BIO
KEN IMAI
A video artist focused on underground cultures.
A space geek & music geek
A professional skier in Japan in the past, simultaneously I established Japanese first riders-leading film company "Dominant Films"
and launced 6 movies as a director and a videographer.
After breakup, I participated in "Seven Samurai", Japanese snowboard crew leading by 5 Olympians and released 2 movies.
Recent year I have focused on making music videos with CG.
At the beginning, I made VFX movies, but one time,
I knew Japanese style animation could be made by using current CG technology. I'm working on creation to explore the possivility.
In 2015, My first CG animation with Cel shading, "LED ROCK" was selected by 6 film festivals around the world.
2nd Phase:
Snowboard Movies / Seven Samurai
I made snowboard movies with Seven Samurai Entertainment,includes world famous Kazu Kokubo,
Takaharu Nakai and 3 more Olympians.
# 008
2009
Solitary Island
Kazu Kokubo / Takaharu Nakai
Masaomi Harada / Daisuke Murakami
Fumiyuki Murakami / Akihiro Sato
Yuta Kiyohara / Kohei Kudo
Hiroumi Fujimoto / Masai
My Work
3rd Phase: Music Videos
I shifted my style from live action to 3DCG.
I explore the possibility of Japanese-style CG Animation
# 011
2019
TEJIME
Directed by Ken Imai
Charecter Design: MAHARO
All CG Works: Ken Imai
Huge Mecha design: TKO
# 010
2015
LED ROCK
Directed by Ken Imai
Charecter Design: TKO
Visual Effects: Takumi Yuto
Robot Design & All CG Works: Ken Imai
The first CG animation and
the first film festival exhibition.
Election to Official Selection
at Film Festival in 6 overseas cities.
Participated in the Manchester Film Festival.
1st Phase:
Ski Movies / Dominant Films
The origin of video production
I established "Dominant Films" with Nobuhiko Tamaki
and we released 6 ski movies.
We were making movies while acting as professional skiers.
# 003
2004
Good Bye to your Ski Movies
Directed by Ken Imai & Nobuhiko Tamaki
Nobuhiko Tamaki / Shoya Okazaki
Daisuke Nishikata / Junpei Endo
Naoki Sekizuka / Keiji Saito
Shinji Osada / Taisuke Kusunoki
Yosuke Nagahama / Yuta Ueno
# 002
2003
One on the Ground
Directed by Ken Imai & Nobuhiko Tamaki
Nobuhiko Tamaki / Shoya Okazaki
Daisuke Nishikata / Naoki Sekizuka
Ken Imai / Keiji Saito / Shimo
Yosuke Nagahama / Hirofumi Ishikawa
# 001
2002
Act Fore
Nobuhiko Tamaki / Ken Imai Keiji Saito
Takuya Nakagawa Hirofumi Ishikawa