Tatsuro Taira, one of the top-ranked fighters in the UFC's flyweight division, lives and trains in Naha, Okinawa. For the UFC's "UFC 328 Countdown" episode, we filmed his training and daily life at home, along with interviews with his brother and his coach, then handed the footage to the UFC's own editors. It is a good example of our video production in Okinawa, and of the support we give a global sports brand in Japan.
How we produced it
We are based in Tokyo, but we film all over Japan. For regional shoots we bring our core team and draw on our network of local crew, drivers and fixers across the country. In Okinawa the crew was a producer, a DOP, a camera assistant, a camera operator who doubled as lighting assistant, and a sound recordist. A local van driver who doubled as production assistant kept us moving.
Our producers and fixers have worked in almost every part of Japan, and good relationships with local people help us scout, access and permit the best locations. In Naha we filmed Taira training at his gym and moving through his daily life downtown, and interviewed the people closest to him. People give their best interviews when they feel relaxed, so we keep the set friendly and easy-going.
What we delivered
We delivered all the footage on hard drive to the UFC's team for the edit. The episode ran on the UFC's platforms and YouTube.
"Alphabet Productions exceeded my expectations in delivering top-tier production quality for the UFC. We faced the challenge of finding a high-level production house in Japan that could seamlessly operate in both English and Japanese while adapting quickly to our needs. Andrew and his coordinator, Angie, went above and beyond, assembling a skilled bilingual crew, securing stunning locations and necessary permits, and collaborating effortlessly with local teams. Their dedication and expertise made the final product one of our best episodes yet! I highly recommend Alphabet Productions to anyone looking for exceptional production services in Japan."
— Leslie Gomez, Senior Producer, UFC
See our production support in Japan and more client testimonials. For more sport, see Manchester City FC in Tokyo.
Client: UFC
Location: Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Services: Production, bilingual crew, interview production, location scouting, permits, production logistics
Crew: Producer, DOP, camera assistant, camera operator/lighting assistant, sound recordist, driver/production assistant
Deliverables: Footage and interviews for "UFC 328 Countdown"
