Ryo Takaiwa Instagram Reels

Director’s Note

For this project, we focused on how to make each moment feel as strong as possible within the short format of a reel. Because the time is limited, we paid close attention to expressions, movements, and atmospheres that could only happen in that moment. Rather than trying to create Ryo Takaiwa’s presence, humanity, sensuality, or his hip and funky character from the outside, we responded to what was already there—his posture, his gaze, and the small gestures that emerged naturally. Through that process, spontaneity and immediacy became the foundation of the entire shoot. We carried the same approach into the edit, connecting different songs, locations, and visual moods while allowing them to come together through Ryo himself. Instead of making a simple highlight reel of his activities, we wanted to connect a series of powerful moments and leave behind a portrait of the person himself as a single piece of work. At the same time, the project gave me a new sense of what it means to “design moving images.” Working through BUDDHA allowed me to approach filmmaking from a different perspective and expand the range of my own expression. Director : Jibura Ikegami