"ndjc: Young Filmmaker Development Project 2022" Masaya Okamoto, Tsuka Naruse, Kaede Fujimoto, Taiga Maki What I learned at ndjc [Director's Interview Vol.285]

"ndjc: Young Filmmaker Development Project" is a human resources development project run by the Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO) under contract from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, with the aim of discovering and nurturing young filmmakers who will lead the next generation. Targeting young filmmakers, we will pass on the knowledge and full-fledged video production techniques necessary to hone their artistry through workshops and hands-on production training, and provide opportunities for them to present their work through screening activities and other activities. We are providing support to help people.

NDJC was attended by directors who are currently active on the front lines, such as director Kohei Yoshino, director Daiji Matsunaga, director Yukiko Amate, and director Ryota Nakano. Four young filmmakers were selected for the 2022 production training, and each completed a short film of approximately 30 minutes. We spoke to the four participants about their training at NDJC and what it's like to make a film.

*The works created by the four people are as follows.

Masaya Okamoto “I want to dance face down” synopsis

Meiko Yamada, who seeks freedom while adapting to society, and Nanako Tamaki, who tries to live freely despite being trapped by her past. Two ``adult children'' who aim to be somewhere other than here using their own methods, both fixed and free, change through the common language of poetry.

Tsuka Naruse “La Mahi” synopsis

Ai Ogino, who has lived a safe life in fear of being disliked by others, reunites with her classmate Tsukiko Dojima. Tsukiko, who has pursued ``her own way of life'' in the complete opposite of love, has now become a professional wrestler. Shocked by Tsukiko's match, Ai joins the professional wrestling group Moonlight and aims to make her professional debut.

Kaede Fujimoto “Cactus and the Seabed” Synopsis

Actor Yoshinori Yanagida, who turns 35 this year, makes a living as a stand-in, undertaking preparatory work on behalf of actors and talents before filming movies and commercials. Every day I feel like I want to be in a movie, but I don't get the Being There. One day, Yanagita receives an offer to audition for the lead role in a movie.

Taiga Maki “Debreeze” synopsis

Wada, a struggling commercial director, and Sasaki, a young cameraman, are at a scrap factory shooting a corporate advertisement when they suddenly get caught in a wormhole that opens and are sent to an alien planet in the desert. There, there was a mysterious tribe who lived their lives wearing clothes and masks made from the earth's trash.

Clockwise from top left: “I want to dance face down,” “La Mahi,” “Debris,” “Cactus and the Seabed” ©2023 VIPO

Index

• Each person's thoughts on ndjc
• What I learned from the pros
• The reality that stands in the way
• Staff who supported us

Each person's thoughts on ndjc

Q: What made you apply for ndjc? Please let us know how you felt when you decided to take the training course.

Okamoto: I'm a theater person, so first I wanted to study film. I have known about ndjc for a long time, and applied after receiving a recommendation from the Japan Advertising Content Production Association, which has connections with AOI Pro., which has a contract as an agent. I felt like an outsider who came to study from a different industry, so when I was selected, I thought, ``Are you sure you want to do it?'' (laughs) But that's why I took on the challenge of creating a work from a new angle, different from those who have studied film.

Naruse: I graduated from a film school, and I did various practical training at school. I also have the experience of actually making a movie as part of my graduation project. Anyway, I wanted to make a film about professional wrestling, so I decided to apply to NDJC. There were some seniors and juniors at my school who were also participating, so I contacted the TAMA NEW WAVE people whose films had previously been selected, and they recommended me to the TAMA Film Forum Executive Committee.

Fujimoto: I usually work in the art and production departments on set, so this ndjc was almost my first experience as a director. The year before I applied, I had made a 5-minute short film, which won a small award for a small film, so thanks to that I was able to apply just in time. I only had that much experience, so creating this 30-minute short film was a pretty high hurdle for me. When I was in college, I majored in theater and film, but what I was studying was producing, so becoming a director was my dream and a big challenge.

Kaede Fujimoto

Q: Mr. Fujimoto's work ``Cactus and the Seabed'' begins on the set of a commercial, but did you get the idea from your regular filming?

Fujimoto: I usually work on movie and music video sites, but when I was writing the script, I sometimes went to the commercial site, and I saw a stand-in* there and was inspired. So I decided that I wanted to make a stand-in the main character, so I wrote a script and applied with that momentum.

*Stand-in: A person who enters the scene in place of the actors during the preparation stage before filming and checks lighting, standing position, etc.

Q: Maki-san is the youngest member of this group and is still a student. What led you to apply?

Maki: A while back, I decided to make a movie with a friend and we made a movie with a budget of about 5,000 yen. However, 2,000 yen of that money was spent playing a crane The Game to get a ``chick doll'' to appear in the movie. Anyway, the film I made with that was selected for the U-25 category at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2022. So, I received a recommendation from someone from SSFF & ASIA and applied to ndjc. To begin with, I didn't know about ndjc until then, and only learned of its existence when SSFF & ASIA told me, ``If you want to apply, we'll recommend you.'' I was thinking of writing a screenplay and it was a good opportunity, so I wrote it, applied, and was accepted.

What I learned from the pros