Japan!

[Douglas R. Bruce]

I have just joined this very interesting looking collection of Forums.
I am from St.Andrews, Scotland. I later moved to Sweden, where I lived for 32 years. Now I have married and settled down in Japan.
This month I took the step over to HDV. 2 Sony cameras (Z1 and FX1) and in a few weeks an HVR-M25 edit deck.
I don't know if this Forum is the place to inform members that I have a collection of videos on my home page that show some more unusual aspects of Japan.
I am sure a moderator will correct me if I am wrong.
I am always happy to hear feedback about the videos - whether it be positive or negative.
If you have time, and a fast download please take a look at:

http://www.gaijin-eyes.com/liquid/2minutes.htm

[Rob Lohman]

I Douglas, welcome aboard (H)DV Info Net, good to have you with us!

I've moved your post to our welcome / neighborhood forum.

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Thanks for moving me over to the appropriate Forum.

I still haven't learned my way about here yet.
There seems to be so much interesting and valuable information to be found here.

By the way, I should have said that the videos I have on my homepage were shot with a Sony DSR-250 DVCam before editing and encoding for the web.

[Rob Lohman]

Yep, it sure is a large place. Just take your time to browse around and check
out the various forums that link from the main index. There are even sub-forums
in some places.

Good luck!

[Jemore Santos]

Douglas I saw some nice shots of Koinobori on your site, I ended doing a promo shooting Koinobori for chiba cable; www.sakproduction.net/koinobori.html Man if you are ever in Tokyo hook up ok, there are some other people here from Tokyo like Kaku. Well have fun and see you around Japan

[Rik Sanchez]

Douglas,
hey, welcome to DVinfo and to Japan! I've been here in the big O, Osaka for the last 15 years, doing video. My great grandmother was Scottish and I have my middle name after her, Campbell. One day I gotta make a trip to Scotland.

If you ever are around the Osaka area, drop me a line, lots of cool stuff here and Kyoto is just around the corner.

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Thanks Rik and Jemore, for your welcomes.

From what I hear you both have Scottish connections.
We are a little famous/infamous for travelling the globe - and usually doing some good!
Not many know that Thomas Glover (of Nagasaki fame) not only had a Japanese wife who inspired "Madame Butterfly", but he also sold his small brewery to an emerging Japanese brewery which later grew to be Kirin Beer.
H e also started a shipbuilders yard in Nagasaki which later became a pillarstone of the Mitsubishi shipbuilding company.
Now I am doing my best just over the Ariake sea from Nagasaki to spread the word that Scotland is still alive and kicking.......

[Thierry H. Fortier]

Welcome Douglas!

I too married a japanese woman. She stay with me here in Montreal, Canada. But recently she really push me to go work japan... Im in the broadcast design and post-production field (2d animation, opening, 3d, special FX) and she told me I can double my salary there...

do you think its realist for somebody who almost dont talk japanese (tchoto dake!) to find work in Tokyo or Osaka?

and if you know some campany in my fields, I will be more than happy to ear about them!

thanks ;P

[Jemore Santos]

Douglas thanks for your email, sorry I was updating my site, thats why you couldn't see it. Here is the addy now www.sakproductions.net/koinobori.html

It's funny we both shot Koinoboris, I was told by the producer to shoot it because it represents kodomo no hi, so you live in Nagasaki, it's good to see that you've embraced the Japanese lifestyle, it is very different to western society.

Thierry, wow you do 3d ey? what software? studio max? maya? light wave?

Man to get into the industry here, you must either have to speak Japanese, know some one who can hook u up or be lucky and have a good demo reel.

I was lucky in getting a job with Design Festa www.designfesta.com which is an art organisation that hold asia's biggest art event. I also do my own thing, which gives me enough time to build my reel here and get some decent money. I hope it works out for you.

BTW the downloads are big files so please be patient ok, thanks

[Thierry H. Fortier]

Hi Jérôme! (french spelling... oups!)

