"Special Screening of Director Kosai Sekine" Film and video are communication tools for deep dialogue with people [Director's Interview Vol.245]

visual secret

Q: The films that Director Sekine works on cannot be discussed without mentioning his overwhelming visual sense. Director Sekine did not graduate from an art university or any school of that nature, so how did he cultivate that aspect?

Sekine: When it comes to visuals, it's almost like a habit, so I don't really know. Both of my parents are artists, my sister is in the arts, and the rest of my family was in the arts, so I think I had a lot of opportunities to see and be exposed to that kind of thing. However, I didn't receive any specific training in art. I come from a family that is fundamentally interested in making beautiful things and visuals in general, so I think I simply couldn't escape from that.

When I was little, I even had a dislike for art. My father never came home, and my friends were all avant-garde and crazy, so I was worried about what was going on with their families (laughs). Because of that, I didn't pursue an art career, but rather wanted to be an ordinary businessman. I was worried about a lot of things, so I ended up going to the philosophy department (laughs).

Q: I personally love the "TOYOTA HH (Hybrid Harrier)" commercial that Director Sekine worked on. It felt like it transcended language, and it didn't feel like it was directed by a Japanese person at all. I was curious as to how he could create such an image.

Sekine: Thank you. I made that commercial with the creative agency TUGBOAT, and they wanted me to be conscious of a cinematic worldview, so I was able to do it the way I wanted.

As for the fact that it doesn't look like it was directed by a Japanese person, I watched a lot of foreign films, and my parents' house was like a homestay, so there were often foreigners staying there, so I couldn't help but feel drawn to the perspective of a foreigner. I think that's the reason. Many of the Japanese films I like are from a long time ago, and many of the modern Japanese films don't really move me. For some reason, they don't fit my senses. After examining various things, I came to the conclusion that the way they were shot might be one of the reasons. At that time, I was shocked by Lost in Translation (2003). Even though it was shot in the same Japan, it was completely different from the Japanese films I had seen. Until then, I thought that the location of Japan itself was the cause. Wherever I went, it was bright with fluorescent lights and had a somewhat plasticky feel, and I thought that the scenery of Japan didn't fit my senses, but when I watched Lost in Translation , that was overturned. In the end, I realized that the way Japanese films are shot is different from overseas, and that this was a big reason.

From there, I started to study the differences between overseas and Japanese photography, paying close attention to the differences in DOP (Director of Photography) systems and lighting. However, since I wasn't a photographer, I started working with young photographers who had the same aspirations. They had studied abroad or had experience working with overseas DOPs. It was a big deal for me to start working with such people.

At the time, it was annoying that people thought that something could be done overseas but not in Japan. We wanted to be able to do that as well. From there, we could create Japanese originality. We were conscious of that when we made the Harrier commercials. We made sure that it didn't feel like the director was Japanese. It felt like we were building the foundation first.

The deciding factor is your personality, attitude, and how you approach yourself.