With the increasing demand for professionalism in the Japanese animation industry, more and more people need to recharge their batteries to maintain their value in the industry. In 2013, NUNOANI Juku, a professional training program for animators and producers, was launched. This is an organization headed by Ikuji Fukawa, the founder of the Clown Society. The training mainly focuses on "the ability to interpret the plan" and "the know-how of the performance". In addition to him, well-known figures in the industry, including Kiyuki Abe, Kazunori Mizuno, Atsushi Wakabayashi, and Isao Okada, are also serving as lecturers. So what is the purpose of NUNOANI Juku? Recently, some Japanese media interviewed Ikuji Fukawa to learn the truth from his mouth.

■ "NUNOANI Juku" that teaches performance and zuò making methods

Q: Mr. Ikuji Fukawa is the founder and top advisor of the Clown Society, which is now a well-known name in the industry with works such as the "Naruto" series and "I Am Britney". Now, Mr. Fukawa has opened an animation class called "NUNOANI Juku", but what exactly is taught in this class?

Buchuan: It is a training school that cultivates talents for performance and production. Students are not those who have no prior knowledge, but those who "want to become professional". We have a one-year study system, and we have been doing it for 2 years now. Starting in April this year, we will welcome our third cohort of students.

Q: There weren't many schools for professionals before. So what is the reason for the establishment of "Nunoani Juku"?

Fukawa: It's more important than the clown's wishes to be a company, but my own thoughts. There are still some deficiencies to learn from today's animation scene, and I hope to give everyone such an opportunity, which is the opportunity to establish a school.

Q: What is lacking in today's animation scene?

Fukawa: In other words, "the time to be able to systematically learn how to make animation from a bird's-eye view." When I was producing "Lucky Star Kid" at the Clown Society, I thought that the TV anime was very busy because it was broadcast every week. It's rare for young people to enter a studio that makes animation with their dreams, but they can only acquire some knowledge that they need for the job at hand, and then they are overwhelmed by the schedule, so they gradually lose "the animation they love".

"My favorite animation", "I want to make an animation like zuò...... Such a stance plays a vital role in supporting one's progress. But the scene was too hard, so everyone slowly lost themselves and didn't know what to do. Not to mention that some people can endure until the day they become experts, many more people simply give up this job because they can't continue to persevere. Similar phenomena are very frequent among young people.

Q: In other words, if you want to become an expert, you have to overcome some obstacles.

Buchuan: That's right. Although the turnover rate on the animation site is lower than before, I feel very sorry when they go to the job with their enthusiasm and lack of fulfillment. No matter what kind of company, you want to be able to properly coach your employees, place them in the right positions, and train them adequately. But it's hard to get that kind of time. So in fact, they can only be on the scene, watching behind their seniors.

Therefore, I want them to not only learn what they see in the workplace, but also observe animation from a bird's-eye perspective. That's what I want to teach.

Q: What do you mean by a bird's-eye view?

Fukawa: Let's look at animation again from a realistic business perspective. In our school, "performance" and "planning zuò" are considered as key courses, but as long as you have a bird's-eye view, you can find out "what am I doing this work for?" in your daily homework. What is the best goal? Answer. I think that way, they will be able to show their ability to make themselves happy.

It would be great if NUNOANI Juku could guide students to discover this ability. It's not so much that I'm starting a school for my own company, but that I've been taken care of in the animation industry for half a century, and now it's time to repay the favor.

■The core of animation creation is "performance"

Q: At "NUNOANI Juku", you are taught about "performances" and "planning zuò". So why lock into these two projects?

Fukawa: If you teach animators how to improve their skills and develop their abilities, then many schools can already do it. The reason why I want to teach "performance" and "planning and production" is because although these two points play a central role in animation production today, there are few places where talent can be cultivated professionally.

Q: In other words, you think that the core of animation production is "performance" and "planning production", so why do you think so?

Fukawa: First of all, let's talk about "performance". If you use the language of acting, the painting of an animator is "actor". It is the power of the performance that brings out the actor's abilities and makes the work interesting.

When we teach content in schools, we pay special attention to storytelling and storyboarding. Compared with the live-action version, the animation attaches more importance to the role of storyboards. For example, in a live-action script, the main character can be conceived as Ken Takakura, and then created, but in the animation, the storyboard must reflect the actions of the characters who appear on the scene. In other words, the behavior of the characters is already determined in the storyboard.

Q: It's true that in the case of animation, the sequence of steps is different from that of live-action works. In the animation, the action of the characters is performed with a picture table, and then the voice actor matches the voice.

