Animazement - Hiroyuki Kitakubo and Kazuto Nakazawa
- May 25, 2002
Frequent collaborators
and welcome guests at North American anime conventions, directors Hiroyuki
Kitakubo (right) and Kazuto Nakazawa also appeared together at Animazement.
While they cooperate on productions, they have different viewpoints on
the state of the anime industry. Kitakubo, whose best-known recent anime
project is "Blood, the Last Vampire," noted that there's almost too much
anime being made in Japan, with more than 80 titles a week on Japanese
television. "The industry is in a difficult stage and I think this will
change in the near future," Kitakubo said. Nakazawa added that the demand
for anime is starting to come from outside Japan, noting that he is working
on a short series, called Parasite Doll, which was intended for North America.
"There have
been more shows produced where the focus is more toward the U.S. market,"
Nakazawa said. "Because there are many shows being produced we need more
creators. many companies may go out of business, not because they aren't
making enough money, but because they don't have enough human resources
to create the shows." The two agreed on two trends that are moving the
anime industry: the move away from pen-and-ink cel animation toward digital
production, and the rise of late-night cable TV slots as venues for anime
shows. ("Adult Swim" on the Cartoon Network was preceded by late-night
anime shows on Japanese cable systems such as WOWOW.) When Kitakubo
said that anime movie makers have to make sure they're not assimilated
by what he called "Hollywood thinking," Nakazawa replied that "I always
thought it's more important to have yourself adapt to that new environment.
What you were born with is something you can't change - as you age you
have to adapt."
In another
story from Animazement, artist Yu Watase said that she used music as an
inspiration for her stories. Movies have a rhythm of rhythm of peaks and
valleys that can resemble music, and Kitakubo said he works to arrange
those points when he directs a film. "I first think about which part needs
to be at the high peak and which point has to be at the low end," he said.
"Once I decide on those, I make a line graph on paper - and when I make
that graph I think about the audience; which audience is this made for?
I look at this from the audience's point of view and make sure that the
story doesn't seem unnatural. I decide at that point that where the peaks
and low ends need to be at." By the way, fans of "Blood" will want to know
that Kitakubo is ready to make a sequel if the funding is found - and he
doesn't mind if it's animated or live-action.
Frequent collaborators
and welcome guests at North American anime conventions, directors Hiroyuki
Kitakubo (right) and Kazuto Nakazawa also appeared together at Animazement.
While they cooperate on productions, they have different viewpoints on
the state of the anime industry. Kitakubo, whose best-known recent anime
project is "Blood, the Last Vampire," noted that there's almost too much
anime being made in Japan, with more than 80 titles a week on Japanese
television. "The industry is in a difficult stage and I think this will
change in the near future," Kitakubo said. Nakazawa added that the demand
for anime is starting to come from outside Japan, noting that he is working
on a short series, called Parasite Doll, which was intended for North America.
"There have
been more shows produced where the focus is more toward the U.S. market,"
Nakazawa said. "Because there are many shows being produced we need more
creators. many companies may go out of business, not because they aren't
making enough money, but because they don't have enough human resources
to create the shows." The two agreed on two trends that are moving the
anime industry: the move away from pen-and-ink cel animation toward digital
production, and the rise of late-night cable TV slots as venues for anime
shows. ("Adult Swim" on the Cartoon Network was preceded by late-night
anime shows on Japanese cable systems such as WOWOW.) When Kitakubo
said that anime movie makers have to make sure they're not assimilated
by what he called "Hollywood thinking," Nakazawa replied that "I always
thought it's more important to have yourself adapt to that new environment.
What you were born with is something you can't change - as you age you
have to adapt."
In another
story from Animazement, artist Yu Watase said that she used music as an
inspiration for her stories. Movies have a rhythm of rhythm of peaks and
valleys that can resemble music, and Kitakubo said he works to arrange
those points when he directs a film. "I first think about which part needs
to be at the high peak and which point has to be at the low end," he said.
"Once I decide on those, I make a line graph on paper - and when I make
that graph I think about the audience; which audience is this made for?
I look at this from the audience's point of view and make sure that the
story doesn't seem unnatural. I decide at that point that where the peaks
and low ends need to be at." By the way, fans of "Blood" will want to know
that Kitakubo is ready to make a sequel if the funding is found - and he
doesn't mind if it's animated or live-action.
