is a prolific Japanese music video director. Takeishi has created videos for Japanese superstars such as

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...

and Every Little Thing.

Most Expensive Music Videos

Three videos that Takeishi directed appear on the

list of most expensive music videos This article lists the most expensive music videos ever made, with costs of $500,000 or more. David Bowie's video for the 1981 single " Ashes to Ashes" was the first music video to exceed this sum. Janet Jackson leads with six videos on the lis ...

. He directed three out of five for

, excluding Green and Virgin Road. The videos are: * My Name's Women -

- Cost: $1,200,000 *

Fairyland Fairyland (''Faerie'', Scottish ''Elfame'', c.f. Old Norse '' Álfheimr'') in English and Scottish folklore is the fabulous land or abode of fairies or ''fays''. Old French (Early Modern English ) referred to an illusion or enchantment, the land ...

- Cost: $2,000,000 * Jewel -

- Cost: $1,000,000

Directorial Trademarks

Takeishi's most pervasive interest is one in bright reflective light by way of lens flares, white lights, reflective back grounds/surfaces/microphones, back lighting, moving lights on the video's subject. Often this creates high contrast between light and shadow.

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's
Osaka Koi no Uta
and
Ambitious! Yashinteki de li jan
offer good examples:the former contains shots of sparkling jewelry, members of the band sing into a sequined microphone, and bright pulsating and moving lights during dance segments. The latter's lighting is at a constant flicker, the set is reflective metallic sheets behind disco balls and spinning lights affixed to the floor. In "Ambitious!" lens flares and reflections are a constant. Takeishi also employs camera focus often in the aforementioned "Osaka Koi no Uta" many of the shots are in partial focus. However Every Little Thing's
Shapes of Love
provides a more indicative example, shots are often sliding in and out of focus or remaining unfocused.

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's
Get Down
goes as far as to encompass everything thus far being home to rapid flashing lights, partial focus, and a blur that slides in and out. Too are the rapid fire transitions that appeared in "Shapes of Love" they appear in
Dakishimeru
by

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, an already fast paced video is punctuated by quick successions of different shots sometimes inexplicably detached from the beat. In a similar vein
Future World
again by Every Little Thing Takeishi instead speeds up segments of the same shot to get a similar effect to the rapid transition, in some shots these are over-laid with rapid images.

Music Videos

Sorted by year, then within year sorted alphabetically.

References

Takeishi's website.
/ref> {{DEFAULTSORT:Takeishi, Wataru 1982 births Living people Japanese music video directors