves are instruments. Hip-hop is not only rap music, but is also a culture itself, and there are movies and novels derived from it. . Until then, I had very little exposure to such works.
Pasture:I was still conflicted about what I could do as an expressive person, and decided to express myself in the field of advertising. However, I knew that movies and novels were at the root of my heart, and I shot my first short film with my friends seven years ago, which led me to film......what was the question? (Laughs)
. lol. It's okay, it's also the story of why you started making films that I really wanted to hear. My original question was about how you and Mr. Fujita met.
Pasture:Yes, yes. Anyway, hip-hop has roots in me, and as you know, Mr. Fujita also likes hip-hop and knows a lot about it. I knew from his writings that he was originally in a band when he was a student, and that he wanted to pursue a career in music, but gave it up at some point. . He also knows a lot about movies. I was hoping to work with him someday, and when I got in contact with him, I told him that I had made a film about hip-hop, and he said, "Oh, I know this film, and I've always wanted to see it. I immediately sent the film online, and after viewing it, I received a compliment. I was happy just to hear that, but he said he would be happy to work with me again if there was anything else I could do, so I sent him the plot, and that's how it all started.
As a producer, did you have any advice?
Pasture:. He gave me a lot of advice from the script writing stage. Mr. Fujita also had experience working with Abema's drama team, so he told us how to do things this way. When we actually tried it, it certainly turned out well, and while Mr. Fujita basically agreed with the cast, we consulted with him every step of the way as we made decisions.
. Let me go back and ask you why you make movies. You have been working as an advertising creator for many years, but why film?
Pasture:I worked as an office worker for 20 years until I became a freelancer last year, and I was really at peace and happy every day. So, when asked if the rock bottom in my life that I depicted in this film was my own experience, I honestly don't think so.... . but the creative process of advertising was fascinating and fun, but once you make a film, you are really swamped. I wondered what could be more interesting than that.
I have a very concrete picture of the characters' hairstyles, behavior, locations, etc. at the script stage, but the images that are only in my mind appear in front of my eyes, connected to the music and everything else. Moreover, I couldn't have done it alone. There were actors and staff members who recreated what was in my head and brought it to life in front of my eyes... I thought this process itself was very precious.
I know this is a bit presumptuous, but it is a bird's-eye view of God, or rather, I am the creator of this world, and that is why I have to somehow create this world myself. I think filmmaking is a pseudo-experience of the Creator. . I guess that's why all filmmakers are fascinated by it.
