About 2 months ago, word came that we will be helping out with the production for Utada Hikaru’s MTV for “Kiss & Cry“, her latest single. Although Freedom has always been associated with Utada’s music right from the start ( the opening credits feature her song “This is Love” ), the chance to actually work on one her MTVs naturally got me fairly excited, as I am a big fan. A rough cut of the MTV has already been completed, and I was just dying to see it.

I almost did die from shock when I did. The so called “rough cut” was a grotesquely put together, random collection of footages lifted from the Freedom series, with lip movement from the characters eerily synced to Utada’s vocals. マジで?!

The production company ( I cannot reveal which ) who edited and put together this deplorable fiasco not only butchered months and months of our hard work, but set a very bad name for Utada’s branding as well. Why couldn’t they ask KamiKaze Douga to work on it instead ?

In the end, my job was to light and re-render several shots which was needed to complete the piece. You can view a segment of it from Utada’s EMI website here. There should also be a full version floating around YouTube, but you’ve been sufficently warned.

Just remember – we didn’t do it !