🍹雑誌Popeye 2020年6月号に掲載のレモンシロップのレシピを作ってみて、映像に記録した！ラベルに自作書体を印刷して楽しかった。🍋
🍹I tried making a spiced lemon syrup that I saw in the 2020 June issue of Popeye magazine! I also had fun making a label with an original typeface. 🍋
Tag: singapore
Model & Sketch #2
I have thankfully made it to year 2 safely which brings me to another post where I share random models and sketches. Once again, I come to document my progress in the subject I literally have the worst results for–Expression, which is about drawing/painting. I am really really bad at drawing and painting by hand as compared to the local Japanese kids. Its really… bad. Therefore I want to reiterate that this post is not to show good skills but for documentation like a diary such that I can compare my progress as I work towards the future.
#1 Modern Tokyo Ukiyo-e
Our first assignment is to paint a modern interpretation of traditional japanese wood-cut illustrations known as ukiyo-e. I had to research various renowned ukiyo-e artists and it was really interesting. Ukiyo-e has an intentional flat sense of space, interesting use of gradations as well as outlined elements.
I composed my shot using a humble ramen stand against the backdrop of Tokyo Skyscrapers. Upon reflection, I realised I should have used thinner lines in some parts and take care of the proportions of the man more carefully.
#2 Aluminium Can Sculpture
The second assignment is making sculptures out of soft drink cans. I chose Sapporo Beer and Horoyoi cans to form a vacuum cleaner. I really like my Makita vacuum cleaner and I modelled its shape based on it. It is important to make paper mockups. In the end there are many rough parts and the top is not sealed but I learnt a lot in the progress.
#3 Food Stop-motion Sketches
I am supposed to explore the interaction between 2 objects with this assignment. My main subject is bread with butter, sausage and ritz sandwich as secondary subjects. I tried to do something special with each–Sausage spins of the x-axis but the bread responds by rotating in the y-axis; The Ritz Sandwich rotates together with the bread crusts tearing off like a switch; The butter unmelts as the bread gets toasted.
oh man, I gotta try harder next semester.
The Grand Budapest through a Designer’s Lens. デザイナーのレンズから観たグランド・ブダペスト
★★★★★
Wes Anderson’s new film The French Dispatch’s trailer came out a while back and it was spectacular. It brought me back to 2013 when I watched his film for the first time. The Grand Budapest Hotel. At that time the poster looked cute and I decided to casually give it a watch without much thought, a common tendency of mine.
At the end of the 2+ hours, I found myself quickly searching for the film’s art director on my smartphone. I was floored–I have never seen such visually detailed movie before, every frame was like a painting.
最近ウェス・アンダーソン監督の最新映画「ザ・フレンチ・ディスパッチ」の予告が披露され、抜群としか言うようがない。
2014年に初めてウェス・アンダーソン監督の作品に出会った頃を思い出した。その時上映されていた「ザ・グランド・ブダペスト・ホテル」のポスターをたまたま見かけて、いい感じだと思ったので、気軽くに見に行ったんのだ。
あっという間に２時間が過ぎたが、居ても立っても居られない気持ちで私は携帯で映画のアートディレクターについて検索していた。人生で初めてこんなにビジュアル的に完成度が高い映画を観て、衝撃的だった。
(ABOVE) The Trailer of the movie
(上)映画の予告
I think it started at around 10 minutes into a film where there was a scene with a shoe shine boy being so compositionally perfect despite being only shown for a second. I was hooked from that point on. In this article, I would like to talk about 3 points on why this film is a masterpiece, even though there are many others.
実は映画が始まった１０分後に「靴磨きをしている子供」のシーンから 惹かれていた。１秒しか見えないシーンなのに、構図の完璧さが一瞬で感じられる。これから、この映画の面白いポイントを三つ、より詳しくご紹介したいと思う。
(TOP) The main characters of the film, Zero (left) and Gustave (right).
(上) 映画の主人公、ゼロ（左）とグスタフ（右）
★ Outline / 概要 ★
It is a story centered around an extravagant hotel in Europe in the 1930s with the main characters, Gustave H, the concierge of the hotel and, Zero, his protégé and lobby boy. Gustave would soon be wrongly framed for a murder, driving him to go on adventures to escape and prove himself with the help of Zero throughout the film.
1930年代のヨーロッパが背景の華やかなホテルを中心としたストーリーである。主人公の二人は、ホテルのコンシェルジュの「グスタフ・H」と新人ロビー・ボーイの「ゼロ」である。グスタフが無実の罪で捕まり、ゼロの助けで逃げることから生じる様々な面白い展開の物語だ。
★ #1 The Universe in every Prop • 小道具への工夫 ★
(Clockwise from the left) Passport, stamps and currency notes from the fictional country of Zubrowska
(左から) 虚構の国「ズブロフカ」のパスポート、切手、紙幣
The film is brimming with many beautiful, intricate props that most people would not bat at eye at. However, a point that the audience should know to appreciate the film more is that every little prop is handmade to fit into this fictional world–Every advertisement, every piece of note in the background, every item.
ウェスの映画の世界を作るにはとてつもない工夫が必要だ。特に、すべての小道具に、その特別な世界観が潜んでいる－背景にある目立たない広告から小さいノートに至るまで。虚構の国「ズブロフカ」のため、王様の肖像画、紙幣、切手などもしっかりデザインされている。
(ABOVE) Several newspaper designs shown very briefly in the film
(上) 新聞のデザイン
A great example to highlight this is the Newspaper. Even though the Newspaper only flashes for moments, every word in its articles are written by the director himself and laid out to reflect the world of that time. In fact, it went through over 40 revisions to reach its final state, its almost as if the 2 seconds of the film with the prop is a tale on its own.
