A friend sent me a short video yesterday, wondering if he had a chance to become an AV director in Japan.
As always, to work in Japan, you absolutely need to know Japanese; without communication skills, it's all for nothing. If communication isn't a problem, then we need to seriously consider the job of a director. While doing what you love is enjoyable, you can't starve, right?
So, what's the income like for an AV director?
Wearing expensive watches and driving luxury cars, well-known directors in the AV industry earn a lot.
Famous directors like Samoari have incredibly high incomes. Judging from the fact that he bought a Mercedes-Benz G-Class after getting drunk (cars in Japan are relatively cheap, but still beyond my means), his pockets must be very, very full…
So, being a director in the AV industry is a very promising job? Yes and no. Let's put it this way: directors, like AV actresses, are ranked. Directors whose works sell well not only get many offers but also receive higher pay. And what about those whose works don't sell well? Well, sorry, have you ever seen an actress who isn't doing well? Judging from Mari Rika's statement at the FANZA Adult Awards, not only does she not have much work, but she'd starve just by making films. To make ends meet, she has to work part-time.
So how does one become a great director?
Asagiri Kiyoshi's works are truly exceptional.
The answer is, you need to have distinctive features. For example, Samoari became famous for her "nipple" and "M-men" themes, as well as her fast-paced trailers. Maybe you don't like her overall style... The director wanted the actress to beat the masochistic men until they orgasmed (the key point is that he also uploaded photos of those masochistic men wearing dildos to Twitter), and his way of editing trailers was dazzling and confusing, making it hard to understand what he was filming, but he just had a unique style; as for "Asagiri Kiyoshi," who directed the final scene for Tsubomi (Rei), he is another strongman. He is very good at "adaptation." Watching his works, you will definitely feel the shadow of other big works, but he can adapt them with his own characteristics. It's hard to imagine that he was once destitute because he had no work, right? In his hunger and cold, he decided to go all out and use methods that no one else had used before to make films, and finally became famous overnight...
So, are all directors in the AV industry geniuses?
If you think that, you're wrong!
The AV industry has many talented directors, but not all of them are truly skilled. Some are even quite unprofessional—the reason is simple: a director's salary is fixed. You don't receive a share of the profits just because you directed a blockbuster. Furthermore, because the demand from production companies is huge, and nobody turns down money, most directors will try to take on as many projects as possible within their capabilities. Even the most talented people will be exploited…
So why do some project plans run around everywhere, or why do some plans become completely different projects with slight modifications? Now you know, because some directors in the AV industry like to "borrow" other people's ideas. After all, plagiarism is commonplace, unless you can create something that others can't:
A glimpse into the current state of the industry, for those who want to become AV directors.
