[2023.12.25-2023.12.26] Hochi News - Behind the scenes of YouTube (Goliath & Aqua's Journey)

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2023.12.25

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20231224-OHT1T51193.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20240930021126/https://hochi.news/articles/20231224-OHT1T51193.html?page=1 

 

 

[Exclusive Interview] Yuzuru Hanyu: "I'm very particular about it" Behind the scenes of YouTube filming and editing, Part 1 

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (29) gave an exclusive interview to Sports Hochi by the 24th, discussing the behind-the-scenes of his YouTube channel “HANYU YUZURU.” Launched in August 2022 after announcing his transition to a professional career, this popular channel sees him taking on five roles: music selection, choreography, skating, filming, and editing. Two new works, "Goliath" and "Aqua's Journey", which were released in advance to members only in November, were released to the public on the 24th. He has a deep commitment to creating works that continue to captivate viewers. This interview will be presented in two parts.

 

(Interview and composition by Megumi Takagi)

 

Spoiler

-Your YouTube channel "HANYU YUZURU" is a platform where you can fully convey the charm of skating. What do you consider most important when creating videos?

“The reason I first decided to open a YouTube channel was to create more opportunities and spaces for people to see my skating. I have always cherished that feeling while creating skating videos or skating programs.”

 

-I heard that you do all the editing yourself. That must take a considerable amount of time and effort. What motivates you, and what do you find rewarding?

“It’s definitely the various comments and feedback I receive. As I challenge myself more and more, it has become increasingly difficult, but the sense of accomplishment I get when I complete something I'm happy with, along with seeing everyone's comments, interpretations, analyses of the finer details, and the flood of feedback, makes it all feel worthwhile.”

 

-What are the thoughts behind the music selection and choreography for "Goliath" and "Aqua's Journey"?

“I have a solo tour called 'RE_PRAY', and there was a request from the production committee to create a promotional video for it, which led me to select the music and create the programs. Since videos and programs published on YouTube involve copyright issues, making music selection difficult, I decided to use copyright-free music from Moppy Sound. Originally, I intended to create just one piece, but I wanted to express both the game-like qualities in the first half and the theme of 'prayer' related to the meaning of life in the second half of 'RE_PRAY.' For the first half, I chose 'Goliath' to reflect that game-like feel. The basic image was set in an RPG world, where the choreography involves the idea of progressing through a cave, defeating enemies, and evading attacks. For the second half, I wanted to express a "prayer" in "Aqua's Journey," based on the keyword "water" from "RE_PRAY." Covering in 'water', splashing on the surface. I created the choreography with the theme of "prayer" towards the heavens, and "water" illuminating the path we should take."

 

-One of the highlights is the camera angle from the ice, which cannot be seen in other videos, and it draws the viewers in. What is your approach to camera placement? How many cameras are you using?

“For these two videos, I used twelve cameras each. I’ve been using the same action cameras since the beginning of production, but I edit all the zooming and tracking individually. I hope viewers will pay attention to the realism and sound that can only be experienced from a lower angle.”

 

-The telop* (テロップ -text superimposed on a screen, such as captions, subtitles, or scrolling tickers) of "Goliath" perfectly portrays the worldview of the game and the performance. The same goes for the multi-visuals. Did you gain inspiration for these new techniques from "RE_PRAY"?

“I intended to create the video specifically for 'RE_PRAY,' so I wanted to fully develop the world for 'Goliath.' While I had many ideas, I lacked the knowledge and skills to realise them, so I studied on my own, and for the time being, I was able to give shape to the images in my head to a certain extent. I'd like to think that I was able to do that (laughs).”

 

-Like your skating, the transitions between scenes in the video are beautifully done, and the sound is also lovely. The realistic sound of the edge scraping the ice is also a wonderful accent. Is that something you are conscious of or have a strong preference for?

“Honestly, I'm very happy! I'm very particular about it. Capturing the distance of skating with a fixed camera is challenging, and I’ve started thinking about incorporating harmony with sound not just in the performance but also in the transitions, so I'm really happy to hear you say that! When filming on the ice, durability and compactness like that of action cameras are required, and the twelve cameras I’m using currently can’t be controlled remotely all at once. Also, the skating rink reverberates differently depending on the location of the speakers, which can affect the sound quality based on the camera's position. Each time, I have to align the footage from twelve cameras frame by frame before starting the editing process.”

