video documentaries and experimental video
Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow
onogerow
Thu Nov 5 21:34:06 EST 1998
>Advice on equipment I will need, addresses of distributors, independent
>groups of filmmakers, predicted
>costs, reading I could do to fill me in on experimental video in Japan,
>etc. etc. are all much needed.
The first place to get in touch with is Image Forum, the main institution
dealing with experimental film and video in Japan. They not only
distribute works, they have their own festival (The Image Forum
Festival--the main showcase for experimental works), their own filmmaking
academy, and publish catalogs (their magazine, _Image Forum_, stopped
publication a few years ago, but I heard it will be starting up again
soon). They usually charge for films, but they can negotiate. Check out
their website at www.imageforum.co.jp. They can also help with foreign
stuff. Contact Nagashima Takashi or Ikeda Hiroyuki and mention my name.
Another group, though not as active these days, is the VIEW people. You
can either contact Mizuyoshi Akira at Mistral (O3-3479-7472) or Sasaki
Ken at his izakeya Kino Kyuhei (042-577-5971). These people are some of
the movers behind _Fs_, a yearly and quite good publication on recent
experimental work. Also mention my name.
If you want inexpensive sources, it's always good to make contacts with
the many universities that teach experimental film, such as Tama
University of Art, Musashi University of Art, and Kyoto University of Art
and Design. Student work can sometimes be quite good.
I have heard there are people working out of Fukuoka (Ishii Sogo has a
filmmakers seminar based there), so you might want to send out some
feelers there.
As for publications, beyond _Fs_ and the publications Image Forum has put
out, you might also want to contact the Yamagata International
Documentary Film Festival. Their catalogs on 1960s and 1970s Japanese
documentary won't include video, but they will give you a background.
The 1980s and Beyond catalog does include video documentary as does the
Main catalog from the 1997 festival. The phone number is 03-3266-9704.
Talk to Ono Seiko (my wife).
For equipment, most of the people I know are still working in 8mm video,
though a few are moving to digital. Few can afford Beta or any of the
high-range systems. You should definitely be equipped to show 8mm video,
though you can have them transfer to VHS if need be (at a loss of image
quality).
Good luck,
Aaron Gerow
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