Founded by Joanne Ninomiya in 1981, JN Productions, Inc. is a full-service media production house specializing in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean media services for clients around the world.

Over the years, Ninomiya and her staff have been awarded numerous accolades in the industry, always keeping up-to-date on the latest technologies, equipment and trends in the market. Today, the company’s customer base includes many national and international clients as the crew travels throughout Asia and the Pacific region producing videos.

In addition, JN Production’s translation department has flourished, primarily in the area of translating Japanese anime and manga (comic books) for the U.S. market. Other subtitle and voice over projects have been entered into prestigious competitions such as the Peabody Awards, Emmys and Cannes Film Festival. The company also produces the popular DVD box sets for Kikaida and Kamen Rider V3.

JN Production’s continued growth and success in this fast-paced industry is due largely in part to the company’s president and visionary, Ninomiya, who started her career in the programming and promotion department of the original KIKU TV in the late ‘60s.

The limited staff at the station during those early days allowed her the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of operating a television station. She later became general manager and stayed on until the station was sold in 1981. Ninomiya created JN Productions so that she could continue to do what she knew best: translation, subtitling, broadcasting and video production. She also wanted to continue to do what she loved best — put Japanese programming on TV.

Pacific News Bytes asked Ninomiya to share her thoughts on JN Productions and her role in Hawaii’s high-tech media production industry…

What is the greatest lesson you have learned during your time in this industry?

Nothing is permanent. Television broadcast and production is such a volatile field, especially the world of media. Colleagues may remain in the field, but are playing musical chairs all the time. So the lesson I learned was to be able to adapt to change. But it’s a fun industry to be in, so it’s hard to leave it once you enter.

I also learned not to do shabby work. We never cut corners at JN Productions. From day one, the mantra of the company was to do perfect work. Your employees must share in this philosophy, and I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by talented young people.

How has the market in Hawaii changed in the media production field?

With the advent of the digital age, I have seen a lot of downsizing of companies. Those that had invested so much in costly analog equipment were suddenly left with dinosaurs. I always gave myself three years to have the equipment pay for itself. (i.e. if I paid $50,000 for a piece of equipment, we’d had to have $50,000 in additional sales to make up for it.)
With digital/Internet technologies, I have seen the emergence of one-man/woman companies. And, so many are working as independent contractors. In the past, almost everyone had an employer and company benefits. Today, you’re on your own.

What are the latest developments in the field that are popular in Hawaii and worldwide?

HDTV (high definition television) is finally coming of age with more and more national and international programming available in HD. The cost to produce true HD programming is still quite high, however, and HD production in Hawaii is still in its infancy. Quasi-HD and SD (standard definition) digital production will be the backbone of medium-sized markets like Hawaii.

On the low end, anyone with a little tech savvy can create and distribute their content globally via the Internet. Of course, this doesn’t mean that it’s all quality stuff, but you can reach a niche audience much more quickly, with less effort and cost.

What do you think will be the next greatest innovation in your industry?

If I knew that, we’d be rich. As far as delivering content to consumers, we thought DVD was “it,” but now it’s Download to Own. The industry in America is moving along at a menacing pace. We work a lot with TV broadcast and production people in Japan. While the Japanese are innovators in the field of technology, they are extremely cautious in releasing intellectual property rights. It’s mind boggling for our company because we have to stay on top of new technology in the United States, but kept at a certain technological level when we release Japanese features. And then, when we do work for the Japanese, they want the product back at the highest level, such as in HDTV.

Who is your greatest influence? Why?

Personally, it would be my maternal grandmother, aunt and mother. My grandmother, who came from Kumamoto, Japan, was a farmer’s daughter and had a hard life in Hawaii where she raised eight children and ran a tofu business. Yet, she never lost her sense of humor. My aunt was a very aggressive and determined woman for her time. She taught herself how to drive, attended nursing school and always wanted to invest her money in something. My mother was a typical local Japanese woman who was nice to everybody and gave more than needed to her family.

In my career I learned a lot from Rick Blangiardi who was General Manager of KHNL when we were there. Be positive, and just go for it. Also, Ray Beindorf and Rosemary Danon, who represented the ownership of KIKU. Rosemary made me realize that “ethnic programming” was not only about Japanese programming in Hawaii. She urged my staff and I to think globally about creating programming that appeals to the entire world.

Does being a woman in the technology industry create any challenges for you?

