Anime News Network TV has produced a 16-minute video that gives viewers a glimpse of how the very animes that we watch are created. ANNtv’s newest show centers on Production I.G., a 20 year old production company headed by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. The company has yet to create a representative title that says "This anime was created by Production I.G.", but this documentary is great for anyone who wishes to become an artist/animator. The video talks about the history and staff of Production I.G. More importantly, it shows how the anime we watch is constructed step-by-step by teams of artists.

In other words, if you want to create animes in the future this is the world you are entering.

To anyone who has watched the series Goldenboy this video will seem familiar. In the sixth episode of the Goldenboy anime the main character, Kintaro Oe, gets a job at an animation studio as an errand boy. In the episode, the steps and other work needed to create an animated film are shown in a simplified manner. ANNtv takes a similar approach in showing the history and work of Production I.G. and how the business of creating animes works and makes money, but with much more details.

The video also goes briefly into how fans and fansubbing affect the anime industry. Viewers will be able to see how a small production company works and the various people and jobs that make it work.

At first the CEO Mitsuhisa Ishikawa explains the history of I.G. and his philosophy, then gives a brief tour of the offices of his company. He then hands things off to a staff member, a Ms. Sekiwa, to show the viewers around the production parts of the company. She takes viewers on a tour of the various studios where artists work and explains who does what. Also shown are a few of the titles I.G. is currently working on, including Ghost Hound, a collaboration between Shirow Masamune, the creator of Ghost in the Shell, and I.G.

While a bit slow moving and narration-driven it is still a good documentary about how the Japanese animation business works. To anyone who is entering this field, is strongly into anime, or just plain curious, I strongly suggest watching this show. The video may be found here.

Source: Anime News Network