Production Notes V

Schedule at the Bottom

Oct 5: Kagrra Fan interview @ Takadanobaba
This was a strange day and everything that could have gone wrong almost did! We were ready to go but are featured talent was late!! We went on a goose chase to find Ms. Rua and finally after the Sun started going down, we got our rushed interview. So even the best laid out plans don't always work. However, the main interview was not bad and we will get more at the next Kagrra live show in November.
　
Shooting report from Oct 14: Kagrra Interview
Exactly one month after XYZ-A and BowWow, we interview Kagrra at Genkokuji Temple in Takadanobaba. I must say the the Priest and his wife were very nice people and let us use their beautiful temple. It was a one camera shooting with the XL1s. The settings changed with each direction of the sun but everything came out nice. The sound using a boom and an Audio-Technica AT815b microphone seemed to give us great sound after a few adjustments. Of course, having a proper field mixer would have helped but our budget is small!!! Anyway, the band was very cool and they gave some interesting answers. We will be filming them live on Nov.18.

Picture of Kagrra at Genkokuji




Staff Changes:
As of Sept 27, Akiko Tahara has become our new Coordinator taking over for Keiko Kawashima.
Thanks to Keiko for her time.
http://members.aol.com/biruguitar/pictures/genkokujikagrra1.jpg

This months schedule: October 2002

Oct 20: Harajuku: Fan search
This was cancelled due to bad weather.
Oct.23 Yellow House
Interview with Ms. Akie Suzuki from Yellow House, fashion store in Harajuku.
This went well but I didn't like the camera angle after looking at it. The lighting was a problem and I really need to get some filters. Other than that, Fukumi and Tomoko did a great job and the interview was quite informative. We also found a couple that looked cool and got an interview of them also. They really liked Dir en grey and they thought that the band could make it outside of Japan.

Oct. 27 AMU Halloween/Birthday Party@ Tokyo Dome's Baseball Cafe!!!

November 2002

Dates to Keep in Mind:
Nov.18: Kagrra @ Kumagaya Vogue
Nov.24: Merry @ Shibuya Quattro
　

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Production Notes IV

　
　
Shooting report from Sept. 14: XYZ-A & Bow Wow @ Kawasaki Club Citta
Now this was sort of a bad weather day and the area around the club was under construction. However, the Citta roars in all other aspects. The staff is very nice and the place great for live performance. The back stage is a little small but accessible. With two key members of my staff unable to come, we still were able to pull of the show. However, the sound was not good from the sound man for that night(Citta person). So next time, we will have someone watching to make sure we are getting what was promised. The interviews looked good and most of the live show was good except for a view tape problems with the camera.
Staff Changes:
Yasuko Mihara(三原　泰子) will be unavailable until December so Keiko Kawashima will take over as Coordinator.
Thanks to Yasuko for all her good work.

This weeks schedule: September 15 to 22nd.
Monday16) Rest!
Tuesday17) Marui One again for interview with Store Manager about fashion.
Wednesday18) Open
Thursday19) Live @ Akasaka Blitz 7pm.
Friday20) Open
Saturday21) Open
Sunday22) Shibuya AX Duele`quartz last live!! We will be interviewing some Fans before the show. 4:00pm call time(Harajuku Station)! Also we will be looking to find some people for the home interview as well.
Plastic Tree also has a live performance at NHK Hall starting at 6pm.

