Indomitable and magnetic, Cartier’s new film “Panthère de Cartier,” in which AOI Pro. provided production service, was released earlier this year. We spoke with Jun Yoshikawa, the Producer of the Japanese team, about the behind-the-scenes of “Panthère de Cartier”.

Can you give us some basic information about this project?
— It was a production service job from Iconocolast in France. The client is Cartier and the agent is Publicis 133. The director is Jonas Lindstroem. It was a two-day shoot in Japan.


Which scenes of the film were shot in Japan?
— The scenes featuring Annabelle Wallis (a blonde woman) and Mariacarla Boscono (a brunette woman) were shot in Japan.


How many locations did you shoot at? Which areas were they?
— When a foreign crew comes shoot in Japan, they are often looking for locations that are very Japanese. In this project, we shot at Shibuya crossing, skyscrapers and shrines. All the locations are in central Tokyo.

How was the shoot at Shibuya Crossing? Did you apply for a permit?
— Many projects shoot guerrilla style at Shibuya Crossing, but this was a big campaign and we decided to apply for permission to avoid problems. Shibuya Crossing is the most crowded intersection in the world, and therefore they have restrictions on shooting. In our case, we were required to shoot before rush hour, to have the camera on hand, and to determine the line of camera movement beforehand.

How many crew did the Japan team have?
— About 30 French crew came to Japan and there were about 100 Japanese crew. Of course the key crew were all bilingual, and the production crew were mostly bilingual. 


How was working with the director, Jonas Lindstroem?
— It was an honor working with him. He is a very talented director, and it's always exciting and fun to work with somebody like that. He was also a very nice person.


What was most enjoyable/difficult about being part of the project?
— Japan is said to be one of the most difficult countries to shoot in the world. The reasons are the flexibility of location, difference of culture and the language barrier. It's our job to make the shoot go smooth, and have our clients not feel those restrictions.

There are many crew who come to Japan for the first time. Introducing Japanese food, visiting interesting places together and tasting the fun part of Japan is also our job.


What do you think is the advantage of shooting with AOI Pro.?
— AOI Pro. is one of the largest production companies in Japan with a global perspective. We have a wealth of resources and the mindset to adapt to the work styles of different countries, so I am confident that we can provide stable and smooth service.

Check out the full video HERE!