Mainichi Film Award for Art Direction: Yohei Taneda on "National Treasure" and "You Must Not Skimp on Details" (Mainichi Shimbun)
Art Director Yohei Taneda won the Mainichi Film Award for his work on "National Treasure," emphasizing meticulous detail and the challenges of depicting traditional performing arts.Summary
Art Director Yohei Taneda, along with Nao Shimoyama, won the Mainichi Film Award for Art Direction for their work on the film "National Treasure" (Kokuhō), marking his third win. Taneda expressed gratitude for the award, noting the long history of the prize and his respect for past recipients. He discussed the challenge of expressing the world of traditional performing arts, specifically Kabuki, within the film, which spans 50 years. He highlighted the close working relationship with director Lee Sang-il, which began with "69 sixtynine" (2004), fostering a high level of trust within the art department. To accurately render the Kabuki scenes, Taneda researched stage designs and consulted with Kabuki professionals, making adjustments—such as changing the color palette in the "Sonezaki Shinju" scene—to balance tradition with cinematic impact. He stressed the critical importance of historical accuracy for the period settings (Showa to Heisei), noting the immense effort required to correct details like vending machine products in location shoots. Taneda concluded by emphasizing that success came from meticulously handling the unseen, unglamorous details, stating, "If you neglect the details, the art direction collapses." He credited his team, including Shimoyama, for achieving this high quality and noted the film's success in conveying traditional arts to a modern audience through strong collaboration across all departments.
(Source：Yahoo!ニュース)