| Full Translation |
"The shadow that fights Ultraman Tiga's light, that is the Kyriel People. Who exactly is this mysterious savior...?"
- ―Tagline.
This article contains the full translation for Kiriel-Bito , a novella written by Chiaki J. Konaka, one of the writers of Ultraman Tiga.
Chapter 1[]
"Okay, please turn around the camera."
As I told the cameraman, the image on the monitor that I was looking at became shaky once it started going through a dark tunnel.
Her back was framed in that screen.
"Is there really a tunnel underneath Tokyo......"
She muttered. It's in the script.
On the screen, she went deeper into the tunnel while shaking slowly like a sea-sickness in the Steadicam.
She was doing rehearsal. Okay, now its time for the next dialogue......
"――Who? Who's there?"
Nope. I didn't wrote that line.
I looked up from the monitor and looked into the back of the tunnel.
"What's wrong?"
"Okay, cut!"
The assistant director made an unmotivated voice.
"Come here for a moment"
The cameraman called me.
"What's wrong......"
I ran to the back of the tunnel.
Flashed by the light, she was frightened and stared at the darkness behind the tunnel.
"Um......"
"Flash over there"
She told the lighting man who held the light work.
The lightflashed the interior of the tunnel, which was previously jet-black.
Not far away, the tunnel is at the end. I was watching it during the rehearsal.
"There's something over there."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know. But ―― he was standing."
The staffs were shivering. I didn't even let out a voice.
"There's no one over there. I saw it."
She had a stiff face, but ―― she quickly smiled at me.
"I'm sorry. It's probably my instinct. Let's do it again."
"―― Huh......?"
She apologized to the staffs again.
"Then, let's do it again."
I told everyone.
Chapter 2[]
In 1989, even though it hadn't been many years since I left school, I relied on my experience in the independent film era to direct mini-programs and corporate public relation videos.
Its all in low budgets, but now I think that it has become a lot of learning to handle all the processes from budgeting to editing and recording by myself. But the work I was doing was by no means interesting. By the time my fresh work became a routine, I started to get bored――.
The job of creating an opening and a program promotion commercial for a new program of a certain station has come around.
The presenter was said to be a popular actress. It's a job that seems to be much more interesting than the jobs I've done so far.
The concept of this lifestyle information TV program was "Exploring Tokyo". Even if you're familiar with Tokyo, there are still places and things to explore ―― that's what it means. If you think about it normally, you can assume Tokyo as a jungle and its like a place where the actress walks in exploration clothes.
However, I wanted to make the video look like I was really exploring, not Tokyo.
The content I wrote was about a documented exploration of an unknown cave where an archaeological site was discovered in the basement and a huge logo of the TV program of a bird's eye view of Tokyo appeared from the ground ―― just like that.
Of course, the last part will be a special effect. It was around the time when computer graphics were gradually introduced into the television industry, and although it was a budget that would not normally be usable, I decided that it would be exceptionally possible because it could also be used for software testing.
I decided to do filming at the cave ruins in Saitama.
It's only 25 seconds long, but I wanted to make it like a movie. It's different from my previous job.
Selfishly, I decided to use Steadicam for shooting. Steadicam is famously used for the maze scene in "The Shining" movie. Its a high-tech equipment that attaches a machine to the body of the cameraman and does not transmit vibration at all even when the cameraman runs.
Preparations proceeded steadily, and as the shooting day approached, I became nervous. Best of all, I had never worked alongside professional actor before.
However, the actress who acted as the presenter of the program was a more friendly person than I had expected, and was willing to accept the instructions of a young director.
Her relaxed mood was conveyed to the staff, and although the shooting team was organized in a flash, they gathered together in the location bus heading to the site.
Steadicam requires fairly delicate adjustments when attached to the cameraman. While the actress received her make-up, the staffs were busy preparing.
"I often found tunnels like this."
The actress's manager talked to me, who was reviewing the storyboard without any whereabouts.
"I heard that it was often used in Toei's children programs. I was told about it on the phone."
"Okay, thanks for waiting."
She came out of the location bus after finishing her make-up.
Thus the filming started.
But......
Chapter 3[]
"I can't use this."
"Eh?"
The process of editing and recording is called post production. In the case of a video work, the work of main editing is performed based on the edit sheet created by temporary editing. This is because studios that can do editing are expensive. Of course, it's not good to stop working in that expensive studio.
Tentative editing is done with VHS down-converted from Betacam, and the image quality deteriorates further as the editing is repeated. Did I wrote any bad takes that I missed on the sheet?
"What's wrong?"
"The staffs are out of sight."
"Out of sight" means that something that should not be captured is reflected.
But that's strange. The filming in that cave was in the style of a documentary. There can't be staff members on the other side of the actress.
"Where is it?"
"Over here."
The editorial operator pointed to a spot on the master monitor.
The back of the cave was a still image. At first glance, it's just darkness but ――.
"What is this......?"
It was pale and vague. If looked closely, it certainly resembled a human being. It looks like there are several people, not just one.
"Geez"
The operator was holding his head while turning over the seat.
"We only have one cut for this take, right? Let's wipe this part out then..."
The operator doesn't seem to suspect it's a staff member. But I know there was no staff members in that place――.
The words she said at that time were revived in my ears.
"――Who? Who's there?"
"Hmm?"
The operator raised his voice. He was just looking around the tape looking for material.
"Strange"
I figured it out why he was wondering.
What's visible on the screen now is the same place as before. It seems that it was taken during the rehearsal. Unlike the actual production, the light of the battery light is shining all the way.
"If we knock this part again――"
"Please show me that part again."
When I asked the operator, two images were displayed side by side.
That blue and pale figure seems to stand deeper. However, if the end of that thing is close――,
"That thing's height might be about 3 meters..."
I've never been that stupid. Even though I thought so reasonably, I couldn't help feeling the chills running on my spine.
In the end, in the depths of the darkness, I lowered the brightness with DVE (video special effect) and crushed it black to finish the editing.
Chapter 4[]
The show seems to have been able to get off to a good start with a decent audience rating. However, I was not interested in the content of the program itself, so I moved on to the work of the exhibition video that will be screened at the newly opened theme park with a space motif.
It's still low budget, but I enjoyed shooting miniatures of distant planets and stuffed animals of space monsters.
The person in charge of filming was an elderly person. He told me that he used to film "Kaiju Booska". My thoughts went soar upwards. I love Booska very much. I remember crying in the final episode where Booska and Chamegon left for a distant planet. When I talked about that, he brought me the script of "Booska" on the next filming day. It was very well preserved. Could it be that this script gave me my dreams when I was a little kid..... Throughout the break periods, I turned the pages, being careful not to make creases.
Just reading the lines and writings revived the fun from that show.
I've been directing since the days of independent films, so I'm probably suited to the job of script writing. That kind of feeling suddenly came up.
There was a problem with the equipment, and the filming lasted until midnight.
But I was able to record all the materials without extending the deadline, while I do feel tired and relaxed, I rode a taxi with my other staff members and went home to the condominium where I lived at that time.
Once I get off the elevator and walk down the corridor ――,
"I hate it..."
Someone is standing in front of my room. Who could it be at this time?
A tall man, dressed in black, stands still in front of the door. His face is heading downwards, so I can't see it.
I slowly walked to my room. I thought I would turn around with my footsteps, but the man did not move in that position.
I stopped and took a deep breath.
"――Who are you?"
I finally muster the courage to let out my voice.
The man slowly facing me.
"――Are you, Mr. Konaka?"
He has a whitish face, but there is nothing strange about him.
His voice was also in a normal tune. So he's not a ghost.
"That's right."
"I'm a director"
"What do you want at a time like this?"
"There are people who want to thank you. You did a great job. It will be a great opportunity to save people."
