Kenji Takama
Encyclopedia
Kenji Takama J.S.C. in Suginami, Tokyo
, Japan
, is a Japanese cinematographer
. Takama is a member of Japanese Society of Cinematographers.
for Table For Five, Owen Roizman for Tootsie
, Gordon Willis
for Broadway Danny Rose, and operated camera several times for Blue Thunder. After returning to Japan, he worked with young directors such as Naoto Yamakawa, Shusuke Kaneko, Shun Nakahara and Fran Kuzui for Tokyo Pop. He got the best photography award twice at Yokohama Film Festival
for Summer Vacation: 1999 (1987) and Misty Kid Of Wind (1988). Best photography at Osaka Film Festival for A High School Teacher and Hear The Duck's Song (1993). Best photography by children Julie at Poland Film Festival for Naran (1995). He was nominated for best photography at Japanese Academy Award for Welcome Back, Mr. Macdonald (1997). Currently he is in the middle of prepping for his American debut features in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a Japanese cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. Takama is a member of Japanese Society of Cinematographers.
Biography
Born in Tokyo in 1949. As a student at Tokyo Metropolitan University, Kenji Takama started working as a camera assistant at the Wakamatsu Productions, then later started shooting commercials as a cameraman, and his first full director of photography duty was Gassan (1978). He got scholarship for the Artists' Training Program of the Culture Agency, and moved to Hollywood, then New York for 1 year (1981–82). Was trained under Harry Wolf A.S.C. for A Little House On The Prairie, John Alonzo for Blue Thunder, John Alcott for The Beast Master, Vilmos ZsigmondVilmos Zsigmond
Vilmos Zsigmond, A.S.C. is a Hungarian-American cinematographer.In 2003, a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild placed Zsigmond among the ten most influential cinematographers in history.-Biography:...
for Table For Five, Owen Roizman for Tootsie
Tootsie
Tootsie is a 1982 American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, with a supporting cast that includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman,...
, Gordon Willis
Gordon Willis
Gordon Willis, ASC, is an American cinematographer best known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather series as well as Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan....
for Broadway Danny Rose, and operated camera several times for Blue Thunder. After returning to Japan, he worked with young directors such as Naoto Yamakawa, Shusuke Kaneko, Shun Nakahara and Fran Kuzui for Tokyo Pop. He got the best photography award twice at Yokohama Film Festival
Yokohama Film Festival
The is a noticed yearly awards ceremony held in Japan. The festival was started as a small affair by fans and film critics, and first held on February 3, 1980. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year, and various awards are given to personnel...
for Summer Vacation: 1999 (1987) and Misty Kid Of Wind (1988). Best photography at Osaka Film Festival for A High School Teacher and Hear The Duck's Song (1993). Best photography by children Julie at Poland Film Festival for Naran (1995). He was nominated for best photography at Japanese Academy Award for Welcome Back, Mr. Macdonald (1997). Currently he is in the middle of prepping for his American debut features in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Filmography
- The Hole (2008)- cinematographer
- Cindellera of the Entrance Exam (2008)-Cinematographer
- Kotatsu neko (2007)- Cinematographer
- Death NoteDeath Noteis a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
: The Last Name (2007) - Cinematographer - Ulysses - Cinematographer 2006
- God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand - Cinematographer 2006
- Haha: Toyoko, aru kazoku no ai to kanashimi - Cinematographer 2006
- 9/10 - Cinematographer 2005
- 'Chô' kowai hanashi the movie: yami no eigasai - Cinematographer 2005
- Taga kokoro nimo ryu wa nemuru - Cinematographer 2005
- Life on the Longboard - Cinematographer 2005
- Synesthesia - Cinematographer 2005
- Fantastipo - Cinematographer 2005
- Metasequoia no ki no shita de - Cinematographer 2005
- Shômei kumagai gakkô (documentary) - Cinematographer 2004
- Road 88: Deaiji shikoku e - Cinematographer 2004
- Mousugu haru - Cinematographer 2004
- Kanzen naru shiiku: onna rihatsushi no koi - Cinematographer 2003
- Shirayuri Club Tokyo e iku (documentary) - Cinematographer 2003
- Iden & Tity - Cinematographer 2003
- Hotel Hibiscus - Cinematographer 2002
- All About Our House - Cinematographer 2001
- Murudeka 17805 - Cinematographer 2001
- Crossfire - Cinematographer 2000
- Nabbie no koi - Director of Photography 1999
- Rajio no jikan - Cinematographer 1997
- Dorîmu sutajiamu - Cinematographer 1997
- Yukai - Camera Operator 1997
- Tokimeki Memorial - Cinematographer 1997
- Kimi wo wasurenai - Cinematographer 1995
- Naran: White Horse - Cinematographer 1995
- Shiroi Uma: White Horse - Cinematographer 1995
- Shoot - Cinematographer 1994
- High School Teacher - Cinematographer 1993
- Ahiru no uta ga kikoete kuru yo. - Cinematographer 1993
- Angel: boku no uta wa kimi no uta - Cinematographer 1992
- Usureyuku kioku no nakade - Cinematographer 1992
- Juninin no yasashii nihonjin - Cinematographer 1991
- Kaze no kuni - Cinematographer 1991
- Jutai - Cinematographer 1991
- Hong Kong Paradise - Cinematographer 1990
- Docchini surunoWho Do I Choose?is a Japanese film directed by Shūsuke Kaneko. For her role in this film, actress Rie Miyazawa was given the Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best New Talent...
- Cinematographer 1989 - Kaze no matasaburo - Garasu no manto - Cinematographer 1989
- The Last Cabaret - Cinematographer 1988
- Tokyo Pop - Camera Operator 1988
- 1999 Nen no natsu yasumi - Cinematographer 1988
- Yamadamura waltz - Cinematographer 1988
- New Morning of Billy the Kid - Cinematographer 1986
- Broadway Danny Rose - Camera Intern (uncredited) 1984
- Table for Five - Camera Intern (uncredited) 1983
- Blue Thunder - Camera Operator 1983
- Tootsie - Camera Intern (uncredited) 1982
- The Beastmaster - Assistant Camera, Camera Intern 1982 *Gassan - Cinematographer 1978
- Devil's Song Assistant Camera 1975
- Tidal Wave - Assistant Camera 1973
- Sei kazoku - Assistant Camera 1971