BOOM BOOM SATELLITES “FRONT CHAPTER – THE FINAL SESSION – LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME SPECIAL LIVE”

The final live performance of rock band "BOOM BOOM SATELLITES", "FRONT CHAPTER - THE FINAL SESSION - LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME SPECIAL LIVE", was held in 2017. As a member of the video production team, flapper3 was in charge of everything from planning and proposing the live video of six songs from the set list on the day to directing, producing, and staging.

Complementing the vocalist's presence when he's not on stage with video

"BOOM BOOM SATELLITES" is a unit consisting of vocalist/guitarist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist Masayuki Nakano. This live concert was planned after Kawashima passed away in 2016 after a long battle with illness.

How would BOOM BOOM SATELLITES hold their final stage without their vocalist? This live performance holds a special meaning for both the artist and the fans. Flapper3 was asked to "complement Kawashima's physical and spiritual aspects with visuals."

A story to share a spiritual worldview with fans

At the core of the video, we thought of abstract images centered on "space" and "light," which symbolize spiritual beings. In order to share the worldview with the fans at the venue, a story told through the live performance is important. A spiritual being descends onto the stage, appears, and then eventually returns to being a spiritual being. We created a production plan for each song based on this development.

Images were projected onto an LED screen at the back of the stage, and depending on the song, a gauze curtain was lowered in front of the stage and projected with a projector. In the opening, to create a fantastical world view, the front screen was lowered and the vague silhouette of the band was seen through the screen, superimposed with images that were on a different layer from reality.

A moving silhouette reminiscent of Kawashima was projected at the center microphone position, along with handwritten lyrics that seemed to float in the air like spirit words and flashing lights.

The ups and downs of the song create the uplifting feeling that only a live performance can provide.

After this, the curtain in front of the stage rises, and in addition to the fantastical image, the band's appearance is shown directly. In line with this, the live video also changes from abstract to realistic expression.

In the first part of the show, we proposed a video expression that collaged footage of Kawashima while he was alive with real-time camera footage from the venue. Flapper3 prepared footage with blank spaces in anticipation of filling in the footage from the day. On the day of the show, we used that footage as a base and synthesized it in real time with the cooperation of the lighting and filming staff. We also projected the lights flying around the venue and the audience, creating a sense of realism and excitement that can only be experienced at a live concert.

In the middle of the video, towards the ending, I thought of a direction that would connect to spiritual images again. It starts with the night view of the city in the midst of everyday life, and then the viewpoint gradually shifts from the ground to the sky, evolving into an aerial shot. I also added floating words and light effects.

The final song of the main part was based on the concept of "a large energy body that exists in the universe." A screen was lowered again in front of the stage, and a visual of the light emitted by the sun was projected. The video was produced with the aim of embodying the presence of a fictitious vocalist and leaving a deep impression on the hearts of fans.