Production Notes III
As of August 21,2002

I would like to thank and introduce my current staff:
Coordinator: Yasuko Mihara
Script Supervisor and Interviewer:Fukumi Kashiwagi
Camera: Jam Yau and Gavin Elder
Band Interviewer: Yuko Harmegnies
Production Assistants: Hiroyuki Matsubara, Yasuyuki Ichihara,Yuuki,and Uyen Nguyen.
Translators: Kaori Kobayashi, Sachiyo Yamamoto, and Fumiko Komorimiya
Post Production Translation: Hiroki Y.
Special Helpers: Kyoko Y. and Keiko !!
I will be updating this page more when news comes in!
Here is what we did this past week. Thursday, August 15, was a long day that started out with a meeting of available staff and then getting interviews of regular people on the street with their opinions about Japanese music and fans. Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding music fans! However, Fukumi and Jam did a great job of interviewing as many people as possible. I had to leave for a meeting with the Sweet Child Management Office and it was a good meeting. Hopefully, we will get to interview and film some good major bands soon.
On Friday, we had a feature interview with 14 year old Miyuki Ide. It was in Ueno at a free visual rock concert that didn't seem to be well advertised. However, it is Obon season so many people are on vacation. The bands were really not that good but Miyuki seemed to enjoy her favorite band! We will be shooting some cultural Japanese stuff next week as well as visual rock fan interviews and possible live concert @ the Nihon Budokan this coming Saturday.
Monday August 19:
Yasuko and I meet with Ms. Kakechi from Free Will who is in charge of Dir en grey, Kagero, and Baroque. Hopefully will be be able to enlist these bands soon.
Tuesday August 20:
Since we were in invited to see to shows on the same day, I had to split up the staff. Yasuko and Kyoko went to see Kagrra at Shibuya On Air West and I went to see Dir en grey at Akasaka Blitz. Both shows were very entertaining and worthy of international praise and appeal. Yasuko and Kyoko were able to get many fans for interviews that will be done at a later date.
Wednesday,August 21:
Yasuko and I had a great meeting with Ms. Aoyama of P.S. Company and offered us to have Kagrra(Kagura) in the film!!! We will interview them on Oct. 7 and 8th. Keiko and I went to Kagero at Shibuya Club Quattro and they are also a very young but talented group of visual rockers.

Schedule: for the Week of August 19 to the 25

Monday(19): Non-Staff Meeting
Tuesday(20): Shibuya On Air West Live Show and Akasaka Blitz Live show. Shooting if possible of Fans(or take names for later time)
Wednesday(21): Live Show at Shibuya Quattro to see Kagero(indie band). I need one person.
Thursday(22): Free or Maybe @ Rokumaykan in Meguro for Live.
Friday23) New Staff Meeting @ 6:30pm in Shinjuku Meet in front of Starbucks @Shinjuku East Exit. This will be just an update for those who were not here last week. I will just talk about Saturdays shooting.
Saturday(24): Shooting @ Nihon Budokan from 2:00pm Until 4:00pm> Shooting Fans outside and getting interviews.
Sunday(25): Japan Cultural Shoot @ Azabu Juuban from 4:00pm until 8:00pm(Not Mandatory-I can do it alone unless any of you have time).
　

Schedule: for the Week of August 26 to the Sept. 1st

Monday: Free
Tuesday:Free
Wednesday: 1)Shinjuku at Maruione. 1:00pm. This is fashion day. We will interview shop managers and people wearing cool clothes.
2) Shibuya Kokkaido Luna Sea Film gig. We will be getting interviews of these die hard fans.
Thursday: Meeting with Merry Management. Also Psycho le Cemu at Odaiba(Fuji-TV).
Friday: Baroque Live show in Shinjuku.
Saturday: Free
Sunday: Maybe shoot Laputa Live in Hibiya. Uncertain as of yet.
　

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Production Notes II

Now we are in June and I have found some great people to help me. However, we are still looking for the illusive sound, lighting, and camera man.
On the band front, we have been trying to contact many major bands and are having some success. I hope to be meeting band managers and representatives in the coming weeks.
I would like to thank and introduce my current staff:
Coordinator: Yasuko Mihara
Production Assitants:Shimpei Takeda(Camera), Hiroyuki, and Kaori.
Translators: Kaori Kobayashi, Sachiyo Y., and Fumiko K.
Post Productions Translation: Hiroki Y.
I will be updating more this page when news comes in!
International Rock Concert in Hong Kong.
On July 10, Shimpei and myself flew to Hong Kong to film the show. Hong Kong at night looks just like those old Kung Fu movies with the flashing lights and people out on the streets. Now problems we ran into was the humidity for the camera. We wanted to get some shots of the audience outside before the show but the lens just fogged up and we ran out of time. Also, the camera placement for the show was on the left side of stage so we could not get close right down the center. Also, the auto focus is a problem in the dark. Having two camera's is better for a big stage like we had. Although we had these problems, it still came out well and it will only get better. We are using the Canon XL1s and it performs fairly well.

