Morning Musume。X MySpace OPV (Original Promotion Video) Contest

Written by Kuno, updated: 4:26, 14-May 2009
YOU can bring out the attractiveness in MORNING MUSUME。! MORNING MUSUME。 is collaborating with MySpace to collect OPV (Original Promotion Video) submissions! Try making the promotion video for “3, 2, 1 BREAKIN’ OUT!” - the coupling song of MORNING MUSUME。’s 39th single “Shouganai Yume Oibito” to be released on May 13. Using a combination of the free distributional video footage of the members and other footage, make a PV to your liking by matching the video to the music clip being distributed, starting from scratch and express the image of the song with self-made animations and more! It’s all up to your taste to see what kind of PV you can come up with. The submitted materials will be judged by producer TSUNKU♂ and the members of MORNING MUSUME。 The results will be announced at the ANIME EXPO 2009 to be held in America in July. This is a world-scale contest, so don’t miss out your chance to win! CONTEST RULES Please read before submitting your work * Submissions o Visit the website o Video must contain the assigned music clip being distributed (example: A video that contains video footage from the distributed video, or an animation made by you) o Video must be able to be uploaded to MySpace (no restrictions on the video format) * Qualifications There are no restrictions on age, sex, nationality, amateur or professional. Must be already registered or will be registered with MySpace. * Submission Time Frame May 13, 2009 thru June 19, 2009, Japan time * Submission Methods: 1. Register on MySpace 2. Visit an official website 3. Read the contest rules carefully 4. Download the assigned music clip 5. Produce the video (you have the choice of whether to use the provided video footage or not) 6. Upload the video onto your MySpace page 7. Send a message to the official page using MySpace’s message function 8. Submission complete * Permitted Materials (free): Please read the rules and regulations before you download Assigned music material Artist: MORNING MUSUME。 Song title: “3, 2, 1 BREAKIN’ OUT (Short version)” http://www.up-front-works.jp/morningmusume-opv/index_en.html Lyrics: “3, 2, 1 BREAKIN’ OUT (Short version)” Video material: 37 types; original footage can be downloaded (free of charge): http://www.up-front-works.jp/morningmusume-opv/index_en.html * Panel of Judges o TSUNKU♂ o MORNING MUSUME。 o Upfront Works, Inc. o MySpace * Announcement of Results: The results will be announced on stage at the ANIME EXPO 2009 (http://www.anime-expo.org/jp) to be held in LA July 2, 2009 ~ July 5, 2009. * Awards for best work submitted are: o 390,000 Yen o Original comment video from MORNING MUSUME。congratulating the winner o Work will be included as special footage in future video product from Upfront Works, Inc. REGULATIONS (ATTENTION) - PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR WORK! Only those who have read the contents below, understand all the clauses, and agree to follow all the rules may take part in the contest. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL * All the copyright and license for the free distributional music and video contents are owned and managed by Upfront Works, Inc. * The music copyright for “3, 2, 1 BREAKIN’ OUT” is owned and managed by Upfront Works, Inc. * All the rights to the distributed materials and music used in this contest, and so forth to the works submitted, belong to Upfront Works Inc. and Upfront Records. * All the rights to publicity of portraits of MORNING MUSUME in free distributed video materials belong to Upfront Agency. * Upfront Works Inc. is providing the free music and video materials for the sole purpose of the contest. It is illegal to use or transfer any of the materials provided for purposes other than that of the contest. Upfront Agency Inc. also DOES NOT permit the resale of products made by using the free music and video materials being distributed. * All the rights to the submitted works will be transferred to Upfront Works Inc. in exchange for the prize. WARNINGS ON PRODUCTION * Soundtrack used in work submitted for the contest must use the music as distributed. Do not attempt to reproduce from retail CD, DVD, ring tones (including purchased ones). In addition, please do not add other sounds/voices, or delete partial or all of the sounds/voices, change the song, or modify/edit the free distributional music clip. * Contestants are free to use and edit video footage filmed or produced by the contestant, and are not limited to having to use the video materials provided. However, please be careful not to use any works, company names, product names with copyright belonging to a third party, or use any contents which violates the rights of others in the submitted work. In addition, please do not use any contents which violate the privacy of others (video footages of others without obtaining their permission), publicize personal information (including contents that specify personal names and locations). * Redistribution of the free music and video materials provided is NOT ALLOWED. * Direct linking to the free music and video materials provided is NOT ALLOWED. * Other actions not permitted by law are not allowed. In the event that the contestant breaks the law, the contestant will be subject to legal proceedings. Please be aware of such actions as the contest organizer will not be responsible for any of the contestants’ illegal actions. OTHER INFORMATION * All contacts to contestants, including winning notification, will be sent out from the official page using MySpace’s message function. * We will not be able answer any technical questions such as video editing for submissions. * All costs occurred during production of the submission will be the responsibility of the contestant. The Contest Management Team and related personnel will not be responsible for any of the financial charges incurred by the contestants. * Any submitted work that is deemed damaging to the artist’s image by the contest management will be deleted from MySpace. * Any work that violates any of the rules set forth in this document will be deleted from MySpace and the posted site without prior notice. * Please be aware that details regarding the contest may be changed by the Contest Management Team under unforeseeable circumstances. * Please be aware that any work submitted found in violation of the rules as set forth in this document will be removed from judging, or have the prize forfeited. * Please be aware that there may be delays in the announcement of the winning submission. * Submission of work will be indication that the contestant has read and understood and agree to all the rules set forth in this document. * This contest is ruled based on Japanese law.	Morning Musume, in collaboration with MySpace and Anime Expo is holding a contest: Make an original PV for "3,2,1, BREAKIN' OUT!", with the winner to be announced at Anime Expo this July. This info comes along with the reveal of Morning Musume's official Myspace page. They're even supplying exclusive video footage for everyone to use. Read all the details via the official press release, inside... UPDATE: added a short Dohhhup video promoting the contest.

