The UK is a country where many creators’ talents have bloomed and they enthusiastically have been expanding their artistic fields. You might be one who has been inspired by its creativity. In this DVD, famous British creators Tomato and Red Design introduce the city of London and Brighton from their point of view.

I interviewed Mr Toru Hachiga, a producer of this DVD. Find out how he felt about London and Brighton as he went talking and walking with them.

First of all, please introduce yourself.

After graduating from the university and working for “Piebooks”, I had been writing, organising events and editing with the theme of designing. I started the magazine “+81” in 1997 and had been publishing this magazine as a chief editor until the 11th issue. However, questions and complains about this medium came up to me and they brought me to start a new project. I am doing this project at the moment.

What made you produce this DVD?

I felt uncomfortable working in a print medium “+81” in various meanings. Also, I found a potential to an image medium with a new way of expression. So I made “a guide DVD”, not “a guide BOOK”.

What is the thing you wanted to do the most in this DVD?

I wanted to make something, which nobody has ever seen, in a DVD as a product package. Of course, I admit that not everything in this DVD is novel but I have not seen this type of DVD package before.

As a concept, I wanted to take a challenge of making this DVD interesting with a graphical added value in images. Not only just seeking the interesting aspect of image, but also I wanted to make a useful product package by adding various information. Basically, this is a documentary DVD. I may be able to look on this DVD as a nonfiction reality without a scenario.

London is widely known as a noteworthy city. What leads you to look at Brighton as well?

Briefly, many interesting creators are living in Brighton or are working in Brighton as a base place. Also, I enjoyed relaxed atmosphere of this town last time I visited. The sunset view at the seaside was beautiful.

When I read your interview about “+81” in Shift before, I found you used the word “now” quite often and that was impressive for me. ” ‘What’s the most interesting medium ‘now’? In any design, ‘now’ is very important.’ ” If you think of this London & Brighton DVD according to this “now”, what sort of “now” in London and Brighton you can see?

It can be said to all cities and towns in all over the world, but I cannot say that the city of London and Brighton are interesting only “now.” I do not know specific things happened in these cities because I am not living there but I presume they used be interesting in the past and will be interesting in the future as well.

I think, however, that implies that people, who are living and working there, are interesting, not the city itself is interesting. As I mentioned before, this is just a thing that many interesting creators are living in Brighton and London or are working there. If they were living in a different city, I would feature that. Many interesting creators are also in Tokyo and Paris as others are in London and Brighton. So, I am now making “Paris Guide DVD” as a sequel. Paris is also one of the interesting cities for me.