Documentary Japan SGpro! (Trailer)

[Bertholt4]

Update MINI Homepage with Screening-Dates now online: http://www.cinemabstruso.de/strawberries/main.html

This is a documentary movie about Migration and Discrimination in Japan!
German-Japanese Co-Production with English subtitles!

We interviewed the "Japanese Michael Moore" - Mr. Debito Arudo as well as the former vice-minister of justice Kono Taro and many others.

The movie is now 60Minutes long and we had a lot of screenings here in Germany and will have a Movie-Tour in Japan next Year in March! Because its 60 Minutes I played the movie directly from the 32GB card in DVCproHD - and it was a pleasure to see how well it hold up - also on bigger screens.

Please watch and leave a comment.

(the most footage was shot with an Tokina 28-70 Zoom lens, we had one 32GB card and one 16GB card)

http://www.vimeo.com/2276295

[Simon Höfer]

Whoa, really nice! Looks interesting :)

Questions:
Personal:
-How did you get this gig? And was it payed? How was it financed?
-Who did you collaborate with in Japan?
-Will it be shown on TV here in Germany?
-How long did you stay in Japan?

Technical:
-What sound equipment did you use?
-What was your lighting kit?

I hope to get a chance to watch it somewhere. Looking really good :)

[ThereIsNoLimit]

Does the full version have a more traditional approach. That is, narration etc. Could be interesting but I didn't really get emotional during that sneak peak at least :)

[Bertholt4]

Hello Simon, here are some answers

Personal:
-How did you get this gig? And was it payed? How was it financed?

We knew the theme because of a friends master thesis, so we had some contacts in Japan. We got some money from a foundation in Germany - all in all we had 6000€ for this one.

-Who did you collaborate with in Japan?
A friend of mine is an independent filmmaker in Japan - so I asked him If he would like to join the production. Also the labor union helped a lot in contacting migrants and so on.

-Will it be shown on TV here in Germany?
We are contacting some channels at his time.

-How long did you stay in Japan?
4 Weeks - but only 3 Weeks in Tokyo, because my wife is Japanese and after the production, we took one week travelling around.

Technical:
-What sound equipment did you use?
I used a cheap beyerdynamic shotgunmic and for the interviews a mipro wireless clipmic (arround 700€)

-What was your lighting kit?
I bought a led cameralight with 100leds - but did not used it that much.
The rest is all natural light, so I had to go for a 1/25 shutter sometimes - because it was to dark.

If not on TV, you can see the movie in Düsseldorf in the Blackbox in January or February (Düsseldorf has the biggest Japanese Community in Germany - about 7000 people - and it is near cologne).
If you know an art house theatre in cologne, where they show documentaries please let me know!

Greetings to Cologne from Leipzig

ThereIsNoLimit, the movie has an untraditional approach - we did not focused so much on individuals, rather on the structure of the political system - but of course tehre are emotional moments in the movie.

Thank you for your comment

[watson]

hey, very wonderful video. I'm about to set up a HPX with a mini35 for primarily doc work so i was very excited to check this out. How was it to shoot handheld with it? How big/small of a crew did you have? Did you use any type of shoulder support? do you have a picture of your set up? (sorry i hate when people wanna see camera set ups, but i'm just curious as to how mobile you found it for doc work). Thanks.

andrew
www.andrewdavidwatson.com

[Denis Haineault]

I was drawn in.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the whole enchilada.

Excellent work.

[Bertholt4]

Hello Thanks for comments.

@watson: We were a crew of 3, sometimes 2 - I set up the camera, then asked the questions while Shingo (a Japanese friend) pulled focus (we used sometimes the nikon 135 f2.8 so there was always something to do for him). The other one Alex set up the sound and checked it while recording - we used a wireless mipro clip micro - which I can really recommend this. The I used a cavision shoulder mount (no so good, but OK) and Cavision Hand grips which I can recommend.

[watson]

Thanks Bertholt4, Were you using the onboard LCD the whole time or did you have an external LCD? I really want to start using a mini35 for doc work but first want to figure out a nice set up first.

[Bertholt4]

@watson: I used the most of the time the totevison 703 HD monitor together with a strong noga-arm.

[Bertholt4]

Hello, we will have a screening in "Heaven`s Door" + PremierParty Japan
in Tokio on MArch 16. Entrancefee will be 500/800Yen.

Further we will have screenings at:

NUGW Shinbashi Monday March 23

AITEN (an English-speaking branch of Amnesty Japan) Takadanobaba Tuesday March 24

They linked us in the Japan-Times - so I hope many people will come to see the movie! Point Five: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090106ad.html

May there will come someone von DVXuser Japan?

[twocik23]

That looks excellent and is definitely grabbing. Nice job !

[Bertholt4]

@Twocik: Thank you for your comment.


We got some more screenings managed, but still no reaction from TV-Channels.
How much would you sell a documentary like this?
It`s 60 minutes long comes with professional cover and case and print on the DVD. We are thinking about 1000Yen or 1500Yen?

[VoodooXT]

Yo,

I'm glad I decided to trawl DVXUser tonight because I have something to look forward to in a month. Been here in Japan teaching English and I can finally watch a short film/documentary that's actually interesting. So hopefully, I'll be able to make it to one of the screenings in Tokyo.

