Interview: Writer, Director, and Animator Hayao Miyazakihttp://www.firstshowing.net/2009/08/10/interview-writer-director-and-animator-hayao-miyazaki/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/08/10/interview-writer-director-and-animator-hayao-miyazaki/)
A couple of weeks ago I had the tremendous honor of interviewing the legendary Hayao Miyazaki in Los Angeles for the US release of his newest film Ponyo (watch the trailer). This was his first trip to America in more than five years and it was a truly rare and incredible experience to meet one of the greatest filmmakers in history. I've been a big Miyazaki fan for a very long time and I've always loved his films, with Castle in the Sky being my personal favorite. Ponyo (which arrives in theaters on Friday) is another wonderful addition to his already extraordinary filmography and just I can't suggest it enough, especially for kids. Read on!
This interview was conducted by both myself and Steve from Collider (that's the only way Disney could get us time with him). Miyazaki spoke in Japanese and was translated on the spot, which is why it's a bit short overall. We each took turns asking questions; I've included all of them below, as it's a great interview. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this very rare one-of-a-kind interview with the legendary Hayao Miyazaki!
We are going to try to ask you questions you have not been asked before.
Miyazaki: That's alright!
My first question is, have you ever thought about putting in any of your previous characters in any of your other movies as almost an "Easter egg" in the background?
Miyazaki: As a joke, the staff sometimes wants to put it in or tries to, but I haven't considered that myself, no. So the little character might be [drawn] way off at the side. In the scene where they put the banners up on the boats after it's flooded, and they're rowing the boats, etc., it says, "Numa Kuma Shrine" on it. Okay? And the whole setting is supposed to be kind of an anonymous town, but the actual town of Tomonoura, where I got the idea for the town, has a Numa Kuma Shrine. So then people realize that it's a real place.
Of course, the local people in Tomonoura were very happy that their town was shown, but that was a little bit of a joke. And I was — I thought of maybe changing it, and fixing it, but it was written in characters, in Chinese characters, and the banner is moving in the wind, so it was really hard, a lot of effort to try to get rid of all that, so I just let it go.
You've done so much in animation, what are the challenges for you nowadays? And with Ponyo, were creating the waves the biggest challenge on this one?
Miyazaki: The greatest challenge we have right now is that my staff has aged along with me, and so we need to get some fresh blood into our studio. And we're making those efforts, but that's a big challenge we have. But of course I don't want to fire my old staff, so I want them to stay on, and we are trying to figure out ways where they can continue to work, as well as [bring on] new staff.
The waves weren't as difficult as I thought they would be. So as I was drawing, I thought, "Well, I should have done this from beginning." I realized that I should do it like an Ukiyo-e woodblock print, draw them that way.
I wanted to know, many of your films deal with the environmental damage to our planet. Have you ever thought about doing a more real world, futuristic movie that shows the real damage we're doing to our planet, and trying to incorporate that, almost as a real world sci-fi film, say taking place 100 or 200 years in the future?
Miyazaki: So many films like that have been made by other people, that I can't see a new kind of image that we could use to make a movie about environmental damage. I don't think there's anything we can sort of add in terms of an interest in spiritual aspects. If I draw flooded buildings, or if I draw a town at the bottom of the sea, then I think people say, "Oh, that's just like some other films that we've seen."
Do you think hand drawn animation will always exist forever? And will you continue to hand draw your films as long as you can?
Miyazaki: There are so many ships in the animation sea that are computer driven, that I think we can have at least one that's just a log raft that we can row by hand.
I have heard you are extremely famous in Japan. And I'm curious, being in America, I believe you're probably a little bit more anonymous. What have you been able to enjoy with your anonymity here in America?
Miyazaki: This is a hard-schedule week, so I'm tired, so I haven't been able to enjoy much. [laughs] I was surprised that San Francisco was so chilly!
If you have a little extra time, what would be the kind of things you would enjoy doing, if you had the free time?
Miyazaki: I have to rush back to continue doing the manga drawings that I'm doing as sort of a hobby of mine.
I wanted to know, many filmmakers have scripts that are lying around. Things that they've developed, things that maybe they'll get to down the road. Do you have a lot of scripts that you've written, or ideas that you have possibly fleshed out, that you hope, that are just waiting for you to have the time to do them?
Miyazaki: We are in the entertainment business, so our projects should be entertainment projects. I have quite a few scripts and ideas that wouldn't be that entertaining, that are more serious, but if I insist on making those, then Studio Ghibli would sink. So I can't make those.
As a follow-up, you have reached a point in your career where so many audiences are so interested in what you're doing. Do you really think that if you made something that wasn't as commercially viable that the audiences wouldn't come to see your vision?
Miyazaki: They won't come. [laughs] The things that I'm thinking of are just really my own little hobbies that — so there's things like what the area of Tokyo was like before people lived there, and how it has changed as people started living there. And maybe a history museum might be interested in something like this, but the general audience would have no interest.