Buchuan: Yes. Also, in the case of the live-action version, it is sometimes possible to make remakes or make significant editorial adjustments. However, in the case of animation, the makers will not have time to do it all over again. The most that can be cut is a few minutes and a few seconds.

Therefore, it is necessary to fully determine the direction and decide the content of the work in the storyboard stage. Color designation and art can only be started after storyboarding, so storyboarding is the design of the work, and it is also the root of a qiē step. This is a heavy dà difference from the live-action version.

Our students come from a lot of studios, and some of them are people from the game industry. In the game world, design alone can create something of a high standard. The next thing to consider is that we have to make a video that moves the guests, and this aspect is inseparable from the plot and performance ability.

In our lessons, students are asked to draw 100 storyboards in 30 minutes.

Q: 100 shots in 30 minutes!? Actually, I've been to a storyboard lecture for beginners before. At that time, almost everyone, including me, could only draw 5 storyboards in 45 minutes.

Buchuan: Speed is very important. If you use a river to describe it, the storyboard is the upstream step, so if the storyboard is not done quickly, the original painting will not be able to be carried out, and the work on the color design, art, and digital process will be stopped.

■What adds breadth to the work is "making zuò people"

Q: It seems that the course is very dense and very difficult. So what are some of the contents taught in terms of "making zuò"?

Bukawa: In today's animation scene, when it comes to making people, most of them are "works people". From getting the budget to setting the schedule, gathering the staff, and delivering the work, that's their job.

And I think about one more point: in the future, "self-made zuò people" is also very important. The meaning of this job is to "make the work more popular". The specific content lies in "how to get money and what schedule to put the work in to become popular".

When I created "I'm Britney" as a producer, there was no clear way to sell the anime, and there was no way to promote it to people over the age of 10. At that time, we had to figure out how to structure an original story, how to understand the sponsor's idea and launch the product, how to make the work popular, etc. In particular, "I Am Britney" is our company's earliest original work, and I am a creator, so it is full of various firsts.

The experience that touched me deeply at that time has been continued from "I Am Britney" to the follow-up magical girl series of the Clown Society.

Even if our students don't work as a producer, but only do a part of animation production, I want them to have at least the knowledge to do so. If you don't realize how to make a work popular and just use the budget, then the work is doomed.

Especially in terms of the entire animation market in Japan today, making zuò people is very important. The quality of Japanese animation is very high. Next, it is time to open up overseas markets.

■"NUNOANI Juku" will be strengthened for specialists

Q: Mr. Fukawa believes that "performances" and "planning zuò" will be indispensable for Japanese animation in the future, and this is the purpose of the establishment of "NUNOANI Juku". Tell us about the course below.

Fukawa: Roughly every other week, we have a four-hour class that starts during the day. The course is divided into 3 parts, I am responsible for the explanation of the people, followed by the explanation of the performance, and finally the explanation of the story.

Although it is very difficult for students to talk about so much content in a day, after all, most of the students are also from the animation industry, so they are very busy with on-site work, so they don't have much time to come and listen to the lectures. The day on Saturday is relatively free, so we'll leave it on this day.

I also told the students that I hope I don't tell anyone else what I learned in class. After all, this is a course for experts, so there will be a lot of surprises. Something like "I can't use this method to sign a contract" (laughs).

Q: That's really a concern...... (laughs). So who are the lecturers?

Fukawa: First of all, I invited Isao Okada, who is also a lecturer at Tohoku University of the Arts, to give a lecture on storytelling. Mr. Okada is a person who studied drama engineering in Hollywood. For example, in the "Storytelling" course, students write stories and perform their own works in the form of about five people. During the performance, if you think of what kind of plot unfolding and characters will appear, you can exchange opinions with each other. We don't have one person to think about the story for themselves, so that everyone notices a lot of things. So there will be advantages that make people keep improving.

Q: What about the performances?

Buchuan: The three main aspects of the performance, the drama performance, and the drama are mainly conducted by three lecturers. Mr. Abe is the director of "Yuyu Hakusho" and "Hot Pony", and although he is a versatile talent, he is especially good at action and comedy works. Mr. Kazunori Mizuno is a super expert in episode performances. He is best at romantic performances, and as long as he participates in the work, it will make the TV series more in-depth, which is also one of his characteristics. Mr. Wakabayashi is an animator who is famous for "Naruto", which is the so-called Mr. Miyazaki. He takes the route of the orthodox masterpiece, and often tells everyone: Layout must be done well!

There are many different personalities and teaching styles of lecturers. Because I want them to be able to tell the students about the variety of performance styles. Students can tell which type they belong to, and I want them to find a style that suits them.

