Japanese Animation Images in Motion

Why is it important to look at animation sketches? 1.Japanese anime has become a major industry, appealing to an increasingly international audience. 2.In so doing, the animation artists have become increasingly sophisticated at getting the maximum impact for the least number of effects. 3.Sketches are the primary record of how animation artists do this. 4.Knowing how different types of sketches fit into the animation process helps us understand the craft of animation.

There are seven important kinds of sketches used in animation. 1.Storyboards 2.Layouts 3.Genzus (Planning Sketches) 4.Roughs 5.Gengas (Foundation Sketches) 6.Shuuseis (Correction Sketches) 7.Dougas (Animating Sketches)

1. Storyboards These are produced by the Director (who is not usually known for his artistic talents. A storyboard is a sequential set of rough drawings detailing the major scenes of the show, with notes on dialogue, effects, etc. Storyboards are normally photocopied and distributed among the studio staff to coordinate the production. These photocopies are normally the only form in which collectors can get hold of them.

Here’s a storyboard and one of the cels from this scene. Storyboard (CCS Movie 1) Cel (last image)

1: レイアウト = layout These are done by the key animators, based on the storyboard. They usually provide very rough images of where the characters will be imaged against the background. They are usually done on pre-printed studio paper, and have the episode and cut (sequence) identified on top.

In some cases, the storyboard is enlarged and used as a layout

Some layouts can be very crude.

Others can be very effective

2. Genzu A genzu literally means “planning sketch.” These are rough schematics that work out how complex motions will be animated. The characters are normally drawn in outline, with only an egg-shaped face with intersecting lines to show where the eyes and mouth will be.

Guess which well known anime characters are portrayed in these genzus!

How about this character?

Roughs Done by the episode’s Animation Supervisor These are normally done on thin tinted paper (usually yellow) that contrasts with the white paper of layouts and gengas. These are, in some collectors’ opinion, the most desirable sketches to collect. These sketches record the exact moment when the production image was created.

Remember this one?

Magic Knight Rayearth roughs are especially beautiful.

Here’s a layout from MKR. And here’s the rough drawn from it.

MKR rough sketches also generate a lot of energy

Some rough sketches don’t look like much more than doodles.

But … that’s how you get this:

原画 = genga (“foundation sketch”) Done by the key animators or “gengamen” (though many are female), experienced artists on the studio team These sketches interpret and clean up the roughs, starting the formal production process. They are usually done on white paper, with the sequence number somewhere alongside the image. Gengas also divide up the image into the “layers” that will be separately animated.

Gengas record the “key” images that show the extreme positions of the character

The genga often works up the rough into useful detail

Another example, from Slayers

修正 = shuusei (“correction”) Done by the Animation Supervisor. Always done on thin, semitransparent tinted paper so the genga is visible through it. Usually a partial sketch, correcting only a part of the genga. But in some cases the supervisor re- draws the entire genga, making the key animator produce a second, revised genga.

Partial and Full Shuusei

And that’s how you get this:

動画 = douga (“animating sketch”) Done from gengas by junior artists on the studio staff. These include the key images and others that make smooth transitions between them. Photocopied onto acetate or scanned, these become the direct basis for cels or CG images.

A dramatic douga means a dramatic cel:

But … the acetate matrix sets limits on what can be animated. Each separate thing that moves requires its own layer of acetate. It’s easy for these layers to get scratched, discolored, or torn. In any case, each layer slightly clouds the layer behind it, making the bottom images more and more indistinct.

This setup required at least eight different layers

When CG animation became feasible, these limits disappeared. In Japan, until recently, cel-based animation was less expensive and actually quicker. Now, with more sophisticated graphic arts programs, colorizing images on a screen is more efficient. And, since there are no physical limits to how many layers can be animated, animators are becoming more rather than less inventive in their craft.

Early CG series, like Chobits, often used no more than two layers.

Inuyasha, a more recent CG series, combines many more layers.

Unfortunately, the more “layering” CG animators do, the less exciting the sketches are:

But … that’s how you get this:

Let’s Not Forget the backgound Artists!

Other Types of Cels: Rilezu Cels Post production cels not used in the creation of the show

Other Types of Cels: Reproduction Cels Image from a story reproduced by the studio, Chroma cels are also in this category

Other Types of Cels: Hanken Mono Cels Limited creation or one of a kind Created for promotional materials like posters and dvds

With all that you still need to Film it or make it Digital! Photograph it with the traditional frame camera Or Digitally Scan the Douga and Paint it with the Computer.

With the development of still newer CG techniques, we can expect animation to remain a vital art form in the 21 st century. Produced by Prof. Bill Ellis with additional materials and presentation by Curt White and fellow Northwest Cel Collectors. Thank you for coming! Yoku Irasshaimashita! me.asphttp://sensei.rubberslug.com/gallery/ho me.asp