Ghibli Tavern - How Graphics are made on Ghibli movies?

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

How Graphics are made on Ghibli movies?

Hi!

Is there anyone here on this forum who knows how the graphics are made in the ghibli movies? Specially the BACKGROUND graphics! The non-moving graphics!
Let take for example Spirited away, Princess Mononoke, Howls moving castle etc.

Anyone who knows which technics they have being used? Which method and material; oil, watercolor, gouache, colored pencils etc?

I would be very grateful if someone who know could tell me!D
/Marq

04.03.2007, 02:13 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Ok! Let say like this... if there is anyone maybe who thinks or have any idea about its ok!
/Marq

04.03.2007, 04:50 PM

Roarkiller
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We got lives outside this forum. There's no point in begging for replies.

And no, I don't think anyone here knows. Actually, there isn't any set techniques. The background art are done by background artists, and like all artists, each have their own individual style. Some like to work with watercolor, some like to work with oil.

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04.05.2007, 01:36 AM

Kanta
Warawara

Registration Date: 05.26.06
Location: i was born in Totoro town.
Posts: 150

They make background graphics with primitive technique. They use only oldfashoned painting materials, like drawing paper, poster color(water color), brush....and their amazing skill.

photo 1---newbie artist is practicing gradation with poster color.
[IMG]http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4250/backgraondjo9.jpg" border=0>[/IMG]

photo 2---Takeshige(art director) is paniting background of GEDO.
[IMG]http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4692/backgraund2fo9.jpg" border=0>[/IMG]

photo3--completed background (board fence)
[IMG]http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8964/background3gri9.jpg" border=0> [/IMG]

photp 4---charactor is lapped over on the background
[IMG]http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/825/background4pb3.jpg" border=0> [/IMG]

refer GHIBLI official site.
You can see the production diary of GEDO .
They show some of their technique.
http://www.ghibli.jp/ged_01/30special/000609.html#more

04.05.2007, 10:26 AM

I think roarkiller is right, their techniques vary immensely.

For Spirited Away...

Kazao Oga painted the opening forest sequence and field landscapes, then they're uploaded for CG processing.

The art director for Spirited Away, Yôji Takeshige, is skilled in oil painting, but he claims that sometimes they would experience problems with the colours this produced. So they also had to use "unaltered match poster colors" in some parts of the movie...what ever that means.

You can find this information and lots more in "The art of ..." books.

P.S. - Welcome to the board.

[Edit: Oops, didn't realise Kanta would reply...ok that reply's much more useful and illustrated too...I'm jealous]

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Post last edited by E_Hakki on 04.05.2007, 12:10 PM.

04.05.2007, 10:30 AM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Hi!

*Roarkiller*
It seem like there is someone who know something!D

Begging? No,, have a very strong interest of it! techniques? Dont agree,,, You said it yourself. They are profesionell "...artists, and like all artists, each have their own individual style." that meens that you need to practise, practise and practise. You will not be able to illustrate this kind of backgrounds right out of the blue without training. And from that you will get you own technics (or let say skills)!D Thats why i LOVE these Ghibli movies because that they are so perfect made even if they are only showed for 1 second!

*Kanta*
Im happily grateful of all this pictures and the link to Ghiblis homepage. The bad thing is that now i need to study japanese!D

Interesting,,, and now i have to buy some poster color and se how it is to work with it!

if you have any interests and would find some more pictures like photo1-3 would it be very nice if you could send it to me! You know,,, pictures tells you more than words in this case! We can see which colors and which brushes they are using. We can even see how they are working! Thats are very good info! Thanks

*E_Hakki*
Good!
I started to search for like you said and came to this site http://www.ghibliworld.com/index.html (among others), which i think most of you already seen, but which gives a lot of good tips of books. I will search more! Tanks

One thing,,, didnt understand "...CG processing." Whats CG?

