In today's animation works, we can already see the application of CG technology frequently. Even some works have been made in full CG production. Recently, A-1Pictures was interviewed by the media for Ryuta Yunto, who was responsible for the CG design of "Sword Art Online".

Q: What was the reason why Mr. Yunto wanted to make an anime? Generally speaking, I think most people enter the industry with the idea of wanting to animate or make people move.

A: I first wanted to work in the imaging field. I also like music, so I thought about adding animations to some of my music videos. I don't know how to draw, so I thought I would be able to achieve my goal if I had CG technology. That's how I entered the animation industry, but it wasn't, so I suffered a lot (laughs).

Q: When you entered the animation industry, did you start doing CG right away?

Yunteng: In the beginning, I was in charge of photography at MADHOUSE. At that time, CG was mainly used for theatrical productions with large budgets, and TV anime rarely actively adopted this technology. During a break in shooting, someone who knows CG is right next to me. I wanted to play CG, so I told them, "Let me try it if it's empty" (laughs). Then, in order to take on the challenge of CG seriously, I joined A-1Pictures, a CG-focused company. I've heard from my seniors that there are a lot of original works on A-1, so I'm fascinated.

Q: When did you start using CG in animation?

Yunten: I guess there's a certain history. After all, this is a company with a spirit of challenge. And as a member of the main production zuò, it should be Production I.G's "Ghost in the Shell STANDALONECOMPLEX". In addition, CG technology is actively used in GONZO's works. Since several companies are working on it, everyone is stimulated and slowly they are starting to promote this technology. It was probably the 90s.

Q: It's not easy to popularize CG into TV animation.

Yunto: In the beginning, even the company used to say that "CG is not needed" when making zuò animations, but we still wanted to use CG, so we advertised, "CG can do that." At that time, many people were trying to promote the merits of CG, and over time, the performers and directors were also infected, so I thought about whether to do it or not. Of course, this is just my personal feeling.

Q: Because of your efforts, you have linked CG with high-quality animation. Anyway, you mentioned that you don't know how to draw, so you couldn't do CG at first. So painting is also related to CG?

Yun Teng: At the end of the day, painting is the same as CG, and you need to be able to draw. It's just that the difference is whether you're holding a pencil or a mouse. It's just a difference in tooling. You can do some simple work with CG, but you need to be able to draw to take it a step further.

Q: Under what circumstances do you need to draw?

A: Strictly speaking, there aren't many opportunities to draw in and of themselves. Although the staff who created the model would draw the sketch beforehand, I mainly did animation work, so I rarely did anything about drawing. It's just that in some complex animations, in order to sort out the position relationship and the direction of the action in my mind, I will still draw it in the form of sketches.

Q: In some of your previous lectures, you said, "The main point of animation is to study the timing, size, and timing of the main frame." If you don't, it will look unnatural. So you need to imagine and add action at the same time. "In order to arouse that imagination, you need to draw.

Yunteng: Form an impression in your mind, and then fully restore it. In this way, a high degree of completion can be guaranteed. Therefore, my personal opinion is that even if the 2D picture can be done well, it does not necessarily mean that the CG can be done well.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this? What kind of experience do you need for someone who wants to enter the animation industry?

Yunteng: I think I can get a lot out of the movie. I love watching movies. Before you know it, you can channel the thoughts that arise when you watch a movie. Also, after entering the animation industry, your seniors will recommend you to watch a good movie, and then you will watch it. If you talk about the table of animation, then it should be science fiction. Basically, including me, all the seniors liked to watch sci-fi. For example, everyone has seen Blade Runner (laughs). It's interesting to see the difference between the CG designer and the artist's view of the work and the perspective.

Q: How many works do you participate in in a year?

A: Let's do 2~3 works a year. If it's a single-quarter work, it needs half a year's perspective, and half a year is a year. In addition, I am preparing for the work I will be responsible for in the future. A-1 is basically a season or a half-year, but the "Cosmic Brothers" (year) that I participated in took two years to make a zuò.

Q: Is there anything you've been working on so far?

Yunteng: I'm very obsessed with each work, and if I had to list a representative, it would be Sword Art Online. Although there may be less CG in the second season, monsters such as dragons in the first season are CG, and I have a lot of painstaking shots for this.

Q: How much time does it take to complete a shot?

Yunten: It varies greatly depending on the content. Some of them can take a day or two, while others can't be done for several days, and they need to be repeated repeatedly, and it may take a week to get it done.

Q: I think it takes a lot of time to make good things. But it's going to be hard to meet the deadline.

Yunten: If I'm short on time, it's hard to finish good things, so I always have enough time to deal with them. Of course, it needs to be checked before it is OK, and it also needs time to check and correct. And it's better to be ready than to rush it, and I think it's better to allow enough time for delivery.

Q: I think there are people who are inspired only when they are cornered.

Yunteng: I deny that. Once you are cornered, your mind is easy to become blank, and you can't think of good things. And I need time to look through the finished work. I think it's okay to feel this way today, but if you look at it tomorrow, you'll find something that doesn't work. Rather than working constantly, taking a break to see it again will have better quality in terms of results.

Q: I'd also like to ask you a question about the animation industry. Although the number of animations is increasing, I have heard people say that there is a shortage of talent in the industry at the moment, so what about the CG field?

Yunteng: As in other fields, there is a shortage of talent. Even in the case of A-1, there are cases where the staff is overwhelmed with the current production, so I always want to increase the number of permanent staff in the company.

Q: Photography is popular, but there aren't many CG designers. What do you think is the cause?

Yunten: I thought about it for a moment today, and I think CG is hard to get started with. Photography is basically compositing and drawing, which you may understand as an extension of PS. CG, on the other hand, is structured from scratch, which is difficult to understand, and requires a concept for painting, mathematical logic, and understanding what kind of character is appropriate. Actually, I think photography and CG are both needed, but some people are strong in ideas, and some people are good at composition, so the difference is more obvious.

Q: You need to have enough body to create a job, so do you think the job of CG designer is a career that can be done for a long time?

Yunteng: It's probably hard to do the same thing all the time, but the content of the work changes with age and professional experience, so as long as you continue to gain experience, you should be able to do it for a long time. I'm also in charge of directing now, which is different from what I did in my 20s.

Q: Looking at the current situation of the animation industry, how do you think it has changed from when you first started in the industry?

Yunteng: The quality of the graphics has improved dramatically. In the past, although some of the works were good, they were not at the same level as the current paintings. Due to the chemistry of CG, painting, and other improvements, the level of all the people involved in animation has also improved. CG that used to be used only in theatrical versions can now be used in TV series. The increased proficiency of CG personnel also helps to better understand animation performances.

Q: What do you hope the animation industry will look like in the future?

Yunten: It would be nice to add more original works. Of course, for those who want to watch the series, we should also pay attention to it. I feel like we don't want people to provide any material, but we build the characters, build the world, and design from scratch, and then make a work that no one has ever touched. This is a completely different creation from the original work. And if the original anime is adapted into a manga, there may be new discoveries.

Q: So, would you like to share your thoughts on those who want to challenge themselves in the anime?

Yunteng: You have to be concerned about all kinds of things. Maybe it's not just CG work. For example, if you like machine qì people, it's good to follow the same type of work, but then your interest will become narrower and narrower. Don't just limit yourself to what you like, but also keep an eye on what you haven't seen.

Q: A-1Pictures' work will also deserve our attention in the future!

Yunteng: There will be a lot of fascinating works in the future, really a lot. Although I can't say it here...... We're not going to stop, we're all working hard. And new works will continue to appear, so stay tuned. Please advise.