TOKYO’s Eiji Tanigawa directed a TV commercial for one of Japan’s biggest beauty salons, TBC.

To promote their epilation program, the campaign had celebrity model, Rola, channel the goddess Kharis, as she runs through the desert in search of her ideal beauty. An esthetician suddenly appears and tells Rola a secret: “It is beautiful when there is a goal.”

Eiji explains one of the challenges he faced, as “due to Pharmaceutical Affairs Laws, [he] needed to find a way to convey the message of the commercial while avoiding specific depictions of epilation.”

Due to precautions against COVID-19, the shoot took place in a studio where the exquisite desert landscape had to be constructed – another challenge faced by the team.

“Rola has trained and sculpted her body to perfection. I only needed to capture it effectively to convey her beauty and her joy of crossing the finish line. The choice of music was also very important to me. Shooting in high-speed was one of the key factors of this film; I chose the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K which allowed me to shoot in 4K at 240 fps, while being able to meet the project’s limited budget. I am pretty happy with how the film came out,” Eiji explains.

Producer Maiko also reveals some behind the scenes secrets: “We’re so picky when it comes to wardrobe. Rola’s skirt had to flutter in the wind naturally and beautifully. You would never guess how many tests we did! Rola’s expressions are so lively and full of energy and I hope this film makes you happy too.”