Video

International project

My group focused on Music and street performers so I took pictures of different street performers in Shinjuku and decided to use two female performers who were performing in the same actual spot but had very opposite styles, voices, and crowd following. I thought it was interesting to see this contrast. I wished that we had more than 10 seconds so that you could get a better feel for all the performers I saw and get a better feel for everyone's personal style.

links

I found this website awhile ago and found it again. I think it is pretty interesting and could be helpful as an example to some projects in the class. I hope that it turns out to useful.

http://www.theircircularlife.it/

This is where my project is currently hosted. I'm trying to embed it on the page but here it is for now.

http://rapidshare.de/files/34266497/movie.swf

For my project, to record something, I sat in a 300 yen bar with an opening to the street. I set a camera in one position and took a picture every 5 mins for an hour between 12:25 and 1:25am. Trying to capture the transition I've seen durring this hour.

Wednesday 09/20/06 12:25am

Wednesday 09/20/06 12:25am
I sit in the 300 yen bar and order something. I'm waiting around for someone to talk to. It's noticeably slow tonight. I can't really find anyone so I just sort of enjoy the surrounding and try to observe. After awhile a young Korean guy comes in and sits at the table next to me. There are about 6 people in there in two groups. I asked him if he was Japanese and he told me he was Korean but lots of people mistake him for Japanese. His name is Heyung (I know I won't spell it right later.) He speaks very decent English. He's 24 and has been to America for a year during school in Oregon. I tell him I've been to Oregon and I loved it there. He HATED IT. We talk some more and He tells me about how most of the hostesses around here are Korean and ALL the Korean girls here are hostesses. I don't know if I really believe him but I understand that he's just generalizing. I ask him what he thinks about all the hostesses being Korean and he doesn't really answer my question. I have hardly noticed that things have started to pick up with girls getting out of work and more drunk people on the street. He said that he had gotten off work at 9 and hadn't felt like going home to his small apartment so he wonders around a lot. He also says he's been in Tokyo for 8 months but still hasn't seen everything and has sort of gotten lazy and not seen that much. I wish I could think of more things to ask him but he since he's been finished his meal for awhile and there is sort of a lull in the conversation he says it was nice to meet me and excuses himself. I finish my food and wait around a little longer and then leave.

Monday 09/18/06 12:25am

Walking around Akasaka a few times I really found it interesting around 1am when all the hostess get out of work. I wanted to try to capture the change of atmosphere around that time. The first night I started by just sitting on the street outside of a 300 yen bar and taking notes of people walking by and my experiences.

Monday 09/18/06 12:25am
There is nice Japanese music playing, it sounds like it's from the 40's. Most people are wearing suits or very nice dresses. The cars you see around here are fancier than in America. The girls are also very attractive. I notice some young Japanese guys walking by in jeans and t-shirts. A rich looking lady pulls up in a fancy car and asks someone directions. I'm finding the music selections coming from the restaurant really interesting. The taxis are bumper to bumper. There is pachinko across the street that you can faintly hear the sounds from the building. I see some government officials I think because of the gold crests on their jackets. Some young hip looking guys pass by. The taxis are still just waiting in line to pick people up. Lots of drunk salary men are headed home it looks like. I see some girls in kimonos walk by, I'm interested in why some girls choose to wear them? A fruit vendor drives by with fruit on the back of his truck. It almost seems like the milk man from 50's. I'm still amazed by all the smoking. I see some drunk guys holding hands. A guy rides by on a loud motorcycle. After 20 minutes I hear the first American song coming from the restaurant. Things seem very quiet but all of a sudden a flood of cars and people pass with loud breaks squealing. A poorly dressed guy drops off a hostess on his old bicycle, it looks like it's probably her boy friend. Another young looking poorly dressed guy walks down the street holding hands with another very well dressed hostess. I think it would be an interesting documentary about boyfriends of hostess. The dynamics of the relationships of people who drop their girlfriends off every night to flirt with older men for money. How does that affects things? It seems like it would be hard to be allowed to get that close into someone's personal life. Things are picking up and I hear lots of drunk salary men going into the bar being boisterous and enjoying themselves. They order more beer and food. They are followed soon after by hostess who I assume just got off work. It's the first people I've seen go into the bar in the 45 minutes I've been sitting here. The American music hasn't stopped from the bar. All the clubs seem to be letting out. People are coming to get something to eat. Others are finding different venues to continue the party. Lots of people meeting up on their cell phones. People hurrying to catch cabs and headed home I'm guessing. The sounds I hear: Drunk chatter, heels clicking, breaks squealing, car engines, Korean from hostess off of work, Japanese from drunk salary men being too loud, yelling on Kaitais and Elvis from the bar.