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2023.12.26

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20231225-OHT1T51178.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20240930021535/https://hochi.news/articles/20231225-OHT1T51178.html?page=1

 

 

[Exclusive Interview] Yuzuru Hanyu: "Freely Express the ‘Colours’ in My Head" Behind the scenes of YouTube production, Part 2 

 

This is the second part of the exclusive interview with professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (29) for Sports Hochi. He talks about the behind-the-scenes production of his YouTube channel "HANYU YUZURU," his commitment to detail, and his future plans.

 

(Interview and composition by Megumi Takagi)

 

Spoiler

-It seems you have a high level of imagination and a unique perspective that allows you to know the best angles for shooting, understanding how it will 'look' and how you can 'show it’. You take on five roles: music selection, choreography, skating, filming, and editing. Isn’t that tough?

“When I'm creating the choreography, I also visualise the camerawork. For jumps and spins, I consider what angles I want to show and whether there’s any overlap with previous scenes. However, sometimes filming doesn't go as planned and I struggle. Even when I think I’ve done well, I often find that certain parts didn’t get captured when I edit at home, or I may feel dissatisfied with the choreography and have to redo it. I perform the program multiple times, but each time I do it, it's very physically exhausting, so I can only do it about three times a day. While being mindful of the camera, I have to control the depth of the curves and the speed, as well as harmonise with the sound and the quality of the technique, all of which must be perfect because it's a filmed work, so it's much more exhausting than regular skating. I go through this process many times until I can achieve perfection.”

 

-How much time does it take to skate and edit a single piece before uploading it? For "Goliath" and "Aqua's Journey"?

“I was able to complete the filming for 'Aqua's Journey' in one day, but 'Goliath' took three days to shoot. Excluding practice and choreography, 'Aqua's Journey' took about a week, while 'Goliath' took about a month and a half, including breaks for shows, because I was so particular about it (laughs)”

 

-Both videos are edited very intricately, and it seems that the quality of the videos has evolved significantly since the channel’s launch. Did you take on any new challenges?

“I've gradually gotten used to using new effects and how to operate them, and I feel like my vision has expanded considerably. I'm not learning anything in particular, but I'm always researching different production methods from various creators to realise what I want to achieve.”

-Did you learn the software you use for editing on your own?

“I've always enjoyed editing videos on MacOS, and I like the way it feels, so I taught myself and started using Final Cut Pro on my own.”

 

-What is your favourite effect (special effect)?

“I have my favourites, but rather than being fixated on any one effect, I focus on using those that express the world I want to create or fit the program. For Goliath, I used various types of glitch effects that create colourful noise to reflect the game world.  I also added an AI feature that tracks and cuts out selected areas, which allowed me to express something like a parallel world.”

 

-One of the highlights of "Aqua's Journey" is the 360-degree view of the jump at around the 3-minute mark. How did you come up with that idea, and how was it filmed?

“First of all, I wanted to capture that moment as if time stood still, so I created the choreography while trying out different jump shapes. "Aqua's Journey" was made in contrast to "Goliath," and I kept effects and editing to a minimum to keep it simple, and wanted viewers to feel the flow of time in the moment of the jump. I placed 10 cameras around the jump point to capture the same moment from different angles, hoping to create a 3D-like sensation.”

 

-At the end of "Goliath", was the camera safe?

“It’s safe (laughs). There were about four different patterns to launch the camera, and it was sent flying many times, but it’s all good. Action cameras are amazing! (laughs)"

 

-What kind of skating and expressions do you want to deliver from the ice in the future?

“For me, YouTube is a place where I can use video to express the worldview of my programs more concretely and in an easy-to-understand way. While I still have a lot to learn in terms of filming equipment, techniques, and editing skills, I find it both fun and somewhat scary that I can freely create and freely express the 'colours' in my head. However, as a new form, I would like to continue creating programs as video works, and I will do my best to apply that knowledge and imagery to live skating, shows, and ice stories, so that they can continue to evolve. I realise that my knowledge and skills as an artist are still lacking, so I want to continue studying and growing with age to evolve my expression in skating, in any form or possibility.” (End)