As we announced last week, the new “Ninja Slayer” show is starting on Niconico on April 16th, 2015 at 11:00 pm. All of us at Robot55 – and Universal Vision – are more than proud to announce (brag) that we are working with the fine folks at Ninja Slayer, Road and Sky Company, King Records and Kadokawa as a team and bringing that exciting new animation to the world! Read about that here: Ninja Slayer Animation Begins April 16th at 11pm on Niconico (http://robot55.jp/blog/ninja-slayer-animation-begins-april-16th-at-11-pm-on-niconico/)
Mina Shirakawa poses in a bathing suit for cameraman Ken Nishikawa
We are also making a special program just for the fans of Ninja Slayer and that show premieres on that new “Ninja Slayer” show starting on Niconico on April 16th, 2015 at 11:00 pm; it’s a special program in a program. I still can’t tell you all too many details on the show, but I can share some tidbits. Today, we had some video production for that show and several beautiful Japanese girls came to the studio and dropped our jaws with their Ninja antics as well as their swim suit photo session!
Rico san also posed for the show!
That’s right! You read it here first: Beautiful Japanese Ninja Girls and their swimsuit pin up scenes…. and you can see it all on Niconico on April 16th, 2015 at 11:00 pm
I’m expecting that it will be a smash hit. What more could a guy want to watch?
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Oh, and all the girls who will appear on our show, Matsuo Yuki (松尾由紀) , Minami Rin (みなみ鈴 ), Rico (りこ）and Mina Shirakawa (白川未奈) appear courtesy of Presence LLC (URL: http://www.pre13-office.com/)
Mike and Ken with beautiful model, Yuki Matsuo
There’s some more very exciting news coming out about the involvement of Robot55 (and the sister company, Universal Vision Ltd. – http://universal-vision.jp/) with the video production about this smash hit adventure.
Get all the inside information here! Stay tuned!
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What the heck, eh? One more photo for the road!
The best video production job in Tokyo! (Left) Minami Rin, (Right) Mina Shirakawa and Mike Rogers (Dead and gone to heaven!)
(Image at top is the first – totally ripped off design – of the robot for Robot55.)
May I brag? I’ve had so many people tell me that they love the Robot character we use for Robot55. Thanks. I made him myself…Uh, no… That’s not true. Ayumi, our president made him. Besides being a sort-of genius engineer and designer, she’s a mad scientist!
Since I can remember, Japan has always had a lot of robots (be they real, giant or otherwise) as well as monsters and ghosts. When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, we always thought it was strange. I remember asking my mom (who was Japanese) why the Japanese had so many weird monsters and robots everywhere. It’s bizarre when you stop to think about it; Japan had lots of robots, etc. since way back when. Now, in 2015, Japan has robot restaurants and all sorts of funky aluminum creatures… And, as for monsters, I guess Fukushima Dai-Ichi could fit that bill.
How little did we realize when we were little kids, that this 60’s Japanese Kitsch was extremely cool…. How little did we realize that those toy cars made out of aluminum beer cans that came from Japan in the sixties would be worth thousands of dollars to collectors today. How could we realize, as little kids, how dumb we were? The robots, monsters and toy cars from Japan were waaaaaay cool. Us dumb dorky kids were the ones who weren’t cool.
I looked up some cool videos of the seminal Japanese robot character: Giant Robot. That cartoon was known as “Johnny Sokko and His Giant Robot” in the USA. I turned on this Youtube video link and watched. “Ah!” I thought, “I remember this TV show! His finger is a rocket!”
A minute later, my wife peered out of the dining room, when she heard the theme song of Giant Robo and exclaimed, “I loved this TV show! When it ended, I cried and cried!” (She started to cry right there too! She’s so sweet)
Watching my wife relive a moment of her childhood brought tears to my eyes! She reminded me of my mother; and, her emotions remind me, once again, just how romanticist and delicate the Japanese can be.
I love Japan and the Japanese people!
Here’s a trailer for Giant Robot…
… Maybe this is just one more clue into why the Japanese have a fascination with robots and giant radioactive creatures from space and the bottom of the ocean….
NOTES: Giant Robo first appeared in Weekly Shonan Sunday in 1967. The Giant Robo manga (comics) first appeared in a weekly comic book called Weekly Shōnen Sunday on May 1967. Written by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Giant Robo tells the story of Daisaku Kusama, the titular Robo and an evil secret society known only as “Big Fire.” In October of the same year, a live-action adaptation premiered on TV Asahi.
In yesterday’s post, I pointed out data that showed that 90% of people surveyed say that videos online helped them to decide on a purchase at a major retailer. That shows the power of video for increasing your business and making more money. Please refer to: 90% of All People Say a Video Helps To Decide a Purchase! (If that link doesn’t work, try this: www.robot55.jp/blog/90-of-all-people-say-a-video-helps-to-decide-a-purchase/)
But, that survey was done at a major retailer; big companies can afford expensive video productions. But what about the little guys? That’s where Robot55 comes in. And that’s also why we have started this weekly column: Video Tips! Make Your Own Video For Your Business For Free!
