DOCUMENTARY

Undercurrent — Tokyo

CHIEF OF PRODUCTIONMark Jacobsen•
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYElena Voss•
LEAD EDITORKenji Osei•
MOTION DESIGNERSofia Almeida•
CHIEF OF PRODUCTIONMark Jacobsen•
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYElena Voss•
LEAD EDITORKenji Osei•
MOTION DESIGNERSofia Almeida•

CATEGORY

DOCUMENTARY

client

SELF-INITIATED

deliverable

Master & Cutdowns

LOCATION

Tokyo, JP

The brief

What we set out to explore.

Undercurrent began as a self-initiated project, not a commission — a question more than a brief. We wanted to spend real time with young people in Tokyo who don't show up in the usual coming-of-age narratives: not students, not salarymen-in-training, just people figuring out what comes next while the city moves around them. No agenda beyond honesty.

the approach

How we translated that into a creative direction.

We shot in tighter close-up than we'd normally allow ourselves — faces held long enough to become uncomfortable, refusing the easy cutaway. Hard, direct light instead of soft diffusion, so nothing about the frame felt gentle or forgiving. The goal was proximity without intrusion: close enough to see everything, careful never to direct it.

production

The actual shoot.

Filmed over three weeks across Tokyo, working with one subject at a time rather than a crowd of interviewees, letting each relationship develop before the camera came out. Minimal crew — often just a director and one operator — so conversations could happen without the weight of a full set. Available light only, shot mostly at the edges of the day.

post production

The edit and finish.

The edit resisted narration entirely — no voiceover explaining what we were seeing, just structure doing the work. Color grading pushed contrast hard, keeping skin tones warm against desaturated concrete and steel, so every face reads as the one warm thing in a cold frame. Finished as a 22-minute short, with a 90-second trailer cut for festival submissions.

A person in a maroon jacket stands against a textured concrete wall, casting a determined expression in a moody, dim-lit setting.
A person in a red jacket is being photographed by another individual holding a camera in an urban street with Japanese signage, capturing the city's bustling and energetic ambiance.
Two men closely examine the screen of a DSLR camera, showcasing their focus and interest, with a textured concrete wall in the background, emphasizing a moment of collaboration and curiosity.
A person is running down a dimly lit, rain-soaked alley at night, illuminated by bright red neon signs featuring Japanese characters, creating a dramatic and intense urban scene.
In a bustling urban setting at night, a focused film crew collaborates on a street, featuring a central figure intensely examining a professional camera while neon signs illuminate the background.
A group of four friends, three men and one woman, take a selfie on a bustling street in a vibrant city at night, surrounded by brightly lit neon signs and urban buildings.
A person in a maroon jacket stands against a textured concrete wall, casting a determined expression in a moody, dim-lit setting.
A person in a red jacket is being photographed by another individual holding a camera in an urban street with Japanese signage, capturing the city's bustling and energetic ambiance.
Two men closely examine the screen of a DSLR camera, showcasing their focus and interest, with a textured concrete wall in the background, emphasizing a moment of collaboration and curiosity.
A person is running down a dimly lit, rain-soaked alley at night, illuminated by bright red neon signs featuring Japanese characters, creating a dramatic and intense urban scene.
In a bustling urban setting at night, a focused film crew collaborates on a street, featuring a central figure intensely examining a professional camera while neon signs illuminate the background.
A group of four friends, three men and one woman, take a selfie on a bustling street in a vibrant city at night, surrounded by brightly lit neon signs and urban buildings.

REC: NEXT PROJECT

BRAND MOVIE

The Northwind - origin

A hero brand film built to carry Northwind's full relaunch — one shoot, cut down into a homepage hero and six social bumpers without losing identity.

Three people wearing winter jackets and scarves hike through a vast, grassy landscape under a cloudy, overcast sky.

BRAND MOVIE

The Northwind - origin

A hero brand film built to carry Northwind's full relaunch — one shoot, cut down into a homepage hero and six social bumpers without losing identity.

Three people wearing winter jackets and scarves hike through a vast, grassy landscape under a cloudy, overcast sky.

BRAND MOVIE

The Northwind - origin

A hero brand film built to carry Northwind's full relaunch — one shoot, cut down into a homepage hero and six social bumpers without losing identity.

Three people wearing winter jackets and scarves hike through a vast, grassy landscape under a cloudy, overcast sky.

REC: CONTACT

the way to

contact us

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