2010-07-News

NTV Arrietty Documentary

NTV broadcast (YouTube, five parts) a special program titled "The Craftsmen Who Supported Arrietty".

At the 7:38 in the second clip Miyazaki says, "When I heard the laughter of the atmosphere of the production end of the Arrietty, I felt like, "Crap! Don't finish it!" (laughs)

In the third clip at 3:57 Miyazaki says, "There are only 800 animators in Japan. The time when we should bring up an animator at the risk of ourselves has comes. Therefore we decided to employ a large number of animators at a stretch, but it might be a terrible mistake. Because the burdens of the management of Ghibli clearly increase." The sign at 4:42 says:

To animators

Unit price of the paper are
Layout paper 18 yen, Key animation paper 8 yen, Animation paper 5 yen
These are much more expensive than normal paper.
Please do not waste it if possible.

In part five Miyazaki says to Yonebayashi at the 8:30 mark, "You did it really well. It was three times better than I thought. You had better take a rest for awhile. It is not a shameful work even if we show it to anyone. I felt a director appeared at last. I was relieved. It was really good. I cried." (laughs)

NHK broadcasts "400 days of Hayao Miyazaki and new face director" on August 10.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 02:26, 28 July 2010 (UTC)

Jump to Japan Exhibition

The Jump to Japan traveling exhibition co-created by the Minnesota Children's Museum and The Seattle Children's Museum is currently at the Arizona Museum for Youth through October 10. It features a number of interactive elements with a life-size Totoro and Catbus the most pertinent items to Studio Ghibli fans.

Thanks to King Dedede for the news.

--LLin 01:49, 27 July 2010 (UTC)

Japan Times Arrietty Review, Tales From Earthsea @ NYICFF

• Mark Schilling's review in the Japan Times is titled "Ghibli borrows — steals? — a classic tale" and gives Arrietty 4/5 stars. Sample quote, "It is a simply told, beautifully animated delight that, like the best Ghibli films, speaks straight to the heart and imagination of the child in all of us."
• The New York International Children's Film Festival screens Tales from Earthsea on Sunday, August 1 at 11:00am. There's only a single showing and the ticking site promises free posters and DVDs to the first families in line.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa and Daniel Zelter for the news.

--LLin 07:33, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

Final Arrietty Trailer

• The full-length final Arrietty trailer was broadcast on TV and is available via YouTube
• AV Watch reports on the Nausicaa BD (machine translation)
• BRUTUS magazine contains an interview with Yonebayashi in which he comments, "I do not want to do such a hard thing again." Toshio Suzuki is quoted as saying, "A normal person thinks so. Hayao Miyazaki said the same thing after Nausicaa, too."
• Studio Ghibli blogger Nishioka reveals that the Miyazaki Arrietty image boards that were shown to Yonebayashi and the film's script are featured at the Arrietty exhibition.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 05:02, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

Tales from Earthsea USA Openings, Hisaishi in London, More Arrietty News (iOS App)

• Collider.com reports that New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Seattle are slated to open Tales from Earthsea on August 13.
• Joe Hisaishi official staff blog shows pictures of Hisaishi shopping in London. The July 11 entry features the scenery from Hisaishi's hotel.
• The voice actors of Arrietty and Sho appeared on Toshio Suzuki's radio program .
• Studio Ghibli blogger Nishioka announced that Noboru Yoshida's art boards collection mini-book will be presented to Arrietty exhibition visitors from July 17 to August 15. A design collections mini-book will be presented to visitors who buy the Arrietty exhibition pictorial record at the museum shop.
• Miyazaki is not a fan of the Apple iPad.
  • Despite Miyazaki's comments about the iPad there's a tie-in (free) game app in the App Store for Arrietty.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa and Daniel Zelter for the news.

--LLin 01:58, 15 July 2010 (UTC)

Updated: Mid-July Random News Bits #2

• Anne of Green Gables public release anniversary preview (machine translation) was held at Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Takahata's speech during the ceremony might be included in DVD.
• Iwanami Shoten's "Iwanami Boy's Books" series 60th anniversary "The blurbs for 50 books chosen by Hayao Miyazaki" exhibition will be held (machine translation, rough but informative) from August 4-8 at the Seibu Ikebukuro department store in Tokyo.
• BRUTUS magazine's twitter feed links to the cover of next issue (drawn by Yonebayashi) to be released on July 15. The issue includes a "Hayao Miyazaki" bonus book featuring an exclusive interview and photographs of Miyazaki's workshop by photographer Kishin Shinoyama. According to the Twitter, a photograph of Miyazaki's bookshelf is included.
• Yamaha Music's official YouTube channel is streaming a video for Arrietty's Song.
• Several Lupin III TV episodes are airing in Southern California.
• Totoro cameo in Toy Story 3 explained.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa and Daniel Zelter for the news.

--LLin 18:48, 12 July 2010 (UTC)

Mid-July Random News Bits

• Totoro makes a few appearances in Toy Story 3 and its accompanying "Art of" book. This review of the book contains a pencil sketch of a box spaceship with a familiar character bringing up the rear.
• Tales from Earthsea received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
• Joe Hisaishi's blog reports that the composer landed arrived at Heathrow Airport on Friday.
• The Arrietty exhibition's official website has been updated. The text is available in Japanese and English.
• The magazine "Movie (pia)" latest issue features Studio Ghibli. It will be released on July 17 with a bonus Arrietty mini book titled "50 Arrietty Secrets".
• Studio Ghibli blogger Nishioka shows off the upcoming Nausicaa BD. 7 netshopping has a special bundle with a bonus books "Studio Ghibli DVD/BD/VIDEO List 2010" and "Studio Ghibli Story".
• NTV's special program "What is the Celts civilization that affected Ghibli?" revealed that Miyazaki, Suzuki and Oshii visited the Irish Aran Islands in 1988. According to Suzuki, Miyazaki often watched the Kilmurvey House in the setting sun. It later became the model of a house in Kiki's Delivery Service.