Nowadays, in the field of "acting", I think there is a great possibility for those who want to participate in animation production. For example, even if an animator must have a painter to survive, even if the artist is not particularly good, as long as he has a good acting technique, he can still do something. For example, through guò3DCG to express xiàn works. It can be said that it is an era when people can choose the method of making zuò.

Although it is 3DCG, Japan still shows a strong 2D characteristic, so how can we use digital technology to express this technology in the future? I hope they can master this.

■ To become an expert, there are some things that are necessary

Q: What kind of students are the students of "NUNOANI Juku"?

Buchuan: People from various studios. I think it's nice to have "NUNOANI Juku" as a place to exchange information. Even if they are all in the same industry, if they are not in the same company, there is often a lack of communication. I think it's very rewarding to be able to share each other's positions.

Q: In other words, all the people who come here to study are professionals?

Bukawa: A lot of people are in the animation industry, but there are also people who haven't made it to the studio. For example, there are people in the game industry who I mentioned earlier, and there are people who come here who work for ordinary companies and want to use images to make videos for presentation, in order to add some positive factors to their current jobs. If you can become a student, even if you don't have practical experience, as long as you have basic knowledge of image tables, then you will be fine.

…… However, there is one thing I can't commit.

In other words, I would tell the students: don't think about coming to work in the clown club.

Even if they get into NUNOANI Juku, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to join the Clown Club, and I don't want that. Of course, if you improve your level and really come to our company in the future, it won't be fine, but I can't make sure that after you get out of here, you can work in an animation production company, and then you can become a performer or a producer for a year.

After all, the cultivation of people and the level of improvement are not the same.

At the end of the day, the purpose of this school was only because there was "no place for professionals to learn", so I didn't make any exaggerated publicity.

However, there is one thing that makes me feel more difficult, and that is "people with lofty aspirations". "Longing" for the animation industry, just because of this reason, they gave up the opportunity to work in a good company and came to join the animation industry. In the face of this situation, I often say to them: "Longing is just longing after all, just keep this mood, don't act".

Even if you give up your job today, there is no guarantee of future growth in our industry. I don't be surprised to say, "It's a world full of dreams, please." Even if we can provide a place to study, we will not do anything to persuade us.

Q: How did you feel about opening NUNOANI Juku in the past two years?

Buchuan: Lately, people have always had the feeling that they were stupid. When I was mentoring Abe-kun and Mizuno-kun, they both broke the casserole and asked the question. Not only memorize the content of the handouts, but also actively promote it, showing a desire to take over the technology. If you want to do a storyboard, then you should have the courage to come up with a storyboard. I hope you all have this kind of affection. I hope you think so.

■ Something that can only be learned by drawing 8,000 pictures

Q: What did Mr. Fukawa learn from the animation production?

Fukawa: I entered the animation industry as an animator, established the Clown Studio, and soon became involved in planning and management, work planning, and performances.

At this time, something happened that became a turning point in my life.

At the time, I was in charge of the second episode of Niels Goose Ride, and the plot of that episode got to the heart of the story. And I got to see the whole process of painting.

That episode cost 8,000 sheets of drawing paper. It's a TV series.

Q: I still remember the second episode. That's a great plot. However, it was still very impressive to use 8,000 copies. I've heard that TV series at that time were estimated to average about 3,000 shots per episode.

Buchuan: That's right. After the second episode, the planner who manages the budget rushed over and shouted: "If you continue like this, the company will be finished!" "At that moment, I realized that I was the person in charge of the company.

I also realized this: yes, making a good work is different from running a company...... For this reason, I also sealed my heart as an artist. For this reason, he left the actual production site and began to concentrate on the business and planning industry. As a result, I feel that I have created an environment where creators can create with peace of mind.

■There are some things that overseas fans don't know about Japanese people

Q: You said, "When I think about the situation of Japanese animation as a whole, I think it's very important to make people. ”

So why do you think it's important to make zuò people?

Fukawa: In the future, Japanese animation should also consider the situation overseas. When I was thinking about the future of animation, I realized that if we relied on the Japanese market alone, the population was decreasing, and it would not be enough to be developmental.

Now it is a market of 120 million people, and it will be very happy for the production party. It seems that no matter how you do it, you can recycle it. But the good things won't last.

South Korea is now on the offensive. The country has a small population, so it cannot survive on domestic demand. Therefore, in the name of "Hallyu", they have created a very large market in the TV drama and idol industry. I think Japan should do the same, and I will continue to promote it to the world.

Q: The Naruto series has gained a lot of popularity abroad.

