The spot is simple but what it sets out to capture on film can be very difficult to attain—the elusive spark of wonder and learning that occurs when kids connect with their teachers. But after lensing in classrooms throughout Japan, director Henry Lu—who is best known as a producer at Wieden+Kennedy (W+K), Tokyo—and DP Helge Gerull managed to get what they sought out: documentary footage chronicling the success of Kumon, an after-school program that teaches math, reading, writing and English to children.
Kumon has a special teaching method, which consists of a series of drills that each child does at his/her own speed. Most of the teachers are trained mothers and housewives, and the majority of Kumon students are ages five to 12. Kumon currently has more than 150,000 students, with franchised classrooms all over Japan. The Kumon program has also begun to go global.
Entitled "Miracles in the Classroom," this :60 shows kids repeating math drills and reading exercises. But more importantly, the spot contains images of students concentrating on their studies, building their confidence and realizing that learning can be fun. These snippets of the Kumon program in action are accompanied by a rendition of the Beatles’ classic, "Hello, Goodbye," performed by a group of Los Angeles musicians and vocal talent. A parting super in Japanese reads (translated into English), "In 18,400 Kumon classrooms [in Japan], something is happening to the children—come and see our classrooms."
Lu and Gerull re-teamed with editor Stephen Jess of The Whitehouse, New York, on this job. The threesome first collaborated four years ago on the Lu-directed short film, Fish, which was shot in Hong Kong and gained exposure at such events as the Mill Valley Film Festival. Lu, Gerull and Jess later worked together on Miguel, a Lu-helmed short that was lensed in Argentina and screened at the Sundance Film Festival two years ago. "Miracles in the Classroom" marks the first time that Lu, Gerull and Jess have teamed on a spot.
Jess used technological means to link with Lu and Gerull. Since Jess already had a rapport with Lu and Gerull, it was easy for them to collaborate during remote editing sessions, even with Jess being in New York, and Lu and their client being in Tokyo. The remote sessions—which took place over a four-day span—were facilitated by The Whitehouse’s videoconference editing system, called Bosley.
Jess said that his not being Japanese might have benefited him as he approached the project. "Having an outsider’s perspective helps me find the universal truths in the film," related Jess. "It’s very rewarding to have this insight into the Japanese culture."
The W+K team consisted of producers Lu and Kenji Tanaka, creative directors John Jay and Sumiko Sato, writer Megumi Ota and art director Hiroshi Yonemura.
Lu directed the :60 through bicoastal/international @radical.media, with production services provided by Pyramid Films, Tokyo. Jon Kamen, Frank Scherma and Donna Portaro executive produced for @radical, with Karen Rohrbacher serving as producer. Gerull worked with second cameraperson Shigekazu Onuma.
Pyramid Films’ producers were Ron Ishimoto, Masahiro Harada and Masataka Hyuga. Hiroko Okawa was the assistant producer.
Supporting Jess was an ensemble at The Whitehouse that consisted of assistant editors Heri Selby and Trish Fuller, executive producer Roe Bressan, producers Melissa Thornley and Julie Rechsteiner, and Bosley technician Dan McGraw.
Online editor/Henry artist was Ted Pishko of R!OT, New York. Colorist was Billy Gabor of Company 3, New York. Audio mixer was Tommy Goldblatt of audioEngine, New York. Music producers were Vicki Melanson, Mark Burgoyne and Jason Bentley of Machine Head, Venice, Calif.
