This is the weekend! Report and interview on the MX4D version of "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijo no Valkyrie" supervised by director Shoji Kawamori!

The MX4D version of "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijou no Valkyrie" is being released in movie theaters nationwide today, May 11, 2018 (Friday).

MX4D ("MediaMation MX4D") is the latest "experiential" 4D theater system developed by U.S. manufacturer MediaMation that goes beyond 3D movies. The seats move back and forth, left and right, up and down, and there are 11 special effects that stimulate the five senses, including wind, mist, scent, strobe, smoke, and vibration. This time, the "Macross the Movie: The Movie" is being presented in the theater.

In this interview, after experiencing the MX4D version of "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijou no Valkyrie", MX4D project leader Jun Jouzu and motion programmer Tomoe Nonaka explained the system to us.

A major feature of this MX4D version is that it is supervised by director Shoji Kawamori. The Macross series has always been created with a strong emphasis on realism and the sense of being there, so the director himself actively participated in the programming of the MX4D version, making very detailed requests.

The director's supervision helped us pick up on directional elements that we had missed," he said. In the air battle scene, as a programmer, there were things I pointed out that I thought I should not forget this point of view. There was a scene in which Hayate Immelmann was attacked from behind and had to stoop forward. Programmers tend to add effects to the images and sound, so the most violent movements are made at the moment he stumbles. However, the director wanted the effect of being attacked from behind to be magnified, so that the inertia would cause him to fall. I thought it was important for the pilot to feel that kind of sensation.

Kawamori said, "This time, director Kawamori was standing beside me while I was programming the film (see the photo of him programming the film). I wanted to incorporate the concepts I had in mind when I was making the film into MX4D, so I always try to have the director come to the studio and give his frank opinions on other films as much as possible.

Director Kawamori gives us specific instructions, not just nuanced, overall instructions, but pinpoint instructions on how to do things, so it was easy for us to work with him.

In fact, the battle scenes were like a real attraction, but the attraction of Macross is the "dogfight" and the "singing. The seats vibrate to the rhythm of the songs, and other effects were carefully added to the songs.

The live scenes are just as important as the battle scenes, so we programmed them so that the audience can feel the immersion and intensity of the action. The live scene of "Change!!!!!" in the live scenes, we made the movements match the camera's line of sight as it glides over the audience and the stage, so you can feel as if you are slipping through the Valkyries. I also flashed the strobe lights to match the colors of the five. The director wanted the movements to match the squeak of the sound. It was difficult to express the feeling of a soft yet sharp stop in MX4D, but I filled in values that I had never used before and programmed the film in a very irregular way to finish it.

In addition, MX4D also allows you to enjoy scents and other elements. For example, during the bathing scene in the first half of the film and the sexy shot of Makina Nakajima, a sweet aroma wafted through the air.

The director had some requests regarding the fragrance, and although it was technically impossible to respond to all of them, the director chose the fragrance within the limited conditions.

In this way, the MX4D version of "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijo no Valkyrie" is filled with Kawamori's attention to detail. I hope you will experience it for yourself.

The live performance scenes are so detailed that you may not even notice them if you only see them once. The dogfight moves quite violently, so please save your energy and come see it!　You will feel the music and the wind.

I want people to think of 4D not as a moving chair, but as part of the director's direction. I would like you to think of it as another version of the director's direction, supporting the director's intended direction.

Message from Director Shoji Kawamori

The "Macross" series has been conscious of the sense of presence and experience since the first theatrical version, "The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Ai omochoete desu ka" was made. Our goal has been to create a work that "touches the skin" and "shakes the soul," as if you were "entering the space" and becoming a pilot, or experiencing a live performance by a diva at a live concert venue, rather than "watching a movie. Finally, with "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijou no Valkyrie", when I actually felt the vibrations and wind in the special MX4D seats, I felt "ah, we have come one step closer to what we are aiming for".

Please step deeper into the "Macross World" and experience even more "fierceness" as a member of Valkyrie or Delta Platoon.


(Reporting and writing by Junichi Tsukagoshi)