My Life and Best Art works in 2013

Happy New Year.

It's been a while since I encountered with 2014, yet I have spent lazy holidays by myself and didn't do anything festive, so I haven't really realize it's probably time to stop and look back what I have accomplished.

My 2013 was full of changes and experiments.

I really enjoyed my life in NY for the first half part of the year. (No matter how much I hated the cold weather.) I went back to Kyoto, Japan in July and then moved to Tokyo in October.

I did 7 jobs in 2013. (I count background acting as one job regardless of the number of projects I worked on.) Most of these are temp jobs. Length varied from 1 day to 2 months. Some says the life of continuous temp jobs is not good. I agree with that, but I really enjoyed to have this kind of period once in my lifetime. If I didn't do that, I would never had a chance to go NY fashion week and glance at how fashion industry works. That was the coolest job in my 2013.

And for my private life, I needed some time to figure out what I really want. What kind of life I want, and that was the crucial to look for my career. I know some, maybe many people think I consumed meaningless time. Yet I am not regretting because I couldn't keep going anymore without some time off. Well, of course I now have another concern in my life but I'm glad that I can picture it now.

Overall, my 2013 was not bad. And what my year made great is beautiful artworks. Here is the list of what I loved most.

Film

1. Great Gatsby

2. Only Lovers Left Alive

3. Now You See Me

Theatre

1. Shunkin （春琴), Japan

2. STOMP, off-Broadway

3. bare, off-Broadway

Live Music

1. ZAMMUTO at LPR in NY

Museum (This might not be 2013 thing but anyway.)

1. Whitney Museum (NY)

2. Brooklyn Museum (NY)

3. Yale University Art Gallery (CT)

I want to write details of each artwork, but this post is getting too long. My love toward it can spread next time.

Art is where my heart is.

オスカー取って仕事を無くすハリウッド

 

最近SNSで蛍光黄緑色のプロフィール写真、良く見かけませんか？

これ、何かご存知ですか？

実は、抗議運動なんです。ハリウッドに対する。

先週、アカデミー賞が発表され、

「Life of Pi ライフ・オブ・パイ　トラと漂流した227日」

は視覚効果賞を受賞しました。

非常に高度な映像美が見られるということで話題になっていますよね。

でもその視覚効果（VFX：3DCGを使って特殊な映像を作成し、実写映像と合成すること）を担当した会社Rhythm&Huesは会社更生法を申請し、

250人近くの従業員を解雇しました。

過去には300やトロンを手がけた業界最大手のスタジオでした。

原因はVFXのコストに対し正当な報酬が払われていないこと。

海外の会社との競争の激化のせいで、

アメリカ国内のVFXスタジオは５％以下のマージンしか得られていないと言われています。

先週のアカデミー賞授賞式の視覚効果賞受賞のスピーチの際、

不自然に音楽が切られ、長過ぎるスピーチがカットされたかのように放送されました。

しかし、実際にはVFXに対する低すぎる報酬を抗議していたのではないか

と言われています。

授賞式の前には会場付近でデモも行われていました。

私はエンターテイメントがもっとフェアなビジネスになればいいな、と思っています。

海外のスタジオと競合するのもひとつのフェアさなのかもしれない。

でも、自国の産業を守るという意味では、ハリウッドは何かをすべきだと思う。

私は気にかけているよ、と伝えるために

私もツイッターのプロフィール写真を変えました。

良かったらちょっとだけ考えてみてください。

英語ですが、プロテストのFacebookページです。

写真を見るだけでもわかりやすいので、覗いてみてください。

VFX Solidarity International 

そして、日本のエンターテイメント業界も人ごとじゃないですよ。

どうやって生き残っていくか。

どうやって気持ちよくお金を払ってもらうか。

これから考えていかないとダメですね。うん、がんばろう。

Economic Impact of Entertainments

There are some people who say scientists are superior to others because they save human life and create better life. And also other people say entertainments/arts are not so important because they are just doing for fun.

Is it true?

I don't think so. Entertainments create many jobs in the United States and help communities. creativeamerica posted a great image that can show you how entertainments industry is supporting America.
Economic Impact of Film&TV in America

Many would think the economic impacts happen only in California and New York, but through the image you can see the effect of the business in outside of the major entertainment locations. Moreover, as I discussed in last post, more and more productions are starting in other states.


And one more thing to say to those of who think scientist are better than artists;

Scientist might be able to create life.

But what good is living?

Artists can create the reason of living. 

That is what my professor taught us. 

Therefore, I have no reason to feel inferior for being in entertainment industry. :)

Film in L.A.? Or Somewhere Else?

I believed Los Angeles is where all the American on-screen entertainments belong until I came to the U.S. Yet recently more TV dramas are filmed in New York and other cities. And this fall, only two dramas will be filmed in LA. What is going on?

Only Two Network Dramas will Film in LA This Fall

Philip Sokoloski, a spokesman for FilmL.A. explains this situation has a lot to do with tax incentives, on Backstage.com. When the production are done in other states, they can save money on tax and put that into production values. This is appealing especially for pilots. And pilot location usually became the series location, according to Sokoloski.

California just determined to extend the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program to 2017.
Cali. Film & TV Credit Extension Bill Passes Senate Vote
However, the California's tax exemption is $100 million a year while New York offers $420 millions. And moreover, New York recently tripled the state's tax credit on post-production to 30 percent. California does not offer anything like this. Therefore, it is expected that more and more TV series and movies will be filmed in outside of Los Angeles.


Then what will be predicted in entertainment marketing point of view?

Well, first of all, cities can promote themselves for filming location. If a city could assure the production team that they can offer affordable filming and lodging location, there sure will be some who like to for a while for their production. Especially for those of who has a big group of cast and crew or need huge location for the set, filming in outside of Los Angeles area could save tons of money. And even for the local community, the money they can receive from the production is very attractive.

And one the dramas/films use the local architecture and sight in their production, that city possibly be a popular tourist destination. This could last for a while once the production hits success. It would create jobs in the local community and possibilities, and from entertainment perspective, we can promote the production and community at the same time.

If this story become real, what Los Angeles can or should do? Moving the production to somewhere else means decrease the business in L.A. This city no longer can sit on their history and tradition. Let's see how the situation will change in next five years.

Where you find me

Hello!
I changed a few things on my blog and now am setting a fresh start :)


To begin with, I'd like to share some news about where you can see&hear me.

1. Marukai (one of the major Japanese grocery store) commercial
    From September, I'm doing the voice over for marukai commercial. (You can see it on TV Japan, etc.)
    I'm also hoping to share it here sometime soon.

2. Proactiv commercial (infomercial) and print in Japan
    This only airs in Japan, but I'll try to share it here.
    The day that will be on air is estimated to be sometime in the end of September or beginning of October.
    More details to come!

3. The Angel Academy at The Next Stage Theatre in Hollywood
    This is where you can see me performing on stage!
    We have 5 more weeks to go.
    The shows are on every Wednesday, and it'll starts 9:30PM in August and 8PM in September.
    The address of The Next Stage Theatre is 1523 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028.
    Ticket is $20 and please pay at the door.
    Your laugh and maybe tear support us! Please come join!

   




More and more news to come! I cannot wait to share with you!
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