TOKYODV Video Log

An interview with a minister of a small church in Chiba, Japan. Mr. Suzuki is tattood, pinkyless, and basking in the glow of God’s love.. Becasue ‘Jesus loves him for who he is’; an ex-member of the feared Japanese mafia – the Yakuza.

See the video interview here and read the article by Captain Japan – From Crime to Christ: Former Yakuza Sees the Light.
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Originally released in 2004.

My first real clip of effectively mixing sound-loops with video. The Mercedes Benz F400 Carving surprised me when I first saw it; The real-life Batmobile!

Three weeks after I posted this clip, I received an email from Germany. It was from one of the engineers who helped design the front-end steering mechanism for the F400. He liked the video and wanted to know more about what I saw at the Motor Show that day; the crowds, the impressions, the atmosphere at the Mercedes area.

We exchanged a few emails, and I got the first taste of what video could bring to the Internet experience. This was in 2001 and broadband hadn’t matured yet. At the time, everyone was streaming content. I hated streaming video; Downloading small packages of quality video was a much better experience, in my opinion.. and I knew what the viewers were seeing.

You can find more on the F400 Carving at Edmunds.com: “Incorporating drive-by-wire technology, this ‘Benz controls steering and braking through computer-monitored impulses rather than conventional racks and cables. This allows for quicker responses from the car; after all, these computers are smarter than you. They override human inputs that it deems as incorrect (Hal? Hal?)..”
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Some of the scenery at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi, Japan. I shot this video a few days before it opened.

Overall, I was impressed; Grass, open space in back and natural wood inside. Much easier to navigate than Roppongi Hills, and the water everywhere keeps it cool during summer. Inside is well lit from abundant skylights.. A pleasant experience.

The video was quickly chopped together so it could be released before Midtown’s official opening in March, 2007. I got press access a couple days prior..

Read the related article from Tokyo Reporter.
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An interpretation of robot evolution; reptilian, seated/upright, then bipedal. Definite cheese factor evident, but the clip was popular when first released. Some decent shots of the serpent robot, with its small spinning drive-train and ability to roll-over or climb obstacles.
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Two Honda Asimo play soccer, climb stairs, and shadow box on a platform. One plays with a girl and chases her around the arena.

In the last frame, you’ll see a projection of Asimo’s vision. Something like Terminator, it registers the height, angle of the arms, and movement of a child in a computerized brain interface..

(music produced by Jay Berlinsky at Musicians Media Inc – your one stop shop for over 3000+ Music loops in 23 styles, licensed tracks for sale)
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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..
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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.