Tips For Japanese Shoots
When I opened our chocolate shop in 2014, Japanese press showed up.
That was truly God as he sent them to us and I wondered how they found us. You see, we didn’t spend the usual $4,000 per minute or $10,000 per printed ad that it normally would cost! They just came taking photos, videos, doing TV shows, sending celebrities, and helping put us on the map as “the best chocolates in Hawai`i.” Sugoi!!!
It is such a trip because if you heard of my testimony, I wanted to move to Japan when I was there on a mission trip, but God clearly told me to go back home to Hawai`i and open a chocolate shop in 2014. It didn’t make sense that He wanted me to leave the mission field and the Japanese people I loved, until I realized that He brought the mission field to me in the shop.
I am so grateful that I can speak some Japanese and have traveled to Japan many times so could converse with the press knew the culture and etiquette. Because if you haven’t experienced a Japanese shoot in Hawai`i before, it is a whole different experience than local media!
In my experience as a small business owner, these are the tips I would offer another small business if you work in one. My idea to write about this came to mind after 3 years in the pandemic and not having had any Japanese visitors, I had to prepare for a recent TV video shoot.
Get all of your information.
When are they coming? How long do they need? Who is coming? How many people? What should you wear? What is the goal for the shoot? When will it air?
Japanese shoots are not like working with local media. They usually come with a team of 4-8 people and not a team of 1-2. And for a super small shop like us, that’s a very tight squeeze that can only work when our shop is not open or there is no space for customers. They also take a few hours to shoot (usually 2-3 hours) and not like local media shoots done in 20 minutes. They also film for something that will release maybe 4 months from the shoot date unlike local media that airs within the next week. It’s a whole different experience so you need to shift your thinking and how you prepare. They also tend to like to do 2 video shoots. One for an interview and would like quiet and no interruptions and one for B-roll. And they are on a very rigorous schedule because when they fly in to do these shoots, they have the other companies they want to shoot lined up back to back.
Clean like crazy.
Our Japanese friends notice all of the little details and want everything to look pristine. They really care about quality and will make sure everything looks perfect. Take down any any major holiday decorations, signs, or anything that looks messy and plan time to put it all back and re-set later. Their Director and Producer are usually on-site looking at everything in the camera’s frame and asking to move this or that and wipe down or straighten this or that. Their attention to it all means either clean thoroughly before, but it also helps to have someone to assist you with this if you are the one that also needs to be in the video.
Prepare for a smooth shoot.
You also need to make sure you have your products prepared that they want to shoot up close, want to cut in half to see the details inside, and want to eat on camera. Plan to showcase products you will have on hand during the time of airing. Be present during the shoot so you can guide them on what’s okay to shoot and what’s not. They may accidentally show your product upside down or film customers who may not want to be in it. Clean the dishes you will set it on, the table you will set it on, and any complimentary items you also want in the shot (eg: a cup of coffee to go with the chocolates)!
Study a little language and culture.
If you can’t speak, make sure you have a translator or they do. They usually do. Have a small welcome gift ready for the entire crew, business cards to exchange, and make sure you present them to each person with two hands and take time look at their cards when you receive them. At the very least, learn how to say “thank you” in their language so you can properly end the shoot with a bow and a “Domo arigato gozaimasu.”
Make it a win-win!
If you have such an incredible opportunity to be featured and were sought out for a TV show, offer to promote their show in return. Take behind the scenes photos (but make sure you get permission to share and when you can share it), exchange specific information they wanted noted (eg: airing date, station, tags) and offer to share the final cut with your email subscribers and social media followers.
During the holiday season, one of our volunteers was a retired PR expert who had 30+ years in this field working with major hotels and corporations. So, I invited her to share her advice with us too. She added:
Buy fresh flowers to have in the shoot. It adds life and light to the room.
Ask them for the interview questions in advance so you can prepare.
Show them what else you can do or what else you have to offer beyond what they ask for.
Follow up with a thank you.
Japanese media shoots are very different from local shoots, but they are a lot of fun! Tanoshii!!! I personally love it and this one shot with Makoto and Sasha was full of laughter! They played games, made me feel right at ease, and their director, producer, coordinator, videographer, camera man, sound guy, and everyone on their crew were extremely friendly and kind.
I absolutely love media shoots with our tomodachi/Japanese friends, but I remember being completely overwhelmed the first few times I experienced it so hope these tips can help you!
Tanoshinde ku da sai!
erin’s tip
Know as much information as you can prior. They are prepared and the more prepared you feel, the more fun you can have in the moment.
