 During my time working at Production I.G from early 2001 to the end of 2003 on Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, I had the extraordinary chance to experience first-hand what it was like to work in a Japanese animation studio.
During this time, I made many friends and learned many valuable lessons that I will always treasure. Before leaving Japan, I asked some of my colleagues a few questions about their thoughts and perspectives on Japanese animation.
Interview with Kazuchika Kise
Supervising Key Animator at Production I.G
Kise-san is one of Production I.G’s most talented traditional animators. His work can be seen on such films as Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, Jin-Roh and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence to name a few. I asked him a few questions about his views between the worlds of traditional animation and 3D animation.
Who are some of your key influences?
I really enjoyed animation when I was growing up as a teenager, and was influenced greatly by the animators of that era.
Is 2D animation dead?
I don’t think it is dead. I believe that there’s no technology that comes close to what is created by the human hand. This is evident when one looks at famous art masterpieces. Because of the influence of manga in Japanese culture, it is hard to imagine that 2D culture will die out here. Japan may be unique in this sense, as we already have such as strong animation culture based around 2D. Personally, I cherish the moment when we give life to a picture on a piece of white paper. I love my job and I don’t want to lose such beautiful moments.
How is the communication between 2D and 3D animators?
When I come to think about the current situation, it does not work very well unfortunately. I think that it is due to a general lack of communication and understanding between each other.
Are many traditional animators moving to 3D?
Many traditional animators here are trying to understand 3D, but only few of them are actually moving to 3D. In the future, younger generations of animators are more likely to go to 3D. You don’t need to learn how to draw to become a 3D creator, that’s the biggest reason.
Image (right) - Blood: The Last Vampire, Japan's answer to Buffy. The film features the story of a mysterious young girl named Saya who is sent to hunt down vampires that are hiding amongst the inhabitants of the Yokota Air Force Base.
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