Chapter 5 | Creating and Showing | Remake our Life!
Part 1
Thus the event screening works by second-year Visual Arts
Department students came to a successful end.
As announced beforehand, all of the works screened were uploaded
to Nico Nico Douga under the title "Autumn Break Homework, Part 2,"
and were available for everyone to view on the evening of the screening.
Among the students in the department, there was a lot of talk
about the new work by the Kuroda group.
The fact that a university student had created a full-fledged
animation and that it was as good as commercial works brought up a trend
reminiscent of the old Guybucks, and the number of students who wanted to
create something like that increased dramatically, regardless of their year of
study. Some students even asked if they could change their major to animation
in the middle of their studies.
The work of ours, Kitayama team was rarely talked about in the
department.
If there was, it was about the music by Nanako or the graphics
finished by Saikawa, not about the work itself. As far as I could tell, there
was no mention of any major impact on the university.
After five days had passed, and by the time the 10th had come and gone, the students' interest had already shifted to the next project and to themselves. Most of the students who had been talking about wanting to make animation, as if they were suffering from a fever, had come to grips with reality and returned to their normal routines.
Two weeks later. An event that could be called the culmination of
all the excitement was quietly held in the small hall of Building 7. There was
a general review of the contest held the other day.
The results had already been posted on the Internet. Most of the
people who had gathered at the event knew the results and had gathered here.
Not everyone was here to find out the outcome.
They all had only one thing on their minds.
"How did it come to this?"
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 2
"You want to ask me... something?"
Once again, I asked Kuroda back.
"Yeah. I was curious to know what Hashiba's thinking was in
creating that work, given that it ended up this way."
"He~e...... So what will happen depending on my answer?"
"I will despise you. For the rest of my life."
I took a deep breath and looked at Kuroda.
That unique way of laughing and that relaxed vibe were both toned
down today.
"I see, I don't want that to happen."
I was sincere in my words.
"But before that, can we talk a little about this project?"
Kuroda nodded at my suggestion.
"Yeah, it's easier for me to tell you what I'm thinking. Sounds
good."
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 3
"Before I explain, let me first summarize the results."
With a remote control in her hand, Kanou-sensei projected a single
image.
At that moment, a murmur of "Oh!" arose from the
audience.
Ten films were screened at the event. They were displayed in a
ranking format, from No. 1 to No. 10.
Almost everyone in the room was paying attention to the first and
second place works.
Everyone expected that the first place would go to that work by the Kuroda team. Team Kitayama's work, which had been seen as a rival after achieving such a high level of quality, was also disappointing at the end. Almost everyone in that screening room must have thought that it was unnecessary to dare to look at the rankings.
That is why everyone was surprised at this result.
No. 1 Team Kitayama Try "The Song of the Starry Sky"
No. 2 Team Kuroda "Blue Planet"
The image clearly showed.
The work by the Kuroda group was in second place, and the work by
Team Kitayama was in first place.
This was the reason for the buzz in the hall. The work that
everyone expected to take the top spot came in second place, and the work that
left some questions unanswered came in first place.
It was no surprise that everyone was confused.
"That's really strange, sensei!"
Morito, a member of the Kuroda group, spoke up again.
"Morito, you're full of energy again today. You seem a little
different than usual though."
Morito did not respond to sensei's jokes,
"This ranking ... is wrong after all, isn't it?"
"No, it's correct. I calculated each point properly as of
10am this morning."
"That's weird! Why, it was our work that was the most popular
and well-received at the venue that day, so why are we in second place?"
"Calm down, Morito."
"There's no way I can calm down! I mean, those guys came out
with such an unfinished work at the end!"
Tsurayuki stood up at Morito's words.
"Oi, what do you mean our work is unfinished!"
"Isn't it so! Everyone is expecting a starry sky, and you put
up such a pitch-black screen! You're disappointing the audience"
Morito shouted.
The work he had worked so hard to produce was not being evaluated
fairly. Nothing could be more frustrating. And not to mention that Morito was
in charge of production and the mood-maker of the entire team. For that reason,
he could not accept this unreasonable result.
