・Photoshoot at Tonomaru

Nishi: This time, the gloves are great. I want everyone to see them.

Yoshi: We wanted to properly convey the quality of our products, so we decided to shoot a promotional video like we did for Natty Shorts and Onion Hoody.

Natty Shorts PV

Natty Shorts PV

Nishi: It was difficult for just the two of us to convey everything, so we invited a professional photographer.

Yoshi: We asked Tada-san, who is in charge of production management at Handson Grip, to be a model, and he and his wife appeared in the photo.

Nishi: When I ask someone to be a model, I choose someone who is attractive and has style, and that's been the case with all of the people who have helped me in the past. It's a joy for both of us if they are remembered in the work.

Nishi: We shot the production process at the factory and on location in the field where we actually use the product, all in a whirlwind two-day, one-night tour (laughs). This is milestone's third original PV. Director Otaguro, also known as Rakabee, is in charge of the composition, filming, editing, and everything else, and lives in Fukuoka, Kyushu.

Nishi: We had them come all the way to Kagawa for the shoot, but unfortunately it was forecast to rain. When we arrived at the location it was really foggy, and since we were shooting Glove, the rain really created a nice cold atmosphere. I guess we were lucky, actually. It was better than if it had been sunny.

Yoshi: When we got up the mountain it was really foggy and cold, so it was better than sweating like crazy.

Nishi: You never really know what it's like to shoot outside. We're always blessed with one thing or another, and in the end we're able to shoot well and make a great video. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Tada, everyone at handson grip, and the director. Are you listening? Thank you!

Hagi: This isn't audio content (laughs). Was it filmed in the mountains in your hometown?

Yoshi: It's a mountain called Tomaru (altitude 1,713m).

Nishi: It's across from Mt. Tsurugi. It's a local mountain that Tada-san often visits, so he acted as a model and guide.

Yoshi: After climbing a little, the ridgeline suddenly appears. You can get a panoramic view of Mount Tsurugi, one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.

We were supposed to be able to run along the ridgeline with a view of Mt. Tsurugi, but we had to turn back halfway due to bad weather. The director also wanted to take long shots, so he flew a drone, but he couldn't get a good shot, and the drone disappeared into the fog, so we were worried we might lose it.

Nishi: It was only used for a moment. It would have been nice if the image of the drone had been included even for just that moment.

Yoshi: It's also easy to remove.

Nishi: Isn't the car scene in the opening good too? It makes you go "Wow!"

Yoshi: I'd love for you to watch it with sound on (full volume, lol). The transitions between the sound and the video are perfectly timed.

Nishi: Now, milestone presents... Please check out the "Fast Trail Glove PV" from the link below.

Nishi: Let me explain a bit about the director. He's the director who shoots music videos for various hip-hop artists that I love. I've been in love with his style ever since. NORIKIYO and MACCHO's work "Our Song feat. MACCHO" features them rapping in the great outdoors of Aso, and it's really cool.

Nishi: The rap is great, but the video is amazing. I was introduced to it through a mutual acquaintance who asked me who was filming it.

Yoshi: There are no worries about filming. Except for the director's physical strength. (laughs)

Nishi: I'm not a mountain climber. I'm a little overweight. Is the director listening? (laughs)

Yoshi: He says that whenever he receives an order from milestone, he comes prepared to die.

Nishi: They understand each other and what we're looking for, so to put it in extreme terms, it's fine to leave everything to them, and they always give us about 150% more than we expect.

Yoshi: This was my first time to be present at a shoot, and what surprised me was that the director had a detailed storyboard in his head before filming. During filming, I only thought they were filming that part of the storyboard, but when I saw the finished product, it was exactly the same as the storyboard.

Nishi: The director does everything from storyboarding to filming to editing all by himself. Other professional cameramen often ask, "Do you do it all by yourself?" and say that's quite rare. Usually, it's a division of labor. He's a rare person. For filming, the director and I take the still photos. Yoshida, the manager of milestone_TERADACHO, carries the luggage.

Yoshi: I'm a porter.

Nishi: This was the first time I've worked with Yoshi, but if the model's hair gets messy, he'll fix it, and if we can share what we notice, I think we'll become a good team. I'd like to shoot my next project in the same way.

・The correct way to take off

Nishi: On the first day we shot in the mountains, and when we came back we had a chance to socialize with the Handson Grip employees.

Yoshi: The next morning, everyone was so kind as to let me take photos inside the factory.

Nishi: The quality of the footage of the manufacturing process is amazing. The footage and the audio are linked.

That evening, I was invited to join a group run as a guest, along with customers from the store that stocked the outdoor gear I had selected.

Nishi: We all rode along the coast with MS-i1s and headlamps. They were selling craft beer too. Unfortunately, we didn't drink any before we got back to Osaka.

Yoshi: I thought it was great that the makers and local customers were connected and could run together. It was before I started the Teradacho Jogging Club, and I felt like I could see a bright future. We ran and drank together. There were some fast runners, including Tada-san, but we also stock fishing equipment in the shop, so we had a diverse group of people, including those who usually fish and don't run at all. It seemed like they gathered because the milestone was coming up.

Nishi: It was a fulfilling bullet.

Yoshi: Just to add to that, I learned there that if the clothes get wet and you try to take them off by pulling on them with your fingertips, no matter how well they're sewn, the sewing thread doesn't stretch that easily, so it will break.

Nishi: It's pretty sharp. You can remove it like that.

Yoshi: They even put in some reinforcing thread. When I told them that if I pulled too hard on my fingers they would snap and break, they told me that I was taking them off the wrong way.

Yoshi: The correct way to take off gloves is to hold the opening at your wrist and turn them inside out. This is apparently the correct way to take off gloves. Apparently, this way the threads don't break.

Hagi: The fabric stretches, but the thread doesn't, so the thread breaks.

Yoshi: That's right. For example, when I was running and holding a pole in one hand, I would bite it with my mouth and pull it, and it would make a crackling noise.

Hagi: When you take it off with your mouth, you start from your wrists.

Yoshi: That's right. It's like skinning a trout (laughs).

Nishi: I don't have anyone to teach me how to take off my clothes. I learned a lot from that. I have to tell the customers this too.

Hagi: We want people to love using it and use it for a long time.

Nishi: When will the Fast Trail Glove be released?

Yoshi: It is scheduled to start on Friday, November 3rd (a national holiday). Please check with your local trail running specialty store.

Nishi: By the time this column is posted, the videos and information will probably be available.

Nishi: The price is 6,900 yen (excluding tax)

Yoshi: A carabiner was added, but the price remained the same.

Nishi: Don't you think that's good?

Hagi: I think so (laughs).

This time, we asked him about his new product, the "Fast Trail Glove." Before we know it, the season of cold fingertips is fast approaching.

Eat snacks, use your smartphone, protect from the rain, and adjust your temperature. This is a very convenient item that allows you to move quickly without stopping when you're running.

The bitter experience of my wet gloves being so cold I wanted to cry will finally become a fond memory.

So, see you next time!

Text and composition: Ken Hagiwara