Japan Academy of Moving Images

Nana Aiko from the Japan Academy of Moving Images Writes About her Experience at the 2007 Budapest Cinematography Masterclass

A graduate student at the Japan Academy of Moving Images, Nana Aiko was the Asia Pacific candidate selected to be part of the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass held in Hungary in 2007.

Nana Aiko

An Invaluable Experience:

Kodak is a main sponsor of the internationally renowned masterclass, which is conducted in association with CILECT, an organization of the world's major film and television schools, and the Hungarian Society of Cinematographers (HSC). The company extends this opportunity to a successful applicant from a vast number of entries submitted from film schools across the Asia Pacific Region. Other participants are drawn from a selection process via CILECT and the Hungarian Academy of Drama, Film and Television.

Selection into the Budapest summer school is a highly coveted honor, with participants having the chance to work with world-class cinematographers such as Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, HSC, Billy Williams, BSC, Haskell Wexler, ASC, Dean Cundey, ASC, and the late Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, HSC who have all mentored in the past.

In this year's Masterclass, a jury of professors at the university chose 16 scholars from nearly 100 eligible applicants based upon their portfolios. There are also 26-plus student participants selected to assist and observe the scholars throughout the course. Kodak sponsored 12 of these students, who attend all the classes and presentations with the scholars and assist in all aspects of the Masterclass: scriptwriting, choreographing scenes, shooting, directing, etc.

Mitsuhiro Terakawa, director of the Planning Coordination Department at the Japan Academy of Moving Images, said, "We greatly appreciate the opportunity that Kodak has given us this year in accepting one of our students to the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass. We look forward to similar opportunities for many more of our students in the future. ... The opportunity to sit with people from around the world and view the same films, to recognize how wide and varied the world is, and to make new discoveries is, I believe, more valuable � The Japan Academy of Moving Images is committed to providing more of these opportunities for international exchange to our students in the future."

The following excerpts illustrate Aiko's impressions of the workshops, which were headed by leading cinematographers from around the world.

One of the fortunate few

AIKO: In May 2007, I heard that Kodak would be inviting one student from the Asia Pacific region to participate in the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass as an observer. I told my teacher that I definitely wanted to be the one, but I knew that only one student would be selected from the entire region. While waiting for the results, I kept telling myself that it might not be me, but luckily it was. I heard later that the essay question I wrote for my application showed a strong desire to shoot with film, and that this is why I was chosen. The hands-on shooting during the masterclass was hard work and difficult, but the atmosphere in the classes was great. All in all, I had a great time while I was there. I feel very lucky to have been able to be a part of the program.

Intense hands-on experience

AIKO: The primary focus of the masterclass was gaining practical experience in shooting film. There were nearly 40 students in the class. Sixteen worked as directors of photography on the class projects, while the rest of us acted as observers. There were eight project themes all together. We chose lots during the welcome party to see who would be working on which theme. It was the DP's job to reproduce his or her theme in the studio. For example, the theme could be a scene of a person waking up in the morning, or an evening storm, or a crime scene. The DP had to recreate the light that would be appropriate for that particular scene - the morning sun or the light of the evening moon.

Mitsuhiro Terakawa of JAMI, Faculty

Every morning in the studio, the DP explained to everyone what his or her filming plan and lighting plan was going to be. They'd say, 'this is what I want to do today. �' The masterclass teachers, who all work as cinematographers, would ask a few questions like 'What do you plan to do about such and such?' This was how we broke down the work that had to be done for each scene. Two DPs had to complete their scenes in a single day, so we only had 20 minutes at the most to plan everything we'd do that day.

Once these decisions were made, we went straight into shooting. While we were filming, the students working as DP made all the decisions. Everybody had his or her own particular style. About half of the DPs directed everything themselves and about half worked as camera operators, as well.

The rushes (dailies) were ready the following day. We would all watch them together, and the DPs would explain why they did certain things a certain way, and the teachers would give their advice. This workshop focused mostly on learning through hands-on shooting, which brought up a lot to think about and taught us through first-hand experience.

Vilmos Zsigmond's passion for lighting

Vilmos Zsigmond and Nana Aiko

AIKO: Since I was an observer, I wasn't able to work as a DP, but I did act as focus puller and prop director. The studio was large with a high sky-dome ceiling. The studio was able to get me nearly everything I wanted to use as props on the set. All the students kept saying with a laugh, 'I've never seen lights this big before.'

The studio staff helped us out until we got used to how things worked, and after a few days, we were able to handle everything from lighting to set design and operating the camera on our own. The students worked together to fill all the jobs that had to be done, even acting as the characters we needed for the scenes.

The lights were basically tungsten, but the studio also supplied us with some HMI lights. Some students preferred the HMI. Most used Kino Flo lights, but Vilmos Zsigmond told me that he doesn't like bounce lights, because the light is so hard to control and that Kino Flo lights, too, are hard to control, because they are so diffused.

We used KODAK VISION2 500T 5218 color negative film for our projects. This was my first time shooting with a 35 mm camera, which was more stable and smoother than shooting with 16 mm.

Screenings and DP presentation

AIKO: After we finished shooting each day, we would all get together as a group to watch films. From dinner until about 11p.m. was film appreciation time. Most of the films we watched were Hungarian, and the DP on each of these films would join us, giving us the chance to ask them questions directly. Before I left Japan, I had heard that Vilmos Zsigmond would be an instructor, so I made sure to watch The Black Dahlia on DVD before I left for Budapest. And the day that Vilmos Zsigmond came to a screening, we watched The Black Dahlia. But this time it was projected on 35 mm, which was a completely different experience seeing the shadows recreated on film. It was like seeing it for the first time. Right now, I am working as a lighting assistant on my graduation project, and the shadows in our film are muddy when you watch them on telecine. It's amazing to see the tonal reproduction on film.

Cross-cultural communication

AIKO: The students in this Masterclass were from 25 different countries. Most people came from Europe. The only Asians in the class were from Japan and India. There were three students each from Lebanon, Israel and Mexico. Others were from Brazil, Canada, America, India, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Poland, Bulgaria � two of the students came from England, but they were both exchange students from Spain. There were also three students directly from Spain, and three from Mexico. Two students came from Italy so they could also speak Spanish. Everywhere you went you heard Spanish.

2007 Budapest Masterclass

I guess it's just a difference in ways of thinking or in culture, but I was struck by how people from other countries are so honest in expressing their opinion and didn't worry about what other people think. Japanese people tend to worry about other people and so they don't say what they're thinking. But it wasn't like that at all in the Masterclass. The students there drew a sharp distinction between their time in the masterclass and their time outside of school. During class, they had no problem being upfront with their opinions, but everyone was very close during our off time, which, I think, is entirely different from how these things work in Japan. This cultural difference was pretty hard for me to deal with, but I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to experience it.

Dreaming of joint Asian film

AIKO: One of my dreams is to make a multinational film in a joint production. Actually, I'd like to work with people from East Asia - China, Korea, Taiwan - on a film. I feel a little funny talking about such big, important topics, but I believe that communication improves when we have stronger cultural ties, rather than through political relations between countries. I think it's these cultural ties that will help create smoother relationships between countries. Close ties at the national level may be difficult, but I think it is very possible for individuals to build these relationships. That's why I think that traveling to countries around the world and meeting many different people will be a real asset to me in the future. I don't know how many years it will take, but that's my ultimate dream.