Report: ICC Festival 2009
The "ICC Festival 2009" took place on Friday, February 20th at ICC.
The theme this year was "Creative Resonance".
We focused on the power of networking and its future possibilities.
As you enter the festival venue, you notice an odd board set up at the entrance. If you hit the board and make a sound, the sound emerges out of 8 speakers set up throughout the venue, leading to the main gallery. Resident artist Junichi Oguro thought up this entertaining contraption.
The first event at 1:30pm was a live talk by Atsushi Taira, president of the Japanese branch of MySpace, the largest social networking site in the world.
"Japan is terrible at networking. To keep up with the rest of the world, creators must be at the front line of information transmission," said Taira.
Atsushi Taira, President of MySpace
The talk session was jam-packed with standing room only.
Presentations by ICC resident creators followed.
Each member presented their creations in their own unique style.
Residents presented their work one by one.
What makes the ICC Festival interesting is that you can hear advisors and guests at forefront of their field speak about their lives and even directly interact with them.
Atsushi Taira (left) and ICC Advisor Koji Morimoto (right)
ICC Advisor Steve Baker (left) and Tetsuya Mizuguchi.
Animation producer Hiroaki Takeuchi looked back on his work, experiences and connections he made at ICC, and what the organization means to him. His passion for his work was felt through his words: "Work on your ability to make presentations!" "Sell what you believe in!" and "Never give up!"
ICC advisor Hiroaki Takeuchi put his heart and soul into his presentation.
After Takeuchi's heated presentation, world-renowned videogame creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi took the stand.
"I still can't believe I'm at a job that I once didn't know existed," he laughed.
His approach of mapping out his vision with a strategy for fruition gave the audience something to think about.
ICC Advisor Tetsuya Mizuguchi's talk was soft and cool.
Throughout the venue, participants networked, enjoyed live performances, and viewed screenings of short films. Bustling with energy worthy of being called a festival, the interior was a striking contrast to the silently falling snow.
Article: Eiichi Sato
Translation: David Neptune
