The Pixar-Ghibli connection
A news report about the release of “Up” in Japan notes that Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli movies have inspired the Americans who create computer animated films for Pixar:
A lot of the Pixar people absolutely love Miyazaki’s films and some have decorated their work space with Ghibli merchandise. One of Pixar’s biggest Ghibli fans seems to be chief creative officer John Lasseter, whose office is decked out with a ton of Totoro stuff. For his 50th birthday, Lasseter received a special gift from Miyazaki – 50 stuffed makkuro kurosuke. [The Pixar folks have also sent gifts to Miyazaki, as we can see from the Monsters Inc/Totoro portrait hanging on the wall at the Studio Ghibli HQ.]
The report also shows some of the key differences between the way Pixar and Ghibli create their films. Miyazaki has almost total control over the entire creative process that goes into his film, while Pixar likes to engage in group brainstorming. Both result in great films, but one has to wonder what will happen to Studio Ghibli once Miyazaki is no longer able to create films. Toshio Suzuki suggests that a director like Pixar’s Pete Docter would make a fine successor to Miyazaki…
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Thank you for the great article!
I’ve read that Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Goro, has been following in his footsteps. Here is a trailer for Tales of Earthsea, directed by Goro -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05sCTxnEs9Y
I’ve yet to see this film but it looks beautiful!
best wishes,
Priscilla
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Pete Doctor directing a Ghibli film? I’d be happy with that!
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I agree, but the amount of OTAKUGARBL would be incandescent.
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I guess audiences are happy as long as the end result is good, but working at Studio Ghibli is pretty bad I hear.
Miyazaki once declared he’d be retiring after Mononoke, but somehow he never did, and his iron-fisted rule continues to this day within the studio.
In other studios, the younger people are given a chance to expand and express themselves and develop their own style and skills, but in Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki maintains a Stalin-esque absolute control and crushes any initiative that others might take. The new guys are never given a chance to grow, as the moment Miyazaki sees something he doesn’t like or suit his fancy, he swoops in from behind and fixes it himself (this scene is even featured on the making-of footage on the DVD for Mononoke). And of course, he’s the genius so his way is always indeed better.
As Miyazaki continues to grind with his heels anyone who might succeed him, it’s said that Studio Ghibli will effectively end with Miyazaki’s retirement or death.
Of course there is Goro, but people say unless he evolves pokemon-style into a whole new caliber of a director, he just doesn’t have the gift of his father. Instead, his unique skill seems to be a high level of resistance to his spirit being destroyed by his genius father’s constant berating … which is why they let him try Earthsea, at least.
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I agree that Miyazaki needs to take less “Stalin-esque” approach at Ghibli for the company to continue, but Spirited Away is my favorite movie from the studio and that followed Mononoke. While a group setting may allow for ideas of everyone to contribute in the final product, sometimes an artistic vision is better accomplished with no compromises made even if it stiflies the imagination of others. Then again, I haven’t been all that thrilled with Howl’s and Ponyo so i agree that Miyazaki should be more open for suggestions.
You don’t know that his death spells the “end” of Ghibli, I bet some senior animators at the studio besides for his son have developed ideas in all those years of monotonously following orders, so a leader could pull forward when he is gone.
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My girlfriend’s sister is an artist for Studio Ghibli. She never says it’s bad working there, quite the opposite in fact. Not sure where you got your information from.
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Goro has a very different style from his father, Miyazaki. It’s either Miyazaki or GTFO ’cause Goro’s film Tales of the Earthsea wasn’t all that great. I want fantasy weird things dammit. But it’s most likely going to turn into a pixar layout. Like Goro will probably work closer with his staff,and make it a team effort.
And yes it’s true: Miyazaki holds a point where it’s Teacher and students;him being the teacher. He leads on,he stays extra late to finish things. Even if he is hard held,he is genuinely kind unto his staff. He makes them dinner too. They know he is committed. So being Japanese[and knowing him quite well] they only offer help when they think he needs it. Otherwise they stay quiet. Because of the great epicness he is creating.
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Yoshifumi Kondo was tipped to be the next great director, and he made a really good film there. But he died, leaving the studio with Miyazaki and Takahata again.
The next Ghibli film is being directed by a newcomer, and I believe Takahata is working on a new film after a pretty long break. So it’s probably not going to be that bad.
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I see no mention of the “Katana Incident.”
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what, the “no cuts” thing when mononoke was set to be released? that it was supposedly sent by the producer, and not miyazaki himself.
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Again, I see no mention of the “Katana Incident.”
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Hi! My name is Doug, and I love you.
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