Informative Speech On Studio Ghibli

In this paper, I will discuss the storytelling, acting, cinematography,

Spalding’s written work “Period Films in the Prewar Era” details the poignant aspects of and provides an insight into period films otherwise known as jidai-geki. Including a vast range of movie genres, period films were produced during the fall of feudalism in Japan drawing inspiration from traditional Kabuki theater and heavily focusing on combat. Lisa Spalding provides insight on how period films grew widely prevalent and how the increasing popularity of these films drew shifts in society drawing large crowds of people. With that, “Period Films in the Prewar Era” aims to discussing famous individuals who contributed to this category of film such as Makino Shozo, a director/later producer who was the developer of this category

The following year Miyazaki also met Akemi Ota, an animator that then became his wife in 1968. Overall Miyazaki worked in a total of six different animation studios, his positions varied from director to animator but his work also influenced many other directors or screenwriters within those companies. Having grown independent from the companies he set off to start his own company known today as Studio Ghibli.

Created by the Toei Doga Company, this film showed that full-length animated feature films were a viable commercial product in the Japanese market (MacWilliams 50). Previously only animated films from foreign nations reached Japanese theatres, mostly coming from the United States.

Gojira (a.k.a. Godzilla) has come a long way since its 1954 debut, spawning dozens of increasingly silly sequels and growing into one of the most recognizable franchises to date. However these ridiculous sequels have created a tendency to overlook Ishiro Honda’s “Gojira” as just another monster movie, but Gojira is much more than that. From a technical perspective, Gojira is a collaborative effort from some of Japans most renowned film makers, most notably film director Ishiro Honda and special effects expert Eiji Tsuburaya. They raised the bar not only from a technical standpoint, with their ingenious use of visual effects and intricate sets, but also helped further a more or less unexplored genre of movie in Japan (and arguably the world) which influenced a whole new generation of films. The film itself acted as a much deeper social commentary for Japan during the post-World War II era - it was a way to discuss what still were taboo subjects at the time. These subjects were mainly related to the recent nuclear bomb testing and the recent horrors of nuclear warheads the country experienced during World War II.

Japanese film went through a huge expansion prior and during WWII, but remained isolated within the countries film industry until after the war. With the help of the Edison Kinetograph, the first viable motion-picture camera, Japanese film went through a more violent and sexualized period. This “primitive” movement, powered by Kabuki Theater, occurred because of the popularity and influence of the older, more revered style (Cook 565). Kabuki plays were “highly stylized and somewhat [had an] overwrought dramatic form,” (Cook 565). This lead to Kabuki styled-films to enter into mainstream cinema, providing stories that went from stage to screen and encouraged the growth of the Japanese film industry.

Ever since its first introduction in 1893, motion pictures have become a remarkably successful medium that portray drama and arouse the audiences’ emotions. It allowed for the audience to escape from the hassles of everyday life and immerse themselves into the world of the story’s narrative. From the 1920s to the 1960s, motion pictures began to dramatically develop, building on the practices established from the previous years of film. Prior to this period, motion pictures were only silent films. In 1927 and the early 1950s, the addition of sound and color began to revolutionize film aesthetics and the industry as a whole.

Schilling, Mark, Mr. "Kurosawa Akira: Reflections on a Movie Legend." Japan Quarterly 46.1 (1999): 1-7. Web.

The film industry has continuously changed since its inception due to rapid technology advancements. Camera technology has been a key factor that has influenced the growth of filmmaking. The first motion picture in the world was produced in the early 1880s, and the first public screening occurred ten years later. It didn’t take long for the quality of films to improve as new filmmaking equipment emerged. Ever since the first movie was produced, the film industry has been continuously changing in response to emerging filmmaking technology. Introduction of digital photography and digital data storage along with the development of internet significantly influenced the film industry (Barsam, 2015). These technologies contributed

Post-war Japanese society is a world where High and Low art is blurred together by otaku, such as anime, and social class. However, Takashi Murakami straddles the line. Murakami spills a mix of Nihanga and Otaku into the canvases, plastic toys, handbags, shoes, etc; endorsing his own theory/style named “Superflat”. Using strategical subject matter such as popular Japanese comic figures combined with ukiyo-e(traditional Japanese block prints), and addressing these contrasting qualities to outside cultures; Murakami intensifies what Pop Art accomplished, art versus material. On other feelings, one could argue that “Superflat” isn’t a unique, Japan-identified style, that “Superflat” is a humiliation to the Contemporary Art world because of its commercialism. Lastly, that is a continuation of the already well developed Pop Art. On the supporting side, Murakami’s “Superflat” is a high-energy, cross-culture style that serves as a new way to represent the high and low of art that is considerably unique to Japan. To support this, Murakami’s past and present artwork will have to be established chronologically to illustrate how the timeline affects his work.

The medium of film has garnered a wide variety of influences over its relatively short existence as an art form. However, as in all art traditions only a select few have made significant contributions and are hailed as influential figures. This concept is more difficult to define in film due to it being a collaborative process involving many people’s talent and hard work. Even so, the products that result can be tied to the director and the critical decisions they made regarding the film. In my opinion, the three directors I have chosen for their influence and significance are John Ford, Akira Kurosawa, and the Coen brothers.

In this essay I will be discussing five key points throughout Post Production history between the 1900s-1960s. Post Production is seen as a vital component in the cinematic industry as it essentially finalises the final products. Techniques that have been developed over the years are incredibly important, but they all have an origin. Although these techniques started out without overwhelming effect, they are now unbelievably crucial to how films are constructed. The five points I wish to discuss go as follows: The Great Train Robbery and Edwin Porter himself, D.W. Griffith and his overwhelming influence on editing, The Jazz Singer, the Kuleshov Effect and finally, 2001: A Space Odyssey. As well as discussing these key factors, this essay will take into consideration secondary material.

In the 1900’s, Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films influenced directors with his cinematography, editing style and imagery, which heightened

Viewing Hiyao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" for the third time, I was struck by a quality between generosity and love. On earlier viewings I was caught up by the boundless imagination of the story. This time I began to focus on the elements in the picture that didn't need to be there. Animation is a painstaking process, and there is a tendency to simplify its visual elements. Miyazaki, in contrast, offers complexity. His backgrounds are rich in detail, his canvas embraces space liberally, and it is all drawn with meticulous attention. We may not pay much conscious attention to the corners of the frame, but we know they are there, and they reinforce the remarkable precision of his fantasy worlds.

Their company however was a failure and both started to work in animation at the Kansas City Film Ad Company. After learning all about animation, he pursued another start-up with another co-worker Fred Harman. This time he created an animation business and started screening cartoon’s titled “Laugh-O-Grams” in a local theatre. Following their success, Disney acquired Laugh-O-Gram studios, which soon went bankrupt due to Walt’s poor financial management. Later that year, Walt and his Brother Roy opened Disney Brothers’ Studio in Hollywood, California (WDFM, 2012). He then started selling his produced cartoons to a New York distributor that was a huge success. Everything was going well until Disney found out that his client had hired Walt’s animators under contract and took the rights to his most popular animated characters (Gabler, 2006).