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The latest Shiseido Mission episode: “Dear Future Me”

The slogan BEAUTY INNOVATIONS FOR A BETTER WORLD heralds the latest incarnation of the Shiseido mission, which was launched back in 2019. Aiming to bring home the company message to its workforce in Japan and worldwide, the film won such acclaim - both in house and across the beauty industry – that a new 2020 edition was made.

The film concept centers on “the future potential of beauty”; a mission conveyed in the account of a young girl’s dream future and encapsulating the company’s unique perspectives on ESCG, sustainability, and UV research along the way.

“It had to be on point and resonate across the board, which is why we did the casting and location so carefully” says Production Manager Wataru Ode. Los Angeles ultimately got the vote, thanks to its stable winter weather, wide-ranging settings (ocean, mountains, towns and buildings) and scope to castings of all kinds.

The team had to incorporate 8 or 9 different locations into a four-day shooting schedule, while working around travel distances and the movement of the sun. Some of the sets also had to be switched to art at the last minute, including a spaceship which was ordered to the art department just two days before the shoot, because they couldn’t find one that they thought was right for the film.

The female protagonist dreams up future cosmetics and gadgets that embody what is set to emerge or what people will end up wanting in future. “They had to be plausible – not too cutting-edge or far out. The idea was to portray compelling and authentic items as a portent of the future as naturally as possible.”

Casting authentically was just as crucial. The final casts were chosen after numerous auditions and strict screening to ensure the girl would not feel out of place when growing up and would be someone with whom viewers could empathize.   

Meanwhile, the stunning and dream-like visuals came courtesy of Japanese Director, Shohei Goto. “Director Goto came on board at the planning phase, whereupon we could engage in numerous creative discussions and remain on the same page right from the start. Indeed, Goto proved the ‘go to’ choice – his expertise in cinematic and emotional direction made him ideal for this epic-length film of fantasy” says Ode.

The film is available exclusively on Shiseido’s official website and YouTube.

CREDITS

Client - SHISEIDO
Creative Director - Masato Kosukegawa
Director - Shohei Goto
DOP - Ryoma Kohari
Producer - Tomoko Miyaoka, Kazumasa Kobayashi, Riki Sakai, Kumiko Kitamura
Production Manager - Nozomi Teshiba, Wataru Ode
Music - Erik Reiff/audioforce