Leveraging one's strengths to tackle production: The challenge of a young motion designer

At flapper3, about 20 creators, from veterans to young people, are working on a wide range of content production. This time, four young creators candidly talked about their strengths and commitment to production, the projects they have worked on so far, and the appeal of flapper3. (From the left in the photo: Yamada, Yasukura, Abe, Kurashima)

What do young creators consider to be their "strengths"?

-Firstly, please tell us about the work you usually do and why you decided to join flapper3.

Abe: I work on motion graphics in a wide range of fields, including live video and administrative theater video. At university, I belonged to the Department of System Design, a department that taught design in a broad range of fields. I was interested in video from that time, and even tried to create projection mapping with my friends at university. I knew about flapper3 from my university days, but it wasn't until I became a job-hunting student that I decided I wanted to join. I joined in 2019 because I was attracted by the fact that they not only made videos, but also directed the space.

Yamada: I work on a lot of live video and product promotions. I joined the company because I was originally interested in entertainment video production. Another big reason I joined was because I was attracted to the work of a senior member of flapper3 after seeing it on the Internet. I joined the company as a new graduate in 2024.

Kurashima: I understand because there are many famous seniors (laughs). I am mainly in charge of live video production. Recently, I have been working on music videos and promotional videos for advertisements. I met flapper3 when I was a student. When I started making videos on my own, I saw information on social media that flapper3 and two other companies were holding a joint briefing session on the theme of "making a living with videos". I attended the session and thought they were doing a lot of interesting projects, so I applied for an internship in my second year of university. I honed my knowledge and skills in video production through the internship, and decided to stay on the company after graduating from university.

Yasukura: My name is Yasukura. My real name is Ishihama, but the pen name I used online for a long time was "Yasukura." I'm also called by that name within the company. I joined flapper3 in 2024, just like Yamada-san. I'm currently in charge of live performances and opening videos for live performances, and I do motion graphics and animation compositing as a personal production. One reason I decided to join the company was because I was interested in the projects that flapper3 handles, but I was also greatly influenced by Abe-san and Kurashima-san, who gave me a tour of the company during the tour before joining the company.

Yasukura: I remember feeling at ease in the friendly atmosphere.

Abe: That's true, because many people have serious expressions on their profile pictures on our homepages (laughs). I'm glad you feel at ease.


--I would like to hear about the "strengths" of all of you who continue to be active despite being young.

Abe: I think I'm good at thinking about every little detail no matter what the project is. I like to keep working on it until it feels right.

Kurashima: Mr. Abe is a master of hidden techniques. He has little techniques that make you wonder "where is this from?", so I think they're amazing.

Yamada: The slider control is very helpful. I'm also the type of person who likes to keep working on things until I create something good. I like to pay close attention to the small details.

Yasukura: Yamada-san is really good at rich CG. I'm really impressed that he's good at difficult processing such as simulation. My strength is... I've been making videos since I was in elementary school, so I guess it's my perseverance. When I was in the lower grades of elementary school, I was a kid who played with Windows Movie Maker.

Abe: Yasukura's videos have that "Yasukura flavor." While there are many people who create edgy videos, I think his distinctive feature is his bright and beautiful movements.

Kurashima: Yes. Yasukura-kun's videos are youthful and bright. I think that's a type that's hard to find in flapper3. I don't have anything that I'm particularly good at, but I don't have anything that I'm particularly bad at either, so I think that balance is my strength. I think I can exceed the passing grade for any project.

Yamada: You're a generalist. But I think saying you're good enough is an understatement. I feel that you produce high-quality work for every project.

The four look back on production projects that were born from leveraging their "strengths"

--I'd like to ask you about the projects you've been involved in so far. Is there a project where you feel you were able to utilize your strengths, or one that left an impression on you?

Yamada: It was the video direction for MY FIRST STORY's solo live show "MY FIRST STORY 2024 ''express'' @Zepp Haneda." I was in charge of one of the songs performed at the live show. It was my first live show directing job since joining the company, so it left a strong impression on me. The video involved CG fluorescent lights lighting up in time with the music, and I was conscious of creating a sense of contrast between building excitement where it needed to be and calming it down where it needed to be.

