Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 13:22:49 GMT -5
A couple of weeks before Pennsic, I was contacted by a scout for a Japanese TV show whose name translate's basically as "Who wants to come to Japan?". I was dubious at first, and feared winding up in a bathtub full of ice with no kidneys, but they pointed me to some episodes that had been posted online, and it seemed like an interesting and (mostly) respectful show. The purpose of the show is to get modern Japanese more interested in aspects of traditional Japanese culture by finding people in other countries who have never been to Japan, but who want to visit Japan and learn about something traditional that maybe isn't as popular as it once was.
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/nipponikitaihito/
I was asked to submit an audition video, which I did, then I was told "Thanks, but no thanks" just before Pennsic. I took down the video. Then, during Pennsic I was asked to re-post the video. Then I was told the director had changed his mind, and he thought my interest in eboshi and other historical clothes was worth looking into. They asked if they could visit the next week to conduct an interview and see some of my work up close. I told them that Hara and I had already been talking about having some people over for sewing, and if they wanted to visit on Saturday they could meet a whole group of people. They suggested visiting on Friday for an individual interview, then they'd come back on Saturday to meet people.
So anyway, that happened.
The director and cameraman flew in Thursday. They were met by a producer who is based in NYC and would also be their translator. Apparently, they went to meet with some people Friday morning who are in the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society. This club has hundreds of members in the greater Pittsburgh area, none of whom are Japanese. Then, they showed up at my home.
Hara and I spent 6.5 hours showing them garments we'd made, books we have, braids we've done, objects we've made, and talking with them about our general interest in medieval Japan through the "medieval group". (Our Kingdom seneschal advised us to avoid using the letters S, C, and A lest we appear to represent the group.) The director would ask questions, the producer would translate for us, we would answer, and the producer would translate back. We spent a lot of time setting up little displays of things so the cameraman could capture B-roll footage for possible voice-over. Then, they left to go find a food truck that's run by a popular local mediocre Japanese restaurant.
Saturday, they came back during our sewing day and so nobody got much sewing done. They talked to everybody about our interests in Japanese culture, and what each of us had brought to work on at sewing. The King and Queen showed up with their family and showed off the fancy outfits we'd made for them. later, I did some more 1:1 and helped them shoot more B-roll. They'd been unhappy with some of the video of garments they had shot, so I set up my little photo studio and they got some they were much happier with. It all ended with me shouting "NIPPONIKITAI!" (I want to go to Japan!) into an elevated camera while dressed in kataginu kamishimo and bidding them farewell.
Now, if they wind up airing my segment, and if their panel likes what they see, I might be asked to visit Japan for a week on their dime, and they will take me around to places while they shoot more video. The scout said about 1 in 5 are chosen to visit Japan. In any case, it's been an interesting kind of fun for the last few weeks, so even if I am not selected it's been an adventure. So far, I still have my kidneys and most of my self respect.
www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/nipponikitaihito/
I was asked to submit an audition video, which I did, then I was told "Thanks, but no thanks" just before Pennsic. I took down the video. Then, during Pennsic I was asked to re-post the video. Then I was told the director had changed his mind, and he thought my interest in eboshi and other historical clothes was worth looking into. They asked if they could visit the next week to conduct an interview and see some of my work up close. I told them that Hara and I had already been talking about having some people over for sewing, and if they wanted to visit on Saturday they could meet a whole group of people. They suggested visiting on Friday for an individual interview, then they'd come back on Saturday to meet people.
So anyway, that happened.
The director and cameraman flew in Thursday. They were met by a producer who is based in NYC and would also be their translator. Apparently, they went to meet with some people Friday morning who are in the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society. This club has hundreds of members in the greater Pittsburgh area, none of whom are Japanese. Then, they showed up at my home.
Hara and I spent 6.5 hours showing them garments we'd made, books we have, braids we've done, objects we've made, and talking with them about our general interest in medieval Japan through the "medieval group". (Our Kingdom seneschal advised us to avoid using the letters S, C, and A lest we appear to represent the group.) The director would ask questions, the producer would translate for us, we would answer, and the producer would translate back. We spent a lot of time setting up little displays of things so the cameraman could capture B-roll footage for possible voice-over. Then, they left to go find a food truck that's run by a popular local mediocre Japanese restaurant.
Saturday, they came back during our sewing day and so nobody got much sewing done. They talked to everybody about our interests in Japanese culture, and what each of us had brought to work on at sewing. The King and Queen showed up with their family and showed off the fancy outfits we'd made for them. later, I did some more 1:1 and helped them shoot more B-roll. They'd been unhappy with some of the video of garments they had shot, so I set up my little photo studio and they got some they were much happier with. It all ended with me shouting "NIPPONIKITAI!" (I want to go to Japan!) into an elevated camera while dressed in kataginu kamishimo and bidding them farewell.
Now, if they wind up airing my segment, and if their panel likes what they see, I might be asked to visit Japan for a week on their dime, and they will take me around to places while they shoot more video. The scout said about 1 in 5 are chosen to visit Japan. In any case, it's been an interesting kind of fun for the last few weeks, so even if I am not selected it's been an adventure. So far, I still have my kidneys and most of my self respect.