Tokyo Vice producer/director Alan Poul

The acclaimed crime drama Tokyo Vice on Max follows American
journalist, Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort.) As a reporter for a
large Japanese newspaper in the 1990's, he dives into the dangerous
world of the Yakuza, the Japanese organized crime syndicate. The
series is based on the book and real life experiences of Jake
Adelstein, who named his memoir Tokyo Vice as a wink to the 1980's
show, Miami Vice. Michael Mann, creator of Miami Vice, was
interested in the show and came on board to executive produce the
series and to shoot the pilot. Producer and director Alan Poul
joined the Tokyo Vice team later into the development process. “I
was aware of Tokyo Vice because of course I had read Jake's book
when it came out,” says Alan. With a college degree in Japanese
literature and a background in Japanese cinema and theater, Alan
began his film career in Japan when director Paul Schrader hired
him as an associate producer on Mishima: A Life in Four
Chapters. The movie Black Rain, directed by Ridley Scott,
quickly followed for him, but Alan didn't want to become known as
“the Japan guy” in Hollywood. He built his career producing
episodic television for shows like Tales of the City, My So-Called
Life, Six Feet Under, and The Newsroom. But Tokyo Vice creator J.T.
Rogers knew they needed someone with experience in Japanese
production, language and episodic television, so Alan was asked to
join the project. “It represented a kind of full circle
closure/homecoming,” says Alan, about going back to produce in
Japan. “It doesn't happen very often in one's career and so it
became an extraordinarily fulfilling experience for me.” The first
season of Tokyo Vice began location scouting in 2019 and shooting
began in March 2020- for only 6 days before the pandemic shut
everything down. Production resumed in October 2020, and the team
had to shoot the entire first season under strict Japanese
quarantine and COVID testing rules. As a result, Season One uses
tighter shots and fewer locations, with more closeups on Jake and
the other characters who shape the story. By Season Two, Alan was
excited that they were able to expand the visual range of the show,
shooting more of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Alan had the
opportunity to direct episodes one and two of the second season.
“When I am directing, it is always an incredible joy. At least
during those 12 hours I try to let go of all the other hats that I
have to wear and just wear the hat that allows me to focus 100% on
what is taking place in front of the camera.” Though Tokyo Vice has
completed its series run on Max, Alan and creator J.T. Rogers are
optimistic about the show's future on another platform. Find Alan
Poul: Instagram @alanpoul Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras
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