The Moment MANGA Comes to Life!! #7

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 is 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 manga!

This is our 7th update!!

From this article onward, we’ll be on location, reporting to you how the pros go about shooting a film!!

Here we are, at the dilapidated old factory that will be our setting.
Just like during location hunting, it’s a bright and sunny day. Perfect weather for filming!

Without wasting any time, the production team sets to work preparing the old factory. Our reporting team moves around following each staff, trying to the capture the on-the-scene action!

The director walks around the factory, confirming that all the preparations are underway. He’s also checking for any potential spots which may have been overlooked during location hunting.

As he compares the scenario with the scenery, the movie takes shape in his mind!

The lighting crew is deep in discussion, trying to decide where to best place the cameras and lighting equipment. They are on a extremely important mission, since proper lighting is essential to show off the location in the best possible way!

Outside, the special effects staff are putting the finishing touches on the costumes! Below, you can see them applying color spray to the shoes.

Color spray is used to make the brand-new shoes look old and dirty, to match the setting.

Take a look at this monster of a gun!

These props were handmade by the special effects team, but they look incredibly professional! It seems as if they were real guns!

And what about these weapons… ?

These were put together from 100 yen (approx. 1 dollar) items!!

With a little know-how and ingenuity, you can transform cheap toys into realistic props!

You won’t believe it, but that’s actually a comb on the end of that gun!

They wanted to create a powerful looking weapon, so they decided on a shape, and searched for parts to attach. By putting everything together and spray painting it, they produced a weapon with a completely original shape! By using your brain flexibly, you can give birth to any kind of thing, even if they don’t exist!

This cameraman is busy checking his equipment.

Wait a sec… what’s this?

He’s attached an iPhone to his camera!
By lining up the iPhone and the regular camera, he can use either for filming!!

We’re really looking forward to seeing how the parts taken with the iPhone camera will come out!

The factory has been divided into several areas, which will be used to shoot different scenes. I wonder how each area’s unique atmosphere will contribute to the movie?

One thing that we’ve realized today is that each member of the team makes a valuable contribution towards the finished product. The best way to enhance the quality of a piece is to gather experts from different fields, and pool their knowledge!