|
The Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Foundation has held the 7th Annual Marc Davis Lecture on Animation on the topic of Japanese Animation. Every year, the Marc Davis Lecture focuses on the medium and the industry of animation. However this year was the first time in which the subject matter was on the theme of Japanese Animation. The title of the panel was "Drawing from Japan: Anime and its Influences." As proponents of the Anime industry, Producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of the feature film Ghost In The Shell and Blood: The Last Vampire, and Director Kunihiko Ikuhara from Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie were invited as guest panel lecturers to hold a discussion session on stage.
The panel was divided into five discussion sessions. After showing three-minute clips of feature films on Japanese Animation, the discussion sessions were held as the panelists answered the questions of the moderator. The sequences of film presentations and discussions:
1. INROADS:
ASTRO BOY 1963
AKIRA 1988
Panelist: Moderator Jerry Beck and Fred Patten
2.THE KUROSAWA OF ANIMATION:
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 1988
PORCO ROSSO 1992
PRINCESS MONONOKE 1997
Panelist: Eric Goldberg
3.KICKING THE KIDSTUFF:
WICKED CITY 1987
PERFECT BLUE 1977
GHOST IN THE SHELL 1995
Panelist: Mark Dippe
4.UNIQUELY JAPANESE:
POMPOKO 1994
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES 1988
PRINCESS MONONOKE 1997
Panelist: Lisa Atkinson
5.THE NEXT GENERATION:
BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE 2000
THE ADOLESCENCE UTENA 1999
Panelist: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Kunihiko Ikuhara
Each of the panelists discussed about their relationship of the featured film and their current stance on Japanese Animation.
The panelist for Astro Boy and Akira was Fred Patten. He is a renowned Japanese Animation historian who discussed on the origins of stylistic features of Anime
Director Eric Goldberg of Pocahontas was the next lecturer after the presentations of My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, and Princess Mononoke. He is a loyal supporter of Hayao Miyazaki Animation and praised Miyazaki achievements.
After Wicked City, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in The Shell, Director Mark Dippe of Spawn went on stage as the next panelist. He has also worked with Industrial Light and Magic as a visual supervisor on such films as Jurassic Park, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and The Abyss. He went into discussion on the influences of Anime into the visual and special effects of Hollywood films.
Lisa Atkinson lectured on her role in the production and assistance on the films Ponpoko, Grave of the Fireflies, and Princess Mononoke.
Following Blood: The Last Vampire and THE ADOLESCENCE UTENA, Producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Director Kunihiko Ikuhara held a discussion session with the audience as the nouvelle-generation in the future of anime.
Most of the audiences were members of the Academy and regular visitors. Although some die-hard Japanese Animation fans attended, the majority were people who saw anime for the first time. From this author's perspective, everyone seemed to be amazed by the specialty that the Japanese Animation offered. Especially for the audiences who only knew the animation medium through American and "Disney-esque" styles, they were astonished by the over-age expressions such as gory action sequences, sexual innuendos and the naked female body. On the other hand, the comical sequences of Totoro and Ponpoko filled the stage with laughter, while they held their breath in awe at the beautiful sequences shown on Blood: The Last Vampire and THE ADOLESCENCE UTENA.
Here, the author would like to introduce two interesting questions that were asked by the audience to Producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Director Kunihiko Ikuhara. "To what extent do violent scenes in anime have an effect upon children?" and "Grave of the Fireflies do not convey the actual truth. In the United States, Pearl Harbor had given us the glimpse of the truth of history. Why doesn't Japanese creators do not use the anime medium to try to tell historical truth?" Both questions are notable and invoke a sigh of laughter, but such issues are frequently asked to Japanese Animation creators. One can say that these are normal impressions and questions asked by average Americans who have seen Japanese Animations. It has been said that Japanese Animation is popular in the United States (the author lives in the United States and can feel the extent of such expressions). Conversely, one can also perceive that many people have such thought as said above. Sadly, it will take more time for the majority of Americans to truly appreciate the true meanings of Japanese Animation. By noting the above seems only to give the impression of getting harsh reaction, but the author would like to stress that the majority gave a heart-felled welcome among impressive discussions immersed with jokes and laughter. The lecture closed with the great impression that preponderance of the spectators have understood the basics and influential expressions of Japanese Animation.
In conclusion, the author would like to quote the answer by Director Kunihiko Ikuhara of the said question stated in the last paragraph.
"Truth has never been interpreted nor conveyed through film. Whether they be documentaries or newsreels, it is only one sequence under the perspectives of the person through the eyes of the camera lens. Truth can never be put into a frame of a camera and edited. Therefore, no motion picture can convey the truth in its exact form."
- Kunihiko Ikuhara.
 
Written by Ikuhara's Interpreter in Los Angeles, Ken Wakita
|