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 9th update!! Continuing from where we left off last time, we’re going to show you the rest of the filming process!!

The stage is set, and we’re starting from this scene, where Shogen and Yamaki are being watched by security cameras.

The two of them have temporarily lost their pursuers, and are pausing to catch their breath. But the fact that they’re being monitored by security cameras means…?

Here’s the security camera. This isn’t a real camera, we’re using a dummy!

Of course, it looks just like the real thing, and automatically moves from side-to-side.

For this scene, we need a close-up to capture the facial expressions of the actors, and a top-down shot from the camera’s point of view. This requires the use of a new secret weapon!

This clever little device is a GoPro wearable camera, which can be set up in a “hard-to-reach” spot and remotely controlled with an iPhone!

On your iPhone’s screen, you can see what the camera sees, and start recording anytime! We’re using this to take some footage of our heroes from the security camera’s point of view!

Next, we move to the bad guy’s hideout! With a focus on King’s character, played by Mr. Koyasu, the director explains to the cast what kind of scene he’s trying to create here.

We start with a close-up of King. Since the bottom half of his face is covered by a mark, he has to express his emotions through his eyes alone. All attention is on Mr. Koyasu’s acting skills! With his costume and mask, King is really intimidating! You can practically see the “villain aura” that he’s giving off!! The cellphone-like device that he’s holding has been hand-made by the special effects team. As you’ll see, this items plays a very important role in the story!! This is an action scene with Shogen and King’s lackeys!! This scene is being filmed with a hand-held iPhone!! The cameraman Mr. Yamazaki moves around the combatants, and films the action from various angles! He needs to be light on his feet to keep up with the rough movements of the fight scene!! Look at this intense battle!! Actually, in this scene, King’s lackeys are being played by members of the film crew! They keep on retaking the scene until everyone, including the actors themselves, are satisfied. The scene where Ms. Yamaki is felled by King’s bullet!! The three actors take their places: Ms. Yamaki lies on a mat, Shogen is at her side, and Mr. Koyasu looks down on them. This is the all-important climax scene. The staff and cast rehearse with feverish intensity! Here, Mr. Ishino from the special effects team is adding fake blood. The special effects team isn’t just in charge of the props. Things like making sure the blood splatters look realistic is also part of their job! This is the part where the hero howls with rage… this scene really stood out in the original manga version of Propane Nightmares! The character’s features seemed to explode in a burst of fury! We’re looking forward to seeing Shogen’s acting here!! And with that, Ms. Yamaki’s parts are all done! That’s a wrap! Now we can begin filming the final battle scene!! Shooting from above, the GoPro camera makes another appearance! Attaching the GoPro to a stick, we’re taking the next shot from a balcony on the 2nd floor. It’s really useful to have such a flexible device! Now we can start filming the last epic fight between King and Shogen!! You could cut the tension with a knife! Even during rehearsal, these two give their all! Under the watchful eye of the Action Director Mr. Yoshida, Shogen and King battle it out! The cameraman Mr. Yamazaki is dancing around them, filming from every angle! When you watch this movie, please take special note of the camera work in this scene! Thanks to their efforts, we got an awesome action scene! I’m sure the final battle won’t disappoint you!! With all the scenes complete… that’s a wrap! The cast, the director and the filming crew all deserve a round of applause!! Finally, here’s a commemorative photo with the cast and director!! With this, the filming part is over, and we can move onto the editing. How will Molico Ross’s manga look through the eyes of Mr. Watanabe? Brace yourselves! The film adaption of Propane Nightmares is coming soon!!     “What’s important, is how your directing skills bring the manga to life!” The deadline for the SMAC! MOVIE CONTEST has been extended to 9/18!!

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