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Studio Ghibli films by Hayao Miyazaki are known for their incredible complexity in both the plot and animation. The studio still creates hand-drawn animations that take years to create, and one such popular film isHowl’s Moving Castle.
After its release, the movie became the third highest-grossing film at the time and won several accolades. It was also nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category of the 78th Academy Awards. However, the creation process of such movies is extremely back-breaking, and testimony from a Studio Ghibli animator proves it even more.
Studio Ghibli Animator Confesses the Hard Work that Went into Miyazaki Movies
Akihiko Miyazaki is a Studio Ghibli animator who is famous for his works inHowl’s Moving Castle,Giant Robo, and other anime projects. Yamashita first worked as a key animator onSpirited Awayand as an assistant supervising animator on Ponyo, The Wind Rises, and Ghibli’s latest production,The Boy and the Heron.
In aninterview with Variety, the animator claimed that he has no idea of how many pages of cells they had to draw during the production ofHowl’s Moving Castle.He also reminisced how there was no concept of work-life balance at the time.
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Yamashita recalled working 14 hours a day on the movie during the last six months of the project. He also claimed that there were no off days during the week or on Sundays. However, he did receive three months of leave after the film was completed.
I realized that I could only do this because I was in my 30s in those days. I wouldn’t be able to do that now at all.
Studio Ghibli has historically paid its animators better than its rivals. But the workload during its initial years was no less than any other studio. The manual process obviously lent a big hand to the tedious production schedule. On the other hand, working for months with no off days is definitely torturous unless one is extremely dedicated to the project.
Studio Ghibli Animator Explains How Hayao Miyazaki Films Differ from Other Animated Projects
Yamashita stated thatHayao Miyazakiis somebodywho actually draws himself,from the layout to the storyboards and everything in between. If he doesn’t like the work of a key animator, he would change it and create a rough drawing which is finalized by animators.
Other animation directors use animation to tell a story, but he tells the story through the animation.
Yamashita then described Miyazaki’s method of working. Apparently, the director presents rough sketches of the overall image of the story and film, which includes characters, costumes, facial expressions, and much more. Then, the animators need to figure out how to animate those images. Yamashita himself drew 20 pages for a character and how it should be expressed.
“It’s a dangerous way”: Despite Making Legendary Movies Like Howl’s Moving Castle, Hayao Miyazaki Does Not Like Waiting for Scripts
The animator confessed that despite having worked with Miyazaki for several years, he only has a workplace relationship with the man, as it’s extremely hard to get close to Miyazaki. But they did have conversations about local and inconsequential things.
Howl’s Moving Castleis currently available to stream on Max.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1558
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Hayao MiyazakiStudio Ghibli
