Crew
Dean Yamada, Director/Writer
Dean Yamada grew up in Davis, California, the only son of a Nisei farmer. After receiving his degree from the University of Southern California, Dean moved to the countryside of Japan, where he spent a year teaching English in the mountains. He then took trains from Hong Kong to London, making stops everywhere in between. A sufferer of wanderlust, Dean finds any excuse to travel, including bringing ten American students to Tokyo to film Mujo No Kaze. A professor of film, he teaches at Biola University in La Mirada, California. Dean previously wrote and directed The Nisei Farmer, a short film about his father, who spent three years of his youth in an internment camp on American soil during World War II. It won the grand prize for best short film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival as well as a prestigious grant from the Caucus Foundation.
Erin Hobson, Producer
Erin Hobson, a junior at Biola, was born and raised in Livermore, California, a town full of scientists, cowboys, and more wineries that one could ever hope to see. Erin fell in love with film in high school after seeing a very cheesy movie about leprechauns. It inspired her to write a book (though not about leprechauns), which eventually she grew to see as a potential feature film. As she designed the costumes and wrote music, she came across a video production class at her high school. By the time she graduated, she was determined to change the way Hollywood saw the world, and vice versa.
As the Producer of Mujo No Kaze, she enjoyed the logistical aspect of producing and felt comfortable bringing the various pieces necessary for film production together. However, the job was a demanding one, and she learned a great deal about the hours a producer can put into a project. Even though Erin’s producing duties kept her busy, she still stepped in as the Makeup Artist during production when the need arose, keeping the actors’ noses shine-free.
Andrew Watkins, Director of Photography
After spending sixty hours editing his high school’s yearbook DVD, Andrew Watkins, a resident of Tehachapi, CA, realized that he’d be happy doing it for a living. Now a junior at Biola University, Andrew is expanding his creative skills and technical knowledge of film and television. He currently serves as the Executive Producer of LATE, Biola’s own late-night comedy show.
As the Director of Photography, Andrew learned how to mirror someone else’s perspective and match it with his own, creating a collaborative effort on Mujo No Kaze. His knowledge of equipment was greatly utilized. For Andrew, who was born in Okinawa, Japan, the indescribable experience of filming in Tokyo brought him full circle.
Alyssa Iwata, Production Designer
Alyssa Iwata has lived most of her life in San Clemente, a small Southern Californian beach town. She discovered in high school that film united all of her passions and impacted people in a way nothing else can. She has worked on a variety of small projects as director, writer, editor, and art director, and is a junior at Biola University, where she majors in Film Production.
As the Production Designer of Mujo No Kaze, Alyssa chose a color palette for the film and gathered the costumes, props, and set dressings that would create the world she and the director envisioned. She crammed everything into a suitcase (which was bigger than the one that carried her clothes) and hauled it to Tokyo, some 5,478 miles away. She was immediately drawn to the aesthetic possibilities of making a film in a country as steeped in art, beauty, and color as Japan—a magical place where even the trains are orange.
Jason Becker, First Assistant Director
Jason Becker is a senior at Biola University where he is currently in the process of obtaining a BA in Film Production. A native of Southern New Jersey, Jason came to Biola to further his film and entertainment education in the Los Angeles area. Jason has worked on numerous projects since arriving at Biola including Unit Production Manager on Project X, Associate Producer on The Deserted, First Assistant Director on Wednesday, Director on Call Me Crazy and Producer on the award-winning Shopping Cart Named Desire.
As the First Assistant Director, Jason kept the crew on schedule. It was exciting for him to work with an experienced director, such as Dean, because he knew how to use his crew and how a professional film set is run. It was fascinating to film in a country as beautiful as Japan, with its great diversity of ornate countryside and bustling cityscapes (even if the houses and doorways were too short for him).
Nantikan Cooke, Second Assistant Director & Craft Services
Nantikan Cooke is from Marlton, New Jersey, where she participated in her high school’s television program and reported for both the daily morning and monthly news shows that broadcasted on a local TV channel. Nantikan now finds herself in California where she is a senior Cinema and Media Arts student at Biola University, which provides her with the opportunity to work on student films like A Shopping Cart Named Desire and Call Me.
