Q&A with Mototake Makishima – the winner of the prize: BEST MESSAGE for “One Day”.
Q: What was your original concept for making the film?
A: When I saw the Toogood’s collection, a mysterious pagan-like world suddenly came up to mind. I was also inspired by the theme of the collection, which is about proud workers expressing their identity in their uniforms, which gave me a fresh angle to the general idea around uniforms. From that aspect, I wanted to bring a certain type of rebellious attitude to the film – almost like Punk. ‘One Day’ thus follows two workers in search of individuality in a mysterious pagan-like Blue World. The two protagonists question the world they live in which is overshadowed by the oppressive power of the idols. The protagonists’ contained emotions inevitably explode: they individually rebel against the mainstream society, feeling that there are other people who share the same ideas and values than oneself, believing that one day you will meet this person.
Q: What was the biggest challenge for you in the process of making this film?
A: It would have been easier to make the film darker because of the concept and the look, however, I was determined not to do so. Some people spontaneously suggested gloomy sounds, which was somehow fitting with the working edit of the film but in an intrusive way: it made the film look one dimensional. I wanted to bring a touch of humour and show many layers of emotions in the film. The film’s composer Marc Teitler shared the same vision and saw some comical side of the film. Together with the mesmerising choreography by Ivana Sehic and the inspiring masks created by Sarah Kaye-Rodden, we have created a surreal world with the music full of little surprises. I was over joyed when the music was completed as it enhanced all the elements I wanted to express.
Q: Why make a fashion film?
A: As an artist and filmmaker, I believe that I can bring my experience working on both artistic and narrative films into the genre. I trade in visually orientated story telling which, I believe, suits fashion films. It is also a very exciting platform for visual artists as fashion audiences have more trained eyes for visuals than the general public due to their exposure to hyper stylised fashion imagery. This gives filmmakers a greater area to explore and experiment. Fashion film is a relatively new genre and we are enjoying diverse expressions at the moment. I am also new to it and am very much looking forward to developing in the genre further.
Q: What makes fashion film different to other short film genres?
A: There are infinite possibilities for fashion films as, in terms of the style and the format, there is no specific type of expectations from the audiences at the moment, as opposed to other more conventional short film genres, which is great for the filmmakers who want to push boundaries. On the other hand, fashion film must convey everything that the fashion photography has to demonstrate – the right styling, hair and make up for example. In other words, a wrong look could spoil any great ideas in a fashion film. The audiences can be unforgiving in that aspect. It seems that it is a fine line between the right and the wrong but if you master it then fashion film is one of the most thrilling creative platforms today.
WATCH THE FILM HERE:
