2009 Japan Media Arts Festival Entertainment Division Grand Prize Hibi No Neiro (Tone of everyday)

Grand Prize

Hibi No Neiro
(Tone of everyday)

Artist : NAKAMURA Magico / NAKAMURA Masayoshi / KAWAMURA Masashi / Hal KIRKLAND

(Japan / Australia)

“What are the really important things for us in this world that is flooded with various senses of value?” The answer to this song-like question should be the same no matter how much our civilization has evolved. This music video was done by editing video materials shot with webcams by cooperating fans, and conveys to us the feeling of connecting with people.

NAKAMURA Magico / NAKAMURA Masayoshi / KAWAMURA Masashi / Hal KIRKLAND

There are four production members; NAKAMURA Masayoshi is the motion graphic designer/illustrator, NAKAMURA Magico is the visual director, KAWAMURA Masashi is the art director, and Hal KIRKLAND is the copywriter. All of them are currently based in New York.

As we are currently living in New York, we could not really feel how big it was to win at Japan Media Arts festival, though we understood it in our heads; but after coming back to Japan, seeing the posters in major train stations, reading the advertisements in fashion magazines available at a hair salon, and especially through the reactions of our friends and the people we know in Japan, we could fully realize the greatness of this prize. We were also happy that we could see the reaction of people watching our video directly at the exhibition booth. Originally, this video was released on the web at such sites as YouTube, and we could only receive the feedback and reactions of the viewers through their written messages. We were already happy enough with only that, but at the exhibition, we could closely observe faces changing to smiles or surprised expressions as the scenes changed, and we could know that many people are reacting differently in different places, which gave us new stimulation. Thank you very much for awarding us this prize and giving us this opportunity. We also would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the people who stopped to see our video at the exhibition.

It was the intention of the artists to create the illusion of a grid of unedited and amateur webcam movies, so that the viewer is initially fooled into thinking that they are watching a typical YouTube image. Then, when the images start interacting and moving around beyond the grids, the viewer is surprised and successfully drawn in. All of them are well calculated in their direction, and the planning to make them real is excellent. The artists must have done an enormous amount of preparation beforehand to ensure all the grid movies interacted as planned before shooting the images; they must have repeated this procedure many times. That this video looks as though it is a collation of webcam images is testament to its excellence of execution. Moreover, the people who communicate with one another beyond the grid and over the Web, overlaps with the theme of the tune. It is not only a brilliant visual video, but also successfully fulfills its role as a music video. The artists have certainly proved their outstanding ability as the professionals.

What makes you create a work?

As creation is a natural desire, I have had it since I was born, and cannot think of anything particular that motivated me towards the creative activities. However, I think that the reason I continue working is because I know that there are people who watch and react to the works, and people who are pleased by their completion.

What tools do you use the most at present?

Every material in this world is a tool for me, it only depends on the work.

What do you place greatest value on in your work?

I value the fact that the work is not mine alone (in many ways).

What personal concept runs through your creative activities?

Consideration.

When you create a work, in what way do you think of a presentation using technologies or media as a means to communicate?

Technologies and media are the means I happen to encounter naturally in my life, so I have never given much thought to how my work relates to the means. I am looking forward to discover what kind of means are coming next; I hope that there will be more that are familiar and easy to understand, preferably good for elderly people.

Could you name a person, a work, or an event that has most influenced you?

It is difficult to pick one thing, as I believe that I have been influenced by all the people, work, and incidents I have encountered through the course of my life. However, when things do not go well and I feel down (as I am not so dexterous), I read a poem titled, Kumu, written by IBARAGI Noriko.