"Well, I understand what Morito is trying to say. If you put
so much effort into a work and it loses, you might be tempted to complain.
Besides."
Sensei looked at the screen displaying the results.
"As Morito said, Team Kitayama Try's work was unfinished."
At Kanou's words, the students began to buzz again.
"L-Look, isn't that right? After all, that work is
unfinished!"
Morito shouted again, but Kano said quietly.
"Calm down, Morito. It's true that the work was unfinished.
At the time of that screening, that is."
"Eh...? What do you mean?"
Morito stared dumbfounded at the teacher's face, as if he had no
idea what she was talking about.
In the meantime, the hall went dark and the screen showed the
desktop screen of the PC.
"At that point in time, you know. At that time, that work was
completed by uploading it to Nico Nico Douga."
Morito and almost all the other students looked as if they had no
idea what was going on.
Kanou connected the screen to the PC and launched Nico Nico Douga
from the browser, displaying Team Kitayama's "The Song of the Starry Sky".
"Let me explain. The mechanism behind this work is—"
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 4
"To be honest, I thought we had no chance of winning if we
fought head-on."
Of course, I knew better than anyone about Shinoaki's incredible
drawing ability.
I moved her to that side, and moreover, Kuroda produced the work.
My original intention was to create a mechanism for Saikawa's growth and
Shinoaki's motivation, so I thought it would be meaningless if the work itself
was evaluated and compared.
"But Hashiba accepted the challenge. That's because this
contest had a unique judging method. Am I wrong?"
I nodded heavily.
"You're right. That's the only way I saw a chance to win,
uploading to Nico Nico."
High-quality, full-color animation is an easy genre to score
points in. In contrast, the music videos we are trying to make are subject to
different tastes and preferences, and it is difficult to draw a line between
the evaluation of the song and the evaluation of the video.
However, with Nico Nico Douga, the story is different.
The MAD culture is strong on Nico Nico Nico, and videos using Meku
are overwhelmingly popular, so interest in music videos is high to begin with,
which has the advantage of making it easy to increase the appreciation of both
the song and the video, as well as the synergy effect.
"On Nico Nico, where the creator can become the viewer and the viewer can become the creator, videos that are closer to the viewer tend to be preferred over professional works that are too far away. Is that also the aim?"
I see, so Kuroda has read this far.
Then how...That's the question, but let's answer it first.
"That's right. Empathy and participation, that's the theme of
our videos."
Kuroda lets out his usual hihi laugh.
"So that's how it all came together. Ah, I see. So that's why
you made the story closer to the heart of what everyone is feeling, lowered the
target age a little, and made it easy to understand."
"Right. I didn't say anything about the details, but the
development of the video itself was done almost exactly as I wanted it to be."
The first video was full of riddles, and the second one is the
solution.
A series of difficult to read and difficult to understand words.
However, they should not be necessary to know them, and they are more fun if
you do.
I touched everything I could think of that could be used to set up
some kind of trap, such as the video description and profile. I set up a
mountain of them, thinking that it would be fine if they exploded, but it
wouldn't be a big deal if they didn't.
These 'bombs' were already in effect the first day they were uploaded. Mysteries are mysteries, and these kinds of things are easy to discuss and fun to talk about anyway. We put in a lot of things that people can figure out if they watch them over and over again, so more people watch them over and over again, and the number of views and My Lists grows.
And the discussion took place in the comments section as a matter
of course.
Of course, the number grew dramatically.
"On the other hand, our work... has
no reason to be talked."
Kuroda seemed to understand that point as well.
"Yes. So on the day of the screening, when I heard that it
was so amazing that there were no words to describe it, I was convinced that I
could win."
High-quality works are more likely to be discussed and talked
about in award competitions and by critics, for example.
However, that is only limited to films that have been released in
theaters.
When it comes to a film on such a large scale, everyone is
engrossed in it and finds it hard to type a comment. They end up just saying
things like, "It was amazing," or "It was interesting."