一番細かいと思うのは、小道具としての新聞である。その新聞は一瞬だけ映されているが、中の全ての記事の一字一句は文章としてきちんと書かれてレイアウトされている。最終バーションを仕上げるまで、40回も修正されたらしい。
(ABOVE) How a Mendl’s packaging opens up
(上)「Mendl’s」というお菓子店のパッケージの開け方
Another prominent prop is the packaging for Mendl’s, a lovely sweet shop in the world of Zubrowka. Of course, it has nice lettering and a lovely shade of pink but the key is in the way it opens up. When you pull the ribbon, the box flips out dramatically on all 4 sides seamlessly to reveal the beloved dessert adorably standing in the middle. The fact that they considered even the movement of the prop reflects how seriously they take their prop-making.Re-creating the fictional universe to such intricacy is often said to be for the actors. It helps them immense in this illusion, it is kind of like how actors/actresses image background stories for the roles beyond the script to mould the character more realistically. A good example is the currency and the stamp used in the Grand Budapest, you have even the portrait of the imagined King of the fictional world and the country’s very own crest.
そして、菓子店の「Mendl’s」のパッケージも素敵なデザインだ。もちろん、細かいレタリングと柔らかいピンク色がいいが、ハイライトしたいのは開け方である。リボンを引っ張ると、箱の四面が同時に開き、真ん中のお菓子が登場する。動きまで配慮するのは称賛すべきところだと思う。そこまで小道具をやるのは、鑑賞者だけでなく、役者のためでもある。現実から離脱し、その映画の世界に完全に没頭する道具として使われている。
(ABOVE) Further beautiful examples of the Mendl’s brand identity seen in various scenes
(上)「Mendl’s」のブランドアイデンティティーが見える様々なシーン
★ #2 Take your references seriously • 参考の緻密な再現 ★
(1)A comparison with a 1908 image of a Hotel in Cairo with similar inconsistencies in letter spacing.
タイトルの字間の少し不規則ところを1900年代カイロにあったホテルとの比較
(2)A group picture of the Grand Budapest Hotel staff with some employees taking a half-knee and some sitting with their legs slanted.
片膝についたり、斜めに座ったりしたなど職業によって姿勢をするグループ写真
(3)A beautiful painted background
水彩で塗られた背景
Everything seems natural or obvious in Wes’s fictional world but everything is researched, debated and designed.
For example in the masthead of the movie poster, you can see that the kerning (or spacing between alphabets) is off in some areas. You would think that it is a mistake but it is actually the genius of Wes. The team underwent intense research into the European hotels of that bygone era. An old steel hotel sign from the 1930s Cairo was especially picked out as it had many spacing errors blacksmiths often commit in the process of making the letterings with the tools then. They replicated these errors intentionally even if it might seem like a mistake on their part–there is soul in these things.
There are many other occurrences that seem natural initially but unique on a second look–Such as the very intentional half-knee pose when taking the photograph. I also love the painted backgrounds, very much like the hand-painted sets in old films and theatre. Usually they would seem cheesy in this day and age but they merge beautifully with the rest of film’s universe.
映画に表されている要素や世界観は自然に見えるが、隅から隅までのディテールが研究され、討論され、デザインされていた。
例えば、映画ポスターのタイトルの字間は少し不規則で広すぎると思われるかもしれないが、それはウェスがリサーチした結果だ。1930年代カイロにあったホテルの金属性の看板を参考にし、タイトルを作ったので、当時の道具で作るとよく現れるエラーを再現した。
他の当たり前のように見えそうな変わっているところが映画の端々にある。写真を撮る時、片膝をついたり、斜めに座ったりなど職業によって姿勢を取るのもユニークだ。また、映画の中の水彩で塗られた背景が好きだ。古いアメリカ映画のセットのフェイクな背景を思い出させるから、懐かしい雰囲気だった。ちょっとダサくて、違和感があるので、最近滅多に使われていないが、この映画の世界観にピッタリである。
★ #3 The framing and blocking of things, characters and places • 物、人、場所の位置と大きさ ★
(ABOVE) The changes in aspect ratio according to the time period shown
(上) 画面の縦横比は時代によって変わる
The physical design of the places and things are only the tip of the iceberg. Wes has also put in considerable effort in the arrangement and framing of these things.
The aspect ratio of each scene changes according to the time period that it reflects. In the beginning–supposedly the modern age–the standard 16:9 ratio we know of today is used. However, when the author recalls back to the 1968, the aspect ratio changes to the widescreen ratio 2.4:1 of the 50s and 60s. Furthermore, when the main character further recalls back to 1932, the 4:3 squarish ratio used by black and white films of that time is applied.
On a closer look, the positioning of the character is also linked to its development in the story. A disciple and lobby boy at the start, Zero mostly appears in the background while his teacher, Gustave is usually at the front, big and close to the camera. However this changes at the pivotal scene where Zero saves Gustave to which he said “we’re brothers” From that point on, they are equals and they began to be shown on equal levels and equal sizes. This is very similar to how they divide the stage in 9 sections in theatre for different uses.
