how does anime production work

How is Anime Made?

• Getting the Green Light. Every anime has to start with a story idea. ...
• The Pre-production Phase. “Pre-production” is the phase of the project before anyone has actually started making the show. ...
• A Word on Animation. ...
• Storyboards. ...
• Creating Layout. ...
• Key Animation. ...
In Between Artists. ...
Going Digital. ...
After Animation Ends. ...
For the Sake of Accuracy. ...

Full Answer

How are anime series produced?

This overview will take a look at the traditional cel animation used by Toei Animation up until 2002 to produce an animated TV series, from its original concept to the final product. The process begins with a planning meeting between the episode’s main production staff, which includes the episode’s writer, director, and the series’ producers.

How do the companies that make anime make money?

Most of all, they collect the profits from the sales. Sometimes, multiple production companies are involved in a single anime. Studios (e.g. A-1 Pictures, Bones, J.C. Staff, Kyoto Animation, Madhouse, Production I.G, Studio Ghibli, Trigger) are the ones who staff, pay, and create the actual anime.

How long does it take to make an anime?

For most of us, anime production is all smoke and mirrors. The distance between the concept art and the finished masterpiece is the length of a typical 12-week season. Truth be told, unless you’re fluent in Japanese, the production process governing Japanese animation is shrouded in mystery.

What is the job description of an animation producer?

You have the Animation Producer, who usually works at the actual animation studio that's subcontracted to do the work. They're in charge of keeping the animation itself funded, staffed, and moving forward, bringing in outside help and subcontracting to other studios when necessary.

How does anime get produced?

It combines graphic art, characterization, cinematography, and other forms of imaginative and individualistic techniques. Compared to Western animation, anime production generally focuses less on movement, and more on the detail of settings and use of "camera effects", such as panning, zooming, and angle shots.

How anime is made step by step?

How is Anime Made?Getting the Green Light. Every anime has to start with a story idea. ... The Pre-production Phase. “Pre-production” is the phase of the project before anyone has actually started making the show. ... A Word on Animation. ... Storyboards. ... Creating Layout. ... Key Animation. ... In Between Artists. ... Going Digital.More items...

What does an anime production company do?

They are the management of a production, in charge of keeping things moving, everybody working, spending money wisely, hiring, firing, and everything else that goes into making a show (aside from the creative part). It's a big job, and it's usually spread out across multiple people.

How long is an anime in production?

Some episodes will get seven weeks. Then six. There are times when whole episodes are produced in as little as four or five weeks.

What is the #1 anime?

Anime Top 10Top 10 Best Rated (bayesian estimate) (Top 50)#titlerating1Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV)9.082Steins;Gate (TV)9.043Clannad After Story (TV)9.028 more rows

Is anime expensive to make?

According to Masamune Sakaki , a CG creator in the anime industry, an average 13-episode anime season costs around 250 million yen (or $2 million). He also made it clear that most anime can't recoup this expense, and the industry rests on the windfall of a few big hits.

How hard is it to create anime?

Making an anime is no simple task. It's an entire process of building and illustrating a world, finding motivations, weaving stories – this is a major undertaking! However, it's also a great exercise in creativity. If you're passionate about anime, you'll probably really enjoy making your own.

How long does it take to make 1 episode of anime?

roughly one monthAnd how long does one episode take to create? Each twenty four minute episode takes roughly one month to complete. There are 4-5 people working on scenes that were either suggested or requested by the animator.

Can foreigners work in anime?

Inside Japan, there are occasionally foreigners that get hired as animators and slowly work their way up the meritocracy of the animation studio. Some are Korean, like Eunyoung Choi , who started off as an in-betweener and has gone on to become a key animator, animation director, episode director and storyboard artist.

How much does it cost to make an anime episode?

An anime episode can cost between US$100,000 and US$300,000 to produce. That maximum is around 6 times bigger than what I thought an anime episode could cost at most (considering that what's animated is a top series, with top animators, top animation programs, top voice actors and so on).

How long does it take to animate 1 minute?

