News On Japan

A Glimpse Behind "Godzilla Minus One" Oscar Nomination

LOS ANGELES, Feb 19, 2024 (News On Japan) - Director Takashi Yamazaki, whose film "Godzilla Minus One" has been nominated for an Academy Award in Visual Effects, has shared insights into the production process in Los Angeles. This marks the first time a Japanese film has been nominated in this category.

Over 100 film industry professionals and visual creators were invited to the talk show where Yamazaki discussed the making of Godzilla-1.0. The film is competing for the Visual Effects Oscar, a category historically dominated by groundbreaking works like Star Wars and Avatar, known for expanding the boundaries of expression through CG technology.

Yamazaki revealed that the production team utilized special effects techniques and checked the creators' visuals on the spot to streamline the process, including cost efficiency.

"Normally, in a VFX studio, everyone would watch the tests together, but we didn't do that. Instead, if someone spotted an issue, we would immediately discuss how to improve it. There was a lot of interaction among us," Yamazaki explained.

When asked about the use of generative AI in filmmaking, Yamazaki expressed skepticism, stating, "Instinctively, I reject it because it produces something that feels like it's been seen before."

Regarding the nomination, Yamazaki said, "It's an honor to be nominated among such incredible works. I'll be thrilled if we win, but even if we don't, I'm happy to have come this far. I'd say our chances are 50% if I'm being greedy."

The Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 10th.

Source: 日テレNEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving northwest over waters south of Japan at 3 p.m. on September 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Kanto and the Izu Islands from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and further damage in areas still recovering from last year's typhoon.

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

Japan's oldest record company is turning to artificial intelligence to reshape one of the country's most traditional musical genres, unveiling an AI-generated enka singer as part of a new label combining the technology with the distinctive vocal style of Japanese ballads.

Tsunaki Mihara, a guitarist who rose to fame in the 1960s with the Group Sounds band Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets and remained active in music for decades, died of kidney cancer at a Tokyo hospital at 9:02 a.m. on September 11. He was 80.

Switching from an iPhone to an Android device, or playing on both at different times, turns something as simple as buying PokéCoins into a surprisingly confusing errand.

In this video, we cover the performances taking place this month at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo!

Japanese pop culture has had fans around the world for decades, but social media has completely changed the way people discover it.

Hirokazu Koreeda's "Look Back" received more than 12 minutes of applause following its official screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto's film Nelson, Did You Kill Anyone?, which is competing for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy, received a standing ovation lasting about eight minutes following its official screening on September 4.

In this video, we cover the main acting traditions or kata for the scene Kumagai Jin'ya ("Kumagai's Battle Camp") in the history drama Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki ("Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani").