MASUMOTO HERD VIDEO PRODUCTION

Michael and Kai thank you for stopping by! MASUMOTO HERD is your one-stop destination for digital video, audio and fine-art digital and physical prop and set building services.

If you like our work, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/glofau/. If you'd like to contract our services, visit our Contact Us page for more information. Thanks!

DOCUMENTARIES

MASTERING CUSTARD

(2017; HD; 40 min 31 sec)

MASTERING CUSTARD is Michael's latest educational film, a masterclass in custard making. Michael spent more than a year researching and perfecting the recipes and techniques presented in this video, showing you how to make the best-tasting custards and custard fillings for all occasions. Michael also explains the WHY behind custard making so you'll never spoil a custard again.

Michael created this masterclass as a skill-building exercise towards his ultimate goal of producing a micro-budget narrative musical feature film. Michael did everything in this video, including all the 3D modeling, animation, post-production, color-correction and special effects in addition to all the writing, storyboarding, filming and editing.

Mastering Custard was the final project Michael made using his old voice. During filming, Michael's voice began going hoarse and falling apart (listen carefully and you can hear it in the film). Shortly after he completed the voiceover recordings for this project in early 2017, Michael mechanically corrected his vocal apparatus using experimental techniques he developed based on Melocchi Method principles; this radically changed the sound of his voice. You can hear his rebuilt basso speaking and singing voice in demos on the Voice section of this website.

MASUMOTO HERD ART FURNITURE: INTRODUCTION

(2014; HD; 6 min 54 sec)

A humorous, musical look at Masumoto Herd and the Fantasium.
(Documentary #1 of 4)

This was Michael's first serious video project for YouTube. The sound mixing and special effects are somewhat primitive but the film's humor, original musical score and brevity make it a fun romp.

FANTASIUM: ORIGINS

(2014; HD; 9 min 35 sec)

A musical tour of the inspiration behind our Fantasium.
(Documentary #2 of 4)

Michael is particularly proud of the original musical score he composed/arranged/assembled/performed for this promotional documentary; it's quite beautiful as well as effective. Take note of Kai attempting to act in this video; you'll never see such a thing again! Kai hates being in front of a camera.

FANTASIUM GLASS: PROCESS MONTAGE

(2016; HD; 7 min 25 sec)

An in-depth tour of the Fantasium glassmaking as Michael makes (and remakes) Pane 10. 3 1/2 weeks of meticulous handwork condensed into 7 minutes! Michael developed new techniques for creating decorative fused glass which he outlines here, a significant improvement over traditional Painting with Light methods.
(Documentary #3 of 4)

Documentary #4, on the Fantasium woodworking, has been edited but requires a musical score which Michael has not yet completed.

ART FILMS

A SENTENCE IS INSIDE ITSELF... (2016)

(2016; HD; 46 min 47 sec)

A video record of one the award-winning hits of the 2016 San Francisco Fringe Festival. An Absurdist farce/musical/theatrical mashup featuring the words of Gertrude Stein, Samuel Beckett and Virgil Thomson. Created and choreographed by Nan Busse. Music by Cindy Webster. Performed by Peggy DeCoursey, Cindy Webster and Nan Busse. Recorded Live at the Exit Theater, Saturday, September 24, 2016. Video Production, Post-Production and animated Title sequences: Michael Masumoto.

MASCULINITY (2015)

(2015; HD; 8 min 8 sec)

As seen at the California State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition!

Featuring Sergey Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, op.75, no.10, performed by Michael Masumoto.

Summary: When Butch is dumped by his girlfriend, Frou Frou, because he isn't manly enough, he embarks on a perilous journey of self-improvement. Musical Comedy-Drama.

Michael loves this no-budget art film. It was shot as a series of improvisations built on a mere sketch of a screenplay, a silent film that was really an extended musical number/comic dance performed to the playback of the soundtrack. The film was conceived as a parody of the classic Romeo and Juliet ballet performed by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Michael is particularly proud of the cinematography in this project, shot on location all over Northern California! Note Michael's makeover in the film; once he had cut his hair, there was no going back for reshoots! The opening improvisations set the pace and timing for the entire project, for good or ill. Michael gives particular thanks to Dee Miller for her hard work on this especially difficult shoot.

WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS (2014)

(2014; HD; 7 min 26 sec)

As seen at the California State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition! This G-Rated homage to silent-era Hollywood sexual suggestiveness was made part of the curriculum at U.C. Berkeley in Professor Eve Sweetser's class on Gesture and Metaphor. Absurd and educational!

Featuring Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers, performed by Michael Masumoto.

Summary: When two Feet meet, can Love be far behind? Musical Comedy.

Waltz of the Flowers is Kai's personal favorite of the Masumoto Herd films thus far.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Shooting this art film was physically exhausting. Laying half-naked on a cold tile floor, Michael and Dee had to pretend to dance for many hours to playback after playback of the music; the floor was so abrasive that it eventually drew blood from Michael's foot, blood you can see in the film. Dee Miller still rates this as the most humiliating performance experience of her life. Fortunately, the finished film comes off as a breezy romp! But physical comedy is a lot harder to perform than most people realize.

MICHAEL MASUMOTO'S MUSIC

PIANO SONATA IN A MINOR

(2016; HD; 14 min 38 sec)

Michael's first piano sonata, almost 30 years in the making, performed by the composer. The film images were shot along the Northern California coast between Bodega Bay and Jenner.

For more information about this composition, please visit Michael's Piano Sonata page. Sheet music is available for purchase directly from the composer; please see the Contact Us page for information.

ORCHESTRAL SAMPLER SUITE

(2016; HD; 3 min 37 sec)

Michael created this project to showcase his skills as a classical orchestrator and composer.

For more information about this composition, please visit the Orchestral Sampler Suite page.

MISCELLANEOUS

MICHAEL MASUMOTO'S PORTFOLIO (2016)

(2016; HD; 2 min 31 sec)

This video contains a selection of graphic design, 3D modeling/animation and film projects that Michael has created, some commercial and others strictly for Art's sake.

MICHAEL MASUMOTO'S PORTFOLIO PART 2 (2017)

(2017; HD; 3 min 47 sec)

This portfolio video provides an overview of Michael's projects completed 2016-2017, including photos of Smoke, 1st Prize winner at Design in Wood 2017, San Diego, as well as 3D animated title sequences, video clips, etc.

Happy Birthday, Dee (2012)

(2012; HD; 1 min 42 sec)

This video, Michael's first HD video project, was a musical birthday gift to his friend and frequent collaborator, Dee Miller.

MR. WEATHERLY IS TAKEN FOR A RIDE (2012)

(2012; SD; 1 min 37 sec)

This film was Michael's first greenscreen animation test. Audiences responded negatively to the character, so Michael shelved the project. If you disagree and would like to see the completed film, let Michael know!

MASUMOTO HERD PODCAST PROMO

(2015; HD; 1 min 21 sec)

Don't bother looking for the Masumoto Herd video podcast anytime soon; Michael quickly realized that long-form video podcasts were not what YouTube audiences were looking for. But he thought the ad was amusing.

Last Updated: September 30, 2018
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