Jellyfisheyes

The third day of green-screen shooting. An almost unbearable misery has begun to spread over the set. We have dozens of shots that must be taken everyday. Cameraman Nagano-san hasn’t had a breather in days. Not even a second. I’m not kidding. Nishimura-san keeps pushing forward with scene after scene, shot after shot. The production team conveys the extremely detailed instructions to the actors, takes extra care to make sure things are right when the cameras are on, and cracks the whip all over the set… every part is moving as if it’s a cog in a machine.

I leave the Miyoshi studio at 6:00 every morning and that is exactly when the lotus flowers start to bloom.

A maze of cables.

So many characters to design…

The team responsible for building standing models of said characters… Hige Megane staff Chiaki Otake (left)，Mr. Hige megane himself Taiga Ishino (center), and Ayumi Nakajima (right). They’ve need to make clay models of the expressions of all the main characters! And they’re doing it on set!

Another warm, wonderful catering lunch.

The modeling team and stunt team share some banter during a smoke break.
“So how’s that costume we made workin for ya” “It’s heavy!! Unbearably heavy!!”

A meeting to discuss photography for posters, held while the green screen is repainted in between scenes.

On this paper cup, provided for drinking barley tea, you can see the results of the day’s pent up resentment… Everyone is really… sleepy…

On the left is stylist Manami Ohsumi. On the right is Hige Megane staff Ayumi Nakajima. Even people who met for the first time on set have, over the month’s shooting, become a real unit!! Everyone is very proud of the world they’ve come together to create!

The sky during a typhoon reminds of the ones drawn in Castle in the Sky.
Cumulonimbus clouds just keep speeding by.
There’s only four days left in the shoot!!”