I think this is the reason for the difference in scores between
the two works.
"That's what I thought of as a production, is that all, right?"
Kuroda nodded,
"Last"
"Eh?"
"The last scene. When did you come up with that?"
"Ah, that one......"
The last big gimmick, the scene that I thought would be a success
if it worked.
"That has been from the beginning. This project started with
that scene."
"From there, you say......?"
I felt that there was a little agitation in Kuroda's tone.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 5
"What the hell is this......?"
Morito, who was watching the screen, looked even more stunned than
before.
"This is the real climax of this video."
Kanou said and turned her gaze back to the screen.
At the time of the screening, that sky scene was indeed pitch black.
However, the video playing on Nico Nico Douga, which is now playing here, definitely depicts a sky full of stars.
"It's obviously not right to say that there are no stars in
this scene after all the work that has been done up to this point. But viewers
who empathize with the video know that they can create that missing element
themselves. And it spreads endlessly."
Kanou said to Morito and all the students.
"Yes, all of these stars are depicted in the comments of the
viewers."
ASCII art with symbols, letters, and combinations of them.
Everyone was using their own techniques and expressions to make
stars appear in the sky.
Indeed, they may be more crude than the well-crafted images.
However, viewers, who until now have only been “on the viewing
side,” will feel a lot of emotion when they are able to participate in the
production and paint something on a pitch-black canvas.
"There are two gimmicks in this scene."
The teacher stopped the screen and looked around.
"One was a proposal for a participatory video that would be
completed with the participation of viewers. The other was the number of
comments, which was the subject of scoring this time."
Several "Ah!"s echoed from the audience.
"The number of stars is enormous. Stars are born and flow one after another. The latest 200 or so stars are displayed as comments on Nico Nico Douga. In this video, a flow of commenting on the riddle has been established, so naturally, the flow of stars is also reborn from time to time. In other words, the comments are continuously being generated one after another."
The total number of comments will accumulate, so a huge number of
comments will be added at the same time they are replaced.
"You can already see that, can't you? This work was optimized
for this scoring system. In order to win the competition."
Morito looked disappointed and sat down in his chair.
"Is that ... possible."
Kanou let out a small breath and said,
"Well, to be honest, if we talk only about the degree of
perfection of the video, the work of the Kuroda group was outstanding by far
this time. I have no objection to that. However..."
With a serious face, she looked at the students,
"In this industry, no, in this world, the best and the
brightest are never the best in everything. All of these factors, plus luck and
time, play tricks on each other, and hits are born"
Kanou sat down in a chair, stopped the video, and rolled up the
screen.
As if making sure the hall was bright, she continued calmly.
"We started this task with the aim of making everyone
understand that. The video medium is going to change drastically in the future.
The norm of going home and watching it on TV may not be around for years to
come."
The students all held their breath and listened to the teacher's
talk.
"It's not just about the content. Think about the media. And
create it. That's all for today's lesson."
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 6
"Nico Nico is a medium in which viewers not only receive, but
also participate, and the audience is highly motivated to participate."
That is why we decided to include the most exciting scene at the
end, the one in which the viewer can actively participate. No, we worked
backwards to make that the most exciting part.
"Other than that, there were many depictions in Meku's gaze
and lyrics that made it seem like she was conscious of the audience. I think
that was also a hint for the ending, right?"
I nodded.
"Kuroda, did you realize everything when you saw that scene?"
"No, I didn't realize it right away...... I only realized it later. When I saw the number of views, My List, and comments, I knew you would come up with a mechanism to dramatically increase the number of views, My List, and comments. So when I realized it, it made sense."
He said he thought about it after he finished watching it and
realized it on the way home.
"I went home and played it, and it was an hour or so up, and
there were already stars in the comments on that scene. So I knew the game was
over."
"......I see."
Was he competing against an opponent who knew that much?
I knew Kuroda was a tough opponent, but I was still curious about
something.
"On the other hand, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Why did Kuroda include scenes and gimmicks that were
conscious of Nico Nico in our work, even though you knew that much? You could
have included them anywhere in the second work, not to mention the first one."
