Screening Video – The 14th Japan Media Art Festival

October 30, 2011 12:30 pm

5th November – 6 PM – Regional Museum of Natural Science – via Giolitti 36, Torino

NIGHT LESS (11 min. 36 sec.) – TAMURA Yuichiro
Excellence Prize of 2010 – Art division
copyright – Google

NIGHT LESS is a road movie composed entirely of images from GoogleStreet View. The story transcends national borders as it takes spectators on a journey from Nebraska to Chiba, Alaska, Portugal and Marseille. The sun never sets on the views in this movie. The first half features dubbing by the artist himself, while the second half uses audio from YouTube. Does this movie created without actual filming deserve to be called a “movie”?

arukuaround / sakanaction (4 min. 47 sec.) – SEKI Kazuaki
Excellence Prize of 2010 – Entertainment division
copyright – Victor Entertainment, Inc . HIP LAND MUSIC CORPORATION

The camera follows the walking figure of YAMAGUCHI Ichiro, the vocalist of the Japanese rock band sakanaction. The typographic objects that appear ahead of him are in fact lyrics that he songs. His walking speed is exquisitely synchronized with the tempo of appearance of the lyrics expressed as art objects. The display of lyrics in a spatial manner using expressive analog methods represents the realm of songs where one can explore him / herself by repeatedly analyzing and restructuring the lyrics.

natsu wo matteimashita / amazarashi (5 min. 54 sec.) – YKBX
Excellence Prize of 2010 – Entertainment division
copyright – Sony Music Associated Records Inc.

This movie is a video clip of a song by amazarashi, a Japanese rock band led by Aomori Prefecture-based musician AKITA Hiromu. The white teru-teru bozu handmade doll—the symbol of amazarashi—travels through a gloomy town enclosed by telephone poles. The head of the doll transforms into octopus arms, a TV, an antenna, a speaker, etc., in tune with the melody of the song. The dynamic pen-like strokes and the 3D screen effects create a familiar and yet disturbing atmosphere.

Fumiko’s Confession (2 min. 22 sec.) – ISHIDA Hiroyasu
Excellence Prize of 2010 – Animation division
copyright – ishidahiroyasu

Fumiko, who has a crush on Takashi, tells her feelings to him only to be rejected. Crying out, Fumiko starts to run. Just like the wind, Fumiko runs through the town, rolling down steep stairs, falling off the cliff, and flying over the shopping promenade, where does she find herself in the end? In this animation, a story of a desperate “confession” by a pure-hearted high school girl unfolds with a unique depiction of angles and speedy actions.