/Marq

04.05.2007, 05:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Marq
*E_Hakki*
Good!
I started to search for like you said and came to this site http://www.ghibliworld.com/index.html (among others), which i think most of you already seen, but which gives a lot of good tips of books. I will search more! Tanks

One thing,,, didnt understand "...CG processing." Whats CG?

/Marq

No problem, Marq.

Ghibli World is one of the best Ghibli sites around, it's run by Peter (a.k.a Wushu-4-ever), a long time member of this board. Another good site is www.buta-connection.net, but its all in French.

The extras on the Ghibli DVDs should prove useful, but they're usually lacking on the American and European releases. One that you would find very useful is a featurette called "Princess Mononoke: The Making of a Masterpiece", found on the French Mononoke DVD (probably R2 Jap DVD too). It covers the drawing and designing in some detail, with a nice explanation by Nizo Yamamato. Here are some screenshots of him in action...

The recent NHK documentary on Miyazaki also shows him working on his new movie, using what looks like chalk.

P.S. CG means "Computer Generated". The pictures are polished and probably edited on the computer.

04.05.2007, 07:26 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Thanks

This pictures are perfect!D I have being searching for that DVD, but it seems difficult to find it on the internet. On some DVDs features it says "Documentary - 'Making Of' ", do thinks its the same?
Or... i found one DVD called "Princess Mononoke (Making of)" http://www.nippon-export.com/catalog/pro...roducts_id=9722 (i give the link) Do think thats the one? Do you think i can find it on a standard edition or do i have look for a special edition?

Well... this is perfect. To study someone in action can not be better!

About the books "The art of..." i found most of them all in "amazon.co.jp" and thats great!D

Thanks again
/Marq

04.07.2007, 03:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Marq
Thanks

This pictures are perfect!D I have being searching for that DVD, but it seems difficult to find it on the internet. On some DVDs features it says "Documentary - 'Making Of' ", do thinks its the same?
Or... i found one DVD called "Princess Mononoke (Making of)" http://www.nippon-export.com/catalog/pro...roducts_id=9722 (i give the link) Do think thats the one? Do you think i can find it on a standard edition or do i have look for a special edition?

Well... this is perfect. To study someone in action can not be better!

About the books "The art of..." i found most of them all in "amazon.co.jp" and thats great!D

Thanks again
/Marq

Hmm, the DVD you found could be just as useful if not more so (I've never watched it), but it's not the same. Mine is just an extra, but that is a whole documentary devoted to the Making of Princess Mononoke.

The best source for finding Ghibli releases is Nausicaa.net. Click on the film you want, then select availability, video releases. It appears as though my extra can only be found on my DVD set - "Princess Mononoke - Super Collector's Edition".

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/video/mh/#f_dvd_collector

If you can't get a hold of it, perhaps you should talk to Peter. He has a fantastic collection and could probably help you better than I can. Contact him through this forum, or even better, through Ghibli World.

Good luck!

04.07.2007, 06:23 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Hi again!

Well.. i suspected that its on a speciell version, which you are referring to! But its ok! I dont think that i can get it... I will try to talk to 'Peter' you said, and see if he knows something!

Thanks

By the way... I like your Lucifer!D
/Marq

04.08.2007, 03:18 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Marq
Hi again!

Well.. i suspected that its on a speciell version, which you are referring to! But its ok! I dont think that i can get it... I will try to talk to 'Peter' you said, and see if he knows something!

Thanks

By the way... I like your Lucifer!D
/Marq

Thanks, I hope Peter can help you.

Also, if you're serious about learning more about background art, perhaps you should consider broadening your search. I'm sure there have and still are other studios that have used similiar techniques.

For example, "Lion King" had some pretty nice looking hand-painted backgrounds too.

04.10.2007, 10:17 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Hi!

Yes... i am serious about it. Walt Disney movies where the first anim i checked. Specially the older ones like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Sword in the stone, Bambi, Robin Hood (not sure if its WD) etc.
I love for example "Les Triplettes de Belleville", a french anim movie. The BG are very good made!