物質的な物や場所はこの映画のわずかな一部だけだ。物と人物の位置、移動、また画面の枠なども相当な工夫がされていた。
シーンの時代によって、画面の縦横比が変わる。例えば、最初のシーンは現代なので、現代の映画に使われている16:9だが、1968年を回想する時に50ー60年代によく使われたワイド画面2.4:1に変わる。さらに、1932年の回想シーンでは4:3の画面が使われた。普段人が見落とす部分でも工夫するのは素晴らしいと思う。
よく見ると、人物はストーリー中の立場で画面上の位置が計画されている。最初弟子となったゼロは主に背後に小さく見せられ、グスタフはいつも前にいて、大きく映されている。しかし、ゼロがグスタフを救った肝心なシーンでは同じサイズ、「これから我々は兄弟だ」というセリフもあって、その瞬間から平等になったという意味もある。こういう前景と背景をきちんと分ける手法は演劇によく利用されている。
★ Ending Words ★ まとめ ★
Today, I only cited one of the many masterpieces of Wes Anderson because there is just too much to talk about. Every of his film has a soul, a time, a place and a feeling of its own. “Rushmore”–has a romance towards prestigious private schools and the plethora of extracurricular activities(even eccentric ones) “Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou”–has the fascination towards the deep sea and nautical culture. “Moonrise Kingdom”–has references to cartography and an adoration for the world of boy scouts. If you haven’t watched them, please do yourself a favour and immense yourself in the spectacular world of Wes Anderson.
今日、ウェス監督の映画の中の一つしか言及していないが、言えることはさらに無数にあるのです。彼の映画ごとに、独特な魂が潜んでいる－自分ならではの場所、時間、雰囲気など。 “Rushmore”– 風変わりな様々な部活動と豪華な私立学校へのロマン。“Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou”－航海のカルチャーと深海への冒険。“Moonrise Kingdom”–地図作成オタクとボーイスカウトのキャンプの世界。これらの映画は絶対に観る価値があります。
DISCLAIMER☞The writing and content have seem odd during the attempt to draw a parallel between my limited Japanese ability and English expressions. This is for my practice, let me know areas of improvements thanks. Special thanks to my Japanese teacher, Naoko.
Homestay in Ōbama, Japan 2018 小浜市ホムスティー
Homestay in Ōbama, Japan 2018
Previously: DESIGN TRAVEL GUIDE ☞ Christmas in Tokyo’17
Thanks to participating in the 50th anniversary of the Singapore Japanese Speech Contest, I got a free homestay to Japan. This time we visited an area which just opened up for homestay for the very first time, it is a fishing town called Obama in the Fukui Prefecture. It got some publicity for sharing a name with the former US president but it is much more than that.
They are closeby to Kyoto, the former capital, which is why they were once the emperor’s food supplier. It was also the port where travellers from Korea or China enter to visit japanese nobles. The people here are historically brilliant in their food and entertainment culture. They are experts in fishing, understanding the various species of fishes and their seasons. The local fish market1 has a wide variety of fresh seafood-striped, transparent, you name it. They are just caught nearby so you can eat them at the restaurant right beside without paying much transport cost. It has a kaisen don with 11 types of seafood all in one. They are also great at fermenting or preserving fish5. They were the start point of the Mackerel road or Saba Kaido(鯖街道) where they transport fishes further inland, this takes days thus requiring preservation expertise.
More than seafood, they also have farmlands and mountains for a variety of vegetable stock. People usually buy gifts for the nobles from here which is why they are also the biggest lacquered chopstick provider2 in Japan. This is accompanied with centuries old sake brewery3 and a japanese sweets shop4(they have one of the 3 shops in Japan that holds 2 of the highest accolade in the industry) Working side by side with the food culture to host travellers going to the capital, they also have a geishas6 to entertain people. What they have today are interesting music and point-based games that are rare to find elsewhere. My friend and I managed to experience all of these historic goodness in our short time here.
Besides the traditional food culture, we also saw a side of Obama that is forward-looking and evolving. Due to their pristine location, next to the Japan sea, they could carry out marine studies well. Thus, the Fukui Prefectural University1 has a campus here just for that. They continuously carry out research to better the understanding of marine livestock. A recent result of their study is feeding sake remnants to fish to make them tastier! Next I will like to talk about my host family4 , a young good-looking couple. They built their own house and its almost like its from a magazine. Its modern and has great wood, feels real good. They have a mini library(we call it that haha) with many books, boardgames, projector and even a hammock! I think they are redefining what an attractive lifestyle is for young couples in the countryside.
The husband runs a company3 that revitalizes barren land in the town to make them fertile again. This is a great initiative in a time where many leave the countryside for big city dreams. The countryside should not lose in cool places and Obama has a green cafe2 that is just that. They have vintage vibes and hanging plants, they also occasionally organise hipster sustainable Scandinavian-inspired pop-up markets outside the place. They are a couple of retro cafes around that has chimneys and cool drinks and all but green cafe’s owner is kind of obsess with plants. it shows. We were talking about Isamu Noguchi, nomad culture and other things, real interesting guy. Lastly, building something new on the existing rich food culture of Obama is a italian restaurant called La Verita5. The owner showed us cheese making and we got to eat raw cheese! I really love the texture , slightly chewy haha. We eat wagyu spaghetti as well.
Overall, it has been a great trip. Like many towns in the country across Japan, the population of young people are falling and leaving for saturated cities. It warms my heart however seeing the efforts the young people here make not just in preserving their edge in traditions but also in evolving and redefining their lifestyle to make it exciting for young people again. This ignited my thought about branding local communities and social problems in the flailing countryside.
Model & Sketch #1
Back to the basics again. My first semester in Japan marks my foray into product design. I think I will do alot more model-making from today. I also got back into something I have not touched on for years. Realistic sketching. Something that I am comparably weak in, however I may want to document it and hopefully improve in the future.
#1 The evolution of shape
Our first product assignment is for having sensitivity to ‘R’ which is the radius of objects. Each block varies 5mm in radius till it becomes a sphere. A similar block-shaped clock would have different functions based on its R, if its more rounded it would be a travel clock and if it had no R, it would be likely for being placed on the table. We are supposed to make these shapes out of giant urethane blocks. It doesn’t look that way but it is incredibly tedious to sandpaper it to the current shapes with accuracy.