Yes, he understood the general framework of what I was going to
do, but why didn't he use it against me?
Animation is a genre in which it is difficult to move the flow
from the middle of a project, but even so, if he had known in advance, he would
have been able to take some action.
"Yeah, that's true, I could have done that."
"Then why?"
"I couldn't."
"......Eh?"
Kuroda's face became incredibly serious.
"Hashiba, I have a question for you."
His expression made me stiffen up as well.
"You.....How much of the future of video work did you put
into that work of yours?"
I felt a rumble in the back of my throat.
Because I sensed a clear danger in the blade that was thrust at me.
"When I work as a producer, I put enough effort into every
work that I create to make it a masterpiece. This is because I believe that
this is my mission as a person living in the content industry. No matter how
bad the conditions are or how unfulfilling it is, if you are aware that there
is even one person who will think something when they see your work ... you
can't do it half-heartedly."
I was at a loss for words.
It was as if the words were directed to the person I used to be
before I came to the past, or to the person I used to be when I was making
doujin games.
"The creators create what they want to create without any limitations. The producer decides only on the framework, and only corrects the course when the creators stray from it. However, when an external factor tries to harm the creators by overstepping the framework, it is the producer who protects the creators, even at the cost of his own life. Am I wrong?"
"......Right. It's as you say."
"I'll ask again. I agree that Hashiba and his team's work is
an incredible piece of work. But I also think it's a distorted piece that leans
too much towards the media. Are you okay with that? Can you proudly say that
this is what you wanted to do?"
It was a terrifying question.
It was a powerful question that challenged my very way of life.
There's no doubt that Kuroda would never forgive me for running
away. Even if the price I had to pay was his contempt, which would cause no
actual harm, I understood better than anyone that this contempt could lead to a
denial of my way of life.
What would I think?
How would I respond?
How would I live?
The answer to Kuroda's question would also be the answer to how I
would live my life and get around as a producer in the future.
I thought for a long time. I remained in the same position for a
few minutes, thinking. Kuroda, too, watched my every move, not moving an inch.
And then I answered.
"Kuroda, I — want to take all the talented people around me
to the top of the professional ranks, without missing a single one."
"If you think so, you shouldn't have made that work, should
you?"
"No. It was necessary."
I said it outright.
"Nico Nico Douga medium is immature. But because of that, it
has a lot of momentum right now. Most of the people who come there are in their
teens."
This was back when Nico Nico was still a young media.
The rules and morals were a mess, but there was also power in it.
"If we ignore such a medium, which has developed abnormally
only in terms of enthusiasm, because it is immature, it will surely dull our
creative precision and, in a bad sense, fall into the category of something
that is not relevant to the times. That is how I see it."
Just as the once-popular film industry was buried by television.
And television was pushed aside by the Internet, which even
launched negative campaigns.
There is a good chance that at some point, the Internet will also
be replaced by something hot.
I believe that creators are free to take whatever attitude they
want as long as they just make things.
If you are creating through commercial media, you must always be aware of where you are presenting your work and what the rules and regulations are.
We have seen what happens to creators who don't do it because they
are lazy or give up. We have seen it too many times.
"That's why it was necessary. I wanted to show people that
the tremendous quality of the work created by Kuroda and his team could be
surpassed by considering the possibilities, including the media, and being
creative."
I cut the subject off there.
I said everything I wanted to say.
"—That's it."
Kuroda continued to stare at me in silence even after I finished
speaking.
It was a long time. It seemed as if he was going to stick around
for as long as I was thinking.
(Was it no good......?)
Is this length of time a sign of NO? While I was thinking about
it, Kuroda finally said,
"Hihi, you're really a disgusting guy, aren't you?"
Suddenly, he spoke back his words in his usual way of speaking.
"I don't like what you do, and I don't like the results you
get. I don't like the way you use words to wrap things up in smoke, and I don't
like the things you make."
Apparently, it was no good.
I guess my thoughts and ideas didn't reach him.
