As a gaijin in Tokyo, fighting to survive as a freelance artist can be pretty scary. My main gig is filmmaking, doing behind the camera work. But after meeting several foreigners who worked in front of the camera, I thought I'd give it a shot myself, for some supplementary income. I'm so glad that I did.
If you're a foreigner with a visa, you can find acting jobs in Tokyo. It's that simple. The agencies will put you in their databases (Remix, Free Wave and Echoes are agencies I'd recommend), and potential job postings will be sent to you almost immediately. Not all of the jobs pay well (low end is $150.00 - $200 per day) and not all are very engaging, but they are a fantastic way to get what I call "paid field trips." I work in front of the computer so much of the time that it's always a joy to get out and visit some wacky film or TV set. Especially with the types jobs where you get professional zombie training!!
Yep. This was a gig I did last year, for the Biohazard (Resident Evil) franchise. It was to promote a new pachinko machine. A gala event was held in a hotel ballroom in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Parlor owners, followed by the general public were invited to the unveiling, and no expense was spared! Pachinko is a major past time in Japan, generating nearly $200 billion per year in revenue.
On top of elaborate sets that were created to bring the video game to life, roughly 30 actors were hired to play zombies. Our job was to give the patrons a thrill as we clawed to get out of a giant glass zombie cage. We would hide in the dark until a new group came in. The lights would come up, smoke would fill the place, and we would claw at the passing, fresh human meat!
Before this wild two day event began and before the makeup was applied (which took about 45 minutes), each of us had to endure a rigorous zombie training camp. We all laughed at the notion... until we met our instructor. He was a young Japanese guy. Probably late 20's. But he was unwaveringly committed to perfecting and conveying proper zombie growls, facial expressions and most importantly zombie body language. He told me his regular job was working at a haunted house.
I asked one of the makeup girls if there were any Japanese zombies. She said, "no, only foreigners." When I asked her why, she said, "because foreigners are scary!!"
Though this job was taxing on the muscles, with such unnatural movements... and sticky or itchy at times with the makeup and fake blood, it's exactly the reason why I take talent work in Japan. We made people scream, laugh and smile. We helped bring a video game nightmare to life. We were monsters for a couple days, and we were paid to do it!
Since spreading the word of this event via social media was encouraged (rare for talent jobs), I filmed and edited a short summary of the experience with my iPhone. Enjoy, and have a happy Halloween this weekend!