#2 Planes
Another model-making assignment was making boxes using styrene boards and we were taught a bunch of cutting techniques for it. One box is supposed to be roundish and one squarish, the design is up to the designer. Working with styrene boards is tricky as well, borders might stick out, there are be crinkles, pencil or glue marks or things might just not align. However, I managed to get the radius to match despite the thickness and the boxes are chosen for exhibiting in my school’s open campus. hehe.
The square box I made opens up to two tiers.
Despite having similar measurements in the exterior, it opens up to a simple box as compared to the squarish box.
#3 Still life
Arrrhh. I recall getting a ‘C’ for basic drawing classes during Poly. Actually this is an improvement since then but still a far cry from the local students. Probably last place in terms of skill. I have much less texture, less interesting composition and my table’s perspective is all wrong. This is done on grey paper using black and white charcoal. The takeaway for me is that I now understand light better.
#4 Campus Scenery
This is literally my first ever acrylic painting. We had to paint a scenery in the school and I chose a strange thing, I chose an electric or control panel sort of item, where I show the buttons and typography in a flat manner. Miraculously, it was chosen for exhibition, I think mainly on the basis of having an interesting choice of composition. This time I narrowly made it but I will attempt more such renderings that uses traditional mediums rather than the computer. Hopefully next time I can execute it in a cleaner manner.
DESIGN TRAVEL GUIDE ☞ Christmas in Tokyo’17
Previously: DESIGN TRAVEL GUIDE ☞ Hong Kong’16
Once again, another long overdue post. I visited Japan in December 2017 when I had my university entrance exam. It was the christmas period and Tokyo was full of beautiful illumination. I won’t talk about the illumination much below but some great places for that were Tokyo Midtown and the area around Tokyo Station. Really classy places. You won’t get that level of illumination in Singapore, Japan really prides itself in its lighting design.
At that time I was really into Lisa Ono and Bossa Nova, hence the music choice, but now when I look back it might be cheesy but oh well. I shot and edited all these back in December 2017 but I missed the time to upload during christmas then. But now I finally decided to make a post on it. I am living in Japan now so I will probably have even cooler places to show in the future. This list of 6 places include some places you will not find in other english media that I really like such as “CHOCOLATIER PALET’DOR”. As mentioned before, it would not just be places of design interests, but anywhere I enjoy. I merely named it “DESIGN TRAVEL GUIDE” because it is a list made by a designer, me in this case.
DISCLAIMER☞All these photos are shot and edited in 2017 so the state of the shops reflect that time.
#1
CHOCOLATIER PALET D’OR ショコラティエ パレ ド オール
★★★★★
★★★★★
Address 〒100-6501 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Marunouchi,
1 Chome−5−1 新丸の内ビルディング
Access 5 minutes walk from Tokyo Station
1 Chome−5−1 新丸の内ビルディング
Access 5 minutes walk from Tokyo Station
Hours
Mon-Sun: 11:00~21:00
Photos courtesy of CHOCOLATIER PALET D’OR’s
instagram and relevant parties.
I’m used to seeing big global chocolate brands like Godiva or even Japanese ones like Royce. However, ever since I watched a Japanese drama on chocolatiers, I have developed an appreciation and curiosity for chocolatiers. I found a Japanese chocolatier –not in a food guide book– but in a brand identity compilation book. It was chosen as an example of brilliant brand design and I could not agree more. Typographically state-of-the-art. From the chocolates to the store and packaging, this is the kind of experience I was hoping to find in Japan.
I went to the store near Tokyo Station, in the Marunouchi building, overall a beautiful area. The store had seats with certain dine-in menu, the ice-cream looks great but what was really interesting (in 2017) was their transparent cocoa drink. It was fascinating. Their stuff is actually pretty expensive, but I think they make very decent souvenirs for slightly more important people. Especially since it is not a global brand and can only be obtained there.
#2
Creamia
★★★☆☆
Website http://www.nissei-com.co.jp/cremia/en/
Access Various locations
Hugely recommended at that time, but these days I find it everywhere. True to what everyone says, its a really great soft serve. I even watched a video that explained that the people behind it used science and years of research to develop the perfect taste, texture and even the perfect cone that complements it.
#3
La Mère Poulard ラ・メール・プラール
★★★★☆
Address 3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City,
Tokyo 100-0005
Website http://www.la-mere-poulard.jp/
Access 2 minute walk from Tokyo Station
Hours
Mon-Sun: 11:30~22:00
I saw a facebook video about fluffy omelettes and after further probing, found it to be La Mère Poulard. It originated as a french inn in 1888, with their giant omelettes cooked in a wooden hearth being hugely popular. It was also on an island which was the reference for their original logo. As of now, it seems that this restaurant can only be found in Japan besides its home country of France, which makes it worth a visit if you are in Japan. The brand identity design is pretty impressive here as well, they keep the consistent red and the interiors make you feel like you are transported to that french island where this place was first opened on. I had the omelette which is really interesting texture-wise but it was not too spectacular for me personally, but I did notice the Japanese customers finish it well, perhaps it is more fitting for the Japanese tastebuds.
#4
Ghibli Museum 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館
★★★★★
Address 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka
Tokyo 181-0013
Website http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/
Access Take the cat bus from the JR Mitaka Station
Hours
Mon-Sun: 10:00~18:00;
closed on tuesdays;
“Let’s get lost together” is the museum’s slogan. Photography inside is forbidden so I cannot show much but this is a magical place. There are delicately crafted exhibits in every corner, many layered or have moving mechanisms. This means even the manhole are designed and there are places you have to crouch to go through. It really feels like you are in a Ghibli movie.
