Ikeda Elaiza: "I make movies" because I want people to appreciate the beauty of film.

Profile

Eliza Ikeda
Born April 16, 1996 in Fukuoka Prefecture. Actress.
He has appeared in numerous dramas, movies and commercials.
Appeared in the TV Osaka drama "Lunch at a Famous Building."
He is currently active as an MC on NHK BS Premium's "The Covers."

After making her debut in the entertainment industry at the age of 13, Ikeda Eliza has been active as a model, actress, and singer, and this year she also directed her first film. We asked her about how she spent her student days, what she values ​​in her work, how she approached filmmaking, and her passion for her own creativity.

■ I want to communicate carefully and with each individual

I think that when you're acting, you tend to be less considerate of those around you during a performance. If the character is despairing and overwhelmed with pain, that will come back to haunt you. It's hard to keep smiling in that situation. That's why, during mealtimes, I try to spend as much time as possible with the technical staff, asking them how they felt about writing and how they planned to edit. I learned so that I could do my best as an actor. That prepared me for my role as a director.

　When you become a film director, you have to put aside your own feelings and instill them into the actors, which requires one-on-one communication, something that I had neglected up until then. Directing methods are different for each individual, so no matter how busy I was, I made sure to spend my free time empathizing with the actors' feelings.

　As the leader of the production team, I set clear goals and made sure to communicate them carefully so that people would follow me. Having fun is what motivates everyone, so I make it a priority to keep that up.

"Summer, Everywhere" is aimed at young people, and I feel it's a very easy-to-understand film. The characters are quite diverse, so I'd like to hear about who you entrusted yourself to while watching the film. The film focuses more on the acting than the visuals, and the actors are free to talk about their own experiences.

　When it comes to work, I'm in a position where I have to speak up, so I'm very shy, but I'm usually quite shy. In my private life, I like to live a slow life, and I think I have a clear distinction between work and personal time. Now that I'm 24, I want to be able to trust people with my work. I want to communicate carefully so that they can trust me and feel confident that I can do this kind of work with Ikeda Elaiza. In order to earn their trust, I won't do anything irresponsible.
　

■Being a film director was an incredibly happy experience!

　The moment a work is released into the world, it is met with many different interpretations. It's interesting when your perception differs from that of those around you, so I try not to assume how the audience will react when it reaches them. I would like many people to see it, but I'd be happier if it reached people with a common consciousness rather than an unspecified number of people. With the spread of social media, it's become possible to reach a wide range of people, but I don't think numbers get to the heart of the matter. There are people behind the numbers, and 1,000 followers means a school's worth of people and lives. I don't want to look at it just in terms of numbers.

　 　It's not the world on screen that helps me build myself, but reality. I was thrilled to be able to finish a work in my own words and express myself so honestly. I was truly happy to be able to be involved in all of the entertainment I love. There was a scene where the protagonist's best friend cried, but she only passed an audition, so it was her first time acting. Apparently, she was so shocked by the experience of crying so hard that she cried on the bus ride home. I was more than happy to be able to experience emotions that I'd never experienced before. I imagined that the directors I'd worked with up until now had felt the same way, and it made me want to experience even more diverse emotions.

■Please don't forget how much I care about you.

"I've forgotten what it was like when I was young." This is a phrase adults have hated since I was a child. College is a time of transition where your community expands and you start to forget about what it was like before you became an adult. That's why I want you to have the determination to not forget. As you become an adult, you start to control the frustration, anger, and sadness of your youth, and you either stop feeling them or erase them yourself. The energy of your childhood is what drives you, so if you still remember it, don't forget it and live with pride. The emotions you once experienced with 200% sensitivity are beautiful.

From the October 1, 2020 issue of the Student Newspaper (Naoto Kajima, 4th year student at Chukyo University)

Bunkyo University, second-year student Kitajima Reon / Aoyama Gakuin University, second-year student Suzuki Ririko / Toyo University, first-year student Hama Honoka / Senshu University, fourth-year student Ishioka Keiya / Komazawa University, fourth-year student Anzai Hideki / Chukyo University, fourth-year student Kajima Naoto

Photo by professional photographer Seita Hirota

<English article>

Eliza Ikeda

'I shoot' because I want people to feel better about films

■Profile
Born 16 April 1996, in Fukuoka. Actress.
Has appeared in many dramas, films, and commercials.
Starred in TV' Lunch at a Famous Building.'
She is also an MC on NHK BS Premium's 'TheCovers.'

After debuting in the entertainment industry at 13, Eliza Ikeda has worked as a model, actress, and singer, and this year she also directed her first film. We interviewed her about how she spent her school days, what she values ​​in her work, how she felt about making films, and how she puts her creativity into her work.

■I want to be close to each person and communicate carefully

I think that during the shooting, when I am an actor, I lack consideration for the people around me. It will all come to me if the role is hopeless and suffering. It isn't easy to always be smiling in such a situation. That's why I spent as much time as possible with the people in the technical department over dinner, asking them how they felt about the writing and how they would edit the film. I had learned to do my best as an actor. That prepared me for directing.

When you direct a film, you have to communicate one-on-one with the actors, which I had not been able to do before because you have to reduce your feelings and tell them to the actors. Each person has a different method of directing, so no matter how busy I was, I tried to be close to the actors' feelings in my free time.

As the production team leader, I tried to set clear goals and communicate them carefully to make sure people would follow me. My first priority is to have fun, which motivates everyone, so I try to keep it that way.

I feel that 'Town Without Sea' is a very accessible film for young people. The characters are pretty different, so I would like to hear who you gave yourself over to watch the film. The film focuses more on the play than the images, and you can say whatever you want about your experiences.
When I work, I'm in a position where I have to speak up clearly, but I'm usually shy. In my personal life, I like the slow life, and I think I have a clear on-and-off personality. Now that I am 24 years old, I want to be trusted to do my job confidently. I want to communicate carefully so that people think Eliza Ikeda is a person who can do this kind of work. I will not do anything irresponsible to gain their trust.

■Film directing was a very happy experience!

When a production is released to the world, many different interpretations are created. It's interesting when you and others perceive it differently, so I try not to make up my mind about how the film reacts when it reaches the audience. I want many people to see my films, but I'm happier if they get people who share a common awareness rather than an unspecified number of people. Social networking makes it possible to reach all types of people, but I don't think numbers get straight to the point. There are people beyond the numbers, and 1,000 followers means that there are people and lives worth a whole school. Therefore, I don't want to look at it just in numbers.

It is not the world on the screen that builds you, but reality. It was a happy thing for me to finish my work in my own words and loved expressing myself honestly. I was so glad to have been involved in all the entertainment I. There was a scene where the main character's best friend cried, and because she was the girl who auditioned for the role, it was her first time acting in a play. She was so shocked by the experience of crying so hard and cried on the bus on the way home. I was more than happy to encounter emotions that touched people for the first time. When I think about whether the directors I have worked with felt the same way, I want to encounter more feelings, too.

■I hope you never forget the feelings you treasure.

'I've forgotten what it was like when I was young.' These are the words of adults I have hated so much since childhood. I think university students are at a turning point where their community is expanding, and they have forgotten what it was like before they became adults. That's why I want them to feel like 'I'm not going to forget.' The frustration, anger, and sadness of youth will be controlled in adulthood, and you won't be able to feel them, or you'll erase them yourself. The vitality of childhood is your driving force, so if you still remember it, please don't forget it and live proud of it emotions because received with 200% sensitivity are beautiful.

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako
Translated by Mai Wakao, a first-year student at International Christian University