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What is the difference between filmmaking and digital filmmaking?

Should I move to Japan to pursue filmmaking?

  • This has been on the back of my mind for some time. I am going to finish up my undergraduate marketing degree at California State University and wanted to know if moving to Japan for a couple years would be a good idea to pursue my passion for filmmaking. I'd like to try and get some internships in Los Angeles while going to school but after visiting Japan I fell in love with the country and would love to live there for a bit. I've heard there is a lot of opportunity there if you are American and speak fluent Japanese. My biggest concern is missing out on connections that I could be establishing in Los Angeles. Even if I became successful in Japan, I don't think it would make any difference once I come back to the States since it's all about who you know rather than what you know. I am so confused. I would be very grateful if someone could help me out.

  • Answer:

    I live in Japan and filmmaking is a hobby of mine. The film industry in Japan is a very closed community. Most people are hired based on the prestige of the Japanese school they went to or by developing a good social network among Japanese colleagues. For example, my wife has a friend who works at one of the major TV networks. I asked her (via my wife) if I could apply for a job there. I am pretty fluent in Japanese and have a proper resume and demo reel and everything. The reply was basically, in a totally non-joking manner, "You are crazy." :( I've never heard of a foreigner who was able to break out in the film industry here. Anyway, most movies about Japan are filmed in China, Vancouver, or New Zealand these days. If you want to make a movie involving Japan, as I am, then come teach English here and do filmmaking in your spare time (of which you will have plenty!).

Altron00... at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Don't want to sound negative like some people accuse me of, but I'd have to say no. You can't work in Japan without a work visa. To qualify for a work visa you need a job offer before you get there. You need to more than speak Japanese.You need to also read and write it. What you want to do is VERY hard to do here. It would be almost impossible to do in Japan.

Vinegar Taster

It's not a good idea to move to Japan for film. As the others have said, there is not a great demand for filmmakers, and California has a lot more opportunities. Many Film makers in Japan first enter the pornographic filming in order to prove that they can use the camera and THEN with this background in film, they will begin working to become real filmmakers. I know people who study film and the film industry in Japan professionally, and this is an interesting trend. (The producer of the movie Onmyoji is an example) Not everyone starts off in the porn industry, but many do. Since that gives many Japanese filmmakers a boost in their career to help them get noticed, it would be difficult for you to get in as a foreigner. (It's also not typically a desirable industry to enter in the West.) The Japanese film industry is also not as developed, so you will be better at it if you stay in the United States.

Rabbityama

The Japanese film industry has been in decline for a long time. There are fewer theaters nowadays and those theaters that have survived mostly show Hollywood blockbusters. The direct to video market thrives in Japan but it's mostly a lot of soft-core porn, the same yakuza stories over and over again, magna adaptations, etc. etc. Therefore Japan is not the best place for you to pursue a firm career. Vancouver is actually where a lot of films get made nowadays.

michinoku2001

Stay in the US and Los Angeles/Hollwyood. There's no advantage in moving to Japan to pursue a career in making films. As you pointed out there are mores pluses to staying and studying then going abroad. You could always be a director from the US and make films about Japan or takes place in Japan. There are many independent and big name film makers who have done that.

What's more important? Your filmmaking career? Or living in Japan? If it's the former, I'd stay in America and continue in LA. If it's the latter, by all means make the trip. Just be aware that despite all the technological advances in electronics and other areas, film and TV production lag far behind the US and I don't think you'd be doing yourself any favors learning here. It would be like going to America to learn sumo wrestling. Again, that's just a personal observation and not based on any professional experience whatsoever. Good luck!

ALsensei

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