I think there is a way of making that story work. I do.
Miyazaki: Rather than making that a good project, I like to make the kinds of films that children can understand in five minutes what the film is about.
Being people who love films, we're sort of "geeks," and we love to collect different items. Is there anything that you love to collect as well?
Miyazaki: I'm not a collector. [laughs]
Any other films that you guys can recommend me?You need to watch Porco Rosso & Castle In The Sky ASAP!
Studio Ghibli Announces Next Film, Miyazaki Directing Morehttp://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/28/studio-ghibli-announces-next-film-miyazaki-directing-more-soon/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/28/studio-ghibli-announces-next-film-miyazaki-directing-more-soon/)
Over on the Asian Movie Pulse blog (via SlashFilm) they say that Isao Takahata, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli, has announced that he will be directing a new feature-length animated film. Takahata will direct a new film called Taketori Monogatari, or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter in English, which is an adaptation of the classic 10th century folktale (known as The Tale of Princess Kaguya). He'll be breaking his 10-year hiatus since last directing My Neighbors the Yamadas in 1999. They also mention that Hayao Miyazaki is "in discussions with studio staff to make two more feature-length films in the next 3 years."
Takahata also directed Grave of the Fireflies, one of my favorite Ghibli films, so I'm happy to see him back again. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is about a mysterious girl called Kaguya-hime, who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. She is said to be from Tsuki-no-Miyako ("The Capital of the Moon") and has unusual hair that "shines like gold." Sounds like another wonderful Japanes folk lore story that will make for a great Studio Ghibli animated film. I'm already looking forward to this as well as whatever Hayao Miyazaki ends up directing in the next few years, as I just love that man so damn much!
Miyazaki's Ponyo just hit theaters a few months ago. I interviewed the legendary animator back in August as well - read that interview here. I'll be doing my best to keep everyone updated on all the latest with Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, and The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, since I love their films and can't wait for more.
Studio Ghibli unveils "Karigurashi no Arrietty"http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5595 (http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5595)
Wed, December 16, 2009 (5:18am EST)
On Wednesday, Studio Ghibli officially announced its next feature film, titled "Karigurashi no Arrietty." This will be the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who served as animation director on "Gedo Senki" and as key animator on works such as "Ponyo," "Howl's Moving Castle," and "Spirited Away." "Karigurashi no Arrietty" is adapted from the fantasy novel "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton, which received the Carnegie Medal in 1952. The story follows a family of "little people" living under the floorboards of a house, surviving by secretly "borrowing" items from the humans who inhabit it. One day, their existence is discovered by a young boy.
Although the original novel was set in England during the 1950s, the Ghibli version takes place in present-day Japan. The movie's theme, "Arriety's Song," was co-written and performed by French musician Cecile Corbel. It will already be available digitally in Japan on December 19. The official website is already open. Theatrical release has been set for summer 2010.
Gotta love Studio Ghibli. :thumbsup
-My top 5-
1. Castle of Cagliostro
2. Whisper of the Heart
3. Porco Rosso
4. Grave of the Fireflies
5. Totoro
I have to say, Earthsea and Ponyo were not up to the usual standards IMO.
Cut Magazine has an interview with Hayao Miyazaki where the venerable animator confesses that if their upcoming Arietty the Borrower doesn’t do well in the box office, plans are already in place to shut down Studio Ghibli.
Suzuki-san is making a dissolution program for Ghibli. No joke, we talked about it the other day. For example, Ghibli should be able to continue with about five staff members as a copyright management company even if we smash the studio. So, Ghibli can say ‘We stop film production. Goodbye’. I do not have to be there.
Presumably Miyazaki means the American box office, as the film has already been released in Japan.
If Arietty does do well, however, Miyazaki confessed that he has a certain Porco Rosso sequel in mind, set in the Spanish Civil War, but that that particular film won’t be made unless Ghibli can make successes of Arietty and two more films.
Oh, by the way, Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä is a region free bluray (http://www.asianblurayguide.com/news/516/spotlight_nausicaa_of_the_valley_of_the_wind_japan/). :wink:
On 25th August they released another Ghibli Rock compilation x)
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=DAKFARM-238 (http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=DAKFARM-238)
(http://www.abload.de/img/dakfarm-238l5ny.jpg)
Tracklist
01. Itsumo Nando Demo / Bourbons
02. Kaze ni Naru / Jack in the Box
03. Kimi o Nosete / The Ura Waza
04. Sampo / The Trophies
05. Take Me Home Country Roads / Bourbons
06. Nausicaä Requiem ~ Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä (Medley) / Yellow Studs
07. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara / Toshiyuki Tachikawa (Daijiman Brothers Orchestra)
08. Mononoke Hime / Ayako Nakanomori
09. Rouge no Dengon / Anarchy Stone
Studio Ghibli's 2011 film to be "Kokuriku-Zaka Kara" by Goro Miyazakihttp://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7165 (http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7165)
Wed, December 15, 2010 (12:53pm EST)
On Wednesday, Studio Ghibli announced its next film, scheduled for summer 2011. The movie will be an adaptation of the shojo manga "Kokuriku-Zaka Kara," created by Chizuru Takahashi and Tetsuro Sayama. The director will be Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro, who previously made his debut with "Tales from Earthsea" ("Gedo Senki") in 2006. Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki made the announcement with a message to Goro: "For a director, your second work is important because your true measure is shown. Your first one includes beginner's luck."
