Or everything you always wanted to know about Japanese erotic bondage when you suddenly realized that you didn't speak Japanese
The Beauty of Kinbaku
Kinbaku
and Art
Please note: no part of these articles may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the author or the publisher, King Cat Ink.
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Behind the scenes still of the 3 story suspension - 4 - take off.
Or everything you always wanted to know about Japanese erotic bondage when you suddenly realized that you didn't speak Japanese
The Beauty of Kinbaku
Kinbaku
and Art
Please note: no part of these articles may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the author or the publisher, King Cat Ink.
Chapter Twenty-one
Kinbaku and Art - “Together Alone”
by Master “ K”
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Please join us next time for another chapter in the exciting world of Kinbaku and art.
We became involved in the project when the script was sent to my creative partner zElement at Spring Tiger Ryu by the Director Jolene Kim. She had located our organization on the Internet and, seeing how many film projects we have done, wrote to inquire about our participation. The quality of her script made us instantly enthusiastic.
Without giving too much away, the plot involves a first date in a bar between a handsome young man and a petite and beautiful Asian woman. However, unlike most versions of this traditional situation, the twist here is that we hear the dialogue of the characters but at the same time read their inner-most thoughts in subtitles. The results are both hilarious and touching and say a surprising amount about the different ways men and women perceive each other. For an 11 minute short it’s an ambitious film!
Behind the scenes still of the 3 story suspension - 4 - take off.
While we want everyone to see the film, in order to give the interested spectator a less stressful look at the Kinbaku, we present here stills of the three poses that were done as well as several behind the scenes stills.
It is with the greatest pleasure that we announce the release of yet another very creative film which used Kinbaku as part of its clever and amusing storyline.
Which is not to say that the film, despite its short length, didn’t pose serious challenges.
As in past productions, rehearsals were necessary prior to filming in order to decide exactly what the Director wanted her audience to see. This was made a bit more challenging because the film had to be shot over the course of only two evenings when the very attractive bar location being used was closed. In other words, all the shooting had to be done in two action-packed all-nighters.
The challenges were, therefore, considerable and the types of Kinbaku to be done (a decorative gote, a full body tie to be positioned with the actress lying on the bar and a puppet-like one leg up partial suspension) required a great deal of thought.
This short (eleven minute) film, which has already begun to do prestigious festivals and will be released shortly, is a very clever take on the traditional rom-con (romantic comedy),.. but with a twist.
The film is “Together Alone” by the very talented Jolene Kim and marks the second time in recent months that we have participated in the production of a film by a woman Director who has chosen to use Kinbaku as part of their film’s narrative.
Those watching the film will have to look very carefully or, as people who have looked for Kinbaku in films know, will have to use the freeze frame function in order to study the ties being done.
Since the Kinbaku was to be only one small part of the film, our work needed to be done in just a few hours during the first night of production before the actors had to get down to the real business of performing!
Unlike many films involving Kinbaku, the use of rope art in this film is quite unique. Usually, scenes of Kinbaku are somewhat lengthy so that the audience has time to easily understand what’s going on and appreciate the rope work. However, in “Together Alone” the shots of the beautiful bound actress are used as nearly subliminal flash cuts to demonstrate the male character’s desires and clichéd perceptions of his date, while at the same time emphasizing her sensuality and beauty. A tall order!
The problems were–
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1. The Kinbaku must allow the actress/writer/Director to be able to act while tied!
2. The Kinbaku had to be very noticeable and vibrant enough for the audience to “read” despite it being used in subliminal flash cuts.
It’s a very funny and touching film and even speaks to the larger issues that are part of the often amusing and mystifying relationships and connections between modern men and women in this all too complex world.
3. It also had to be symbolically representative of the Director's creative thoughts and themes as well as sensual, stylish and colorful.
This last condition was met by using colored asanawa (Kinbaku rope) in a close, calculated, fashion-conscious way with the costumes of the leading lady. This meant blue rope with an elegant red kimono, red rope with a lovely black evening dress (with the upper body tie echoing and complementing the design of the dress) and regular rope for the partial puppet suspension. zElement’s design skills were vital in coordinating all of this.
In addition, inspiration was drawn from the Japanese rope master Arisue Go who demonstrated in his television work for the very funny Japanese police/comedy series “Tokubu” that one could do Kinbaku for comedy. The method there was exaggerated tying which lent some genuine comic effects to the scenes being shot.
In “Together Alone” the intention wasn’t comedy but it was necessary to make the Kinbaku excessive so the audience would be able to “read” that the character was tied in the flash cuts.
As always, the shooting was intense and the work had to be done as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I was ably assisted by zElement and also one of my main students Remy K. Thane as well as the talented photographer James Smith, all of whom volunteered their services for this interesting project.
I think the results were very successful.
I hope you enjoy the photos and that you will seek out the film whenever it ends its festival run and begins to become available for a general audience.
It was an honor and a pleasure to be involved and, as always, this type of close creative collaboration with talented people is a high point of the many activities of the Spring Tiger Ryu.