Nantikan lent her organizational skills to Mujo No Kaze as both the Second Assistant Director and as Craft Services which is no easy task in a foreign country. Her position allowed her to have a chance to work and interact with everyone on set. In her quest to boost crew morale, she enjoyed the various grocery stores, the different food, and finding octopus legs in the meat section.
Lee Sherman, Camera Operator
Lee Sherman hails from Chino Hills, CA and is an alumnus of Biola University, where he majored in film. Lee has had the opportunity to do video parts on Fuel TV, Butterfinger Video AM Challenge, Aspire BMX Video (4th and 5th place), and VH-1’s I Love the 80s, where he has shared his joy for life from behind the scenes.
As the camera operator for Mujo No Kaze, Lee learned the amount of work that goes into even very small projects. For him, the experience of filming in Japan was incredible, if not somewhat perilous. One scene required Lee to operate the camera while running across the busiest intersection in Tokyo, weaving through a crowd of thousands of people. If that was only a taste of what God has in the future, Lee can't wait to see what's next.
Josiah Bultema, Gaffer
Junior Josiah Bultema came to Biola University from Sevierville, TN to study film because he could never picture himself at a normal nine-to-five job. He knew he needed to pursue something that would constantly be changing and challenging him. This has led him to make projects like On Deaf Ears, a documentary about the dynamics and effectiveness of street evangelism.
Josiah believes that making a film in Japan was one of the best things to do because the crew got to see and experience so much of the area. As Gaffer, Josiah was in charge of lighting Mujo No Kaze, something that proved to be a challenging task as he dealt with Japan’s different electrical system. Josiah never seemed phased by faulty transformers or blown fuses however, and could often be heard saying, “Don’t worry about it.”
Jennifer Kirkman, Assistant Camera Operator
Jennifer Kirkman grew up in Oceanside, CA. Though her interest in film originated in acting, she soon realized that she could better experience the creative and collaborative part of film from behind the camera in a less competitive environment.
Serving as Assistant Camera Operator on Mujo No Kaze, Jennifer saw first hand the arduous tasks involved in the operation of a High Definition camera and the translation of the Director and the Director of Photography’s vision. The project combined her two passions, film and traveling, and being immersed in the Japanese culture, while making a film about an interesting aspect of it, added to the intensity of the overall experience.
William Crawford, Script Supervisor and Continuity & Special Effects
Will Crawford, a senior at Biola University, is originally from Pottstown, PA and has worked on Case for Creator as the Key Grip. He plans on becoming a full-time Special FX Technician, possibly doing international work with Japanese filmmakers.
Will filled several roles on the set of Mujo No Kaze. His attention to detail lent itself to the roles of
Script Supervisor and Continuity, and he also created innovative Special FX. He was able to work around seemingly problematic situations, such as finding nicotine-free cigarettes for an actor who didn’t smoke. Will found that Japan was a beautiful place with great food (which was good for crew morale), and that the Japanese people were courteous while the crew was shooting.
Clint Thompson, Clapper & Post-Production Supervisor
During his senior year of High School Clint Thompson, from Laguna Hills, CA, spent nearly all his paychecks on movies, acquiring some 300 DVD titles. He learned to love story, characters, and unexpected plot twists. Now an alumnus of Biola University, movies still are the official form of escapism for him in this overly busy world.
As the Clapper for Mujo No Kaze, Clint worked with the 1st AD, the Director of Photography, the Cameraman, and the Director, making him an integral part of every shot. Clint also did some editing on the trip, and sorting through hours of raw footage became easier with the information that he provided as Clapper. As the Post-Production Supervisor, Clint learned that though a movie may be officially done filming, the need for distribution, publicity, and other things of that nature are still important and form their own phase in the project. His favorite moment was eating at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Tokyo and celebrating Dean's birthday that hadn't happened yet.