Damn... Im so bad in japanese! but my demo is quite impressive and I win few price too. for 3D I use Lightwave and Maya for complement the 2d work in After Effects. I will get a free XSI training soon at my job. I did 2 years of Flame/Inferno at Hybride. Im not searching for a mainly 3D company, more Broadcast design for pub and tv show...

But if you told me I have to be fluent in japanese for have any hope... then maybe I should reconsider taking course... I hate taking course! I feel Im going back to school! with homework and all that stuff... yerk!

And the sad point is here I have a pretty good job and lot of contacts... I will have to give up all that in japan... ut the conterpart is I will get (I hope) better salary in Japan with a lot less taxes! ;P

[Thierry H. Fortier]

oups, sorry Jemore, I read fast and was thinking your name is Jerome... (french name)... gomen!

and sorry Douglas, im hacking your thread! ;P I cant get to your site now cause of the company Firewall but soon I will be able to see your shots!

[Rik Sanchez]

Thierry,
the market here in Osaka is pretty bad for video work, there is a lot more work in Tokyo, most of the people I end up moving to Tokyo to follow the work. I was lucky in meeting the president of a video company while I was visiting a friend and that's how I got my foot in the door. I demo reel really won't help as much as knowing someone and having them introduce you to the boss.

Your wife might be able to help you by checking the job market in Tokyo in the video/effects dept. Most of the jobs will be posted in japanese, not sure where to look, but the jobs are there.

Good luck in looking for work. You can make more money over here but then if you live in Tokyo then you end up spending a lot more just to live there so it ends up being about the same as where you are now.

Knowing Japanese will be a big help unless there is staff there that speaks English. But having everyone translate for you is gonna be a big hassle.

I hate taking courses too but sometimes you just gotta do it. Good luck.

[Thierry H. Fortier]

Thanks for the advice Rik! its sad cause all the family is based in Itami, Osaka... but I have few friend in Tokyo! mmm... my wife live in a pink bubble... she think it will be super easy to find work... with 2 kids I cant take any chance...

[Douglas R. Bruce]

No problems from me about the "hijacking". It is nice to see that I started some discussion.
I am not sure if we should have another thread but for now I will continue supporting the hijack!

To be honest, my main income is from my English language school that I run together with my wife. The video is a "my hobby pays sometimes" venture. I am hoping to break into the inner circle sometime.

Jemore and Rik have been lucky and they can give more advice than me on Thierry's questions.
I can expand on the information so far and say that finding an opening in Japan is very much a word of mouth and who you know, who they know and who can introduce you to someone who knows someone....sort of place.

Also Japan has a huge mass of senior citizens who are very active, very rich and very productive as "amateur" videographers. There are TV programmes just for them to show their work. Many local companies use this vast source of video material to fill up programmes - and often pay nothing for the material, as the Japanese are so happy at being able to have their work aired on TV.

It is for this reason I decided to try the "Gaijin-Eyes" approach. I do not want to show Japan as the Japanese see it or as westerners believe it should be seen. I see so many strange things everyday - I try to make interesting videos showing my viewpoint - even if it goes against the grain of what is normally believed about things in Japan.

The same is probably true for the graphic side of Japan - here is the Manga/Anime centre of the known world. The competition must be fierce.

But don't give up hope, Thierry, I left everything I had (I was actually living in Sweden at that time) and moved here to get married and settle down. After I arrived I started to establish myself. A big risk and a big step - but I am Scottish.....smile!

Finally I am not actually living in Nagasaki - but in Kumamoto - which is across the Ariake Sea to the East of Nagasaki. (about 1 hour by ferry)

[Jemore Santos]

Thierry thanks for correcting my name dude, I get Jerome all the time.
Rik is right you have to know people, but there aint nothing wrong in teaching English until you get your break, they best to do if your want to work for the film or television industry is show your works at a film festival and network, who knows Thiery we might meet up someday.