"But the speech just now, honestly, worked."
"Eh?"
"It's because I don't have that. I hated the media anyway,
and I had decided to use them, but never to get too deep into them. I'm not
going to go into too much detail, but I've known people who were so immersed in
it that it poisoned their entire body. I thought it was the right thing to do,
to leave my feet firmly planted in the content and touch it only when I needed
to, rather than discover the poison's delicious taste."
Kuroda's words spoke of the difficulties of being a producer.
Creating a work is an internal process, and other ethics and
righteousnesses will affect the way it is spread outward. If we are too
stubborn, we can push our work into the minor, and if we are too open, it will
be covered in the poison that Kuroda describes, and not even the creator's
bones will remain.
"But you knew that, and you dared to let your team touch it. You knew it was poison. I thought you were crazy, but after listening to your story, I realized that it was necessary."
"I'm still feeling my way around. I don't know anything, so I
think about it endlessly every time."
"Hihi, you're right. It's a producer's job is to use their
head Once you start getting things done through experience and
connections, it's better to just let them be a decoration."
I thought the stubbornness had disappeared from Kuroda's
expression.
"Ironic, isn't it."
Kuroda gave a forced smile, as if mocking himself.
"I wanted to take revenge on the masses, but as a result, I
lost with the power of the masses."
"Revenge......?"
"It's just my story. Don't worry about it."
Kuroda spread his hands dramatically and made a disappointed face.
"Well, at least it looks like I don't have to despise you.
That doesn't mean I like you though."
"That's good."
I looked disappointed as well.
"I have respect for you, too, but I don't really like you, Kuroda."
After a short pause, we both burst out laughing.
Thinking about it, it was the first time that I'd ever felt this
way since we met.
Perhaps this is the kind of thing we only came to understand each
other after fighting each other.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 7
After I finished talking with Kuroda, I had visited the film
studies lab by myself.
Even though participation was pretty much voluntary, I felt that I
needed to offer some apology since both team leaders had so blatantly skipped
the entire class.
"When I started class, I looked around and immediately
thought, “Oh, if those guys aren't there, they're probably having a fight
somewhere”."
"I'm sorry, really."
"Well, that kind of conversation is much more important in
life than classroom study. So, how was it, did you actually fight?"
I smiled and said,
"Yeah, to the point where we don't bleed each other."
"I see, that's good."
Sensei was in a good mood, and was smiling the whole time.
After roughly making the coffee as usual, she placed the cup in
front of me with a casual gesture.
Then she sat down in front of me,
"Where did you learn how to do that?"
She asked.
"There is no “where”. When I saw Nico Nico, I thought that
there was a certain style here, and that doing something for that style would
lead to a hit. So I found my own theme, and that was the result."
"Hou?"
"If you're going to use the Internet to put out your work, I
think you'll have to be aware of the fact that it's a mechanism to get people
to react to it."
In the past, there was a way to react to video works in a way that
was commensurate with them.
Movies had critical media, TV shows had topics of conversation at
school and at work. Games had the same, and since the birth of the Internet,
there is even less of a place for it.
However, I think that these were still things that could only be
observed from afar. They didn't take full advantage of the characteristics of
the Internet, and they lacked real-time capabilities.
However, as lines became faster worldwide and the video media
itself became available on the Internet, the fusion of the two quickly
progressed.
I believe that Nico Nico Douga, including its unique commenting
system, was born as it was meant to be born.
"So, in the sense that it was a work that could only be made at that time, I believe it was a meaningful work."
Sensei only replied, "I see."
Then, after thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth.
"What we teach in our department is all about producing video
on media that is packaged and played back. That has been the norm until now.
However, the work you have created this time does not fit into any of those
categories, and I dare say that it is something like a game or CG art,
something that changes things fundamentally."
"......I understand."
"Frankly, I'm having a hard time. From a teaching point of
view, Kuroda and his team's work is worth a perfect score. It has been my usual
way to give high scores to them. But if I think about the future, I end up with
your work. There's no doubt about that."
