Top Story: 25. November 2007

Ode for Joy

"To be able to smile, you must be happy"

I like this saying, because it suggests that being happy means something that happens inside of us. If you try to flip this over, “to be able to happy, you must smile” you realize it doesn’t quite work.

Arura has been on post production for almost three weeks. Like dipping photographic plate to developing fluid, the final image seems to be coming out. Now that I remember the last month as a director, I must say it was amazing time. Arura became true. I seemed to live an entire lifetime during the production of our movie.

The weather was almost perfect, and it rained only one or two days and we could even get sudden benefit from the downpour in Takadanobaba. Sudden inspiration came, and we shot one scene in rain. This shot was not included in the original script.

Now that I see the result and compare it to the script we had in hand, I feel surprised how well the production team understood my intention. The movie is like a transparent reflection of the script.

Sure, there were many times when we decided to change a detail or two. But still, the spirit of the original script is there, in each scene. I couldn't wish anything more.

Everyone worked so hard, and everyone was always ahead of our tight shooting schedule. There were times that I as a producer was behind of the schedule, and as someone told, I should have paid much more attention on the scheduling. I should have acknowledged that this is part of my responsibility as a producer.

I must say many thanks to Iwase-san and Toma-san for excellent schedule management. We avoided all major disasters - in every shooting we had all what we needed, and everyone knew what to do. We took advantage of the Yahoo Calendars which proved to be good tool for sharing a calendar.

One of the shooting locations was Kasai rinkai koen, a park in Tokyo, near the Disneyland.

I have always had special feeling about that place. When I go there, my eyes naturally turn to the sea. And I just keep gazing to the vast distance. And there are those windmills. In distance, you can see planes landing to Haneda.

Kasai park has none of the sweet crazyness of Disneyland. There is something quiet and special about it. Maybe because it’s the sea and the scent of it. Maybe that’s why so many couples go there for dating. I did too, long time ago.

And there I was with our crew, shooting Arura movie.

In the original script, there was a scene where the couple are standing on cliff by the sea on windy day. I designed it to be shot from low angle. (How to do that without a helicopter, I had no idea.)

We didn’t find rock, and it wasn’t windy. And we had no helicopter either. But we found something even better. Cosmos flowers. What are these amazing flowers! Why they are blooming now, it’s October..

I'm glad to say, I think we got best result with that scene. No need for cliff or added wind.

Now that I think of the entire month that passed, all the things I learned, I feel I’m extremely lucky person. I was very moved by the beauty of our team.

I made this movie for all these individuals who have touched my heart with their honest beauty.

I remember reading a text in a trash box somewhere in Japan. The text said:
“Resources are limited, but there is no end for human ideas”.

With this line, I wish the best for our movie to become wonderful.

The movie's site is in : www.aruramovie.com
Trailer is available there.

Arura Movie will come out 1st January 2008.

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