AKI
Spirits, murals and floating girls.
/ Artist / Singer / Murals
/ Artist / Singer / Murals
Aki Yaguchi is a Japanese/Australian artist and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia.
Her art explores the interplay between her heritage and femininity, and is often centered around “Tobu Hime”, or ‘floating girls’; they are the visual representation of Aki’s imagination, a vehicle for her creativity, a mascot for her identity, and a friendly companion. The Tobu-Hime are a sign of good fortune and safety to all those who come across them.
Her work spans across multiple mediums, including paintings, drawings, large scale murals, digital works, sculptures, installations, and apparel.
Why this story?
"When I first encountered Aki Yaguchi's artistic journey, I was captivated by her ability to blend tradition with contemporary expression, inspiring this film project. Aki's "Tobu-Hime," a Japanese folklore protective sprite, reflects her deep connection to her heritage. Her murals breathe life into urban spaces, transcend borders and bridge cultures, connecting her with a diverse audience.
Through this project, I aim to unveil Aki's captivating narrative, highlighting her impact on our multicultural world, inspiring others with her art that resonates across generations. Aki's unique ability to convey multiculturalism and connection drew me to her, and I aim to share her journey in this project."
-Director, Eren Besiroglu
Crew
Eren Besiroglu,
Director/Co-Editor
"When I first encountered Aki Yaguchi's artistic journey, I was captivated by her ability to blend tradition with contemporary expression, inspiring this film project. Aki's "Tobu-Hime," a Japanese folklore protective sprite, reflects her deep connection to her heritage. Her murals breathe life into urban spaces, transcend borders and bridge cultures connecting her with a diverse audiences. Through this project, I aim to unveil Aki's captivating narrative, highlighting her impact on our multicultural world, inspiring others with her art that resonates across generations. Aki's unique ability to convey multiculturalism and connection drew me to her, and I aim to share her journey in this project."
Lawrence Phelan,
Producer
“After knowing Eren and Shaki for many years, it was a blessing to finally work on a project with both of them together. The way they work as a team as well as the rest of the crew is unrivaled in other productions. As creators, they are not only on the same page but on the same wavelength, communicating ideas and concepts for shots, angles and movements seamlessly out of thin air. The rigidity of the crew, from lighting to art direction was one to behold. I don't think I've been so lucky to produce such a smooth and passionate project from the ground up and I'm afraid I may never again.”
Shaki Prasanna,
Cinematographer
“This was a big one for us; it was our closing episode for this season. We knew the recipe but didn’t want to get too carried away with crazy tricks shots in between shots (I still did). instead, we planned our shot list early on with our co-editor involved, which was a big learning curve. Working with Eren, there was a lot of trust we laid in each other and ran with making the calls, making this shoot so efficient. Our crew got bigger too! Put some mad minds together on a project from Pre to Post, it’ll speak for itself, and it’s very evident in this episode. Also, this was the first time I got to use the Arri Mini LF; what the actual hell! The image from that camera was insane. I also gave my 1st AC Cecilia the hardest time by filming on wide-open full-frame vintage lenses. Stop your lens, keep your AC happy, get the shot, and move on!”
Cecelia Hedditch,
1st AC
“I’ve walked past Aki’s characters, Tobuhime a bunch of times - now I know who is behind these cuties!
Aki seems to kill it at whatever she does! With each Heatwaves project, it has been so inspiring and heart warming to be around people driven by their creativity.
A few highlights that come to mind is seeing Brandon at work on his switch desk with the VHS set up. And JM quietly just delivering the most high end BTS I’ve ever seen! And Corey (gaffer) is absolutely the unsung hero !
This episode was the first time I’d seen some of the pre-production - Eren's shot list and mood boards were very comprehensive.
And of course, Shaki’s eye for colour and contrast is always exciting to see. I am so grateful for him bringing me along for the ride with every episode - we can nearly communicate on set without words now ha.
I will always be happy to assist and be a cheerleader as he develops as a Cinematographer.
Ps. My rollerblades are always in the van and I’ve pitched them to Shaki a few times for tracking shots as a joke (not ever actually joking ha), it was so much fun giving them the dust off to do a tracking shot of Aki on the skateboard.“
Corey Clement,
Gaffer
"Projects like this are really inspiring to be a part of as each department brings so much creativity to the table.
I always enjoy working with Shaki (DoP) because he always comes to me with interesting visual ideas, and has a lot of trust in me with how to execute his concepts. Everybody on this project created an energy which felt more like hanging out with mates, rather than working with colleagues."
Warsan Mohamed,
Camera Attachment
I wanted to soak up some more knowledge from these insane brains.
My favourite moment on the project was watching Shaki rig unique camera angles up and watch these crazy shots come to life.
I’d love to share with people who have seen this project that it was the most fun crew ever. Always made things up on the spot, having a laugh, and we tried some awesome food in the local areas during our breaks!
JM Tubera,
BTS.
“I always love seeing what goes through behind the scenes of creating projects like this because I learn so much. The team really showed their passion in showing Aki’s work in the most incredible way. I would always remember how Cory climbed up the roof to get the perfect lighting and the negotiation between Eren and Shaki regarding little details.”
Niklas Malkin,
Colorist
“Eren Besiroglu DM'd me about a doco on artist Aki Yaguchi and from that point onwards I knew that I just had to work on it. I love the style of the doco - unapologetic, creative, juicy visuals. Collaborating to create "f*** yeah" moments with Eren and DP Shaki was the highlight of my time on this project and what you see on screen is the result of a huge team supporting one another to show a glimpse of Australia's creative scene.”
Ilya Malov,
Co-Editor
"This is the project where I had a tremendous amount of fun editing, and I hope that enjoyment is reflected in this work. I loved everything about it: the characters, the story, the cinematography, the music, and the entire incredibly talented team. It granted me a lot of freedom for self-expression, which is crucial for me as an artist and isn't something I often find in commercial projects. I believe these kinds of projects are very important as they offer deserved recognition to creative people and inspire them to persevere."
Jericho Marcel,
Animatior
"I did this project because Aki is a good friend of mine and I believe in her art, additionally. I also think all involved are top tier creatives and I felt that all this talent would produce something special. I loved reinterpreting a static comic into a living breathing animation, to provide the movement suggested by Aki's work.
I think for me animating the moment the star and flower embrace just felt right and really seemed like a successful merging of Aki and I's mediums. I would say the trust involved in the project, I was given a lot of trust to reinvent Aki's work and given space to create things how I saw fit."
Brandon Ros, VHS
"I have always been fascinated by documenting artists, not only the technical process but the love and effort that goes into the small details. Producing the CRT TV installation passed that on. What I loved most was that this project involved multiple mediums involving animation, video/ audio processing and left field techniques throughout the shoot. It's refreshing. A memorable moment I'd say once lighting got all dialed in on set. It's that relief but also awe in captivating the set, finally seeing it all come alive sort of moment. Something you don’t see on screen is The coordination on set is something that a lot of people don't see. Often under a time crunch, so things need to be done and then we all go moving onto the next shot. So things need to be precise, calculated and accounted for. That doesn't mean we didn't have our share of fun though."
Amina Subjaki,
Prod Designer
"Working amongst creatives, a few of whom I have worked with before, making it seem like honestly friends hanging out. Honestly, anytime the lights dim a little, the camera calls to action, and the crew steps back, that’s when a set comes to life, and you see your hard work come to life. Everything just fits into place. Like most local projects, the time and the minds went into the project. The set ups, the packdowns, the group lunches, the inside jokes, everything that makes a set fun and exciting."
Chait D’Cruz,
Art Assist
"I am super inspired by Aki! As well as this it’s important to me to support women of colour within the creative community. Seeing the commitment to the project from the crew and talent- specifically when I saw Cecilia roller-skate; to get that one shot of Aki. It was a reminder of how passion can drive projects and how great work can come from it. The support in the groupchat during pre-production. It’s a small thing but it's always nice to see how keen everyone is to help, the collaborative nature of these types of projects really shines here."
Ibrahim Shah Khan,
Production Assistant
"Being on set for Aki's micro-documentary was an incredible experience for me. I dove into this project to gain hands-on experience, especially given my close ties with the creators. Some unforgettable moments were observing Eren's, Shaki's and Aki's dedication up close, sparking my inner storyteller. To viewers, what you might not see on screen is the amazing collaboration and relentless coordination that went behind each frame, making the project truly special."
Eleftherios,
Music
"My love for music is found in community. Whether it's a band playing together as one, or the mutual experience between a performer and audience, or the very sounds themselves coming together to form a song-- collaboration is essential to the artform. The vision for Aki's episode of Heatwaves was in clear alignment of that as its goal was to bring a team of visual artists together to document her wonderfully vibrant art. I adored the unity shown in the creation of the project, and I am grateful to have been a part of it."