I’ve always been asked that, but no, not really. I’ve been treated the same as my male colleagues in Hawaii and on the mainland. I haven’t been treated that badly in Japan either. Maybe it’s because I’m fluent in the language, and my Japanese counterparts are grateful that I speak their language. Sometimes I’m at a disadvantage, however, because there’s nothing like speaking in your own language during a heated discussion.

What gave you the inspiration to start this business back in 1981?

Actually, it was like a kick from behind, and I was forced to start my own business if I wanted to stay in the industry. After leaving the original KIKU TV, I could’ve gone to an ad agency or PR firm, but I wanted to do Japanese programming on TV. There’s excitement in selecting the shows for the Hawaii audience, going out to sell it and putting it on the air. The selection and acquisition parts are very challenging but there’s a lot of gratification when you get the shows you want.

At the old KIKU TV, the ownership did not believe in spending money on good equipment. Playback and recording machines would break down all the time and keeping the transmitter in tip-top shape was difficult. This hindered the station’s ability to put out a perfect signal. When I started JN Productions, I vowed that my employees would never have to put up with broken or unworkable equipment. I never subscribed to the theory, “if it ‘aint broken, don’t fix it.”

What did you feel was the need at that time for the services your company provides?

Back then, there was a need to produce television commercials for a local Japanese audience. JN Productions also translated and subtitled the Japanese shows on KIKU until 2004. But now times have changed. I did not imagine back in 1981 that we would be translating anime and manga for the American audience today. We have top-notch translators, and have won many awards for the Japanese TV stations that we translate and subtitle for. We’re also good at producing local business/family videos, and are producing 1970’s Japanese Super Hero DVD box sets, with Kikaida being the all-time Hawaii favorite.

What do you enjoy most about your job? Why?

I enjoy the challenges that come with the territory and the people I meet. I get to meet so many interesting people in the process of producing DVDs and documentaries.

What describes a typical day in your job?

It’s very typical. I come to office at about 8 o’clock in the morning, schedule meetings with clients, poke my head into the editing suites, add my two cents to what the staff is doing, and I’m out by 5 p.m. In the past, when we assisted in news gathering for Japan’s network news, the crew would have to stay past midnight because Japan’s 10 p.m. news would be at 3 a.m. our time.

What is the greatest challenge of your job?

The greatest challenge is keeping up with digital technology and trying to predict what will come up next in the world of anime and manga in the U.S. market.

What is something most people might not know about media production?

They might not know how tedious it is to produce a good product. Our employees put their hearts and souls into each job, no matter how small it is. When the audience watches the final product, not many will think about the number of hours spent in editing the piece. Even prior to editing, the pre-production process can be very frustrating without the right tools. Clients should be able to send you the raw materials in whatever format they choose. It’s up to you, the vendor to figure out how to download or acquire the materials and present a finished product that is satisfactory to the client.

What do you think is the most interesting facet of what JN Productions does?

In the mid 1990’s JN Productions built its own website to promote our production services, and also designed KIKU’s website with its programming information. And in 2001, we created the Generation Kikaida brand, which capitalized on the younger baby boomers’ nostalgia for their favorite 1970’s Japanese superhero. Once again we upgraded our software and hardware to produce the Kikaida DVDs, as well as producing DVDs for our clients. We launched generationkikaida.com which helped expand our operations to include an online store that sells Kikaida merchandise.

Today, we get to produce the Kikaida and Kamen Rider V3 DVD box sets, and our newest oldie Japanese super hero Inazuman will be released in late 2008.

But our “day job” is translating Japanese anime and manga for the American market. We have done titles such as Death Note, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, and One Piece, all top-rated anime and manga titles in the U.S.

We also get called upon by our Japan clients to translate, subtitle and voice over their productions that are entered into world-wide competitions such as the Peabody Awards, Emmys, Shanghai Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival.

What is the best way to stay competitive in the industry?

Hire good people, treat them right and be sure that the employees are aware of what is going on in the industry. Also, as long as you can afford to do so, keep updating software that will make things easier for your employees and your clients.

If you weren’t in the tech field, what other profession or career would you pursue? Why?

I can’t think of anywhere else I’d like to be so I never thought about another career.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Ever since I developed an allergy to shellfish, dairy and wheat products, and MSG when I was in my 40’s, I started to cook my own food. Although I lost some weight, I became so much healthier by doing this. I love the challenge of cooking healthy meals and finding new recipes that I alter to fit my diet. I also love to shop for new fruits and vegetables that come on the market.

I also love to do research on the Internet when I’m producing a local documentary.