Producers gathering at the new BABEL LABEL, aiming for world standard planning and development [Director's Interview Vol.215]

In January 2022, BABEL LABEL, a video production company to which a variety of video creators belong, including director Michihito Fujii, known for films such as `` Yakuza and the Family '' and ``10 Years to Live '', announced its participation in the CyberAgent Group.

Along with this, all the famous producers gathered at BABEL LABEL. Hiroko Maeda (`` All About Lily Chou-Chou '', `` 2046 '', ` `The Million Yen and the Bitter Woman '', ` `The Brightest Roof in the Universe' '), Kimitaka Goka (`` Sa Road '', `` Knitting a Boat ''), Hideto Sezaki (`` Company '') The four people who have been involved in a variety of works, both movies and dramas, such as " It's Not a School ", " 10 Years to Live ") and Takuya Michigami (" Intolerance ", " The Journalist "), will tell us about the circumstances behind their participation in BABEL LABEL. We asked him about his future goals.

What do the four think about the future of Japanese movies and dramas? We will deliver a long interview that also includes the current problem definition.

From left: Mr. Takuya Michigami, Mr. Kimitaka Goka, Mr. Hiroko Maeda, and Mr. Hideto Sezaki . Click here for their profiles.

Index

• Participated with an offer from coach Michito Fujii, a man who never gives up.
• We plan and develop ourselves and own the rights.
• The current situation is that no funds are provided for planning and development, including government subsidies.
• If you want to take pictures with A24, let's take them.
• What has changed since Netflix landed in Japan?
• Making movies that delve into Japan's unique culture and values
• rising quality standards. Sense of crisis of not being able to survive domestically

Participated with an offer from coach Michito Fujii, a man who never gives up.

Q: First of all, please tell us how you all joined BABEL LABEL.

Maeda: “ The Brightest Roof in the Universe ,” which I worked on with director Michito Fujii, was screened at the “Toronto Japanese Film Festival in Hibiya” held in October 2021, and Mr. Fujii appeared on stage at the talk session. . We met there for the first time in a while. At that time, I was told that I would like to consult with you about some future matters.

Originally, the preview was emailed to me, so I thought, ``This is probably about Fujii-san's future work,'' and of course that was mentioned, but then I was told that he would be joining the CyberAgent Group, and I decided to join BABEL LABEL. I was wondering if you could give it to me. I was really taken aback and said, ``I don't know if I'll be alive next year or the year after that,'' and he said, ``What are you talking about?'' (laughs)

``When I was working on `` The Brightest Roof in the Universe,'' Hiroko (Maeda) was running around raising funds by herself, but I've always wanted to help out and shoulder the burden together,'' Fujii said. I just fell apart. However, when I told him that I couldn't stop him because I had my own production, he said, ``I want you to come because you're doing that.I respect that project as well, and maybe we can support each other by doing BABEL LABEL.'' "Maybe we can do it too." So I let him take care of me for a while, but Michito Fujii is a man who never gives up once he decides to do something (lol).

However, I myself had regrets that I had wanted to go with director Shunji Iwai when he went to America, but I couldn't follow him because my parents were sick, and I also want to develop talent that will last. When I thought about Mr. Fujii's positive words and the fact that there are many future directors at BABEL LABEL, I remembered Mr. Iwai and what has happened in the past, and although I don't regret doing it more than regretting not doing it, I thought I'd try including it. So, here we are.

Goka: I left TV Tokyo in 2020, but I worked with Mr. Fujii on the TV Tokyo x Netflix drama “ 1 Million Yen Women ” from 2016 to 2017, and we have a very good relationship. The sex was completed. From that time on, Fujii-san had been shooting serial dramas with multiple cameras, but as far as I know, Hitoshi Ohne was the only one who used this method of filming. Since there are a lot of strokes, the editing is also detailed. He is the type of person who pays close attention to detail when it comes to casting, and I felt that he was very talented.

From then on, we only went out for drinks once in a while, but around the end of last year, I got a call and thought, ``Hello?'' (laughs) So, I met with Mr. Fujii at the beginning of the year and heard about his participation in the CyberAgent Group. We gained financial strength, and I felt that BABEL LABEL had a strong ambition to become a studio that could not only do the work that BABEL LABEL received as a production company, but also create their own projects and own IP (intellectual property rights). That was huge.

However, since I am running my own company, I cannot give cheap contracts. But, as Mr. Maeda said, he is ``a man who never gives up, Michito Fujii'' (lol). I was told, ``I'd like you to meet the president, Hisato Yamada,'' so I met him and asked him about various things. BABEL LABEL has a lineup of attractive directors, and there are many projects in which we work with producers who were my juniors from my TV Tokyo days. Because of that, I felt a sense of kinship with the film industry, and I thought that by supporting the people who will lead the film industry in the future, I would be able to give back to the film industry, so I accepted the offer.

BABEL LABEL has a very modern feel. For example, if someone understands my role at a company, we also start thinking, ``What can I do for this company?''

Sezaki: I worked with Mr. Fujii on `` A Company Is Not a School .'' This drama is a story about young people starting their own businesses and growing up, so I was thinking that I would like to work with a director of my generation, and that's when I saw ` `1 Million Yen Women .'' So when I contacted Mr. Fujii, he said, ``Let's do it!''

After `` A Company Isn't a School ,'' I had a good relationship with Mr. Fujii, just drinking with him once in a while, but one day he said to me, ``I'm doing a movie called `` 10 Years to Live '' and would you be interested in working with me?'' He approached me and we worked together on that project for about a year. I've been invited to come to BABEL LABEL for some time now. After that, when I thought about my career in 5 or 10 years, I felt that ``If I join BABEL LABEL, it will be a huge plus for me.'' At that time, Maeda-san and Goka-san's names were also mentioned, and my seniors I also wanted to work with him.

Michigami: Unlike everyone else, I still have a freelance work contract, so I won't be joining BABEL LABEL until 2023, but Fujii-san and I first worked together on Netflix's " The Journalist ." When this work was finished, Mr. Fujii asked me, ``Do you have any feelings of belonging somewhere?'' What Mr. Fujii talked about at that time was that he was aiming for Japan's Studio Dragon* (*Studio Dragon is a Korean drama production company. (Known for songs such as `` Sweet Home -Ore to Sekai no Despair-' ').

Until then, I didn't really have any desire to join a company, but now that I'm this year, it's really interesting to work towards my dreams together with someone else, and if it's BABEL LABEL or Mr. Fujii, I might be able to do that. I felt that I could do it.

We plan and develop ourselves and own the rights.