Sensei's eyes were fixed straight on me, piercing through me.
"So I want you to show me your potential. I want you to make
what you have created this time so that it will become a standard for the
future of video, not just a stepping stone to win a contest. I know you can do
it."
Yes, I nodded.
Now I can't make that yet. That is why I was able to create a work with such a distorted mechanism.
But I knew that one day, by working with them together, we would
be able to realize that dream. It was because I believed this that I called
Tsurayuki back and confronted Shinoaki.
Everything should be connected to the future.
"So, what are you going to do from now on?"
"What do you mean?"
Sensei sipped her coffee.
"As you probably know, Shino and the others will get a chance
to become professionals by putting this work out into the world. But that's
just the guys who have some skill as creators."
The hand holding the cup was gently pointed towards me.
"After everyone has spread their wings, the only person left
will be the person at the center. Hashiba, what are you going to do then? Are
you going to follow them or live as a student?"
"That's......"
I couldn't say anything back.
Tsurayuki's words resurface. Everyone becomes a professional. They
decide on a path and walk away.
I was encouraging them to do so, but the important thing is that I can't decide my own path.
"I don't know yet."
That was the only answer I could give.
"—Think about it."
Sensei said it calmly.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 8
I walk down the street in the evening, when the sun has completely
set, toward the share house.
"Ugh......It's getting a little cold."
Some time had passed since the school festival ended, and it was
beginning to feel more like winter than autumn.
As I realized it was about time to get out my winter clothes, I
began to think about what lay ahead.
There was a mountain of things to do. About the future of all the
staff, and about myself.
Even after one production was over, I already had to think about
the next one.
"I guess it really ...... only takes a little bit of time off
to bask in the afterglow after you've made it."
I heard there's something called a refreshment holiday in the
professional world, but I wanted to ask how many people actually take a break
from it.
"What are you going to do from now on, huh?"
If I were to be a normal student, this would be the time when I
would start worrying about choosing a course in my third year and then start
thinking about finding a job.
But I didn't put much importance on that. Shinoaki, Nanako, and
Tsurayuki are gradually finding their direction and starting to move. How will
I face this? Will I find a way to walk together and call everyone there, or
will I enter a phase of training myself in preparation for the reunion?
I have a goal. But there are many ways to achieve it, and I'm not
sure what to do.
Right now, I've been struggling in a whirlpool of thoughts like
this.
Because I was walking while thinking, before I knew it, I was
getting closer to the share house.
"Areh......?"
It was after I noticed someone standing in front of the house.
"Hashiba-san, thank you for your hard work."
It was Saikawa who bowed her head.
"Saikawa, what are you doing here?"
It was an unexpected person.
To begin with, I don't often have the chance to talk to Saikawa alone. The only time I had that chance was during the stalker incident.
Since we are now in the same share house and there is always
someone there, it is impossible for us to be alone in the first place.
And yet, she went out of her way to create that situation.
Unless there is something unusual going on, there is no need for
her to do such a thing.
(Really, what is it? What kind of business is it?)
Just as I was wondering about this, she spoke up.
"I just wanted to talk to you, Hashiba-san. Can I talk to you
for a moment."
"Eh, fine, but here? If you want to change places, I am fine
with it."
"No, it's fine. There's absolutely no problem here."
Nodding her head, Saikawa took a deep breath.
"U-Uhm, me too......!"
She had a worried look on her face.
"E-Eh?"
C-Could it be.
What happened with Nanako came back to me in an instant.
No, but I wasn't that involved with Saikawa in the first place, and I thought this girl was more interested in the girls. In fact, I don't remember her ever talking to me about anything other than production.
But this flow is very, very much like that! I mean, is it okay to
say such a thing in a place like this where you don't know who is watching!
"S-Saikawa, um."
"I want to make anime too!!"
"...............Eh?"
Both Saikawa and I stopped moving, as if time had stopped right
there.
"Anime......is it?"
"Y-Yes......"
The only sound echoing through the countryside at night was the silly
whoosh of the wind.
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