Finally ready, the second part about the autumn colors here in Tokyo. For that film, I went to several parks with my friend Mayumi, who is a dancer here in Japan.

When we were shooting, the music was not decided yet, so she was just moving without music, inspired by the beauty of the nature, we have been surrounded by.

Later, I chose the classic song "autumn leaves", in the original and two pretty rare versions, sung by the japanese singer Shiina Ringo and Hildegard Knef, adding some orchestral parts and instruments of my own too.
The Shiina Ringo version sounds overdriven sometimes, but it is in the original CD-version too.

At least, I was often tempted to add more artistic effects ... but finally I decided to keep the most of the takes in natural colors. Hope, everybody enjoys watching it and special thanks to my friend Mayumi, who was a perfect add for that scenery.

Credits

15 Likes

  • Tom Dowser 1 year ago
    Beautiful video, and Mayumi is a wonderful dancer
  • James T. Kirk 1 year ago
    Thank you, Tom ... also from Mayumi !!!
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  • dirk rebel 1 year ago
    Another pearl on your crown: Again beautifully shots, perfect lighting, interseting places and points of vieuw.

    Picasso once said about people doing similar as he had produced befor: "Not so diffcult to improve Picasso".
    So, I will not give you some advise on something I could not have done better myself within the same constraints...

    keep up the good work!!!
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  • Valdas Kotovas plus 1 year ago
    Very well done ! Really enjoy in the end.... nice composition... Nature in Japan is just fascinate - good material for filming...I am glad that you doing that !
  • James T. Kirk 1 year ago
    Thank you so much ! The colors here in Japan are really unique. Shooting is just difficult, because of too many people ... and the light within the city is difficult too. When the light gets softer in the afternoon, the sun already disappears behind the high buildings.
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  • Zofiafotoeule 1 year ago
    Wow... danke, Bernd! Die Farben, die Musik, die Tänzerin, sehr schöne Komposition! Mayumi ist wunderschön....
    Durch Sie, ist die umgebende Natur vollständig.
    Ich freue mich, das du die Farben so gelassen hast, ohne Effekte ist der Film wie ein "realer Traum"...:)
    Ich hoffe, das störende Geräusch in Audio ist bei dir nicht zu hören? Oder ist es absichtlich so?
    Ganz liebe Grüsse und frohes neues Jahr! (in Japan ist bestimmt sehr laut?:) Zofia
  • James T. Kirk 1 year ago
    Hallo Zofia, freue mich, dass Dir der Film gefaellt. Das "stoerende Geraeusch im Audio" hat mich auch beschaeftigt. Es ist aber auf der Originalaufnahme ( CD ) auch so. Ob es sich dabei um einen Aufnahme-Fehler handelt oder um einen gewollten kuenstlerischen Effekt, ist schwer zu sagen. Ich habe mich dennoch entschieden, die Aufnahme zu verwenden, weil ich die Version der japanischen Avangarde-Saengerin Shiina Ringo interessant fand.
    Ganz liebe Gruesse zurueck und ebenfalls einen guten Rutsch in ein supergeiles Neues Jahr 2009. Silvester ist hier uebrigens ganz leise ;-))) Kein Feuerwerk, keine Partys ... alle gehen nur nach Mitternacht in den Tempel um zu beten.
  • Zofiafotoeule 1 year ago
    Danke! Wie gerne werde ich irgendwo sein, wo es ruhig ist... Ich mag die protzigen Großstadtfeuerwerks nicht... Nun, genieße es, und feiere schön... Und danke noch mal für dein Film, mehr davon!:) Zofia
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  • Kam Bahrami 1 year ago
    I really like how you were alternating the low angle and high angle shots in the film. Nicely done!
  • James T. Kirk 1 year ago
    Thank you very much !!!
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  • Philip Cotsford 1 year ago
    Great job!
    I was wondering why I hadn't seen anything from you in a while - seems like you were putting all your energy into making something great! ^^

