What does the future hold for film directors? “Midnight Swan” director Eiji Uchida talks about “the reality of the Japanese film industry” [CINEMORE ACADEMY Vol.8]

Japanese movie director royalties

Q: So-called ``good movies but not great movies'' are also called ``urban films,'' right? Movie theaters in urban areas with easy access tend to fill up, but in rural areas they struggle to attract customers.

Uchida: It's urban... I'm often told this too. There are cases where the distribution side has already given up on the rural areas.

We, the creators, have to do the work to ignite the latent feeling of people living in rural areas that they want to see an interesting movie, regardless of whether it's a major or an independent movie. I think it's still not enough.

I think that young children are beginning to have the feeling that they'll watch a movie on Netflix or something like that, even if they don't know the cast or the director, but I feel like movies haven't caught up with that trend.

However, if you just say, ``It's urban,'' it's too dreamless, isn't it? The movies we make are filled with dreams. For example, I don't think regional cities in the United States watch art films any more than they do in Japan, but A24 has succeeded by digging into that area, and I think there is definitely a way to do that.

Q: As you said, you want to do something about it.

Uchida: Also, although this is not a direct solution, a pattern has emerged in recent years of establishing a business through a distribution contract and a package contract at the time of release.

In the past, things that could only be collected if movie theaters were filled to capacity every day are no longer the case. I think it's great for a young coach to have a new Being There.

Well, even if it becomes a hit, we don't get a penny (lol).

Q: Huh...is that so?

Uchida: This is surprisingly little known. Royalties for film directors in Japan are 1.75%, which is the minimum standard. Moreover, royalties from box office revenues are zero, and are only generated from secondary sales (DVDs, distribution, etc.). How many people know this information? When I started attending film festivals overseas, I realized for the first time how different they are from overseas.

I think if they could just improve this a little bit and bring it in line with the rest of the world, more directors would be able to make a living...

Q: I was shocked to hear that many Japanese film directors make a living through part-time work, but I guess that's the reason for the situation.

Uchida: We movie directors have been told, ``It's normal to be poor in movies, don't think about money, and just do the directing,'' but I think that's enough. I have to think carefully about how to survive.

I myself didn't know much about money, so recently I've been having opportunities to talk with entrepreneurs, and they all say, ``The film industry is interesting.'' This industry has never changed. being left behind by other industries.

As a result, only a few people make money, and the creators are forced to live in poverty. Young managers come out one after another, but most disappear after two or three years. Major movies are produced by a rotating cast of big-name directors. I can't help it. This is because young people cannot dream of becoming movie directors.

There are also few subsidies. In this kind of environment, it's hard to think, ``Let's make a good movie even though it won't make any money.'' In countries like France, there is more support from the government, so they can create works that have not only commercial but also cultural significance. I hear that Korea is also much more generous than Japan. Even within Asia, Japan has completely become the side that follows other countries.

I think the position of Japanese films in the world is no longer as well-regarded as it was at one time, and the position of directors in the Japanese film industry has also fallen to the point where it has fallen. I have to reset it once.

Directors and actors are not objects.