短編映画『上に写るは』 短編映画『上に写るは』 短編映画『上に写るは』
As a cinematographer for the short film 「上に写るは」, directed by Tetsuro Ryuta
撮影監督としてのコメント
(Commentary as a Director of Photography)
今日、その映画を見返してみると、「あぁ、なんで当時こんなふうに撮ったり、照明をしたんだろう」と思う部分もあります。脚本を読んだときに、志賀理江子さんの写真集『CANARY』を思い出し、その中にある実景の中で少し魔法的な照明効果を参考にしました。そのため、一部のシーンでは自然光源を無視して、舞台のスポットライトのように俳優の動きに合わせて直接光を当てる方法を使いました。どうやって監督を説得したのかは覚えていませんが、「照明機材が足りなくて、こういう方法でしか撮れないんだけど、どうかな？」みたいな感じで乗り切った気がします（笑）。
自主映画界の「お互いに助け合う」空気は本当に素敵で、この作品に出演した役者さんは、当時日本語をほとんど勉強したことがない中国人でしたが、数ヶ月後には日本語で難関の東京藝術大学大学院映像研究科に合格し、今では監督として活躍しています。そして、この短編の監督は、その後、私が作った別の短編で助監督をしてくれました。こうしてお互いに助け合いながら成長していける関係が本当に良いなと感じます。
— カルン、2024年12月This was a project I shot a year and a half ago, and it marked my first experience working on a no-budget indie film. It was also likely the work that sparked my involvement in the world of indie filmmaking. The story is an abstract narrative centered around human beliefs and UFOs. Inspired by the passion within Japan’s indie film scene, I turned down a commercial shoot at the time to take on this project. With a small crew, I often found myself setting up the camera and then adjusting the lighting on my own.
When I received the film today and watched it again, I caught myself thinking, "Ah, why did I shoot or light it this way back then?" When I first read the script, it reminded me of Rieko Shiga’s photo book CANARY, and I took inspiration from the slightly magical lighting effects depicted in the real-world landscapes featured in the book. Because of this, I chose to ignore natural light sources for some scenes and adopted a method where I lit the actors directly, following their movements as though with a stage spotlight. I don’t exactly remember how I convinced the director, but I think I managed to get by saying something like, "We don’t have enough lighting equipment, so this is the only way we can shoot—how does that sound?" (laughs).
The spirit of "helping each other out" in the indie film world is truly inspiring. One of the actors in this project was a Chinese person who, at the time, had barely studied Japanese. Yet a few months later, they passed the challenging entrance exam for the Graduate School of Film and New Media at Tokyo University of the Arts, entirely in Japanese. Now, they are thriving as a director. As for the director of this short film, they later worked as the assistant director on another short film I created. I deeply value these kinds of relationships, where we grow by helping and supporting one another.
— Written in December 2024 by Kalun