Jiro Konami’s “Lady Misaki”  captures the beauty of decorated trucks, a form of moving art seen on highways throughout Japan. Commissioned by Apple and shot on an iPhone XS, this fast-moving mini-doc features stunning images. That’s not surprising given the fact that Konami is a celebrated Japanese photographer. But there’s more here than just pretty pictures. The film is really an emotional biography of a specific art truck named Lady Misaki. Filmmakers wanting to make their own mini-docs can learn a lot by studying how quickly and efficiently the director unfolds the story.  We analyze the opening (below).

Analyzing the Fast-moving Mini-docs Brisk Exposition

In just over two minutes, director Jiro Konami tells a story of trucks, art, a family tragedy, and the effort to help and inspire people. Some of the video’s key moments illustrate the filmmaker’s spare narrative approach.

0:02   Two seconds into the video, we get a key line of dialogue that sets one of the big themes: “I always wanted to share uplifting feelings with those who see it.”  The fact that we don’t know the speaker’s identity builds curiosity.

0:08   A dissolve gives the subject—the illuminated truck—a dramatic entrance.

0:11   The narrator introduces himself, establishing the film’s personal (first person) approach.

0:14   The narrator immediately introduces the real star of the documentary, the truck named Misaki-Jou (Lady Misaki).

0:25   The rather complex story behind the name is given in only about 10 seconds. There’s no wasted verbiage.

0:52   Supporting characters—other truck drivers—are brought into the story, setting up a surprising twist, namely, that the decorated trucks aren’t just a matter of aesthetics, but also serve to help those in need.

Whatever the subject—a trip to a far-off country, the knitting of a sweater, the construction of an outhouse— odds are that a two-minute mini-doc will get more enthusiastic reviews than a more plodding effort. If you’ve made this kind of rapid-fire video, you can tell us about it at info@mobilemoviemaking.com.

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“Lady Misaki” was chosen by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com as a Mobile Movie of the Week.