Nagi Noda

{Ya, I gave up on the twelve day thing...I'm just to freaking busy!}

So, I've bet you've never heard of Nagi Noda, right? It's such a shame because she was an amazing talent. One of the oddest artists/directors/filmmakers to come along in a while and the fact that she was a woman is just insanely cool.

Nagi Noda died in September, and the only info I can find on that is that she died from complications stemming from a car accident suffered a year before. She had apparently been seriously injured and endured a lot of surgeries. I believe her official cause of death was complications from surgery. She was only 35...and an insanely innovative talent that will be sorely missed, but not by the tons of people that should be missing her.

Filmmaking has always been a man's world; that is one of the most difficult things I have personally encountered in my journey through film-land. If Nagi Noda had been a man she would have been talked about as an up-and-coming film genius in the ranks of Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry. But, not many people have heard of her, she was a shy, quiet Japanese girl who was very eccentric and did her own thing. I so envy for her that. Her vision is astounding and to accomplish even the few amazing and visually quirky things she did in such a short time is just enviable. It's a shame we will never get to see how far she would have gone.

Nagi was most famous for her music video for the Japanese pop singer Yuki. Her idea was so simple, but so visually stunning and original that I must have watched that music video a thousand times when it came out. It starts out slow but you'll get the gist about 1:40 into it. I can't find the video to embed here but you can visit this link HERE to see it {and it is worth it!} The idea was so cool that Coke hired her to do a commercial based on the look of the Yuki music video. Here it is:

I also loved this photo series Nagi created, turning hair into animals. Some of them are just beyond crazy but so inspiring. Here are a few of my favorites:

I think the one thing about Nagi Noda that is so inspiring to me is that a lot of the stuff she does just seems impossible. Something you wouldn't attempt without a huge budget and a crew of hundreds. But she had very small budgets, tiny crews, and she pulled it off. She was such an inspiring filmmaker and artist and I was so saddened to hear about her death. She will be truly missed not just for the quirky and odd idea's she had but for being a woman, an inspiring one-of-a-kind innovative woman, in a field that has too long been run by men. She was an original and she will be sorely missed.

Check out these films and videos by Nagi Noda as well:

Poodle Excercise With Humans Video
{had Michel Gondry done this you would have seen it everywhere}

The Dancing Eyes
{that's what I call it, I don't know the band}

Hearts on Fire Music Video
{her last video before she died}

Scissor Sisters Music Video