And of course all this Walt Disney Treasures collections with mickey mouse, donald duck, Silly Symphonies etc...

Meanwhile im sitting her and typing im starting to thinking of these old animation Roadrunner and Mr Magoo! I think i will check them out!D

I got here in this forum some tip on some anim, Samurai Champloo and Byousoku 5cm. They seems quite good. I will try to see them in time!D I saw some trailer some days ago.

I have seen Lion King, but it was long time ago. Maybe the BG are made by hand, i dont know?
I will check it out! Thanks
Something i dont like with WD is that they are putting to much 3D in there movies, everything are to much 3D configured today.

/Marq

04.12.2007, 05:28 PM

PlasticMedia
Calcifer

Registration Date: 02.10.07
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quote:
Originally posted by Marq
Something i dont like with WD is that they are putting to much 3D in there movies, everything are to much 3D configured today.

/Marq

I am in complete agreement, computer animation is nice for backgrounds but I just don't like how the moving parts look. Everything looks disgustingly smooth.

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04.13.2007, 12:45 AM

Chihiro_spirit
Tanuki

Registration Date: 03.28.07
Location: The MIND OF ME
Posts: 60

agreed. it may look nice in lord of the rings or pirates of the carribean, but when they place cg in nice animated hand-painted movies, it looks bad. like in disney's quest for camelot (the ogre) and hercules (the hydra). also in titan a. e. (if anyone's ever seen that) a lot of it is animated and then some is done in cg. cg looks good when it's like monsters ink, or spiderman, but not in cinderella-like movies.

04.22.2007, 07:58 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Yes... i agree! It works best when its like Monsters Ink, Shrek, Toy Stories etc. But sometimes you need the computer for some calculated movement for example oceans waves, in Disneys "Beauty and the Beast" in the big hall when the camera era spinning around or in Disneys "Bernard och Bianca" You have a 3person flying. In those cases i can agree but still it needs to be drawn and painted by hand.

i have seen Titan and if i remember everything where 3D except from the characters. For me its more a 3D based movie then a 2D movie. But still it where ok!

04.23.2007, 06:53 AM

Chihiro_spirit
Tanuki

Registration Date: 03.28.07
Location: The MIND OF ME
Posts: 60

oh cool u're from sweeden! i wish i could go there! sorry if i'm being rude. since i'm not usually this way in public i allow myself to talk this way on the computer. yeah, i mean it's good for some things but not all. i miss the old fashioned days where movies were animated by hand like snow white and the seven dwarves or steam boat willie. does anyone know if miyazaki movies are all animated by hand or only the backrounds are done by hand and the characters mainly done on the computer? i just got really interested in annimation. i think it's facinating that we can make drawings move! i'm sucha weirdo. but i've been told that it's healthy to be a little weird.

04.23.2007, 09:10 PM

Kanta
Warawara

Registration Date: 05.26.06
Location: i was born in Totoro town.
Posts: 150

Ghibli diary news shows some of their color technique in Ponyo the other day.
As most of the scene of Ponyo is in the sea, they paint in blue much.
The art director Yoshida makes basic color of the sea much and stock it in a large jar.
photo---------"Ponyo" deep sea color---------

There are so many color pencils and crayons on Yoshida's desk. Some of crayons are for kids.

The rag and water is also stained blue.

Ghibli dairy is here
http://www.ghibli.jp/15diary/003688.html#more

04.24.2007, 10:11 AM

Chihiro_spirit
Tanuki

Registration Date: 03.28.07
Location: The MIND OF ME
Posts: 60

that's so cool! i wish i could read the site. wow animation just is wow! i got a book so i wanna start trying to teach it to myself. i taught myself to draw and i'm pretty good. so maybe i can teach myself animation well.

04.24.2007, 05:20 PM

Registration Date: 04.03.07
Location: Sweden
Posts: 26

Kanta!

Thanks for the pictures. I will check it out immediately!

/Marq

06.16.2007, 03:44 PM