The exhibition on that time was about food in their movies and they remade several kitchens into sets that we can explore. It also documents the tedious behind-the-scenes process in creating an animated film. In line with the theme of food, they had a short film called “Mr Dough and the Egg Princess” screened in a delightful mini theatre. From the art deco lamps outside the theatre to the illustrations on the ceiling of the theatre, its a dream come through–I mean having your own themed theatre showing tailor made films and perhaps even have deliberately crafted trailers before the film is super cool. The short film is also a silent film such that tourists from any country can understand it without having a hundred different subtitles. My entire family loved it. The short film they make are specifically made for the museum and they renew them once in a while, along with new exhibitions, giving the museum a lot of revisit value.
This is a must-go, however tickets are hard to come by. Tickets for the month go on sale on like the 10th of the month but they sell out real fast. It was the case for me and I had to ask a friend residing japan to help me get it. Apparently they have separate quotas for buying in Japan and from overseas. You should google it.
#5
niko and … ニコアンド
★★★★☆
Address 6 Chome-12-20 Jingumae, Shibuya City,
Tokyo 150-0001
Website http://www.nikoand.jp/
Access 4 minute walk from Meiji-Jingumae Station
Hours
Mon-Sun: 10:00~23:00
This is actually a retail franchise but I really like it. I appreciate brands that has a strong concept and art direction that they use throughout consistently in different areas. They can be as diverse as having food, furniture or even clothes in the same brand. A good example is IKEA and MUJI whom also have a strong typographical system throughout their brand, be it in furniture design, price tags, food menu or catalogues.
Ok so in a nutshell, “niko and …” is most well-known for its clothes but they also sell potted plants, furniture, daily necessities and some stores have a coppe café in it. The idea is that you can attach any other brand name behind [niko and …], so they manufacture original items, carry certain brands and also collaborates with certain brands (from Casio to).
However all of these things are designed or selected in line with “niko and …”s strong and unique visual language. I remember when I first visited, I really love how everything is done originally in its brand universe. They had such wide variety of original goods that you don’t know what you might find, they even have their own gachapon machines that sell tiny potted plant figurines. I remember when I purchased my first item then, I got a beautiful receipt that has an exclusive QR code to a beautiful brand film they made that season. I still store that advertisement in my phone, because they really make some of the best advertisements.
(ABOVE) Not my favourite advertisement of theirs, but still a good one.
The soul of the brand can actually be found in their special “niko and … ” dictionary which is a special edition publication designed by award-winning graphic designer Naomi Hirabayashi who also did the brand’s identity design. This dictionary explains every tiny preference and inclinations that guides the brand. An example is that dictionary states their liking in old luggages full of stickers and scratches or their emphasis on the combination of metal and wood. All of these principals and values culminate to guide the diverse brand to have a hard-to-define yet consistent colour or tone.
BTW, you can check out their painter denim, it sells quite well and I have it. Perhaps next time I will write a post just talking about their advertisements. LOL.
I passed the entrance exams!
Next stop ☞ Taiwan ’18
The World of Wong Kar Wai・映画監督ウォン・カーウァイの世界
(ABOVE) A video summarising the charms of Wong Kar Wai, by youtube channel ‘Pitching Room’
(上)監督ウォン・カーウァイの映画の魅力を描写する動画
When I started my first ever internship, my mentor taught me 2 directors whose movies I must watch. One of which was Hong Kong director, Wong Kar Wai, a name synonymous with Asian cinema. His movies are not always crowd favourites, many find it boring, with overly long b-rolls and overly poetic lines. I’ve even heard of a guy who exited the cinema half-way for the first time in his life, while watching Wong’s film. Truly, if you go into the cinema expecting to be excited at the back of your seat, you might be disappointed. His films are more suitable for when you are feeling sentimental, when you are ready to lose yourself in the music.
私は両親に「ウォン・カーウァイ」という監督について感想を聞いたところ、あまり良い評価は得られませんでした。うちの親父の話によると、彼の映画を見た時生まれて初めて映画途中で映画館を出たそうです。
多くの皆はそう思うのはよく分かります。何も説明のない風景のシーンが長いし、詩のようなセリフも多いです。確かにつまらなくてストーリーが進められないと感じします。
Despite the criticisms, he has reached legend status. He is capable of creating an atmosphere in his film that is very Hong Kong and very hard to find anywhere else in the world. The chaotic neon lights. The lonely, slightly dirty and rusty city vibe. The nostalgia of downtown Hong Kong. You cannot categorise these feelings easily, you have to see the films for yourself. I would like to introduce 3 of his movies and an interesting composition or camera technique applied in each.
一方、ウォン監督の映画奇妙な魅力があると いう意見もあります。 夜の街並みのネオン・ライツの中で、少し汚くて錆びている雰囲気しんとが現れ、如何にも香港の下町らしいシーンが良くあります。観客に一種のノスタルジーを与えます。
彼の三つの映画を紹介したいと思います。
(TOP) Iconic scenes from ‘In the Mood for love’, especially those that are well framed
(上) 映画「花様年華」の中の代表的なシーン、特に窓やドアみたいな枠が入られているシーン
★★★★★
The first film has to be Wong’s signature work–‘In the Mood for love(2001)’ It went on to be chosen 2nd place in BBC’s Top 100 best films of the 21st Century. The movie is set in 1960s Hong Kong–a time where men had gelled hair, worn suits and women adorned the cheongsam, dressing up even for short trips to the market. It makes me imagine how my own grandfather looked when he was young, especially since he alway dressed neatly with gelled hair even at an old age. It’s the many little things that give the film its refined vibe, be it suited Tony Leung, walking out of the shadows with a newspaper tucked under his armpit or the cigar smoke filling the air slowly.
A notable film technique Wong used in much of this film is a「frame within a frame」. Many scenes have their main action framed within another frame, such as a door or a window, within the screen itself. This reflects Wong’s obsession with the composition in every frame.