"Kokuriku-Zaka Kara" was originally serialized in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine in 1980. The Studio Ghibli version is set in 1963 Yokohama and focuses on a young girl named Komatsuzaki, whose family runs a lodging house. The film depicts her everyday life with the other students at her high school, including the student council president and the head of the newspaper.
Although the movie is slated for summer 2011, Suzuki said that production is very much behind schedule, and it is currently in the final storyboarding stages. Hayao is involved with the script, and Suzuki is producing. The theme song will be sung by Aoi Teshima, who sang the theme song for "Tales of Earthsea" (she also starred as the voice of Therru).
During the announcement, Suzuki talked about Studio Ghibli's "5-year plan," which the older Miyazaki showed him at the end of last year. According to that plan, the movies in the first three years would be given to younger talents, while the last two years would be very big projects. The plan has already begun, with Hiromasa Yonebayashi's work on "Karigurashi no Arrietty" marking the first of the five years. "Kokuriku-Zaka Kara" will be the second.
The movie's official website (http://www.kokurikozaka.jp/) has also launched with more details.
Two New Studio Ghibli Projects in the Works By Its Two Co-Foundershttp://www.firstshowing.net/2011/two-new-studio-ghibli-projects-in-the-works-from-two-co-founders/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/two-new-studio-ghibli-projects-in-the-works-from-two-co-founders/)
Yay, more Studio Ghibli films! As always, we usually hear minor details about their new projects, but have to wait years until they make their way across the Pacific. AnimeNewsNetwork is reporting that Studio Ghibli's two co-founders, Isao Takahata (director of Grave of the Fireflies, The Raccoon War, My Neighbors the Yamadas) and the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, are both at work on new projects. Takahata hasn't directed a feature since 1999, but is now working on a project based on the classic Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). Miyazaki has his own interesting new film in development.
The updates on these projects come straight from co-founder Isao Takahata himself, who was speaking at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. Takahata's new project, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, has been rumored for a while, but is confirmed to be in the works, although "it may be about two more years before" it's ready. The film will be in the style of the classical Japanese scroll Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga. The 10th century tale, "known by virtually every Japanese child," is about around a princess named Kaguya who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. That sounds charming and very fun already.
As for Miyazaki, he's already working on Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie at the moment, the sequel to their 1992 film Porco Rosso, but apparently also has an "autobiography" project in the works next. Before everyone gets too excited about seeing an autobiography about Miyazaki himself, ANN says "Suzuki's vague phrasing in Japanese did not indicate if the work is Miyazaki's own autobiography, or an adaptation of another person's autobiography." Just making sure things aren't lost in translation and that no one assumes this is going to be all about Miyazaki's life, although that autobiography would be incredible to see one day.
Studio Ghibli recently finished Arrietty, also known as The Borrowers, and also has From Up On Poppy Hill (known as Kokuriko-zaka kara, directed by Goro Miyazaki), which will be premiering at the Toronto Film Festival this month. As I'm a huge Ghibli/Miyazaki fan myself, I always keep an eye out for their latest projects, we'll keep you updated. Which upcoming Studio Ghibli film are you most excited about?
Hayao Miyazaki announces retirement from feature film directionhttp://www.uk-anime.net/newsitem/Hayao_Miyazaki_announces_retirement_from_feature_film_direction.html (http://www.uk-anime.net/newsitem/Hayao_Miyazaki_announces_retirement_from_feature_film_direction.html)
Today brings us some rather major breaking news, as it's being reported that Studio Ghibli's world-renowned director Hayao Miyazaki is to step down from directing any further feature films at the age of 72, making his current work Kaze Tachinu his last film in such a role.
There's little requirement to expound upon Mr. Miyazaki's legacy - a simple look through Studio Ghibli's back catalogue, or his work prior to that on the likes of Future Boy Conan and Lupin III movie The Castle of Cagliostro, gives you an idea of the huge worldwide influence and popularity of his work.
The news, revealed in a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival, seems to suggest that Hayao Miyazaki will continue in some role at Studio Ghibli, in a supervisory capacity or possibly even directing short films and the like, but this marks an interesting line in the sand for the studio of which he is such a huge part, and no doubt all eyes will be firmly trained upon Ghibli to see how it proceeds over the coming years. This also isn't the first time that Miyazaki has announced his retirement, so it also remains to be seen as to whether it will be a permanent move on this occasion.