Therefore, a 1 minute animation: 60 seconds = Between 6 to 12+ days. You should also assume that an animator will work extra days into this to allow for: Storyboarding.

How much do anime animators make?

The salaries of Anime Artists in the US range from $36,930 to $113,600 , with a median salary of $63,970 . The middle 60% of Anime Artists makes $63,970, with the top 80% making $113,600.

What is traditional animation?

Traditional animation is a technique in which each frame is drawn by hand on clear celluloid sheets and placed over a static background image to create a composite image. This process can be divided up into several basic stages, although this guide will cover those aspects beyond just that of the animation itself. This overview will take a look at the traditional cel animation used by Toei Animation up until 2002 to produce an animated TV series, from its original concept to the final product.

How does post production work?

Although many of the post production processes are performed digitally , the majority of the planning stages remain virtually identical to the traditional animation process. Based on the final script, the episode director draws a storyboard of rough sketches detailing the entire episode. After an episode’s script and storyboard have been established, cuts are delegated between the key animation artists to create their respective layouts.

What is cel animation?

Traditional cel animation is the oldest, and historically, had been the most popular form of animation until the advent of digital animation. In a traditionally-animated cartoon, each frame is drawn by hand on a celluloid sheet, painted with a brush, and sent to be photographed onto film stock. Most animation today, while still initially being ...

What is the most important stage in animation?

Stage 5: Key Animation. With their layouts approved, the key animators begin drawing the episode’s key frames, which is arguably the most important stage in the animation process, as these are the frames that will ultimately create each scene.

What is the role of an animation supervisor?

The animation supervisor is responsible for overseeing all aspects of key animation, including the layouts. If a layout is too poorly drawn, or strays from the character design, the animation supervisor will revise it with the appropriate corrections. When the layouts have been approved by both the episode director and animation supervisor, they are photocopied and the originals are sent to the art department to begin work on the background art.

What is a timing chart in animation?

In some instances when an element in the animation is not linear, such as the movement of an arm, tail, or head, the key animator will include a timing chart to indicate the timing and placement of that element’s movement in-between the key frames.

How many backgrounds are there in a TV show?

Similar to the key animation drawings, the background art is still painted by hand on physical media and then digitally scanned into the animation software at high resolutions. The backgrounds are then digitally touched up, removing any imperfections and adjusting color tones as desired. On average, a modern animated TV episode is comprised of approximately 300 backgrounds.

What happens after you set the keys in Animate?

This means adding all the images to smooth the animation out, cleaning up all the lines to make it easy to color . This can be the most time consuming part of the work, so there are usually a lot of animators required for this job.

Can you make an anime of your own?

Many anime viewers probably felt it would be cool to make an anime of their own, or have their ideas turned into anime at the very least. It is, however, a pretty long process with a lot of people working on these episodes or movies, so creating them requires a lot of work and dedication.

How much does an animator make in Japan?

According to the Japanese Animation Creators Association, an animator in Japan earns on average ¥1.1 million (~$10,000) per year in their 20s, ¥2.1 million (~$19,000) in their 30s, and a livable but still meagre ¥3.5 million (~$31,000) in their 40s and 50s. The poverty line in Japan is ¥2.2 million.

When was the first anime made?

The f irst animated film released in Japan, and therefore the first anime, was probably released in late 1916 or very early ’17 by Shimokawa Oten, made with chalk, and less than five minutes long. The uncertainty comes from the fact that most early Japanese films were dismantled after the reels were finished.

How many animators quit?

33% of animators are paying back student loans. Wikipedia article even says around 90% of animators quit in the first year due to poverty.

What is pre production?

Pre-production. This is the planning and financing stage. The anime production company is in charge of fronting costs for staffing, broadcasting, and distribution. In essence, they pay studios to make it, television stations to air it, and the licensor to distribute it domestically and internationally.

What is the final stage of in production?

The final stage of in-production is filming, in which composition, special effects, and editing are finalized. Post-Production. With the end in sight, the production assistant sends the final cels to the recording director for post-production.

Is anime a labor of love?