Kago Ai interview with Yahoo! Japan

	Written by B.Slade & Kuno, updated: 21:07, 21-Apr 2009
	In this interview published yesterday, Kago talks about her movie "Kung Fu Chefs", her upcoming role in the next installment of the "Ju-On" franchise, and her plans to release new music soon

Q: Please tell us your impressions from the time you found out you'd be in a Hong Kong movie, up until when you actually filmed it.
Kago: Okay. I'd only just made my show business return, and I was trying to decide what kind of work I should be doing, when I was told about "Kung Fu Chefs". I'd never been to Hong Kong, for work or for pleasure, and it would be a month-long stay instead of just 2 or 3 days. Everything would be a new experience for me, so I couldn't help being uncertain at first (lol).

Q: It would be your major movie debut, and your first time doing action work, right?
Kago: That's right. Right after I arrived in Hong Kong, I had 3 days off. So I started practicing for the action scenes and taking the time to get used to the city. I went to a lot of places in those 3 days, and experienced a lot of things. I think I absorbed a lot of Hong Kong culture. If you just honk your horn once there, the people are very polite (lol)

Q: What was it like when it came time to actually film your action scenes?
Kago: Action is just like dance, since you have to learn the choreography first. Once you've got that down, you know how you're supposed to move, and the most important thing is being able to act while doing the moves! But because it happens so quickly, I was always forgetting. I'm unathletic and bad with directions (lol), so it was tough for me. But I learnt a lot on the set.

Q: Because it was your comeback work, did you think of it as something you had to be enthusiastic with?
Kago: Yeah. But not just my comeback work "Kung Fu Chefs". I'm enthusiastic about any work I do now. When I went to Hong Kong for it, I knew nobody would know me overseas, so I had to make myself a representative of Japan. Everybody there was so professional, so that was a big incentive.

Q: Did Hong Kong movie legend Sammo Hung give you any advice?
Kago: I was lucky to see his action scenes being filmed live just before my own action scenes, but because we couldn't communicate with words, we didn't really mix at first. So in the beginning, I just watched every take of him being filmed, and he never seemed to get tired! You can really feel his aura just by watching his movies, but he was even more amazing in person!

Q: Were there any interesting episodes with the hot young actor Vanness Wu?
Kago: While we were filming, Vanness Wu was always drawing. I don't know if he's any good, but his drawings have character (lol). He seemed to be working hard on his drawings every day, but depending on the day, they'd always come out differently (lol). One day I asked him about it, and he explained it was a picture of a hand coming out of a leaf. I drew a picture of an elephant beside it, but it felt like on that day, Vanness Wu expressed the way he was feeling in his picture (lol)

Q: Apart from the difficulties of doing an action movie, do you have lots of fun memories from it?
Kago: A lot of it was hard, bet there were fun times, too. In the dressing room area, we'd all get together and watch Sammo Hung's movies. But sometimes when he left the room, we watch something else on TV instead (lol) But we'd always watch music shows when Vanness Wu's F4 came on. Everybody had a good time! Sometimes Japanese TV shows would be on, and shows with me singing (lol)

Q: With all those memories from "Kung Fu Chefs", what were your impressions when your first got to watch it?
Kago: It was different from the script and story I'd been given at first, and the ending was changed a little. There were some scenes that weren't included, and it didn't follow the script exactly, so that was a surprise. But it was a strange feeling. It was strange seeing myself in a movie, and I tried to watch objectively at first. I just watched the cooking and everyday scenes silently, and it really touched my heart! I think there's a lot of humanity packed into the movie, and it really turned out great.

Q: How did it feel having your first work since your comeback overseas instead of in Japan?
Kago: It would sound really cool if I said it was great, but looking back now, I think it was a good thing that my first comeback job was in Hong Kong. I could keep on being myself, which maybe I couldn't do in Japan (lol). And going overseas, nobody knows who I am. That let me live my life in a way even I didn't know I could. It's really strange. There's no need for a Kago Ai overseas, so I can be coloured by each country. I want to be coloured by them. I want to absorb everything.

Q: Please tell us your dreams, hopes, and goals for your future show business work.
Kago: Right now I want to earn the title "actor". The other day I acted a part in a horror movie coming out in summer, the new film in the "Ju-on" series! I thought at the time that I had horror acting ability. You have to be able to act scared of something that isn't there. As it happened, when I had to make a lot of noise, the other actors and the staff all encouraged me, and I overcame it with power. It was tough, but I had a lot of fun.

Q: Do you feel like you've learnt something about acting from "Kung Fu Chefs" or the new "Ju-on" movie?
Kago: Before filming starts, before I start acting, I write down a detailed analysis of my personality in a notebook. Then I analyse the character I'm going to be playing. Then I compare to see which parts are like me, and which parts aren't and write out what needs to change. I think that's a good idea. I got more confident after "Kung Fu Chefs", so I want to take this chance to work hard as a movie actor.

Q: You're planning to sing songs produced by Nakanishi Keizou, so it sounds like you've got a lot of activity ahead of you!
Kago: Yeah. The songs will be released in June. But because I'm creating something writing these songs, I don't think it's enough to just be satisfied with it myself. So when the fans receive it, I want to hear all the good and bad impressions of it. It's just like at a restaurant (lol). You want to hear all different viewpoints and impressions, from delicious to awful. I want to keep on growing as an actor, but a also want to be someone who can do anything in the future.


By: Aita_Chan