まず、ウォン監督の第一の代表作は「花様年華(2001)」です。
「BBC 21世紀映画ベスト100リスト」の中に、第２位で獲得されていた作品です。1960年代の香港の背景として、男性はスーツばかりを着て、女性はチイパオばかりを着ていた時代でした。脇下で新聞を挟んで影から歩き出すトニー・レオンの姿が格好いいと思われたからです。
映画の画面にだいたい 窓やドアみたいな枠が入られていました。これらのことからウォン監督は構図に関する自分なりのこだわりがあるのをよくわかります。
(ABOVE) Iconic Scene from movie ‘In the Mood for love’ that I mentioned in the post, men that wear suits and women who wear cheongsam
(上)映画「花様年華」の中に1960年代香港男のスーツ姿や女のチイパ姿を反映するシーン
(1) Erratic and Sketchy scenes that use the [step printing] method
「Step Printing」というカメラ手法通して突飛な速さで動いているシーン
(2) The iconic pineapple scene
代表的な水槽の隣にパイナップルを食べているシーン
(3) Other Iconic scenes
ほかの代表的なシーン
★★★★★
If ‘In the mood for love’ is composed, slow-paced and refined, then the following movie I am going to describe is probably the opposite–it is also one of Wong’s most iconic film, ‘Chung King Express (1994)’. A young actor at that time, Takeshi Kaneshiro took on the role of a policeman suffering from a breakup heartbreak. For a month after breaking up his girlfriend, he collected his ex’s favorite canned pineapple everyday, specifically ones that expire at the end of the month. He then ate all of it at one go, as if letting all of his feelings go. The scene of him musing and feasting on the pineapple beside the fish tank in his lonely apartment is especially sentimental.
Many movies use slow motion or fast motion to dramatize moments, but Wong decided to do both at the same time. He used a camera technique known as 「Step Printing」, he films action scenes in a slow frame rate and then replays it in a faster speed to create an erratic atmosphere that is sketchy with a lot of motion blurs.
第二、「恋する惑星(1994)」という作品も有名です 。
当時若手俳優の武金城さんは失恋したばかりの警察官を演じていました。別れてからの一ヶ月間に、この警察官は元彼女の好きなパイナップル缶詰を毎日一つずつ集めました。そして、最後の日に一気に食べてしまいました。まるで自分の気持ちを切るような感じでしました。彼が水槽の隣にパイナップルを食べている姿は特に印象的でした。
また、ウォン監督はこの映画の中で「Step Printing」というカメラ手法を使いました 。例えば、走っているような速いシーンをスローモーションで再生しました。それなので「荒れ放題」みたいな雰囲気がよく現れました 。
(ABOVE) A song from the Movie OST and certain clips from the movie, ChungKing Express
(上)映画の中の音楽と幾つかのシーンで編集された短い動画
“毎日大勢とすれ違う。その誰かともしかして親友にだから僕はすれ違いを避けないケガするときもあるけど楽しければいい。”
—金城 武, 天使の涙(1995)
—金城 武, 天使の涙(1995)
“We rub shoulders with many people everyday. Some may become your close friend, or even your confidant. That’s why I’ll never avoid such possibilities, sometimes it hurts. Not to worry–as long as you’re happy.”
– Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fallen Angels(1995)
– Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fallen Angels(1995)
“每天，你都会和许多人擦肩而过，他们可能会成为你的朋友或是知己。所以我从来没有放弃和任何人摩擦的机会。有时候搞得自己头破血流，管他呢！开心就行了”
–金城武,堕落天使(1995)
–金城武,堕落天使(1995)
(TOP) Iconic scenes from the movie Fallen Angels, especially ones that show the visual effect from wide lens closeup, that bends and warps the image from the movie.
(上) ワイドレンズでクローズアップしたから、スクリーンを曲がれて、画面上の距離を拡大するシーン
★★★★★
Lastly, ‘Fallen Angels(1995)‘, is the least known of the 3, but by far my favourite Wong Kar Wai Film. It starts as a story about an assassin and his agent but it’s ultimately about fate and coincidence–rubbing shoulders with people who walk in and out of your life.
When filming a landscape, cinematographers would usually use wide lens, as it captures a large area. However, they would not use it for closeups as it tends to warp nearby objects, your face would be distorted to look like a banana in front of it. In this film Wong use this 「Wide lens close-up」to achieve a look that makes 2 people sitting close together by a table to look visually distant from each other on the screen, bending the screen image in an exaggerated manner.
最後に「天使の涙(1995)」という映画も特別です。
殺し屋やエージェントなどの役目について映画です。
この映画の中で、ウォン監督は普通のクローズアップレンズ（望遠/標準レンズ）の代わりにワイドレンズ（広角）を使って、クローズアップを撮影しました。そうすると、役者たちの顔はバナナのように歪みます。この手法を通して、 スケールを拡大することができます。そうすると、実際に近く座っている役者たちはスクリーンに長い距離があるように見えます。
(ABOVE) SPOILER ALERT! The ending from the movie Fallen Angels
(上)ネタバレ！映画「天使の涙」の終わり
There is so much more I can say about Wong Kar Wai, perhaps for another time. He is an irreplaceable figure and marked an era in Hong Kong film history.
ウォン監督は いつも斬新的なテクニックで香港ならでの雰囲気をしみじみと表現します。彼がつい香港映画の一時代を築きました。
DISCLAIMER☞The writing and content have seem odd during the attempt to draw a parallel between my limited Japanese ability and English expressions. This is for my practice, let me know areas of improvements thanks. Special thanks to my Japanese teacher, Chris.
