Join us for a laid back discussion about internationally acclaimed animation director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and how he utilizes storyboards to plan and create his films. One of our regular hosts, Devan Scott, is away this week, so our associate producer and resident Ghibli enthusiast Paige Smith joins Will Ross to explore how Miyazaki works — and how that affects his films.
In this episode, we discuss:
Hayao Miyazaki’s unique animation production model where instead of writing a traditional script, he creates and advocates for detailed storyboards.
A brief overview of Miyazaki’s career, including his varied history of adaptations.
How, because of his insistence of detailed and personally created storyboards, the animation production of his films often starts before he has finished writing the story for his films.
Our thoughts on the endings of Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service, both results of Miyazaki’s instinctual story development process.
Some stray thoughts on another giant of Japanese animation, Makoto Shinkai, and contrasts between him and Miyazaki.
Some of Paige’s personal experiences with “writing” films by drawing.
Additional Resources:
Films and TV shows discussed during this episode:
Hayao Miyazaki’s Future Boy Conan (1978)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Spirited Away (2001)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
The Wind Rises (2013)
Mami Sunada’s documentary film The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. (2016)
and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Further Reading
“Learn A Valuable Lesson About Storytelling From Hayao Miyazaki”: Article containing excerpts from the anthology book Starting Point, 1979-1996 in which Miyazaki describes how to develop an idea for a film. We also discuss parts of the book throughout the episode.
Some storyboard images are visible in this book review of The Art of Spirited Away…
…as well as this one of The Art of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Storyboards drawn by Makoto Shinkai for the opening sequence of Your Name (2016).
About Paige Smith
Paige Smith is an experimental filmmaker and media artist based out of Vancouver, Canada. She received her BFA in Film from Simon Fraser University (18), and was selected for the Vancouver International Film Festival Mentorship Program (18). Her artwork often uses reflective techniques to investigate viewer perceptions and the possibilities of her mediums. She approaches her work with a queer perspective and methodology. Her work often explores themes of sexism, internalized homophobia, voyeurism, hierarchies of art-making, and viewer interactions.
Smith is currently researching / creating work related to the themes of indigenization, environmentalism, and futurism. She continues to explore the materiality and limits of filmmaking and media art installation.
Her artwork has recently been shown at the Richmond World Festival with Cinevolution’s Digital Carnival (19) and with the Victoria Shorts Film Festival (19). Smith has previously screened at the Moonrise Film Festival where she won the Audience Choice Award for Best Experimental Film (16), the Montreal World Film Festival (15), and at Reel Youth Film Festival with the Vancouver International Film Festival where she won the Audience Choice Award (12). She also has worked in video journalism, and earned the Finalist Nomination for Best Video at the Associated Collegiate Press national student newspaper conference (16).