Yasukura: I was impressed by the opening video of Hatsune Miku's "Magical Mirai 2024". The theme of Magical Mirai 2024 was "travel", so in the character introduction section, we included a production where the Vocaloids appear when you cut your boarding pass, and created it with the image of going on a fun trip with the fans. We were also conscious of creating a fun and pop atmosphere.

Abe: The Yasukura flavor is coming out (laughs).

Yasukura: I don't really think about it that much (laughs). I think this project gave me a lot of confidence because I was able to complete it within the limited production time.

Abe: For me, it's YOASOBI's live video. In particular, for the song "Idol," I've been creating videos for each performance for over a year since the song was released, changing the production to match the theme of the live and the LED lights at the venue. I've also been in charge of directing a music video in which a voice actor covered the song. It was my first time to work on so many different productions for one song, so I think it's been a valuable experience in learning how to "present it on the spot."

Abe: I think the most important thing about live performances is that the visuals are not everything. The lighting, the lasers, the excitement of the audience, and other elements make it a live performance. I find it interesting to fine-tune the visuals while imagining how they will flow on-site.

Kurashima: The one that left the biggest impression on me was the music video I directed for "Fighting My Way," sung by Saki Hanaumi from Gakuen Idolmaster. I started production with the desire to avoid making something ordinary, so I packed in a wide variety of elements and tried to create an expression that made it difficult to tell visually where the transitions were. I also took advantage of the personality of the aggressive character and tried to display the lyrics dynamically, while keeping in mind her unique style.

Perspectives that young creators value in their work

-As a young creator, is there anything you keep in mind or keep in mind when creating your work?

Yasukura: It's about the pleasantness of the movement. I am conscious of the relationship between the scenes and the connections between the cuts. However, if the overall flow is too beautiful, it also lacks impact. I try to make images that are pleasant to watch by switching scenes when necessary and keeping the overall balance.

Kurashima: I always try to challenge myself to do something new. I try using software I've never used before, or expressions I've never used before. Flapper3 is proactive in letting me try new things when I say I want to try something new, so I hope that by continuing to take on new challenges, I can broaden the scope of my skills and propose better things.

Yamada: There are many things, but I think that "good looks" are important. No matter what intentions you put into it, I feel that if it doesn't look good, people won't notice it... For that reason, I pay attention to the details, such as the texture and color, and try to work on it thoroughly until I think it's "good."

Abe: I'm particular about "always clearing the absolute conditions". Before production, I write down the elements that I think are absolutely necessary, and then I delete the ones that are cleared. It's like I'm directing myself as I go along. If you work steadily, you may not notice something is wrong, so I always try to change my perspective, such as playing the video upside down.

Yasukura: I often hear people try flipping the image horizontally in Illustrator.

Abe: That's true. I also try watching it again as soon as I wake up. That way I can look at it objectively and discover elements that are missing. I think it's important to have that kind of perspective.

-Finally, what do you think is the appeal of flapper3?

Yasukura: First of all, the range of projects is wide. I think there are few video production companies that consider not only the video but also the overall spatial direction. And I think that the big attraction of flapper3 is that there are many people who have a high perspective and are seriously challenging video production. I myself have a lot to learn, and I feel that it is a wonderful environment.

Abe: It's certainly good to be involved in a wide range of video productions. I think the strength of flapper3 is that all of our members have a strong desire to improve. We all have a strong desire to "create something good," so I'm naturally inspired by that.

Kurashima: I think the charm of flapper3 is that it provides an environment that allows you to challenge yourself to do what you want to do. Your enthusiasm is respected, and if there is something you don't understand, they will carefully explain it to you. I think it's a good environment to grow because I can proactively take on new challenges.

Yamada: I joined the company because I was attracted to the content that flapper3 creates, so I think the environment where you can challenge yourself to create what you want is very appealing. If you see flapper3's WORKS and think, "It would be interesting if I could make videos like this," I think you'll find it interesting to work here.