As for no response to from TV channels, that might be because they don't want to show it. Japanese media is heavily controlled (by government and business, though usually one and the same) and rarely do you find programs that deal with this subject matter in a positive light.

[Bertholt4]

Hello VoodooXT,

Thank you for your interest in the documentary. Maybe you could bring some of your "pupils" with you :) - Most of the Japanese don`t know much about the migrants. As you said, the TV-market in Japan is very closed und controlled. I have some friends in a production company working for NHK, I went with them to the studios last year, because there was a show about "gaijin" me and my team literally fell asleep after 30 mintes or so - it was only stereotypes and making jokes with c-class celebrities. I coulnd`t believe it was real...


We have managed to get some more screenings in Japan because Debito is with us:

http://www.debito.org/?page_id=1672 (http://www.debito.org/?page_id=1672)


I think there is a remarkable number of DVXuser members which is sometimes in Japan. Have a look at the Documentary if you can, it would be nice to hear your thoughts.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Debito Arudo is indeed the Michael Moore of Japan and is actually perhaps an even bigger douche bag! :grin:

But, he has a point some of the times in regards to the discrimination that takes place in Japan.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Loved the TRAILER!

Would love to see this movie!

[Noel Evans]

Bertholt, how can I get a look at the whole piece? In Aus at the moment but I go back and forth.

Yes, sadly the networks may not want to touch it in Japan. Id be more inclined to try via Osaka though.

And another thought, the people down at the Hiroshima Film commission are very helpful. Give them a buzz and see if they cant give you some assistance in approach - good people. http://www.fc.hcvb.city.hiroshima.jp/english/top.html

[loselectro]

looks like a great doc! I'm going to tell my friends in japan about it.

One quick question, did you find you HAD to have someone pulling focus? Obviously its easier with someone helping, but was it undoable alone?

[Bertholt4]

Hello, thank you all for your comments!

@loselectro - sometimes it was very hard to pull the focus - especially during Demonstrations, but it was not impossible. I used the Tokina 28-70mm the most time and this lens has a big ring for focussing - which was very helpfull.

@ Noel Evans - thank you for this information - I will contact them.

@Estbeverde - It was fun to do walk with him trough Tokyo - he was speaking all the time :)

Now, I`m a little nervous because of the Japan-Tour - in Germany the audience liked the movie a lot, but of course they where not so informed about Japan and not so used to pictures of Japan - I think the Japanese audience will be more critical...

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Hello, thank you all for your comments!

@loselectro - sometimes it was very hard to pull the focus - especially during Demonstrations, but it was not impossible. I used the Tokina 28-70mm the most time and this lens has a big ring for focussing - which was very helpfull.

@ Noel Evans - thank you for this information - I will contact them.

@Estbeverde - It was fun to do walk with him trough Tokyo - he was speaking all the time :)

Now, I`m a little nervous because of the Japan-Tour - in Germany the audience liked the movie a lot, but of course they where not so informed about Japan and not so used to pictures of Japan - I think the Japanese audience will be more critical...

Nooooooo!

Come On!

Seriously!?!?!?

You make it sound like Japan might be a bit of a Nationalist Hot Bed that is like totally into homogeny and all that! :grin:

[Bertholt4]

@Estebeverde: No, didn`t meant that. But I think it`s always more diffcult to impress people who always know a lot about the subject.

Now im converting to NTSC SD - from Pal 720pn to make some DVDs for Japanese buyers. I went with Edius 4.6 and just used the procoder - very simple but I like the quality - thought it would be much more worse.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Actually Japan is a bit of a Nationalist Hot Bed that is like totally into homogeny and all that! :thumbsup:


I would love to see your whole movie! It looks very interesting!

[Bertholt4]

We put a mini-website online, where you can see the screening dates for Japan:

http://www.cinemabstruso.de/strawberries/main.html
(any constructive critics about the page?)

And finally we got our first very positive feedback from Japan! :)

A Brazilian-Japanese contacted us trough vimeo and he is going to do a little report on TV about the Nagoya-Screening!!! It`s wonderfull how the Internet helps Independent-Filmmakers to get in contact with just the right people!

Whish you all a good Night!

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Great Job Bertholt!

Thanks so much for checking back in with us!

Keep us update!

All the Best to You!

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Definitely get the DVD!

It's very very Good!

[foxwerx]

Beautiful. Can't wait to see it.

[Bertholt4]

Hello,
the Japan-Tour is over - there was so much audiences, that we are plan to do the next during tour in Japan in august 09. Also a lot of DVDs was sold after the screenings and trough the internet. I`m really happy how it all went. :thumbsup:

Here is link to a Japan Times article from this week, wich covers the documentary:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090407ad.html

Also thanks a lot to Estebeverde and all the others who commented on the movie.

[Bertholt4]

Hello, I`m very happy to announce some new screening dates for Japan:
http://www.debito.org/?page_id=1672 :happy::happy::happy:

It seems that we did the first documentary on this subject in Japan - so there is a huge ammount of people who are still interrested in the movie.

In the meantime to earn some money I`m doing some fast stuff for the German left wing party - DIE LINKE - on Youtube - It´s a good payed job, but unfortunately not as interresting as the work for the documentary in Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXwZOnl9F9Q&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bodo-ramelow.de%2F&feature=player_embedded

Let`s have a good may 09!