My 1954 Dream

7.23.2023

After a long wait I can finally share my latest X-Plus Godzilla toy photography. Last night on Godzilla Store TV (No 11), the Godzilla Store Limited Edition X-Plus Yuji Sakai Godzilla 1954 soft model kit (東宝30cmシリーズ 酒井ゆうじ造形コレクション ゴジラ（1954）怪獣王ゴジラ ソフビ組立キット ゴジラ・ストア限定版) was reveled and showcased. There were segments for assembly and painting the kit. Later, the beautiful finished color variant was set with a splendid model of the National Diet Building. Then, an unpainted assembly kit was set at the opposite end. And minutes later the show host displayed the box (03:32:18).

The packaging was well received by viewers who commented. Tera Stone (テラストーン) said, “Cool Package”「 ​パッケージかっこよ｣. Twitter friend GODZIMON commented, “The package is also cool!”「パッケージもかっこいい！｣. And Mr. Yuusuke, wrote, “Cool package”「パッケージカッケェな～ ​｣. Shortly after the show, the model kit went up for sale on the Godzilla Store for 12,000 yen (about $95 USD). International shoppers can purchase it through Buyee Japan. After a brief sleep, I woke up and made my purchase!

This new X-Plus release is a model version of the soft vinyl figure released in various versions over the years (2018–2022). I have always loved shooting this figure which always was perfect for recreating movie scenes. One of my earliest shots can be found in the Godzilla vs Kong Blu-ray special edition disc. This is the figure I would use to create the new box art. This soft vinyl figures is based upon Sakai’s Godzilla Dream 150th 30cm Shodai Godzilla resin kit (ゴジラ生誕60周年記念&ゴジラドリーム150作記念作品 怪獣王ゴジラレジンキット) commemorating Godzilla’s 60th anniversary in 2014. This work is based on the poster of the America release version, “Godzilla Kings of the Monsters.”¹ This unassembled and unpainted kit was limited to 60 pieces and sold for 36,500 yen.

I am so honored to create toy photography and box art for X-Plus and Master Yuji Sakai. This is my sixth X-Plus box and by far my favorite to date. I learn so much with each project. Creating box art is more challenging than doing my personal shots that prepare me for this work. There are specific requirements for each project such as the size and dimensions of the box and the positioning of the figure. Each figure presents its own challenges. With each project my knowledge and appreciation of Master Sakai’s life and work deepens.

Master Sakai’s vinyl figure is a perfect suit-accurate representation of the first Godzilla. Making subtle changes in shooting angles and lighting give Godzilla different expressions. These adjustments are key for recreating those classic iconic cinematic scenes. When I received my assignment, I immediately began to assemble and study dozens of photos. I took as many as 290 shots over 6 separate sessions. From them I created dozens of Photoshop iterations to create the final image with a file size over 180 MBs. My final Photoshop large document file was 8 GBs. This has been my most rewarding and satisfying project. Bringing Master Sakai’s King of the Monsters to life as an official representation of Shodai Godzilla is a dream realized.

My March trip to Japan was all about Godzilla 1954 anticipating the commemoration of his 70th anniversary next year. I traveled to special Godzilla places that I wanted to find for a long time. So I was so stoked when I received the request for this project. I felt like I had been prepared for such a responsibility. A special thanks to Master Yuji Sakai, Akihiko Gee Okamoto, Kazuma Matsubara, my colleague Jeremy Soles (Summit Kaiju International), and the entire X-Plus organization for these amazing opportunities.