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Asian Music Underground Productions


Welcome to AMU productions

New info for AMU Production!! We have just produced our first side feature! It is called: "Elderly-Behind the life of an Artist"staring Kana Kawaguchi. I will put up clips of the film in the near future!
This is an update for production notes and details. I have started filming fan interviews and it went okay! However, I need more staff since two people is kind of rough. However, it gave me good ideas of what I need to do and how to improve. This is, however, my first film! I worked in L.A./Hollywood for about two years doing many different things but being on your own is quite different!
I would like to thank some people and give out information.
First, Ms. Yuko Ishihama. She is an actress and is playing at the Haiyuza(俳優座） in Roppongi in a Japanese adaptation of playwright Bertolt Brecht`s "Mother Courage and her Children". It is the story of a Middle aged woman who tries to keep her family and business together during WWII in Poland. She plays the Yvette Pottier(a Prostitute). It will be running until Jan.13. Call: 09-3405-4743 for Directions.
Second, Mr. Hiromichi Tannai is a new Director and his film called "Pilgrimage of Blood"　狼少年　will be starting on Jan.12 at the Haiyuza Theater(俳優座in Roppongi) and at Baous Theater in Kichijoji(Kichijoji Station near N. exit)0422-22-6631. This film will be playing at both places for about one month. Please check it out if you have the time!!!
I have an Ad up looking for people to interview.Please check the Tokyo Notice Board. The section is Members.

私は日本の音楽に興味を持ち、また米国映画・音楽業界における
経験もあることから、日本の現代音楽を題材にした映画を近々製作したいと考えている者です。

私は、もっと多数の人々が私のように日本の音楽を好み、支持するよう、欧米にプロモーションすることを企画しています。私自身は、１９８０年初期から、日本の音楽を聞いておりますが、今では、より独創的な音楽が世に出る事によって、年々良くなっていると感じています。今まさに、世界的レベルで売り込めるものだと確信しております。

本状はそのための映画製作に関わるご協力のお願いです。この映画は、デジタルフィルムによるドキュメンタリーになるです。つきましてはご多忙のこととは存じますが、この映画に、いろいろのバンドのご出演をお願いしてでした。

「出る釘は唄れる」 “Striking out from the east”

撮影期間：2002年夏より2004年秋まで（予定）

完成予定：2004年冬（予定）

今までに出演協力をいただいたアーティストの方々（一部予定含む・敬称略・順不同）：

山本恭二　（インタビュー）

XYZ-A （ライブ撮影とインタビュー）

MERRY (ライブ撮影)（インタビュー）

KAGRRA （ライブ撮影とインタビュー）

BATCAVE （ライブ撮影とインタビュー）

映画の趣旨：

日本だけではなく世界中の人々に日本の音楽を聞いてほしいというメッセージ。

現代の日本のロックシーンで活躍する個性的なアーティスト達（メジャーからインディーズまで）を撮影対象とし、日本のロックを世界に伝える。　アーティストだけでなく、そのファン、レコード店、アーティストの家族や簡単な現代の日本紹介も含む。

監督について：ウィリアム　ロレンゾォ　ホワイト　（昭和４２年１２月生まれ）

1980年初期から日本のロックのファン。１９９０年、UCLA大学在学中にキャピタルレコードでインターンシップ生として働き、日本がアメリカに次ぎ世界で最も多くの音楽を産み出している事を知る。その時以来、日本の今のミュージックシーンを欧米に紹介するドキュメンタリーを制作することを決意する。　大学卒業後、アメリカで音楽業界・映画業界で様々なキャリアを積み、ドキュメンタリー撮影のために念願の来日を果たす。

本ドキュメンタリーにより好反響が海外で得られた場合、ロサンゼルスで出演したバンドを集めてコンサートを開きます。 ドキュメンタリー完成後、映画祭に作品の出品を予定しています。その中には、SUNDANCE
FLIM FESTIVALが含まれています。

この映画製作にご興味をお持ちいただけるようでしたら、お手数ではございますが私にご連絡いただければ幸いです。まずは書面をもってお願い申し上げます。

連絡先

Asian Music Underground Productions

代表取締役　ウィリアム　ロレンゾォ　ホワイト　Ｊｒ．