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The opening montage has the same upbeat rock score that closed out the last scene in Artemis, which Al just discussed. In fact the closing 30 seconds of this montage are a direct lift from Artemis with Chisato looking grand as she playfully takes us on a tour of the magnificent resort town of Mykonos. Let's talk about Chisato; she's tall and lean. Her personality is very outgoing. She's talkative and she smiles often as well as easily. She's perfectly comfortable in front of a camera. I get a sense that she doesn't need to work hard when she's on screen. It's like she knows men can't take their eyes off her. I think this adds to her naturalness and her ability to relax on screen. She can just walk down the street, taking in the sights, and from our perspective, that's fine.
Take this scene with Chisato in a nightgown. Between the white walls, the dark shadows, and the ambient light, her garment provides almost the sole element of color. This is a masterful bit of color and light management. Chisato looks like she's going to blend in with rocks in the next scene; only her sparkling silver pumps and her very light colored bathing costume mark her presence. They might have shot this scene with a camera placement level with or above her. The constant look from below placed her face in shadow.
By the way, did you notice the placement of the rose on her bikini panties?
We find Chisato out by the pool next. This scene gives all of us another opportunity to notice the white cottages which seems to grow like wild flowers on the hillside. Chisato looks great in the black dress in the next scene, only they give her nothing to do. "Just pose on this sofa. We'll do all the work." It's kind of languid and romantic if not active.
Before you know it, we are on the beach. Chisato wears a black and gold bikini. The sea gently washes the shore and the overall effect is soothing, relaxing, and tempting. Look at the horizon with other Greek islands in view — will you be consulting a travel agent? This DVD clearly showcases both a beautiful woman and a beautiful destination.
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Now you've seen them both. Director Takao Oshima and Director of Photography Naoki Takanuma worked on both videos, with Noboyuki Kihara on camera. Working as a team they produced something so typically Japanese yet with more than a hint of the Hellenic. Stylistically there is a particular "look" running throughout. The model frequently appears against a bright background while the highlights are allowed to blow out to plain white. On many shots, a soft, dark vignetting appears at the corners of the frame. None of this is unintentional. The Director wanted it that way.
Coming fresh to idol videos I wasn't sure what to expect in the way of music. What we have here is pleasant and doesn't get in the way of the visuals. I can imagine the Director sitting down with a pile of production music CDs. Unavoidable fact #1: the only way to choose film music is to listen to it. What usually happens is that you start listening then, when you wake up, the CD has ended and you can't remember a single tune. But now and again, you will think, "Ah, this is just right for such-and-such a scene!" That's probably what's happened here.
What isn't always immediately apparent is that the music is what determines the length of each scene. Here, the pictures are cut to the individual tunes, which is an easy way of working because you know in advance that a scene will run for say 3 minutes 37 seconds. You lay down the music track first then fit the shots in with the natural cutting points. You have a beginning, a middle and an ending. And when you've done, it isn't disjointed, jerky or rushed, it just sounds right.
| The Director and his crew, and later, the Editors — three of them are credited — work as a team to create something they can be pleased with. And that's not the only teamwork we've witnessed here. |   |
For the first time, AoV has used two reviewers, working independently to produce a two-page review of a complementary pair of DVDs. Truly, there's a lot to be said for teamwork.
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