Hoji Tsuchiya – Shotaro Kitada | TOMOAKI BABA – PRIME
Created through a cross-continental collaboration between two Japanese artists who treat paper as both medium and muse, this visually arresting work marries the distinct practices of filmmaker Hoji Tsuchiya—known for his cut-out stop-motion animation—and visual artist Shotaro Kitada, whose sculptural compositions breathe life into folded fiber. Set to PRIME, a track from ELECTRIC RIDER, the much-anticipated album by rising saxophone talent Tomoaki Baba featuring BIGYUKI and JK Kim, the piece pulses with a kinetic energy that mirrors the improvisational spirit of jazz.Despite never meeting in person, Tsuchiya and Kitada navigated the entire production remotely, tethered by a shared storyboard. In a series of hybrid sequences, Tsuchiya first laid down stop-motion animated backgrounds, over which Kitada layered live-action footage of intricate paper sculptures. The result is a syncopated interplay of motion and material, where animated space and tangible form blur. What began as an experimental dialogue evolved into a kind of visual jam session—equal parts structured and spontaneous—responding instinctively to the sonic landscape. The work was ultimately transferred from digital to physical film stock, preserving its tactile essence and enhancing its analog warmth.The final animation is a textured reverie: a handcrafted blend of nostalgia and innovation, where every frame hums with the rustle of paper and the rhythm of collaboration.
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Created through a cross-continental collaboration between two Japanese artists who treat paper as both medium and muse, this visually arresting work marries the distinct practices of filmmaker Hoji Tsuchiya—known for his cut-out stop-motion animation—and visual artist Shotaro Kitada, whose sculptural compositions breathe life into folded fiber.
Set to PRIME, a track from ELECTRIC RIDER, the much-anticipated album by rising saxophone talent Tomoaki Baba featuring BIGYUKI and JK Kim, the piece pulses with a kinetic energy that mirrors the improvisational spirit of jazz.
Despite never meeting in person, Tsuchiya and Kitada navigated the entire production remotely, tethered by a shared storyboard. In a series of hybrid sequences, Tsuchiya first laid down stop-motion animated backgrounds, over which Kitada layered live-action footage of intricate paper sculptures. The result is a syncopated interplay of motion and material, where animated space and tangible form blur. 
What began as an experimental dialogue evolved into a kind of visual jam session—equal parts structured and spontaneous—responding instinctively to the sonic landscape. The work was ultimately transferred from digital to physical film stock, preserving its tactile essence and enhancing its analog warmth.
The final animation is a textured reverie: a handcrafted blend of nostalgia and innovation, where every frame hums with the rustle of paper and the rhythm of collaboration.
Director: Hoji Tsuchiya
Character Design: Shotaro Kitada
Animator: Hoji Tsuchiya, Shotaro Kitada
Colorist: Jannie Ynzon – ARTONE FILM
Color Timer: Ryoichi Hirose
Producer: Keisuke Komatsu – SPOON
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Composed by Tomoaki Baba
Produced by BIGYUKI ＆Tomoaki Baba
Tenor saxophone: Tomoaki Baba:
Keyboards, synthesizers, synth bass: BIGYUKI
Drum: BIGYUKI: