Translator: Flowingcloud’s Friend Editor: Arocks141 Proofreader: Arocks141 TLC: ShimizuA
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It seemed that the Imaging Arts Department, or rather the lessons of Oogei were completely different from those of general universities.
The first was general education.
Although a second foreign language was required in a lot of ordinary universities, but in Oogei, excluding certain departments, it wasn’t required. It was not necessary to take lectures like history or literature either. The lectures themselves were relaxed as though they were based on the premise that units would be given just by attendance without any tests.
This was a heavenly environment for students who were not good at studying through normal high school methods.
“Even though Japanese is shady enough, it will be difficult to increase foreign language any more, right~. That’s why I chose this university!”
Although the name of the person in question was censored for the sake of anonymity, these were the words of a certain woman.
However.
When it came to specialized subjects, it was to be expected that the expertise would be hammered in diligently.
“There are several types of cameras. The films are 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, 70 mm. In the case of video 8 mm, S-VHS, Beta, VHS, Beta Cam, U-Matic, DV, and a recently added standard called HDV.”
“When using multiple cuts to construct a scene, there are lines that should not be exceeded in relation to the camera and the subject. We call this the imaginary line.”
“We use a polarizing filter to get rid of the reflections that occur when you shoot glass or water, on that occasion, you should remember that you have a filter factor of 2.5. So increase the exposure by two and a half.”
The students who just made a fuss about studying quadratic equations and grammar earnestly received lectures in these subjects.
To be honest, I really couldn’t fathom it.
It seemed that the first-year students who just enrolled here were inflicted with a strong cultural shock with textbooks filled with numerical figures and graphs lined up, and a handbook in English literal translation which was difficult to read.
(……Why is it not camera(English), but kamera(German)?) 1
Today was the day when lessons regarding scenarios, which were considerably important for the courses related to images, were held.
“Then, we will begin lesson in scenario creation theory.”
A dreadful looking old professor with gray hair and sunglasses stood on the podium.
I didn’t know him, but I googled his name and found out that he was a veteran director of Japanese films, and he was a person who had won several awards.
In fact, the girl who was sitting in front of me again and was familiar with the movie industry ─ Kawasegawa something─was staring at the grandpa standing on the podium with sparkling eyes.
(He probably is a great person……)
With looks that seemed to be way past 70, he wrote on the blackboard energetically with a smooth tone cheerfully, and left a considerable impact.
(Well, this too, is amazing)
On the other hand, next to my seat,
“Amazing……mm………uh.”
A student with bad eyes fell asleep in the first 5 minutes of the lecture.
“Tsurayuki, you’re going to be scolded at this rate. You should stop snoring.”
Unable to stay indifferent, I shook him awake.
“Mm……? Has the lesson ended already?”
“What are you getting all delirious for, it has only just begun”
“Ooh …… I see.”
Tsurayuki shabbily followed the text written on the blackboard from the right to left with his eyes,
“Well, later then.”
He said and lowered his face, and he began to sleep with a somewhat more reserved snore than a little while ago.
“I don’t care anymore…… Geez.”
With a sigh, I turned my sight back to the blackboard.
Tsurayuki came to my room suddenly at midnight yesterday.
“I found an amazing part-time job. Anyway, it pays surprisingly well.”
His eyes were sparkling, and he randomly invited me to the part-time job.
“It’s one of those eye drop administration experiments. A freaking 300,000 for a week, 300,000! A senior in the Department of Photography told me about it.”
Administration experiments, eye drops, outrageous remuneration, a senior’s introduction. It was one of those win worth thousand points risks.
“You should drop it. That part-time job is an absolute NO, don’t you think.”
“Don’t worry it’s safe! I got a memorandum too!”
“Show it to me for a bit.”
I received the memorandum from Tsurayuki and looked through it. The first words written were ‘I will say nothing regardless of whatever happens’, and they were giving me a headache just by seeing them.
“For now, I’ll pass”
“Why are you being such a party-pooper. Then I’ll go by myself.”
And so Tsurayuki went out thus, and it was not until morning before he came back.
Of course he was sleepy.
“I’m back.”
Tsurayuki did not even try to conceal his sleepiness and, with a pouting face, he just started to usher out complaints on us while we were having our breakfast.
It seems that the staff at the part-time job was sufficient by the time he reached the meeting place, and those who were denied employment were suddenly given light work of baggage carriers by the employment agency.
It seems to have been a fairly ordinary black part-time job, and it seems like, in spite of having to carry heavy objects, the part-time wage was just 7,500 yen.
“I’m going to sleep for now.”
“What are you saying, we have a compulsory class from 9:00.”
“Then, I’m going to sleep during the lesson.”
It was good that Tsurayuki’s eyes didn’t get worse, but conversely the physical fatigue accumulated made it extremely difficult to take the first period.
(Well, it looks like it’s just writing on the blackboard, so I could always tell you about it later)
It seems this grandpa-sensei’s style was, to write things down, and then make you listen and learn.
“Okay, so let’s talk about the necessary elements in writing a scenario.”
The words were just lined up on the blackboard.
They were titled as the ‘Ten Clauses of Scenarios’, and it appeared to be a list of necessary elements for writing a movie or drama scenario. ‘Development’, ‘Fate’, ‘Treasure’, ‘Determination’, ‘Passion’, ‘Climax’, ‘Dawn’, and ‘Theme’.
The teacher began to explain every one at a stretch.
