Five small robots dance on stage, do the hula, and shuffle their feet. I think the best shots are of the assistants placing them on stage and turning them on..
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

YouTube:

or Vimeo:

A good friend had seats three rows from the Dohyo. A great view looking up at the wrestlers. Aside from my aching knees, it was a perfect day. Here’s a video nugget from the event.
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

Some sights and sounds at one of the many Samba Festivals in Japan. Why Samba in Japan? Actually, it’s probably a case of cultural backflow from Japanese emigrants; there are more than 1.4 million Japanese descendants living in Brazil..

Feathers, beads, and booties.. Dancing? I guess you could call it that..
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

I’ve had my issues with YouTube in the past, but they’ve definitely bumped-up their quality of encoding recently. Not quite Vimeo, but pretty damn good.

I started re-encoding some of TokyDV’s ‘classics’ in 16×9, high definition (well, online HD). But with original 4×3 aspect ratio content, I’m always left with two ‘black bars’ on both sides of the video. This annoys me. I’ve squeezed 4×3 clips into 16×9 before, but it stretches and distorts the content.

To omit of the black bars, I shifted the video content to one side and used the remaining area for something I call an ‘add panel’, or ‘advidisement’. But this space doesn’t only have to be for adds (although, that’s probably what it’ll become); see what I’ve done with the World Trade Center Tribute, or collaboration videos with Tokyo Reporter. There are a number of uses. Although, depending on what’s in the space, it could be just annoying.

TokyoDV Tube! – Check out channel TokyoDV on Vimeo and DailyMotion!

In early January, Japan celebrates twenty-year-olds becoming adults. Coming of Age Day is time for them to dress up in kimonos, gather at the local city hall, and listen to bureaucrats tell them how important ‘adults’ are.

The new adults usually get drunk before, after, and sometimes during the ceremony since they’re now legal drinking age. They can also vote at the age of twenty, so in this clip we see some right-wing black busses shouting their opinions to the newly christened voters. The wing-nuts don’t like Communists, kissing in public, or parked cars in their way.

This Coming of Age Day is probably like any other; kimonos, rabbit suits, and big black busses..
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

Originally released in 2003.

Some close-ups of Asimo’s ankle joints, tinted face shield, and knees.

The lighting was strange/futuristic and the fluid/freaky motions of Asimo made this an intriguing clip; still one of my personal favorites. Shot at one of the Robodex Expos in Yokohama, Japan.
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

Originally released in 2002.

Some Harajuku sights in winter. A little collage clip from an afternoon of street interviews.. Boots, buttons, and BBQ Chickens.
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

George Mauro’s video reminder of how peaceful the World Trade Center was only one month before September 11th. This clip has views from the top, inside, and base of the huge buildings. He created this video and commentary the same day the towers collapsed..
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !

Related:
VISIT: George Mauro’s Site

On my way to another shoot in Yoyogi Park, I stumbled upon the Digiko Girls ‘performing’ outside Hachiko exit in Shibuya.

The sun glistened off their shiny black boots as they squeeked out their latest tune..

No one seemed to mind they couldn’t sing since they provided colorful energy on an otherwise monotonous day.
Watch in stand-alone page with 720×430 video; W A T C H – B I G G E R !