Sony RX100 Mark IV: Model Trains
I bought a second-hand Sony RX100 Mark IV about a year ago during my earlier days in army. I was bringing it around till I went to this model train exhibition at Japan Creative Centre where i frequent. I tried it for the first time, since it is known for its video recording function. Never really a filming/cameramen guy at all, but the handheld manual focus was a joy to use! I stringed the footage and uploaded it a year ago, and since I came across it again, I thought it’s a waste not to leave it in this blog 😂
Total Design・トータルデザインー; Bynd Artisan
(TOP) Bynd Artisan, Holland Village Atelier
(上) 「バインド・アーチザン」Holland Village 店舗
Photo courtesy of ‘On The Grid’
There is a new generation of business owners in Singapore. In the past, the ideal was to expand businesses quickly with cheaper and faster techniques, creating gigantic factories of people who can do labour of robotic speed(both literally and metaphorically) . This works in the past but it is pointless to out-Ebay Ebay or any other of these big companies in this world of endless competition. Their strategy is to win to the bottom, but now what we want is to win to the top.
シンガポールに次世代の経営者がいます。以前は、理想としてロボットのようなスピードで仕事ができる人々が集まる巨大な工場(文字通りであろうと比喩的であろうと)を作り、より安くて速い技術を使って急速にビジネスを拡大させようとしていました。これは過去のことですが、この世界における無限の競争の中でイーベイやイーベイのような大きな組織を作れば意味がありません。それらの戦略は底辺での勝利を目指していますが、今私たちに必要なのは頂点で勝利を収めることです。
People in Singapore are no longer willing to do factory-like work, they no longer want to do unfulfilling labour and be easily replaceable. Especially with the ageing population, businesses have trouble finding this gap of employees who are willing to take up these jobs, often turning to foreign employees from countries like China, India or Malaysia.
シンガポールの人々は、以前のように工場のような労働をしたがらないし、達成感のない仕事や簡単に人員交代できる仕事もしたがりません。特に高齢化とともに、これらの仕事に就きたいと思っている労働者のギャップや、中国やインド、マレーシアのような国々からの外国人労働者の雇用問題をビジネスは抱えている。
(TOP) Brand brochure
(上) ブランドパンフレット
Photo courtesy of ‘&Larry’
A book binding business was also struggling in what they call a sunset industry. The employees were old and they just make the same kind of books over and over again. In 2014, they decided to take the bold step of rebranding their entire brand starting with renaming it “Bynd Artisan”
本作りに関連しているビジネスはまた、斜陽産業と呼ばれることに悩んでいました。労働者は年配で、ただ同じことを繰り返し、同じような本を作っています。2014年、彼らは大きな一歩を踏み出す決意をしました。「バインド・アーチザン」へブランド名を改名し、新ブランドを立ち上げたのです。
このブランドの創業者は、「トータル・デザイン」という信条のもと、新しいベンチャービジネスを確立させました。これには、ブランドデザイン、プロダクトデザインやインテリアデザイン、人デザインやコラボレーティブデザインが含まれています。
The founders built this new venture upon the belief in “Total Design” which includes branding design, product ＆ experience design, interior design, people design and collaborative design.
They brought all their backend services to the frontline, making exciting retail stores, branded as “Ateliers”. They also created a strong brand image that is consistent from the products to the interior. An interior reminiscent of a craftsman’s workshop is reflected from the raw textures of the brick walls to the old book-making machinery, creating a unique, stimulating customer experience. A customized notebook system is designed where one can choose from a wide variety of materials such as rivets, strings, paper and leather, even topping it off with an engraved name to make it the perfect gift.
「アトリエ」として確立された、人々を楽しませる小売店を作り、彼らは全てのバックエンドのサービスを最前線に持ってきました。彼らは、製品からインテリアに至るまで首尾一貫している強力なブランドイメージを作り上げました。ユニークなものを生み出したり、顧客の好奇心を刺激したりするインテリアは、煉瓦壁の感触から古典印字機に至るまで反映されている職人の作業場を思い起こさせます。彼らは、カスタマイズできるノートブックシステムを作りました。これは、リベット、糸、紙やカバーのような素材を豊富な種類の中から選ぶことができ、完璧な贈り物のために、それに名前を掘って仕上げることさえもできます。
(TOP) Store Interiors
(上) 店内インテリア
Photo courtesy of ‘&Larry’
Every store is assigned with a more veteran craftsman who has an irreplaceable position, some are even poster boys of the brand. They are taken out of the traditional context of working behind the scenes to the customers where they have a workshop-like space in the middle of the store. They are also paired with a young apprentice, where they will impart their invaluable skills and cultivate the next generation. The special effort made for the growth and welfare of the employees exemplifies “People Design”
全ての店舗に取って代わることのできないベテランの職人を割り当てて、その中の数人はブランドの広告塔になりました。店の真ん中には作業場があり、職人は顧客に作業が見えるように正面を向き、その場の後方で働いています。彼らは若い弟子を付けて、製本の技術と知識を伝えようとしています。従業員の成長ややりがいを感じられる努力は「人デザイン」の代表的な例です。
Collaboration is imperative for always pushing out new, fresh works. Bynd Artisan collaborates with people from a wide range of fields like graphic designers, singer-songwriters and fashion designers. A notable example is when they recently collaborated with the 1 Michelin starred local establishment Iggy’s on a dessert known as “5 Stones”. Inspired by the popular Singaporean childhood game, the dessert exudes a local vibe not just in appearance but also in flavours such as Bandung and Bur Bur Cha Cha.
