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SCANDAL DOCUMENTARY "her" Diary 2021 SPECIAL EDITION
Part 1
From MIRROR DVD Edition
Opening
•The band sits around a table at their office. HARU talks about how as of the time they're filming this (November 2021), there have been 10 "her" Diaries that have come out so far, with the rate of one per month and released on their YouTube channel at the end of every month in 2021. TOMO says that they're grateful to simply have things on record since it can be easy to forget the little details that have happened. The videos really are like diaries that organize what has happened. HARU says that she's able to learn quite a lot about herself. RINA says that you're able to see yourself objectively, which HARU agrees with. MAMI says that it's felt like it's only been an instant since they recorded "eternal," but it feels like everyone's changed a lot since then. She also talks about how recording even the little details makes for an interesting rewatch.
•HARU says they've also changed up how they record songs and challenged themselves to do something new. They used to always go to the studio together and each direct each other, but now, depending on the song, they will go in to record by themselves and leave it up to each member to do their own parts. The way they enjoy each song is also different for each of them. All of that was also a change for them, which RINA agrees with.
"eternal" Vocal Recording
•Footage from "her" Diary #01 of HARU recording vocals for "eternal" is shown. Here are the lines shown:
For now, I think I should go through it once more. Our recorded songs and the band's sound have changed a lot, but the way I sing hasn't changed that much. That's why we have a lot of songs we write with concerts in mind. It'd be best if we could include that feeling as-is. That's probably why it doesn't feel that difficult. I'll do it while trying out a few different things.
•The video then switches to a split-screen view with the band at the table being shown on the left side and footage from "her" Diary #01 shown on the right. HARU talks about her experience recording vocals for "eternal":
With "eternal," I started with the desire to record vocals by myself, but I still felt a little unsure. Up until now we would record songs under the direction of the members who wrote the song, like MAMI would direct the music since she wrote it, and RINA would direct vocals since she wrote the lyrics. I was used to doing that. However, I wanted to take responsibility for myself as a vocalist at least once. On top of applying everything that I know, I challenged myself to try to create something using just my sensibility. So I was really nervous when I started it and wondered if this really was okay to do. I was okay with my takes, but I didn't know how [the other band members] would react to it. That was a challenge. That's why I said in the Diary that I was still quite unsure at the time.
•The focus goes back to footage from the Diary:
HARU: About singing... This also applies to when the other members write songs. There are specific ways that the members producing the song would like the vocals recorded, and there are times when they suggest how something should be sung.
Staff: You've been stuck in that style for a long time, right?
H: Yeah, exactly. But at the same time, it opens up possibilities to sing differently, which is totally fine by me. I don't mind it, but I also think it's time to start exploring my own style.
S: I think it's very important to be true to yourself, too.
H: Yeah, exactly.
•New footage of HARU not seen in the Diary is then played:
H: I feel that the first one was surprisingly good.
S: It was. I think the first take is really good. It'd be nice if there was a new kind of nuance there.
H: I hope it feels new to others.
•The video then goes back to the band at the table. TOMO talks about how they realized they could go about recording separately and listen to the finished song with all of the parts later, and that it is a challenge on its own since you're recording on your own. She says that this style has helped them to come up with a lot of ideas they'd like to try doing, and that she's liked how true to themselves they've been able to be these past few months.
•RINA says that the members have changed a lot and that it feels like they've become even more reliable when it comes to putting on live performances. That's also changed the way they record. She says that it's a pretty big thing that they've come to think that it's okay to complete a song the way they want to. HARU says that her conclusion after a year has passed is that it's been more about just being able to love yourself rather than trying out different approaches.
•MAMI says that it's a good thing that they've become more 'sloppy' when it comes to certain things. The others chuckle and RINA says, "In a good way, right?" MAMI says yes, and that they had been trying to force themselves to do everything in the past. They would do things they couldn't or didn't want to do, without saying that they couldn't or didn't want to do it. It was a given for them to think that they could handle everything, and that they thought had to do them. Now, they can say things like "I don't want to do this," or "I can do it about 50%, so I'll try it," I know I can't do this, so I will say that I can't." It's made them feel like a weight's been lifted off their shoulders.
