October 2006

October 19, 2006 Tears from the Production Staff
Translation of the of October 10 production diary:

B-part of the storyboard of the next film was completed.
We production administrative staff are glad because it's a very good pace in comparison with previous films. But, the contents of the storyboard is incredible! Tears flow when I think about hardship of the production staff (laughs). We all talked heartily about, "We want to be the audience this time", while copying the storyboard at midnight.

Studio Ghibli announced that NTV will air a HD version of Pom Poko on November 10.

Shitateya Ghibli (Tailor Ghibli) website has been overhauled.

Iwanami Shoten puts the pictures of Miyazaki's manga "Blackham's Wimpey".
http://www.iwanami.co.jp/hensyu/jidou/j0610/024632.html

In further "Blackham's Wimpey" news Asahi.com has a bomber diagram drawn by Miyazaki while Iwanami Shoten has uploaded samples from the manga.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

October 18, 2006 Miyazaki's Clock
Ghibli World has details an unusual Miyazaki project - a large clock for the NTV tower in Tokyo.

Thanks to Peter van der Lugt for the news.

October 17, 2006 New York Times article about "Gedo" and Goro Miyazaki
Movie critic (and Miyazaki fan) Charles Solomon has written an article about Gedo Senki (Tales From Earthsea). The article covers the history of the production and interviews Goro Miyazaki about the film and Toshio Suzuki about the Japanese fans' reactions. Solomon also talked with Ursula LeGuinn about her reaction to the film (and the fans' reactions to her reactions). She repeats the news that the film will not be released in the US until SciFi Channel's rights to the Earthsea series expire in 2009.

Thanks to the Anime News Network for the news.

October 11, 2006 Miyazaki's work featured in radio documentary
American Public Radio's series "American RadioWorks" has released an hour-long documentary about the rise of anime and manga worldwide called "Japan's Pop Power." It will be playing on numerous public radio stations around the US in the next few months, but you can hear the whole program now on-line at the program's website. About 10 minutes of the program is devoted to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli (including a segment about the reporters walking right past the studio without recognizing it). The Miyazaki segment starts at about 29:45 into the program. You can download the entire program as an mp3 file here or read the transcript here. The Miyazaki part is at the beginning of Segment C.

October 10, 2006 New Book Releases, Popularity
Anime News Network reported on the results of a anime/manga survey held in Japan for the 10th anniversary of the Japan Media Arts Festival. Nausicaa placed 8th on the manga list and 2nd on the anime list with Laputa 3rd and Totoro 8th.

A new German book on Miyazaki is available:
Julia Nieder: Die Filme von Hayao Miyazaki. Marburg (Schueren Verlag), 2006. 160 pp. ISBN: 3-89472-447-1


Review 1
Review 2

The table of contents and other details from the publisher.

"Blackham's Wimpey" by Robert Westall was recently published by Iwanami Shoten (224 pages, ISBN 4-00-024632-1). Miyazaki illustrated the cover (clearer scan) and the book also contains "Westall's fantasy -Trip to Tynemouth-", an illustrated essay by Miyazaki based on a visit to Westall's birthplace.

Thanks to Aidan Mowat, Freddy Litten, and T. Ishikawa for the news.

October 6, 2006 More Production Details
According to the October 2 production diary, animation production of the next film (title still unannouced) has begun. Hayao Miyazaki explained the film's contents and a production policy to the staff while showing a test cut of the film in the morning in the underground preview room of the second studio.

The October 3 diary mentions that saku-uchi[1] of the A-part[2] of the film was almost finished. B-part of the storyboard is not yet completed.

The October 4 diary mentioned that Studio Ghibli is also working on another film. It is a new animation part for the "Film Guruguru" project at the Studio Ghibli Museum. 2,500 animation cells were used for a single cut of the new animation project. The entire film is about 5 minutes and consists of the following sections:

1. Kareinaru Butoukai (Splendid Dance)
2. Ranputan no Bouken (Adventure of Ranputan)
3. Sakana no Sakana (Fish of Fish)
4. Takolator
5. Piyo Piyo Baba
6. Boubou-kun

Staff:
Director and storyboards: Hayao Miyazaki
Key animator: Atsuko Tanaka
Sound producer: Mito (Clammbon)

Initial a silent film, sound was added in March 2003.

The character of Piyo Piyo Baba is Yubaba of Spirited Away.
The character Boubou-kun was used as Calcifer in Howl's Moving Castle.

[1]: "saku-uchi" is "sakuga uchiawase", it means "animation meeting". Hayao Miyazaki and key animators meeti and discuss how to draw a cut based on a storyboard.

[2]: The storyboards from a Miyazaki film usually consists of 'A' through 'E' parts. Unlike American animation projects the storyboards are not completed before final production begins; he draws the storyboards while making the film. September 5 production diary mentioned that the 'A'-part is 282 cuts and about 20 minutes.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

October 4, 2006 Iblard DVD, Hisaishi Website
Naohisa Inoue's website announced that an Iblard DVD produced with Studio Ghibli is scheduled to be released simultaneously with Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea) DVD next summer. The DVD contains about 80 works and the clouds, water, and light in the pictures are animated by Ghibli. New music has been composed for the DVD.

Composer Joe Hisaishi's website received a Flash-y redesign.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.