Blog

2017 calendar

2016.11.01

Sometimes, I make calendars besides making videos. The two calendars, “Story of Nagahama Hikiyama Festival” and “Story of Echizen Pottery” which I did everything from taking photographs to creating designs for are completed. They both are 13 sets of B3 sized paper.

I used an online printing service called “Printnet” which has its head office in Kagoshima for the first time. The basic printing service that they provide is inexpensive but the optional color checking service is a bit expensive. Therefore, I decided to order the service without the color checking service.

As a result, the calendars were surprisingly completed with the same colors as I checked before printing at the office and there were no problems. I always thought that when a different monitor, color printer and offset are used, colors would be changed from the original image as well. I wonder when the printing technology has been progressed.

For making the calendar, “Story of Echizen Pottery”, 12 potters helped me. All of the potters were unique ones and it was enjoyable to work with them.

T.S

Shooting with the GoPro: Outdoor Sports

2016.09.05

Production notes

In recent years, shooting outdoor sports with “GoPro” has been popular all over the world.

In Japan, there are many people using GoPro taking videos of many things including

outdoor sports, fireworks display, animals and so on. There are also some Japanese comedians wearing helmets with GoPro during TV shows. They shoot themselves making funny facial expressions while jumping into mud puddle, hot water, ocean and or anywhere they can shoot their own funny reactions to the circumstances.

You can find many kinds of videos taken with GoPro from Youtube.

As you may know already but let me introduce a little bit about the “GoPro”.

GoPro is a product of GoPro, Inc., in the United States (formerly Wooman Labs, Inc.).

It is a digital camera which specializes shooting outdoor sports.

It is also called “Action Cam”(product of Sony Corporation of America) or

“Wearable Camera” (product of Panasonic Corporation).

GoPro comes with a shockproof and waterproof case so users can shoot any scenes including underwater, on the water, on the land and/or in the sky. There are also other parts are available for GoPro so the users can make videos however they want.

In recent years, many “GoPro users” shoot paddling a conoe/kyak, surfing, cycling, dancing, skydiving, running and everything in between.

Now, let’s see an actual video taken with the GoPro.

I would like to share a video of “Ben Brwon”, “Go Pro Hero 3 Japan Kayak Adventure”.

Please enjoy!

Did you enjoy watching the views taken with the GoPro?

At Gen Japan, we will take many videos with the GoPro as well, so stay tuned for it!

T.F

Apple Pencil for iPad

2016.08.29

Production notes

I drew an illustration for our e-mail newsletter using "Apple Pencil" on iPad. I was surprised with how smooth the writing touch of the Apple Pencil compared to a Pen Tablet which I have always used.

After that, as I was making a rough sketch with the Apple Pencil for a meeting and I was also writing words with the pencil on iPad, I realized that the pen was very easy to write. I think that the Apple Pencil will be useful for various situations.

T.S

Improve your eyesight for only 100 yen

2016.07.06

Production notes

The other day, I saw a doctor on TV saying "You can improve your eyesight

with reading glasses (diopter 2 was recommended) from 100 yen stores“.

Simply, he/she just looks into the far distance for a while wearing the glasses with seeing things only vaguely.

By doing so, because one's eyes become unfocused completely, the eye muscles give up on adjusting the focus and then the eye muscles relax. This makes sense.

Actually, I’ve always had reading glasses (diopter 3) right in front of me at work.

I always use them whenever I put a video camera on my shoulder because the monitor is too close for my eyes to see clearly without them.

From now on, I will sometimes use the reading glasses for relaxing my eyes at my work.

T.S

Note on the production of “Going out wearing kimono”

2016.04.26

Production notes

The video “Going out wearing kimono” which we released lately was our original plan.
As a matter of fact, I had reserved this plan for over half a year.
Because kimono is essential in introducing Japanese culture.
In the meanwhile I heard that a friend of mine was learning seriously kimono dressing.
And then the plan had become more likely.
Moreover, other friends also volunteered to attend the filming so I arranged the date first
and did check together small articles for kimono such as some cords and belts,
otherwise kimono dressing would not be completed.

Finally, on the day of filming, a friend went to a beauty salon to set hair,
a friend bought a new zori(sandals for kimono) and another friend even brought
her kimono dressing teacher to help us!
And after all, my kimono, which I had put away in the drawer for a long time,
was able to see the light in ages.
I was afraid that it was going to rain but not, and we finished the filming on schedule.

Thank you all for joining us!

The left yellow kimono is her mother’s.
The right black flowered kimono is mine.