•RINA says that MAMI wants things to be done in a certain way because she's written the music for many songs, and since MAMI and HARU have different strong points when it comes to singing, there can be times during recordings when they're unsure what merits to apply or what the goal should be. That's why RINA thinks that this stance of letting everyone do their own thing is a good thing that has made it a lot easier on MAMI. MAMI says that she used to feel a lot of pressure and so thinks it would have been nice in the past to have taken on different challenges while keeping things really simple. Now, she feels like the vibe's one where she can say things like "I can't do this." RINA agrees and says that they're now in the mindset where if you're not able to do something right now, you'll try it again next week. HARU says she's never said that before, but RINA says that she has. MAMI says that it's becoming possible for everyone to work together and managing to unite. RINA jokes that maybe she's no longer as strict as she used to be. MAMI goes, "Well...I don't know about that! I might still be a little stoic," while the others laugh.
"Ivory" Recording
•Footage from "her" Diary #05 of the band recording "Ivory" is shown. It starts off with RINA adjusting her drum set and then shows MAMI talking to one of their roadies:
S: What’s your shared image of the song?
M: Today...
S: What's the overall atmosphere?
M: The overall atmosphere... It would be the setting sun.
S: Ah, okay.
•The video goes back to the band at the table. MAMI talks about how they've been with their roadies for a long time now, and conversations [like the one just shown] may only be possible because they've been together for over 10 years. She says she doesn't think there are many people who can understand what kind of sounds and vibes they want from just being told nuances. They've established a kind of communication that they didn't used to have before.
•The video switches to a split-screen view with the band being shown on the left side and footage from "her" Diary #05 shown on the right. At the table, HARU agrees with what MAMI said and says that there there a lot of changes compared to the past, and that it's likely felt different ever since they started their "her" imprint label. She does clarify that they were writing their own songs before that change, though. MAMI says that the staff knows what kind of vibe they want to go with. HARU says that they used to more frequently express what the outside arrangers they used to have work on their songs wanted to do [likely as opposed to doing something that they themselves wanted to do].
•The video then shows Diary footage:
R: It seemed like the mute wasn’t effective when I was drumming on the other side, so I feel like you can’t hear the ghost notes at all. Is that not the case when you listen to it on this side?
*
T: It may be good to mix [the bass sounds], and I think it’d be nice if it sounded more like how our live performances sound.
*
R: The bass drum does feel pretty strong, but I like it.
*
*They listen to playback of "Ivory"
H: I want to reduce the distortion a little more.
S: Ah, okay.
S: It's important. We need to discuss things together.
S: Reduce the distortion, bring the acoustic guitar back, perform again...
M: The guitar shouldn't be stoic either.
S: Hold on - let me look for that expression.
S: Okay, understood. I got it. So loosen the snare a bit and make it lighter.
S: Shall we try it again?
M: Let's do it.
•RINA says that she thinks that songs like "eternal" and "Ivory" were made after they seriously reflected on what music they they could continue to perform for a long time as adult women without feeling weird about it. They didn't know at the time if they would be able to always do that way of writing songs. They also didn't know what kind of album they would be making, so for the time being they just finished up "eternal"—now, though, they realize that making such a new kind of album for them all started from there.
•HARU adds that the band did most of the direction for instruments and vocals for "one more time," which was why the environment was completely different from the recording methods they had used so far, and that it was fun. RINA says that everything was different.
"one more time" Recording
•Footage from "her" Diary #09 of the band recording "one more time" is shown. It starts off with RINA and MAMI trying to figure out something related to the song on a laptop. Next, TOMO is shown in the recording booth while MAMI telling her what part to do and what it should sound like.
•The video switches to a split-screen view with the band being shown on the left side and the Diary footage of the band recording the song shown on the right. MAMI says that this song has a cheerful vibe to it and were pretty laidback when it came to recording it. Due to that vibe, they were able to complete it while feeling happy themselves.
•The view switches to MAMI recording guitar parts for "one more time."
M: How did that sound?
R: It sounded a lot like alternative rock. It’s cool, though.
