Miyazaki to train his new animators like monks

Paul

Paul

Ghost of Animes
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One of the issues currently facing the Japanese anime industry is finding creators with enough talent to inherit the creativity and popularity of aging Studio Ghibli maestros Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. In order to find this talent in the newer generations of artists, <a href="http://www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Latest_News#Ponyo.27s_Box_Office.2C_Miyazaki.27s_Animator_School">Miyazaki will be training</a> 20 select young animators (from 18 to 22 years old) for two years outside of the regular Studio Ghibli staff. He said the following of this new plan.
"Ghibli has always employed several new animators every year. But I stopped it because even if a new face enters the studio, a new wind does not blow to there. A new face cannot behave like a new face. Ghibli's body deteriorates. Ghibli needs new hands and feet." He added, "These 20 animators will train themselves like monks. For two years, they must be devoted only to work. I am convinced that their two year experience becomes the property of the later ten years."
Ultimately, at the end of their training, each animator will be tasked with creating a short film for the Studio Ghibli Museum.

Miyazaki's latest movie, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, opened in Japanese theaters earlier in the week. It went straight into the <a href="http://www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Latest_News#English_Article_on_Ponyo.27s_Opening_Weekend">Japanese box office at number 1</a>, earning an impressive $14 million during its first three days of public screening.
 
Generally, chaos, yes. There's a few exceptions (I'm thinking of Shinichiro Wantanabe here), but most come up through the ranks of animation studios before getting the chance to direct something. There's a lot of emphasis on this at Ghibli, as obviously, Miyazaki draws a lot of his own movies and that clearly helps to retain the original spirit of the work.

I guess the point here is that creativity flourishes in isolation. These selected animators will be forced to innovate if they are to survive and that lesson is something that Miyazaki is trying to ram home.

To be honest, they should try to get back Mamoru Hosada, but that's too late now. Seems like most of the best talents are working at Madhouse these days.
 
Mm, I was thinking about Takahata as well.
I think that the animation itself is the techniques. While I believe the animator would develop an eye for quality, style, etc - I'm one of those that thinks the what makes a good film is a combination of a good story, good sound and good visuals. Being an animator helps in the visuals part, but without story you can't have animation at all and good sound makes a lot of difference - just picture tarantino's movies without the songs or if sounds effects really sucked at star wars.


WRT Mamoru, the girls was really good, but Digimon?!?! what else have you sen from him?
 
I believe that people are born with or without talent. You can become technically competent through practice, but it takes a special talent (like Miyazaki himself) to make something truly great.
 
Maxon said:
I believe that people are born with or without talent. You can become technically competent through practice, but it takes a special talent (like Miyazaki himself) to make something truly great.
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I think talent can be acquired, but that it just requires a different set of experiences. Admittedly the kind of personality, drive and imagination you have plays a part in this but all those things can be shaped over time. It just can't be learned as easily as technical skills. I'm only guessing, but I suppose that's what Myazaki is trying to influence with said 'Monk' training.

Sorry to question your beliefs there, I just think that there are countless factors involved in the formation of talent, most of which will occur while the individual is growing up. The idea of being fated to be talented or not at birth is a little disturbing.
 
Wildcard said:
I think talent can be acquired, but that it just requires a different set of experiences. Admittedly the kind of personality, drive and imagination you have plays a part in this but all those things can be shaped over time. It just can't be learned as easily as technical skills. I'm only guessing, but I suppose that's what Myazaki is trying to influence with said 'Monk' training.
Click to expand...
That is true to an extent, but if it were 100% true, Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea, wouldn't have tanked. Using that train of thought, Gorō should have been the second Hayao since he would have been influenced by his father. Hayao didn't even want Gorō to make the film because he knew that Gorō didn't have real talent.
 
Maxon said:
That is true to an extent, but if it were 100% true, Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea, wouldn't have tanked. Using that train of thought, Gorō should have been the second Hayao since he would have been influenced by his father. Hayao didn't even want Gorō to make the film because he knew that Gorō didn't have real talent.
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I'm not claiming to know what factors contribute or anything, having a famous and talented father doesn't always equate to a talented son. We don't know what kind of upbringing Gorō had and to be honest it's not all that easy to make a brilliant film right of the bat. Lots of directors will make a few crap films before they start making good ones.

People aren't doomed to never have talent if they don't display some initially. I just don't think it's that simple. Gorō may yet make good films for all we know.
 
So, umm, Animators have to walk up and down steps with buckets of water alongside doing press-ups above lit candles?
Lulz... (I realise it won't be like that of course >_>)

I get what he means though, rather than having their animators work like zombies, doing the same thing all the time, he wants smoething a little more... fresh maybe?

Feel sorry for the poor people's family's thoguh with them having to devote "2 years only to work". Ouch.
 
Maxon said:
Wildcard said:
I think talent can be acquired, but that it just requires a different set of experiences. Admittedly the kind of personality, drive and imagination you have plays a part in this but all those things can be shaped over time. It just can't be learned as easily as technical skills. I'm only guessing, but I suppose that's what Myazaki is trying to influence with said 'Monk' training.
Click to expand...
That is true to an extent, but if it were 100% true, Gorō Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea, wouldn't have tanked. Using that train of thought, Gorō should have been the second Hayao since he would have been influenced by his father. Hayao didn't even want Gorō to make the film because he knew that Gorō didn't have real talent.
Click to expand...
An important factor I think is that Goro hadn't worked on an animated film before - even Miyazaki and Takahata started out as inbetweeners, gradually working their way up the ladder before directing films themselves.

In this case, I guess Miyazaki is giving these people an intensive training course in the hope that they gain enough experience and additionally if one or more of them has that natural inborn ability.

It's an unusual move for sure, but I think the situation is getting quite desparate now.
 
The only problem with this is that after their 10 years of isolation and dedication to their skill, they get their prize of becoming another great talent and then Ghibli's "new arms and legs" walks out the front door into someone elses studio for more money. :wink:
 
chaos said:
WRT Mamoru, the girls was really good, but Digimon?!?! what else have you sen from him?
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I've seen two of his films, other than The Girl Who.... Digimon Movie 1 and One Piece Movie 6. Now, before you roll your eyes, consider that these movies are actually wonderful as stand-alone stories. I can confirm that because I've never seen any of Digimon before or since, but I absolutely loved that movie. It's the reason why Hosada ended up at Studio Ghibli, because the likes of Miyazaki were so impressed by his efforts to conjure great stories with the likes of Digimon.
 
Paul said:
chaos said:
WRT Mamoru, the girls was really good, but Digimon?!?! what else have you sen from him?
Click to expand...

I've seen two of his films, other than The Girl Who.... Digimon Movie 1 and One Piece Movie 6. Now, before you roll your eyes, consider that these movies are actually wonderful as stand-alone stories. I can confirm that because I've never seen any of Digimon before or since, but I absolutely loved that movie. It's the reason why Hosada ended up at Studio Ghibli, because the likes of Miyazaki were so impressed by his efforts to conjure great stories with the likes of Digimon.
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I've seen a bit of the series. They had crap jokes... literally! Never seen digimon movie because of that. I'll try once, one piece 6 is really great. That baron Omatsuri's story is trully one of the best stories from one piece ever. It's also the darkest one.
 
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