“‘Development’ depicts the literal meaning of the word as it is. It shows how to go about the development, and it shows how the scene unfolds.”
While making a reference to an existing title and scene, he explained where a part corresponds to the word.
Unfortunately, I did not know much, but from the seat of the enthusiastic students at the front, “Ah…”, and a voice that sounded somewhat like they understood leaked out.
“Well, I am thinking of making everyone think about this one.”
Suddenly, the teacher stopped explaining and looked around at everyone’s face.
“There are only eight entry listed here. It’s quite funny isn’t it, even though it is labeled Ten Clauses?”
That means…
“I’ll try to get someone to answer the other two.”
Wow, are you serious!
(I didn’t understand a thing… What could it be?)
Even if it is said to be a necessary element, the only technical terms I know for a scenario are story composition and development, and the ten clauses that were just shown, naturally, are all news to me.
“Somebody–”
“Yes.”
Even before the teacher could point at anyone, a single hand was raised up without hesitation.
“Oh, you are quite enthusiastic. You are……”
A beautiful girl with long curly hair rose,
“It is Kawasegawa Eiko. Could one of the missing things, be ‘Confusion’?”
Her explanation continued.
“The confusion shows unexpected development, it shows the protagonist’s, the hero’s failure and such. No matter how perfect a person is, they won’t be fun if they have no faults or failures. By showing that in the middle of a story, and overcoming it through the course of the movie, one brings out the essence of the drama, I think.”
For a moment, the classroom was silent,
“That’s correct. Perfect.”
The Sensei smiled and added ‘Confusion’ on the blackboard.
“Ohh,” the inside of the classroom filled with the voice of exclamation.
(Amazing… She got it right)
It reminds me of her smooth self-introduction during guidance and counselling.
“Then, can you answer the remaining one too?”
“I will cede the remaining one to someone else. I will feel bad if I monopolized everything.”
“You are quite an interesting lass. And mean too.”
“Much obliged.”
Everyone laughed at the interaction between the two people.
Now that it had come to this, the next person to try and answer was only going to embarrass themselves.
(I hope I don’t get called…)
As I put my hands together mentally.
“OK, then, you there sleeping at the back! Try to answer it.”
The sensei pointed his finger straight at me.
The student eyes are directed to this place at once.
“Hm… Eh?”
Tsurayuki raises his head with a sleepy tone.
“What’s the matter, Kyouya? I feel like I was called just now.”
“You didn’t feel it, you were called, look.”
He turned his eyes toward the blackboard.
“Apparently, you seem to be starting class now.”
The whole classroom laughed at the Sensei’s words again.
When Tsurayuki finally noticed the gazes that he had gathered,
“It’s that thing, right? Where you want me to answer something?”
At this point, he said such a thing in a carefree tone.
“That’s right, the ten clauses necessary for a scenario, you were asked to tell us which one is missing.”
“Oh, that’s.”
Tsurayuki nodded lightly and looked at the blackboard.
No matter how you looked at it, it was not a situation where you could answer anything.
“Maybe you don’t know it? If you’re giving up, be sure to say…”
The Sensei’s half-inflame words were uttered to the end.
“ ‘Adversary’ ”
All of a sudden, Tsurayuki said something.
“Eh?”
“Oh, I see. Maybe you want it as two characters of kanji. Then how about ‘Enemy Role’.” 2
When Tsurayuki scratches his head, with his voice as lethargic as ever,
“Literally, it is one who is the enemy of the protagonist in a story. It can be either a person or an organization, or a trauma or could even be a friend. It is easier to understand from the standpoint of taking away the ‘Treasure’ like the one enumerated here. I think that it is an important existence to sustain the tension until the final stage of the story, but… What do you think?”
Everyone, was flabbergasted by Tsurayuki’s words.
“… Exactly, That was exactly ‘Adversary’ right there. Well said, correct answer.”
Among everyone, Sensei nodded the most intensely.
“No way.”
As Tsurayuki returns to his seat, without saying anything more, he started to doze off again.
(…… Who is Tsurayuki, exactly)
Once again, I stared at my friend whose eye expressions looked bad.
It was certain that there were several mysterious parts, but to accurately guess the gist of the scenario in spite of being pointed out suddenly, and that behaviour which gave the impression of ‘oh it wasn’t a big deal’ was clearly not of an ordinary person.
(I wonder if he is one of the ‘Platinum Generation’… By any chance)
I felt the same ominous feeling as the one I felt with Shinoaki with this man who was sleeping without any care in the world.
“Who the hell is that guy? Even though he’s been sleeping all this while, unbelievable…”
And one more person.
Eiko Kawasegawa who was deprived of the seat of the leading role in this place, just like the time during guidance and counselling with Shinoaki, sent a hateful glance towards Tsurayuki as well.
(This girl has an abnormal rivalry spirit too… What the hell is it, like seriously.)
- Kyouya mentions English literal translations, but the world ‘camera’ is written as カメラ (kamera, the German pronunciation), instead of キャメラ (kyamera, the way English pronunciation).
- All the other ‘terms’ so far were written with two kanji characters, but ‘Adversary’ is written as カタキ which is 3 characters and katakana, not kanji. He ends up using the term ‘Enemy Role’ which is read as ‘敵役’ which followed the two kanji pattern the professor used the entire time. Just a slight pun you would’ve gotten if you were Japanese so I thought I’d explain the joke.
Thanks for the new chapter!
Thanks…waiting for the next.