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Filmmaker
Chester Law
Based in Tokyo, I am a cinematographer and editor who previously worked in NYC and California. In my previous career I worked in Silicon Valley.
Director of Photography alumnus of Kyoto Filmmakers Lab by Toei Studios, Shochiku Studios, and the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).
My films have screened at various international film festivals, including Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo.
Coming from an international background, I speak English, Japanese (N2, 1.5 years corporate experience), Cantonese, and Mandarin. I hope to leverage my international experience in a variety of markets to create work that have global appeal.
With a computer engineering background, I'm always interested in how to use the latest technologies to improve film production. Specifically in the arena of previs, I've found that mulling over camera angles in the days or weeks ahead of production through 3D models allows for smoother days on set. See below for a showcase.
While so far I have been involved in mostly one-man-band type situations, I've come against the limitations of such productions and am looking for opportunities where I can work within a larger team to create more ambitious projects together.
Showreel
Previs Showcase
@annocinema
Community and crowdfunding success.
Hideaki Anno is my filmmaking inspiration. His use of limited animation in the 1997 anime "His and Her Circumstances" made a big impression on me and is the reason I became interested in film in the first place.
To better understand his method and to keep my findings organized, I posted onto Instagram analyses of his compositions and his editing. Over time people discovered my work, growing the account into the following today.
With said following I was also able to crowdfund English subtitles for Anno's many Japanese interviews. To date $10,000, these funds have allowed people in the West greater insight into the popular director.
Portfolio
STEALZ PV
Role: Director/DP/Editor
Client: Tailwalk

Product release promotional video for Tailwalk's STEALZ fishing reel.
Kohaku
Role: DP/Editor
Director: TJ Kayama

For this short film, every shot other than the B-roll wides were previs'd. Knowing we had a limited amount of time at each location, deciding during pre-production on the type of coverage we wanted was crucial to the shoot's success.
With faster setup times, more angles and takes were achieved than on non-previsualized projects.
Synthetic Love
Role: DP
Director/Writer: Yoko Higuchi

This short film served as my testbed for previs. Actors' heights were taken during pre-production and put into the 3D model, upon which compositions were mulled over and decided. Knowing where to set the camera and at what focal lengths saved the shoot which was wrought with adverse weather conditions.
Dreams of an Everyman
Role: Director/DP/Editor

Inspired by the films of Terrence Malick, I took a break from my usual tripod style of cinematography and ventured into the handheld realm. Such was the perfect fit with the documentary setting, with the fluid nature of handheld allowing me to be more reactive to what was going on.
Unlike most documentaries that rely on interviews to drive the narrative, "Dreams of an Everyman" uses moments and events, much like a traditional scripted film would.
Screened at the Tokyo Art Tank in Shibuya.
Egist PV
Role: Director/DP/Editor
Client: Tailwalk

Product release promotional video for Tailwalk's new fishing rod: Egist TZ.
Bucking the trend of rock music always backing fishing videos, I went for showing the peace and tranquility in the hobby instead, with classical music and locked off shots.
Debuted at Fishing Festival 2024 in Yokohama.
A Colored Capsule
Role: DP/Editor
Director/Writer: Calvin Keisuke Shimohira

A short film on the pressures of the Japanese education system, currently in the festival circuit.
This ended up being the last scripted film I did not do previs on.
Alpha Tackle TV Spot
Role: Director/Editor
Client: Atec Inc

I was asked to look through their 200+ hours of archival footage taken through the years and see what I could come up with for a televised commercial on their brand.
Since I wasn't able to rely on the cinematography of essentially found footage, to create an exciting climax I experimented with sound design and a collage-like effect of layering multiple masked clips on top of each other.
Father and Son
Role: DP
Director: Ryosuke Sugawara
Script: Izumi Funasaki

A Japanese period short film produced during Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, shot in Kyoto at Shochiku's soundstages.
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