Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021 Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony Winner comment
Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony Best Short Award
viewers:1
0:04:33 / Japan / Sci-Fi / 2021
In the future, after "something" happened to the human race, a man continues to video stream himself in solitude as he wanders about the city ruins for the one single viewer he has.
Director: Daigo Hariya & Yosuke Kobayashi
They met in university and made indie films in the school movie group. After graduating, Hariya started making TV shows and Kobayashi commercials. Utilizing their spare time from work, they continue to make sci-fi short films.
Comment
<Dir. Hariya> I am very grateful to have received this award. Although this was shot remotely, it was made with help from my friends. I was particularly happy to make it the film with a former schoolmate, now living in Kagawa, for the first time in 10 years. I want to thank all those who helped with the film and to all the people who watched it. Thank you very much.
<Dir. Kobayashi> I am very happy to receive this wonderful award. Thank you. In contrast to the story, the film was made possible by connecting with like-minded friends. For shooting the film and advising during the editing process, thank you very much. With the basic ideas as the starting point, to make it with a very small, basic group of friends connected from schooldays and to have so many people watch and also enjoy the film so much seems somehow strange to me.
Juror's comment
While most short films in Japan are on the long side, the film depicted very well the unique world and time period in a short amount of time. Although it was shot on a smartphone, the film's quality and level of entertainment were solid and substantial. In addition, the acting was perfectly suited for the atmosphere and gave the film weight and depth.
- Anything you would like to share about your film?
<Dir. Hariya> My goal was to make a film with a cinematography that's unique to shooting on a smartphone and a reality within a science fiction story. The project originally began as a remote production and there's a 2-minute version on the internet of the all-remote production. From there, we shot live once and added several cuts to make the 4 and 1/2-minute version that was selected. Personally, I like this 4 and 1/2-minute version for its emotional factor.
<Dir. Kobayashi> To have created a sci-fi world in a provincial area in Japan. Make the sound and the story believable. To keep the story set in a strange world simple about the universal connection between people. I focused on these 3 points. It would be good if we accomplished it.
- Any filmmakers or films that have inspired your work?
<Dir. Hariya> I was influenced and challenged by films set in by post-apocalyptic worlds like "Monsters" and "Cloverfield," that used POV techniques, as well as the "Mad Max" series. The films of director John Carpenter in the 80's and 90's was probably the original inspiration for my desire to become a filmmaker. I liked John Carpenter's rather dry and simple style of direction in contrast to the very human dramas in his films.
<Dir. Kobayashi> The feel and narratives of classic and masterpiece sci-fi movies such as "On the Beach," "Oblivion," "War of the Worlds," "District 9," and "Six-String Samurai." The straight and direct style and strength of Ridley Scott's direction in his films over the last 20 years. Also, without naming the films, 3 classic films where the final cut is from the camera's POV are ones that I especially like. I like the after-taste that comes from that visual force that assaults the audience followed by the abrupt end.
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2021
Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony Winner comment
Smartphone Film Competition supported by Sony Best Short Award
viewers:1
0:04:33 / Japan / Sci-Fi / 2021
In the future, after "something" happened to the human race, a man continues to video stream himself in solitude as he wanders about the city ruins for the one single viewer he has.
Director: Daigo Hariya & Yosuke Kobayashi
They met in university and made indie films in the school movie group. After graduating, Hariya started making TV shows and Kobayashi commercials. Utilizing their spare time from work, they continue to make sci-fi short films.
Comment
<Dir. Hariya> I am very grateful to have received this award. Although this was shot remotely, it was made with help from my friends. I was particularly happy to make it the film with a former schoolmate, now living in Kagawa, for the first time in 10 years. I want to thank all those who helped with the film and to all the people who watched it. Thank you very much.
<Dir. Kobayashi> I am very happy to receive this wonderful award. Thank you. In contrast to the story, the film was made possible by connecting with like-minded friends. For shooting the film and advising during the editing process, thank you very much. With the basic ideas as the starting point, to make it with a very small, basic group of friends connected from schooldays and to have so many people watch and also enjoy the film so much seems somehow strange to me.
Juror's comment
While most short films in Japan are on the long side, the film depicted very well the unique world and time period in a short amount of time. Although it was shot on a smartphone, the film's quality and level of entertainment were solid and substantial. In addition, the acting was perfectly suited for the atmosphere and gave the film weight and depth.
- Anything you would like to share about your film?
<Dir. Hariya> My goal was to make a film with a cinematography that's unique to shooting on a smartphone and a reality within a science fiction story. The project originally began as a remote production and there's a 2-minute version on the internet of the all-remote production. From there, we shot live once and added several cuts to make the 4 and 1/2-minute version that was selected. Personally, I like this 4 and 1/2-minute version for its emotional factor.
<Dir. Kobayashi> To have created a sci-fi world in a provincial area in Japan. Make the sound and the story believable. To keep the story set in a strange world simple about the universal connection between people. I focused on these 3 points. It would be good if we accomplished it.
- Any filmmakers or films that have inspired your work?
<Dir. Hariya> I was influenced and challenged by films set in by post-apocalyptic worlds like "Monsters" and "Cloverfield," that used POV techniques, as well as the "Mad Max" series. The films of director John Carpenter in the 80's and 90's was probably the original inspiration for my desire to become a filmmaker. I liked John Carpenter's rather dry and simple style of direction in contrast to the very human dramas in his films.
<Dir. Kobayashi> The feel and narratives of classic and masterpiece sci-fi movies such as "On the Beach," "Oblivion," "War of the Worlds," "District 9," and "Six-String Samurai." The straight and direct style and strength of Ridley Scott's direction in his films over the last 20 years. Also, without naming the films, 3 classic films where the final cut is from the camera's POV are ones that I especially like. I like the after-taste that comes from that visual force that assaults the audience followed by the abrupt end.