•The video then goes back to the band at the table. MAMI says that they wanted to make listeners have fun the moment they hear songs like this, and so thinks it's amazing that they were able to include that vibe in the recording. TOMO talks about HARU's singing style and how different it is now compared to 10 years ago. She's challenged herself to different things and the way she sings now has a completely different charm to it than before. She says that both new and old styles existed when they were recording "one more time," and that she really understood it when HARU said that that was the most fun she's had when recording in the past 10 years. As also mentioned in Diary #09, she says that was like HARU from 10 years prior was there. MAMI goes, "Her dancer era?" TOMO says yes, which MAMI and HARU laugh at.
•HARU says that before their debut, she didn't really put much thought into singing. TOMO says that she probably just thought music is fun to do, and she likes singing so she sang. HARU agrees and says that after debuting she felt a sense of responsibility and a desire to improve many aspects of herself. She worried about it constantly and came up with different methods, so in the 10 years following their debut (2008-2018), she gradually lost that part of herself that wouldn't think about anything, though it feels like it's back again. That's why she had a lot of fun recording this song.
•The video switches to HARU recording vocals for "one more time."
M: What do you think?
H: The part right after "Chigau" sounds pretty short right now. Did it sound okay?
M: Yes. What do you guys think?
R: I think it's totally fine. By the way, the line that starts with "Ai," can you sing the first syllable more enthusiastically?
H: The first syllable?
R: Yeah. Like, "The chorus is coming up!"
*HARU does a take
M: Very fun. I'm going to cry.
R: I'm seeing a lot of HARUNA's good points.
M: It's good. Very good.
*HARU does another take
T: Wow, too good! That was a huge success.
R: Way too good!
M: Feels really good.
T: So nice.
M: We should go with this!
T: Yeah.
M: Am I right?
S: It's good.
H: This is probably the best one. Seriously. This was so much fun, and I'm so happy!
"eternal" Teaser Shooting
•HARU talks about how cameras were constantly rolling for a year since the Diaries were released at the end of every month last year. She says that there are things they filmed that didn't make into any of the Diaries. RINA mentions there are a lot of things that weren't used, such as them rehearsing in large studios or rehearsing with just the four of them. She says there's also footage from when HARU filmed the teaser video for "eternal." HARU says that that was filmed in the early morning, though it looks like the sun is actually setting in the teaser. TOMO asks if it was still dark out when they started. HARU says that they met up at 3 am, she got her makeup done, got there before 6 am, and had to fight against time and the cold to film it. MAMI says that getting the rising sun in the video was important.
•Footage from the teaser video shoot is then played. HARU is shown in a big puffy jacket at the beach walking to the sand to film the teaser. It switches to the split-screen view and HARU talks about how it looks very calm in the video, but it was actually extremely cold. TOMO says that the light can be different in each shot due to the sun rising. HARU agrees and says that it was because they filmed it when the sun was actually rising. She also says that this made things so that they didn't know what shot could be used since it depended on the lighting. TOMO says although she and the other members weren't there, she feels like she experienced it too just by hearing HARU talk about it. They all laugh and HARU and MAMI go, "That's scary!" TOMO says that that happens to her sometimes, where someone will tell her a story of what happened to them and it's like she also experienced it. Someone could be like, "It was really cold," TOMO would be like, "I know!" HARU says that that definitely doesn't happen to her. RINA says that in contrast, TOMO doesn't remember what you want her to remember. TOMO says that it's like she's making others' experiences her own. They all laugh and HARU says she doesn't need to do that.
•The video switches back to the teaser video shooting. HARU walks on the sand while a staffer films her. The staffer asks her what she's thinking about while filming. She says she's not thinking of anything and thinks that she should keep her head clear. The scene cuts to her looking at the sun and her saying that it's very orange-colored. She says that it's been 15 years and that the band's doing very well—or rather, she thinks that being an all-girl band for 15 years is very close to being a miracle. She wants to cherish the songs they make right now, which means that they're going to be very particular when it comes to this teaser and the music video for "eternal." She watches playback of a take and everyone agrees that it's the one they'll go with. She's then filmed jogging away from the ocean while she and the staffer filming her laugh about how cold it is.
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