Shōzō Makino

Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Shōzō Makino


imagesize = 240px
caption =
birthdate = September 22 1878
location = Kyoto JPN
height =
deathdate = July 25 1929
deathplace =
birthname =
spouse =
othername =
homepage =
academyawards =

Shōzō Makino (マキノ省三, "Makino Shōzō", September 22 1878- July 25 1929) was a Japanese film director, film producer and businessman who is regarded as the pioneering director of Japanese film.

Makino was born in Kyoto on September 22, 1878. His mother ran a theater, and his association with movies began when the motion picture fan, Naganosuke Yokota, asked for his help when filming a drama. Shozo discovered actor Matsunosuke Onoe working in an itinerant kabuki troupe. He enlisted Onoe and made him into Japan's first film star, and began directing over 60 Matsunosuke films a year in the early 1910s, all if not all short films.

In addition to creating the unique genre of the Japanese period film, Makino also incorporated trick camera techniques and a myriad of other cinematic methods of expression into his films. In 1919, he founded the Mikado Company and began to produce educational films. He later founded an independent production company, Makino Film Productions, and from 1923, continued his work as a director and as producer. Makino Film Productions turned out many successful movies also made by several other directors and actors.

In 1928, he directed the epic, "Jitsuroku Chushingura" (True Record of the Forty-seven Ronin), which coincided with his 50th birthday. He died on July 25 1929.

External links and sources

*