“You with a radius of 1 meter ~Let’s walk with our heads turned up~” Yoshimoto Kogyo’s producer Isohide Kanatsu talks about the new possibilities of film production during the coronavirus pandemic [CINEMORE ACADEMY Vol.15]

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many films have been forced to postpone production and screening. The very survival of the entertainment industry is now in doubt, as not only movies but also plays and music concerts have been canceled one after another. ``1 Meter Radius: Ue o Muite Arukou'' is a theatrical film (I want to emphasize this) that was created to overcome this situation.

Yoshimoto Kogyo will be in charge of planning, production, and distribution, and the film will be screened at over 50 theaters nationwide. Surprisingly, the film was produced at a frightening speed, taking just six months from planning to screening. In this process lies a vein of new possibilities for film production, which has lost sight of its prospects.

Many comedians participated in this omnibus film consisting of eight short stories. The aim is to discover and present new talents latent within them as directors, screenwriters, and actors. We asked producer Kanna Isohide, who oversaw this work from planning to production, to tell us the inside story.

Index

• Unprecedented production speed of half a year from planning to screening
• What was the intention behind having a comedian with no film production experience participate as a creator?
• The sensibility of comedians and the affinity of omnibus movies
• A schedule made possible because of the omnibus format
• The possibilities of film production have expanded during the coronavirus pandemic

Unprecedented production speed of half a year from planning to screening

Q: How did you come up with the idea for this project?

Kaminatsuiso: Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, theaters, which are Yoshimoto Kogyo's main business, were closed and unable to accommodate customers. I am the person in charge of Yoshimoto Kogyo's video and digital content business, and I have come across a situation where I am not able to record the terrestrial programs that I normally produce and the content for digital platforms as I would like. I felt a sense of crisis that if things continue like this, entertainment will come to a halt just as restaurants and producers are suffering.

Meanwhile, when we hear that movies that were scheduled to be screened at movie theaters are being postponed or canceled, it would be better to show an attitude that ``Even in this situation, we can create something new.'' That's what started me thinking.

The other thing is that before the coronavirus, it was difficult to secure enough screen space for movie theaters unless it was a big movie, but due to the effects of the coronavirus, the release of large movies continues to be postponed, and the number of movies that can be shown at movie theaters is decreasing. If you make a movie at this time, wouldn't there be more movie theaters showing it than before? Isn't it an Being There instead? I thought I had no choice but to do it now.

© “You with a radius of 1 meter ~Let’s walk with our heads turned~” Production Committee

Q: When did production start?

Kaminatsuiso: We came up with the plan in early summer of 2020. From there, I talked to all the necessary staff, performers, and creators all at once, and then I started writing the script in the fall, and we started filming in the latter half of the fall. It took about two months from the planning start to filming, so we really moved forward with everyone's enthusiasm and momentum. It feels like the creators and about 50 staff members ran a crazy sprint.

Q: It's rare for a movie to finish shooting within two months from the start of planning. Especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kaminatsuiso: That's right. It may be the first such work in the world (lol).

Q: In the story world of this work, the coronavirus does not exist.

Kaminatsuiso: I purposely didn't touch on that. At first, I thought about incorporating the coronavirus into the setting, but I decided to focus on the point of ``creating a truly positive and good work even during the coronavirus pandemic.''

I knew that various works were being created that took advantage of the coronavirus. Maybe you're playing around with the framework of zoom, or you're creating a story that uses only your home. However, rather than taking advantage of the coronavirus, we wanted to create something straight forward that says, ``Let's stay strong even in the midst of the coronavirus! Let's keep our heads high!''

What was the intention behind having a comedian with no film production experience participate as a creator?