    My most recent video isn't a private piece, so it's not up here, but you can see it here:
    japanesepod101.com/2009/01/02/video-11-a-special-glimpse-inside-a-japanese-shrine/
  • James T. Kirk 1 year ago
    Thanks Philip and a happy New Year to you !!! Your teaching video is very good. Educational and entertaining ... good job !!! Why didn't you use Vimeo ? Much better quality than YouTube.
  • Philip Cotsford 1 year ago
    Yeah - I agree!
    But the end goal here was to reach as many people as possible - not so much focused on having the best quality.
    But I just finished a new private video, so I'll upload soon!
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  • Hasan Ismail 11 months ago
    Mayumi-Chang!!! Kawaii Ne!!!
    Congratulations Kirk. This is gorgeous!! Especially when its accompanied by my fav jazz standard Autumn Leaves.

    *Sits back and enjoy the colors of autumn......
  • James T. Kirk 11 months ago
    Thanks so much, my friend. Your opinion is always much appreciated !!!
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  • Uri Kurnikov 9 months ago
    The Mister James T. Kirk!
    I much like Your video.
    Due to Your work, I have too bought itself JVC GZ-HD3.
    Excuse me, for bad english.
    Good luck in creative activity and lifes!
  • James T. Kirk 9 months ago
    Thank you ... Mr. Kurinkow ? ... if I remember russian characters well ;-)))

    The GZ-HD3 is a good camera. Looking forward to interesting videos from Russia !!! I saw your videos too. You have talent ! Show us Moscow. It is an interesting city. I have been there long time ago and I think, many things changed. And ... if you have any questions about the HD-3, feel free to ask me. You are welcome.

    Greetings from Tokyo !!!
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  • Uri Kurnikov 9 months ago
    Thank you, Mr. James T. Kirk for good words!
    JVC GZ-HD3 began to remove recently.
    Try to shoot the unexpected film about Moscow.
    Want You creative good lucks?
    Uri Kurnikov
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  • Cheng Ka Chun plus 9 months ago
    really nice work! I am glad u keep the natural color. Great dance too.
  • James T. Kirk 9 months ago
    Thanks a lot !!! Glad, you like it. Looking at your works, I would say, you have talent too. Especially the green-screen-shots ... excellent lighting !!!
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  • Sharrie Shaw 8 months ago
    So, Mayumi were dancing without any prior selection music in mind? Wow, that's fantastic editing & as far as I can tell, she moves with the music! I had seen momiji in Nikko, but the color you've captured is stunting! Awesome!
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  • Chris Wells plus 8 months ago
    Can you tell me where the temple bell located in your first sequence is located in Japan (is it in Tokyo?). You created a very unique scene in that video. How much post production enhancement did you do on this film and how much is original.

    Really great work.
  • James T. Kirk 8 months ago
    It is a pretty unknown temple ( actually, it is a shrine ) in Gotokuji in Setagaya/Tokyo. Setagaya is one of the oldest parts of the city and has luckily not been destroyed during the last war. Many small temple still in there, because many famous samurai lived there during the Edo period.

    Regarding the Momiji or Koyo ( red maple leaves ), it is probably one of the most beautiful places in Tokyo, even obviously unkown and less mentioned. I discovered it even by chance, because I am living close to it.

    The colors in this scene are nearly original. I was actually once more surprised myself about the mood and quality of the pictures, because it was a rainy day and nearly dark, but it tought me, that it is worth, shooting even or especially under this conditions.
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  • Beyheef 5 months ago
    Much poetry in this assembly! Your images are superb! Do you use Color?
    Beaucoup de poesie dans ce montage ! Vos images sont superbes ! Vous utilisez Color ?
  • James T. Kirk 5 months ago
    Thank you so much !!! I did some color corrections with iMovie. Some for artistical effects, some just for catching the reality better. Autumn colors here in Japan are so incredible, difficult to catch ... especially the red of the "Momiji".

    Cheers from Tokyo and thanks for adding it to your channel.
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