Manga are Movie Storyboards! – Close coverage from the moment the manga comes to life –
The next Silent Manga in Action short film is going to be directed by Kazushi Watanabe, an energetic director at the forefront of the Japanese film industry. It’s set to be based on one of the works from the Comic Zenon Manga Audition, the domestic competition which served as the model for Silent Manga Audition. We’re going to be watching closely, and reporting to you the step- by-step process of breathing life into this manga! This is our 3rd update!! I wonder what goes through the director’s mind right before filming? Today, we’re going to be asking him directly! Mr. Watanabe: “I’m wondering what we’re going to get when we mix the “colors” of Molico Ross-sensei’s manga and my “colors” as a director.” Mr. Watanabe wants to keep the outline of the original manga, but at the same time, include some of his specialties as a director into the filming process. After reading and contemplating the original manga, he developed his own interpretation of the story, and is now using this to create a scenario for the film. How will Mr. Watanabe’s “colors” influence the film version of Propane Nightmares? Expectations are high!! This time round, there was a lively discussion about the scenario, with much referencing of popular movies, such as the latest blockbuster Mad Max! After reading Propane Nightmares, an image of a decadent, steam-punk world formed in the director’s mind. “We’re not going to choose a specific country for the setting, but rather go for that “country-less” feeling.” In the story, the characters use cellphone-like devices. One idea is to use symbols instead of language on the screens! Lots of ideas are born from discussion! Eventually the topic moved from the scenario onto the props. Since there isn’t going to be any dialogue, everything needs to be explained with movement, places and items. In other words, props are an incredibly important part of this production! For example, the most important items in this story are “guns”. Although we’re working with a limited budget, we don’t want to skimp on the props… So one idea was to buy some water-pistols and to customize them ourselves! Even with a modest budget, you can make the items look authentic if you use a little creativity. It’s not that we want to load the film with cheap gimmicks, but rather that we want to think carefully about how things are presented! For this production, it looks like there’s going to be a lot of DIY involved when preparing the props and items for filming. I can’t wait to see how everything is going to look! Next time, we’ll continue to show you process leading up to the manga coming to life! All the preparations for filming are finally finished! How will Molico Ross-sensei’s Propane Nightmares come to life under the expert direction of Mr. Watanabe!? Please look forward to it!! ■Follow the link below!!■ SMAC! MOVIE CONTEST SMAC! MOVIE ARCHIVE ■Back number■ The Moment MANGA Comes to Life!! #1 The Moment MANGA Comes to Life!! #2