And this is simple. We are going to help you each week correcting the most basic and common mistakes of homemade videos. So, in just a snap, you can make your business (or family videos) MUCH better by just keeping in mind every week’s simple 3 point lessons. These easy tips will greatly improve your video for business and all your home photos and videos of the kids and family too! So, let’s get started:
1) First off, the most common mistake that I see people doing everyday! When using a smart device or smart phone, make sure that the picture is always framed horizontally. Keep a steady hand. Do NOT leave a lot of “head space” in a picture or video.
The image on the left doesn’t fill up the screen. The top of the head is at the halfway point. This is generally bad unless you are going to put in titles above the head. The image on the right fills the screen. This is correct and, judging side by side, you can see for yourself how much better it looks. Get close to your subjects; fill the screen. Do not leave a lot of head space. For a tip, just watch the news on TV when they close up on the anchor person: they get very close. You need to do that for your videos.
2) Do not “pan” a lot (swing the camera around). It is always best to take shorter close ups (like still photos). If the camera is swinging around, it is difficult for the viewer to grasp the image. You can understand what’s going on because you are there shooting the video and you are the cameraman, but for people watching it, especially on a smart device or PC, it only causes headaches. Here watch this if you can. It’s a example of bad “panning” (swinging the camera around):
Your viewers won’t be able to see what you see and they’ll not be able to grasp the images well. Instead of this poor panning method, I’d strongly recommend three shots of the same thing without the pan. See?
I know you want your viewers to be able to see everything, but on a screen, especially a small one, it just doesn’t work out that way well. You are much better off finding the important points and getting up close to them so the viewer can better enjoy the experience. And, like in #1 above, get close. Fill the screen!
3) Here is another basic mistake that might even be the most common. Never take someones picture when they are standing with a big window behind them or the sun behind them; the sun or light must always be behind you the cameraman. Always have the sunlight or lights behind the camera and behind your back. Never have the light source or sun behind the subject of the picture. Here’s a simple example of two photos taken in the exact same spot. One has the light behind the subject; the other has the light behind the cameraman.
Oh my god! On the photo on the left I look terrible! But, well, we can’t fix my face. The lighting though is a wreck as it is behind the subject and facing the camera. This is no good at all. What to do? We switched standing positions. In the photo on the right the cameraman is now standing with the window behind his back! I look much better (but a tad bit hung over! Yikes!)
Well, folks, that’s it for today’s simple three point lesson. Keep in mind these three simple points and your home and business videos (and your family photos or vacation and those birthday parties, picnics and weddings) will all be much better!
Seriously, I went to university to learn this stuff and that cost lots of money and time wasted not doing homework. But, because dear reader (you) are so cool, here’s information you need for absolutely free.
If you have any questions at all, feel free to write directly to me and ask away!
Well, a survey of tourists leaving Japan shows what everyone already knows: Sushi is a favorite among tourists (and Japanese alike). Here is a list of the top favorite foods amongst tourists to Japan!
A recent newspaper article I read said this:
Foreign tourists visiting Japan enjoy sushi above any other national dish, according to a survey by the Japan National Tourism Organisation. The state-run agency said it interviewed more than 15,000 foreign tourists as they left Japan and asked what their favorite food had been during their visit.
So what were their favorite foods?
Drum roll please!
At #6: Gyudon! Gyudon is everywhere in Japan too. Gyudon is beef and vegetables on a bed of rice and it is probably the best value for the money in town. You can have a full stomach for under $5 (USD)! I recommend Sukiya as they have nearly 2000 shops all over Japan (and English menus!)
At #4: Tempura! Fish, shellfish or vegetables deep fried in batter! I don’t usually eat fried foods but I have been to Tenya a few times and it is fast, cheap and delicious.
At #3: Sashimi! (good sashimi is expensive so I don’t really know any cheap places… But try out #1 below!)
At #2: Ramen! A noodle soup that originated in China, came in second with 21 percent of visitors placing it top. I can’t really recommend any ramen shop because there’s millions of good ones everywhere in Tokyo!
At #1: Sushi! Four out of ten people picked sushi as #1. Sushi is morsels of vinegar-flavored rice usually served with sliced raw seafood. Well, there’s a million great sushi places in Japan too! (Well, duh!) But if you have kids who are picky eaters and you are on a budget traveling in Japan, then try out Hamazushi! The kids LOVE this place! Gaijin Gourmet: My Favorite Robot (Sushi) – Hamazushi
Of course, as the Olympics get closer, there will be more and more of these establishments making English language videos for the foreign audience coming to Japan and you can bet that Robot55 will be there making these video productions for the shops, especially in the Tokyo area. As we produce these videos, we will post them on the Robot55 webpage.
