[Fanreport] 2/28 Joker Game Irie Director/Fujimura Producer talk show
Yesterday (2/28) I had a chance to go to a Joker Game screening with a talk show by Director Irie and Fujimura producer after it, in Kyoto :) They answered the questions from the audience. Writing down a report both for my own memory and for anyone who wants to know some backstage events and hints about a possible sequel :) Beware, some SPOILERS ahed!
2/28 Talk Show Report
The stage greeting was after the screening so they could answer to all the questions without being afraid of spoilering. Irie director is filming in Kyoto rignt now so his attire was very casual. Looking at the suit of the producer he said "I'm sorry for my rough attire...".
He added that he did all the promo with Kame so now being at a stage greeting without Kame he feels uneasy. The producer said "so I'm not enough..." and director rushed to deny it xD
[Spoiler free questions&answers]
-people watching JG are quite a lot already (at yesterday, 660,000 iirc?) But not enough to call for a sequel yet, so they asked us to go to watch the movie some times more xD;
-they really sound like they want to do a sequel. Producer said there are some scenes ahead of the series (around vol.3/4) he would like to film. Irie director said that he wants to make Kame ride more transportations like planes ships etc xD there is a cruise ship chapter in the series and they want to do it. Producer also hinted another scene he wants with cannons, but director said that to do that, this movie really needs to be a huge hit (implying it will cost a lot xD). They both also would like the novelist to write down a story related to Pearl Harbour.
-seems producer offered the movie to a different big director first, but that director schedule didn't match. Producer & Irie director met in private to drink and while JG topic came up Irie was "why you didnt ask me!" Producer was surprised and just went "i didnt know you wanted to do a spy movie that much... so ok you do it". Basically director was appointed a night at a drinking place lol. And seems Irie director didn't have the real feeling he was appointed to such a huge production till at least after the day of the costume-check for Kame xD
(Producer also said that of course right now this world wants new directors too. So he joked that Irie, being a young director, was perfect. But now that Irie will be in his 30s, from next time he'll choose a younger director again and not Irie ^^"")
-the movie was supposed to be 95 mins. Then the producer asked the director to make it longer. Producer said that normally it is directors who write a too long movie and producers ask to make shorter, not the opposite! XD But seems Irie prefers short movies.
-this was the first time producer works with Kame so he didnt had any image of him. But now he knows that at NTV everyone loves him. when they had to plan the promo on NTV, he said he wanted to try to ask Going to allow them to do some promo, but being Going a news program and not entertainment program, he was ready to receive a no, but Going producer replied "if it is for Kame-chan, yes" ❤
Then also talking about the one-day-long promo from Zip till News Every. Also News every isnt entertainment but news program so he was ready for a no there too, but one of Every producers was in the starting staff/producing group of Going at its very beginning, so he said "Kame-chan helped us a lot, so I'd anything for him" ❤
So producer concluded that us fan are totally right in being his fans because Kame is a really really good person ❤❤❤
(we should be proud of him, girls! :D)
[SPOILER Q&A]
[Spoiler (click to open)]
-jiro's next mission is in America so irie was joking about 2nd movie being settled on the ship (there's a ship scene in the book series) so for some reason Jiro doesn't reach America, and 3rd movie will finally be in America xD
-there are a lot of contrasts in the movie (apple-pear, black-white etc) so the audience asked to explain some more. He said that the drop of sweat at the beginning of the movie and the drop of sweat during the torture is a contrast btw his soldier self and spy self (so how he also changed). He also wanted to contrast the first and last scene with the water (military training with rain in the dark, end of mission on the beach along the sea). He actually also wanted to make the car run on the seashore to rise up water but that car was too easy to break to do it. When kame turned it on the first time the car stopped after 5 m xD
-was asked about the choice of the chess piece to put the black note inside, why not the most important piece, the King. Seems that in the script it wasnt decided (only "a piece from the chess") so director decided for the knight because 1) it is a large piece so it fit best, 2) he was thinking of the meaning "the knight (kato) protecting the queen/princess (lin)", 3) the fact it doesnt roll perfectly was an effect he looked for to use in the scene the piece falls on floor.
For the color. He chose black to have a contrast with Kame's white suit, but then his gloves are black anyway so the contrast wasn't as expected ^^""
-The fact he uses a white suit for work on day and a black one for the night spy is of course wanted. He also hinted that wearing white suits for work was often done in that historical period.
-they were asked why Kato insert the black note in the shirt pocket and then in the truck he pics the note from the pants (… xD). Director said it was because it would fly away with the jump of course. But he didnt film the moment he switched because it wouldnt be cool.
Also, he wanted to show kame's skin because showing just a bit of chest is actually sexy, and sexiness is kame's weapon xD
(This director KNOWS)
It was a very enjoyable talk show :) Kame wasn't there but the relationship between the director and the producer is really relaxed and fun. They joked a lot, and they really look like they love their job, which is totally the best :) Also, their real will of bringing to screen the other novels, even already thinking about which scenes in which way, was almost touching. I really hope this movie reaches the amount of audience needed to film a sequel :)