Japanese teenager girl laughs and points an object toward camera.
Case Study

Feature Film Pro Data Workflow with Zak Baney and Jinn Yagi

Zak Baney is headed to Cannes Film Festival for the third time with his coming-of-age story Wild Boys. His small and mighty team needed a data solution that would provide capacity and performance for a feature-length film shot in 8K, reliability to secure precious footage shot on location with limited time and resources, and the artistic freedom to edit and deliver by Cannes submission deadlines. Pro Data became the independent filmmakers’ key asset from directing to editing. 

iodyne’s own Jason Williams interviewed writer/director Zak Baney, alongside Producer Jinn Yagi at Inter BEE about what an adventure it was to film Wild Boys. It was the film Baney always wanted to see, so he made it himself. Shot on location in Kyoto, Japan, the film takes place in phenomenal natural landscapes, secret urban escapades, and features some bold stunts. The filmmakers gave us generous insights into their production workflow and the benefits of having iodyne Pro Data with them, from saving precious shooting time on set with fast ingest, to be able to edit and replay native 8K resolution, all in one place.

Wild Boys is a Cannes 2024 contender. To follow news, see behind the scenes images, and learn about the talent follow the project on Instagram.

Teenage boy falling in mid air in dark Japanese forest
Director Zak Baney filming in Japanese forest
Film crew and lighting equipment set up in Japanese forest

“After two weeks of shooting we had about 15TB of data. If we didn’t use Pro Data we’d have to use fifteen, twenty hard drives with a bunch of cables to go with it. Luckily we didn’t have to go that route.”

Film crew moving equipment on a Japanese forest road
Two teenagers riding bikes on an urban Japanese street, film crew filming and cheering them up.
Film crew filming

“Originally we were using [Pro Data] as back up… but day 1 we hooked it up to the computer and I was able to edit right off of it.”

iodyne Pro Data drive and laptop on table
In editing room two computer monitors are set up with film editing software and hard drive.

“It takes a year to do a feature length film. That’s a year worth of blood sweat tears. [We were able to] put all our trust, and all our data in one particular spot and feel comfortable with it.”

Group selfie of an independent filmmaking cast and crew posing on street
Film director behind the camera
About the filmmakers:
Zak Baney
Among his many talents, Zak Baney is a film director, screenwriter, editor, record producer, mixer and mastering engineer. Born in Jordan to Julia and Ralph Baney, the famed marine biologist, diver, author, and Baptist minister, Zak with his family lived in Jerusalem until the age of eight when they moved to southern Florida. It was growing up there that he became interested in music, eventually becoming involved in the Acid House scene and pioneering a new and inventive style fusing the sound of Chicago’s acid house with Miami’s early electrobeats. His track entitled “Acid Breaks” is considered the first example of the new genre. Not long after, he delved into the world of car bass competitions, leading to the creation of yet another sub-genre of music, Miami Bass. He soon signed onto Chicago’s Rhythm Style label, then FFRR and Frankie Bones’ label, Nu Futura. He then started his very own labels, Dubtone Records and Locked Groove Records, respectively. This led to many other opportunities, including producing music and sound design for ESPN and The Discovery Channel. After much success in the music business, Zak set his sights on other interests and challenges. 
Always having strong creative impulses, Zak began to explore within the visual mediums. After moving to Japan, he ventured into making commercials and television ads, most notably for Adidas. He began directing music videos, accumulating many awards along the way, including Japanzine’s 2009 and 2010 top ten best video award for his work with his group Beat Persuasion (Your Touch) and the duo SGF-1 (Castor Sugar), as well as Japanzine’s 2010 top ten award for best song (Your Touch). In 2011, he directed Last Message, an intense docudrama which raised money for the victims of the Tohoku tsunami and was later accepted and showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Two years later, he wrote and directed the drama Kyodai, starring Yumiko Katayama and co-produced by Yuko Tanaka. This too was accepted and showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, making him the only foreign director in Japan to have two separate films featured there. 
Wild Boys is his latest feature – it was actually written 14 years ago and is the movie he always wanted to see but hadn’t, after waiting for someone else to make something like it (in the spirit of 1980’s coming-of-age films like The Goonies and Stand By Me). He felt it was time to finally produce it before moving onto another one of his finished scripts – it was basically now or never! He envisions this film somewhat as a hybrid: a Japanese tale with Western sensibilities. Having the legendary metal band Loudness provide much of the music makes sense in that regard – they were one of the first Japanese rock stars that Western audiences became aware of in the early days of MTV. Zak is honored and pleased to have access to their songs for the film, especially after admiring them so much in his younger days. He hopes that this feature film resonates with all audiences, both young and old, across generations.
Jinn Yagi
Japan-based Artist Owner + Lead Photographer of LS Creative Studio Japan since 2007. Experienced and innovative Photographer who can provide up-to-date in photography trends and create unique approaches to all the photos he captures. Committed to the ultimate satisfaction of a client. Bringing forth over 17years of experience working as a Professional Photographer on over 300 projects. Leveraging a background in Commercial Photography and Fine art Photography. Jinn Yagi is a dynamic force in the art world, redefining conventional boundaries through a fusion of photography and painting. An artist whose mastery lies inseamlessly blending the worlds of photography and painting to create a harmonious symphony of visualenchantment. With an innate ability to capture the essence of fleeting moments and translate them into vibrant canvases, Jinn Yagi is a trailblazer in the contemporary art scene. 
Education: Master of Art in interactive Media and Design Middle Sex University in London
Exhibitions: 
2005『HONESTY』etw Kyoto
2012 Gift to Earth Ginza Tokyo 
2020『Unnatural Nature』LS STUDIO/KG+
2021『Ambiguous border』LS STUDIO/KG+
2022 1『LGBTQ+』Kyoto Federation of Bar Associations
2022 4『Boundary pattern of me and others『LS STUDIO/KG+
2022 7 group exhibition『My Work E』Fuji Photo salon2022 11 SOLO EXHIBITION at TUNE STAY KYOTO
2023 1 Japan Photography association Group Exhibition
2023 4 Sensitive daily life and panicky nights at backs Gazai Gallery
2023 12 Group Exhibition POSTER WORKS in KOBE

“I believe in the power of art to transcend boundaries, spark conversations, and illuminate the beauty in oureveryday experiences. My work is a continuous exploration of the intersection between photography andpainting, with each piece telling a unique story and inviting viewers to delve into the realms of imagination.”

Two Japanese teenagers walking up the hill in the suburbs

 

iodyne is proud to partner with independent filmmakers and support their artistic process by making the technology piece of their production workflow secure, fast, and reliable. Drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know how we can support your vision!