Thanks to Kevin Thomas, Daniel Zelter, and T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 06:57, 10 July 2010 (UTC)

Tales from Earthsea US Trailer

The Apple website is featuring the trailer for the US release of Tales from Earthsea.

The official US website is also up and running.

--LLin 23:22, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

Yonebayasi Interview, Karakasa-kun on SomeTube

NTV broadcast an interview with Hiromasa 'Maro' Yonebayashi, director of Arrietty. Excerpt from the talk:

Q: What did you feel when you said do the director?

A: I felt it was nonsense. (laughs) Because I do not have the experience with e-konte (storyboards), I thought something was wrong with them. (laughs) I think that a person who makes a film must have a message and principles, but I don't have them, so I declined the request. Then, they (Suzuki and Miyazaki) said in unison, "Don't worry, such thing is in the original book" (laughs) I started first of all because I thought they would stop me if they thought my work was bad.

Suzuki: We said to him "Read the original book first of all". The next morning Miya-san asked him, "Did you read?" He said, "I haven't read it yet ...". This continued everyday. He does not read it. He is a big gun.

The reason why Suzuki wanted to nominate him as director: Suzuki: I was surprised by his early storyboards. Despite it being his first time, they were great. There was rhythm, lenience, and severity in the storyboards. New directors usually cannot do it.

• At the 5:10 mark in the video Yonebayashi does an ink drawing of Arrietty at the request of NTV interviewer Hatori. After the sketch is completed Hatori says to Yonebayashi, "I am sorry that I say such a worthless thing, but you are good at drawing." (laughs) In the studio Hatori explained that Yonebayashi drew Arrietty in three minutes but for the first half of that time he elaborated on how he would draw it, then he drew it in a single stretch.

• The previous mentioned Karakasa-kun commercial is available on a random Tube-like website.

Thanks to AcM, hellohue, and T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 06:21, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

Studio Ghibli TV Commercial in HD

Mitsubishi Group's official YouTube channel is streaming a Studio Ghibli and MS & AD Holdings collaboration TV commercial (Kumo-kun version (Spider version)) in support of Arrietty.

There are Kumo-kun, Imomushi-kun and Karakusa-kun versions, the Karakasa-kun version has not been released.

Production staff:

• Executive Creative Director: Takashi Nakahata
• Creative Director: Konosuke Kamiya
• Planner: Konosuke Kamiya, Taichi Tanikawa
• Producer: Toshio Suzuki, Teruki Murakami
• Line Producer: Toshio Yoshikawa
• Supervisor: Hayao Miyazaki
• Animation Director: Ryohei Kawakita
• Key Animator: Makiko Suzuki
• Sound Effects: Koji Kasamatsu
• Production: Dentsu, Nakahata, Studio Ghibli, Tohoku Shinsya

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 20:54, 4 July 2010 (UTC)

NTV Summer Studio Ghibli Film Schedule

Many Studio Ghibli programs will be broadcast this summer in support of Arrietty.

NTV:

• July 2 : Porco Rosso 21:00-22:54
• July 9 : Whisper of the Heart 21:00-23:19
• July 10: Special program "What is the Celts civilization that affected Ghibli?" 10:30-11:25
• July 12: Count down mini program "Karigurashi no Arrietty - Elucidate a hidden mystery! 1 -" 24:29-24:39
• July 13: Count down mini program "Karigurashi no Arrietty - Elucidate a hidden mystery! 2 -" 24:29-24:39
• July 14: Count down mini program "Karigurashi no Arrietty - Elucidate a hidden mystery! 3 -" 24:29-24:39
• July 15: Count down mini program "Karigurashi no Arrietty - Elucidate a hidden mystery! 4 -" 24:38-24:48
• July 16: Howl's Moving Castle 21:00-23:24
• July 17: Special program "Arrietty and Yohei Taneda exhibition" 14:30-15:30
  • Nishioka announced that an Arrietty stamp type poster will be sold during this exhibition.
• July 23: My Neighbor Totoro 21:00-22:54
• July 24: Special program "Karigurashi no Arrietty - Hayao Miyazaki's staff member training method -" 16:00-17:00

NHK:

• July 4: MUSIC JAPAN (with guest Cecile Corbel) 18:10-18:40

NHK will broadcast Cecile Corbel's Tokyo concert to be held on August 4. A documentary on director Hiromasa Yonebayashi is also expected to air sometime this summer. According to Toshio Suzuki, NHK's 34 years old director has had exclusive media access to Yonebayashi since last December.

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 06:18, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

Final Arrietty Trailer

• NTV broadcast the 30-second version of Arrietty's final trailer
• The production staff and voice cast prayed for a big hit at Zojo-ji Temple and held a press conference before the preview to announce the completion of production
• Suzuki revealed that Yonebayashi was the model for Kaonashi (No Face) in Spirited Away, and when the preview finished Miyazaki suddenly stood up and raised the arm of Yonebayashi while saying, "Good job Maro!" Miyazaki later said to Suzuki, "This is the first director born and raised at Studio Ghibli."

Thanks to T. Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 06:08, 2 July 2010 (UTC)