新しくて、斬新な作品を生み出すために、コラボレーションは常に大切にしなければなりません。バインド・アーチザンはグラフィックデザイナーやシンガーソングライター、ファッションデザイナーなどの幅広い分野で活躍している人々とコラボレーションをしました。最近では、「イギーズ」という一つ星レストランと協力して「5 Stones」というお菓子を作りました。シンガポールの子供たちに人気のあるゲームに感銘を受けて、形だけでなく味も「ボボチャチャ」や「バンドン」のようにシンガポール風にしました。
(TOP-LEFT) 5 Stones – A dessert collaboration with Iggy’s
(TOP-RIGHT) Poster of veteran craftsmen
(上左) 「イギーズ」というレストランとコラボした「5 Stones」というお菓子
(上右) 職人のポスター
Photo courtesy of ‘&Larry’
They grew to 5 outlets in a very short time, reflecting the potential of the brand. They were also awarded the highest accolade of Singapore design, the President’s Design Award, becoming a role model of how design supports businesses. I am confident that in time to come, there would be more and more people with the same mindset and we will see people pushing the boundaries once again.
短期間の間に５つの新店舗がオープンし、ブランドの将来性がはっきりと見えてきました。さらに、2016年にシンガポールで最も権威のある大統領デザイン賞を受賞し、彼らのデザインがビジネスを支える手本となりました。同じ考えを持つ人が増えていくと、ふたたびその境地を開いていく人々が現れるはずです。
DISCLAIMER☞The writing and content have seem odd during the attempt to draw a parallel between my limited Japanese ability and English expressions. This is for my practice, let me know areas of improvements thanks. Special thanks to my Japanese teacher, Anna.
Specific Feelings・具体的な感情
“私は普通にイヤホンで映画を聞きます。
ただ対話。
どうやってこんな音程やトーンが表れられますか？
こんな考えよくあります。”
—DEAN, R＆Bソングライター
ただ対話。
どうやってこんな音程やトーンが表れられますか？
こんな考えよくあります。”
—DEAN, R＆Bソングライター
“Usually I listen to movies through my earphones,
just their dialogues.
How do I express these tones or sounds visually?
I think about that alot”
– Dean, R&B Artist
What inspires you? How can you get inspired?
Sometimes it is hard to find the right inspiration and we would get the writer’s block and have trouble delivering good work, no matter what medium you are working in, be it food, music or art.
あなたは何のことからインスパイアされましたか？どのようにインスパイアされましたか？
我々はたまに創作の行き詰まりを会って、ひらめきも来させにくくて、料理や美術や音楽どんな媒質でも、いい作品を作るのは難しいです。
以前、演劇のクラスで私たちが学んだ大事なことは「感情は単独なものではない」ということです。
もし私たちがただ喜、怒、哀、楽をそれぞれに演じたら、人間のような演技ではなくて、ロボットのようになります。
人間の感情は時々わけがわからなくなり、悲しみと憂うつさを感じると同時に怒りも含んでいます。
I remember back in my theatre class days, a prominent thing that we learnt is that emotions are not singular.
We don’t just feel “happy, angry, excited, sad” by itself, that would be robotic.
Sometimes our feelings are mixed up and complicated, you feel sad and depressed but at the same time its embedded with some anger.
(TOP-LEFT) Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong 1970s/1980s
(TOP-RIGHT) Kawasaki Warehouse, a Japanese arcade inspired by the Kowloon Walled City
(上左) 以前の香港九龍城
(上右) 現在九龍城インスパイアされたゲームセンター、Kawasaki Warehouse
The same could be said about design projects.
We are often briefed to make a work “friendly, cute, cool or professional” and sometimes the result we produce are just like that.
It doesn’t touch their hearts, their reactions would just be “Oh, that’s cute” and that’s it.
デザインでも同じことが言われています。
クライアント の要求に応じていつもフレンドドリー、プロ、かっこいい、可愛いなど基本的な特徴を表現させます。
作った作品も書いたとおりにそのままです 。
人の心も動かないし、「ええ、あれは可愛いですね」と言ってこれで終わり。
特別に感じられた作品から、具体的な雰囲気と性格が見えます。
実際の場所、時代と行動の精神が描写されています。
1980年代VHSの懐古・懐かしさ、パリアールデコの魅力、香港九龍城のさびた雰囲気。
このような特徴が作品の中に表れています。
I observed in works that makes me feel something special, that they have very specific feelings.
They portray the spirit of real places, eras and movements.
The nostalgia of the 1980s VHS style, the glamour of Parisian Art Deco, or the dystopian vibes of the Kowloon walled city.
There is soul in these kind of inspirations.
(ABOVE) Songs by DEAN inspired from movies like Bonnie & Clyde.
From the lyrics to the acting and ambient sounds added, the spirit of the movie can be felt.
(上)「俺たちに明日はない(ボニーとクライド)」とかの映画がインスパイアされた歌手DEANの歌。
歌詞、PVの演技、入った雑音とか映画の精神が感じられます。
An example can be found in the Korean hip-hop fashion brand Nonagon.
Like hip hop music itself, the brand’s personality is partially mischievous and sometimes aggressive yet is very chill and relaxed at times.
Such flexible and multifaceted vibes are apparent through their logo, website, social media, advertisements and videos etc.
ノナゴンという韓国ヒップホップファッションブランドに、その一例がみられます。
ヒップホップのような茶目っ気と余裕があるのに強い感情もブランドの性格に入っています。
こんな人間のようにフレキシブルで、多面な様子がロゴ、ウェブサイト、広告、動画などのところに表れています。
(ABOVE) Nonagon’s Brand Film.
(上) ノナゴンのブランド動画。
これから作品がもっとはっきり分析できるようになりたい。面白い話題を研究して、もっと具体的な感情を作品に現したい。
I wish to be able to analyze works better from now on, researching into interesting topics and making works that carry specific feelings.
DISCLAIMER☞The writing and content have seem odd during the attempt to draw a parallel between my limited Japanese ability and English expressions. This is for my practice, let me know areas of improvements thanks.