Anime is also a labour of love and one that requires the talents of many people, as well as the patience of a select few. After all, it is one that requires many, many steps. The success of even one episode is no small feat, and one misstep can have dire consequences for the entire production.

Who is responsible for the storyboards?

The director is usually responsible for the storyboards, as well. In long-running TV-anime, as opposed to seasonal anime, storyboards usually fall to different storyboarders. In an ideal world, the storyboards would be finished before an episode goes into production.

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What do producers do in anime?

The series producers work directly for the planning and production companies, such as the broadcasting company Fuji TV, the animation studio Toei Animation, or various consulting advertising companies. Producers are involved in the planning stages of production and provide input from their respective company throughout the series’ production.

What is the pre-production stage of animation?

This is the stage at which all of the animation is produced based on the plan and schedule developed in the pre-production stage. Prior to an episode’s actual production, the series director holds an animation meeting with the episode’s assigned production staff (episode director, assistant director, assistant production manager, animation supervisor, and art director) to ensure that nothing has been missed and to establish a production schedule. During these meetings, the animation supervisor and main artwork staff (art director and key animators) use the storyboards to check the overall feel of the episode, including the positions of the characters, angles, light direction, shadows, etc. This is where the strength of the pre-production work is put to the test. Scenes are also divided up among the key animators and layouts of these scenes are decided upon. For a more in-depth look at the animation production process, please read our guide on the Animation Process.

What is the job of a chief animator?

The chief animation supervisor works directly under the supervising director of animation and acts as a second layer of quality control, correcting drawings prior to being reviewed by the chief animator or supervising director of animation. They are responsible for overseeing a specific episode’s overall animation and directly supervise the episode’s animation supervisor (s). Once key drawings have been approved by the episode’s animation supervisor, the chief animation supervisor further checks and corrects them. Key drawings that have been approved by both the animation supervisor and chief animation supervisor are then given to the series’ supervising director of animation for a final check. When needed, or as dictated by the production schedule, the chief animation supervisor will assist the supervising director of animation and perform an episode’s final animation check.

What is an animation supervisor?

The animation supervisor is the first layer of quality control for an episode and is responsible for overseeing, checking, and correcting the key animator’s layouts and drawings. The corrections can be for many reasons, but are most often to bring the characters “on-model” so that they more accurately reflect the character designs. They often work closely with the chief animation supervisor, but overall, the final look of the episode hinges on the artistic abilities of the animation supervisor. In some instances multiple animation supervisors will work on a single episode, with each one supervising a specific portion of the episode.

What is a key animator?

Key animators are typically some of the more talented artists in the studio, sometimes even taking on the role of animation supervisor or assistant animation supervisor as needed. These artists are responsible for drawing the pivotal moments within the animation that will ultimately define a scene’s motion. Prior to drawing the key frames, key animators will create layouts (more detailed versions of the storyboard image) of the cuts or scenes they have been assigned. These layouts serve as a blueprint for the following stages of animation, mapping out how the characters and scenery should be framed, as well as depicting the exact details of how the characters are to be positioned.

What is a production manager?

The production manager is responsible for the management of all processes, procedures, and deliverables of a production. They often work closely with the animation supervisor or chief animation supervisor to ensure that everything is on schedule, staying within budget, and that production milestones are met.

What is the role of a color designer in animation?

The color designer is responsible for setting the main color palette to be used by the finishing department to color completed animation. The color palette is developed to reflect the series director’s vision for the visual appearance of the series. Prior to the use of digital coloring techniques using specified RGB color codes that are consistent between computers, the color palette was established using physical swabs of paint that could vary from studio to studio.

What is the first bit of animation?

The first bit of animation is a little hard to pin down, since some test animation is often done early on by the core team of animators, both for promotion and to attract investment in the project. Some of this animation usually finds its way into the final product.

Who is the creator of Answerman?

Anime News Network founder Justin Sevakis wrote Answerman between July 2013 and August 2019, and had over 20 years of experience in the anime business at the time. These days, he's the owner of the video production company MediaOCD, where he produces many anime Blu-rays. You can follow him on Twitter at @worldofcrap.