Fukawa: Naruto didn't think about overseas at first, but overseas guests found out about the work and supported it. The theme of "ninja" itself is very popular, and the plot drawn by the original author Kishimoto Saishi has also surpassed the international world and won the favor of the world.

With the exception of Naruto, those of us in Japan don't know that there are actually many overseas customers who have their own customers. After experiencing the popularity of Japanese animation overseas, I felt amazing. The animations that were previously made in zuò have also won so much support.

When Takada-chan (Akemi Takada) of "I Am Britney" went to Italy, a lot of fans gathered. And we worked with Germany on the second season of "Mayan Adventures", but not only in Germany, but also in Austria, Belgium and other countries around me, "I watched Maya's adventures when I was a kid. "We were surprised that we were so moved by Maya (laughs).

I was invited to my home by a young friend in Germany whose father was a judge and whose mother was a Chinese teacher, and the parents said, "My child has become a good child because of watching "Niels Riding a Goose" (laughs).

Q: When I say "overseas", I imagine changing the style of Japanese animation today to cater to people living abroad. However, except for some of the animations made in the past, the others were not foreign-oriented, but only localized. So why is it so popular abroad?

Fukawa: I think it's mainly because the guests are used to watching Japanese anime. When "I Am Britney" began to be broadcast overseas, many viewers complained: "The eyes are too big" and "It's an eyeball monster at all". But slowly everyone got used to it, and it became popular.

When I first went to Germany, the Germans were frightened by the face of Xiaolian after watching "The Girl of the Alps". They said, "What is this round face with a red flutter, it's completely different from what we see in the album." However, after replaying it a few times, someone slowly said, "The children were very moved and cried when they watched it."

Seeing the reactions of overseas audiences so far, I don't think there is a need for Japanese anime works to change their style in order to cater to overseas audiences. At the moment, this is enough to be a fascinating and powerful piece of communication.

Q: What are some of the charms of Japanese animation that are not found in overseas works?

Fukawa: The plot of Japanese animation is very straightforward. Since our country has a limit on the number of pictures that can be painted, it has developed because of this, so in this historical context, we pay more attention to the moving aspect of the plot than more actions.

In addition, the realism of the setting should also be very charming. In "Travels on a Goose", we also tried to restore the scenery of Sweden and the lives of the people as realistically as possible. However, at that time, it was impossible for all the production personnel to go there to collect materials, so only Mr. Mitsuyoshi Nakamura, who was the art director, realized his dream of shooting in the local area. Tableware, tables, windows, from which side, wooden shoes...... He carried out a meticulous and thorough investigation and described everything in detail.

And the more realistic the Japanese works are, the more serious they are about the setting. For example, in "English Fetish Emma" made by our company, the protagonist is a 19th century British maid, and the original author, Kaoru Mori, is also a person who cares about details, so in the animation, we even set the way the nobles drank black tea in the 19th century, very carefully.

Japanese animation is also among the best in the world. The next question is how to sell it. From the stage of making a work, an important job of the maker is to think about how to convey the work to the world. We hope that "NUNOANI Juku" will be able to cultivate such human resources.

Q: What are the core issues that Mr. Fukawa considers when it comes to developing overseas markets?

Buchuan: Infrastructure. Both Hollywood and Disney will build a foundation through movies and television beforehand, and then just need to bring in the product. It's very unpleasant (laughs). As far as Japan is concerned, I don't think we can win by trying to make works that open up overseas markets just by relying on the current foundation.

If there's a chance to win, it's the Internet. Animation is also currently spreading in the next era such as guò network delivery, and the charm of the next era has begun to spread. We should broaden our horizons and think about what and where it will become popular. Then conduct research.

However, the current business model of network distribution is only a transitional period, and the current form is not the "right answer". If there is a breakthrough point that can make money, the industry will suddenly take on a new look at that time.

Q: With the future of Japanese animation in mind, what would you like to say to those who are considering joining NUNOANI Juku?

Fukawa: Thanks to digital technology, the way in which works are made has changed a lot, both in terms of operation and in terms of building the foundation. The animation system has also undergone a qualitative change from the operational level of "how many pictures are in an animation". I think animation will become a better business project in the future.

In terms of the method of distribution, whether it is a system for spending money or a system for operating works with the media, we have to wait and see. We're also exploring a wide range of possibilities.

I want to see the future from animation, and I want to open up an era. This is an approach that requires everyone to think about it together, and I hope that you can learn from the opportunity to be inspired. If there is an increase in the number of "experts" in the true sense of the word, then the animation will also change.

Q: Thank you for your time today.

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