What was he talking about? His tone was calm and there was nothing strange about it, but what he's saying was incoherent.
"So, what is it about?"
"Can't you hear the whispering of these citizens? The gods who lead those foolish humans to destruction. Those voices praising the names of those gods."
Its totally out of ordinary to create a new religion.
"Um, I'm not particularly interested in that."
I passed by the man and inserted the key into the door, hoping that he wasn't the type to be violent.
"You're crazy. Please go home."
"You have revealed those people, the image of the gods of Kyriel. The wonderful work you have done has been blessed!"
I'm sick of it. I'm getting angry over that man's over the top voice.
"I don't care."
When I turn around to say that――,
ZAWA! A noise suddenly appear from the blood within my body.
There's no one behind my back.
I was upset and look around.
In the darkness beside the stairs, a large black figure can be seen.
Could it be that person――?
No, its a strangely huge black silhouette. Its like seeing――, a devil.
I rushed to my room, locked it and set up the chains for the first time since I moved in.
Even though I didn't swallow it, I emptied a can of beer to celebrate the end of the filming.
I kept telling to myself that I won't be sleeping till the sky turned white.
Chapter 5[]
A few years later, as I once expected, I was moving away from directing work and writing scripts. I have no desire or ability to write ordinary dramas anymore, so I specialized in horror and fantasy works. Thanks to that, I left my previous work, but I was happier to find a job that suits me.
It was around that time that I saw that man again.
The job of making the sequel to a horror movie from a few years ago has arrived in the form of an original video. The content of the sequel doesn't really matter. However, I thought that the taste of the past work should be inherited, so I watched it once at the theater, but I also borrowed the video from a rental shop and watching it alone in the middle of the night.
In the middle of the scene, the hero walks through the crowd, and a policeman talks to him. That policeman was the same person who stood in front of my room that night.
Was he an actor......
When I attended a review meeting between the directors and producers and brought up the writing, I suddenly remembered and said at that seat.
"Umm, whose that policeman's actor talking to the main character in the town?"
The producer also worked on the previous work, so I thought he knew it.
"Was there really a scene like that?"
"Yup, there is. He was with the leading barter (*Note: "Barter" refers to young performers in a drama.)
It's a common story to cast a young actor in the office instead of having a star to appear.
"What? Konaka-chan, do you really want to include that actor?"
"No, that's not the case...."
"I was pretty impressed too. He's nice, but I felt uncomfortable with him."
The director seems to like him.
"Oh, its him. But it is impossible."
"Eh, but why?"
"After that movie, he――"
The producer imitated by squeezing his neck.
"What's with that?"
"After that (movie), he became a regular (cast member) of a serial drama and eventually dismissed after being hated by the sponsors..... That's how I remember it to be."
Its getting painful from just sitting here. But――, there's something I really wanted to ask.
"So――, where did that matter came from?"
"Hmm, probably year (19)85 or so? It was a pretty old story."
Then, who was it that I met――.
Epilogue[]
Since the spring of 1996, I have participated in a year-long television series.
It was a big job to revive the hero who I had been fascinated since my childhood.
During that year, I could hardly watch any movies, and public reports such as the discovery of a fossil of a giant creature called "monsters" in the Mongolian desert and the appointment of a Japanese as the UN Secretary-General were also reported, sounding a lot like an event in a distant world.
It was a painful and long job, but I had never felt the satisfaction of being able to complete it to the end.
I just wrote the script and had little chance to go to the filming site.
It was at the launch party that I was able to meet and greet the regular actors for the first time.
"Have you forgotten me――"
I quietly called out to the most beautiful woman who was chatting in the circle of people.
An actress who has played as a regular center for a year, I was usually in charge of the times she was featured.
"Long ago, we did a filming in a cave at Saitama."
"Oh! I remember!"
She and I had a short conversation. She didn't seem to remember that filming anymore.
I thanked her for playing the character I drew in her script more than I thought and embodying her. That was enough.
[Some of this writing are non-fiction.]