MY TOTALLY GLAM INTERVIEW WITH
Kenji Kamiyama
Director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig. Screenwriter of Blood: The Last Vampire.
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
Founder and president of Production I.G. Also producer of the Ghost in the Shell films, Blood: the Last Vampire, Jin-Roh, the animated sequence for Kill Bill Vol. 1, and many other titles.
How do you think the domestic market has changed for Anime in the last few years?
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
There are just too many shows and too many productions going on right now. And the amount of staff available doesn’t match the demand. There are more shows than staff. That’s the bad part about the industry. On the other hand, the good part is that within that environment, the younger staff, or the people who are just starting to enter the industry, have more opportunities to get involved with shows and have good experiences.
And how about the international market?
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
It’s very clear that in the US now that there are shows that are well accepted and more liked than other ones. And at the same time there are others that are not so well accepted. But from a production standpoint, the reason why Japanese animation has become so popular in America is not only because of the quality of the animation, but because of the skill of the directors and also the way the characters express themselves. So naturally, many people are attracted to it.
So how does Production I.G. fit into this scene?
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
Our policy is that I think it’s dangerous to go in the same direction as everyone else. Just because anime is becoming popular in America, it’s not always a good idea to try and make an anime for the US market. At the same time, 3D CGI animation is popular, you know…Dreamworks is making it, Pixar is making it…but then it’s not our thing to make full 3D animation. What we do is make the kinds of things we ourselves would like to see. I think that’s why our animation is very unique and special.
The works from Production I.G. are very diverse in tone and theme. Are there any common points that you think connects them in any way?
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
I believe that the common point between our works is that they’re all very cool. And the reason why they are cool is because nobody can copy or imitate them. The reason we can make shows and films like we do is because all our shows are director based. In a live action movie, they’re often star-based projects. But in an animation project, its all because of what the director does. I trust all my directors 100% and give them the freedom to make what they want. That’s probably why, from a production standpoint, our works are cool.
So how is Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG compare to the first series in terms of story?
Kenji Kamiyama:
Basically, 2nd GIG is a sequel to the first series. But this time, the conflict is much larger. The size of the crimes are bigger than in the first season. 2nd GIG deals with crimes of the 21st century like terrorism and war and the characters must encounter greater threats. It’s more of a serious theme than in the first series.
How is your vision of Ghost in the Shell different from Mamoru Oshii?
Kenji Kamiyama:
Actually, I tried to stay very close to the world of Ghost in the Shell that Mamoru Oshii has already established. I wanted to make a copy, or a duplicate, of his movie. But because Oshii is 15 years older than me we eat different food, we wear different clothes. We live different lives. Even if I had tried to make a clone or copy of this original movie, there will be differences because the difference is in our lifestyle. I think it was good that instead of trying to make something radically different, we ended up with a work that was different naturally.
Production I.G. works are often minded by critics and viewers for their political content or “meaning.” Do you yourselves see them are political work with a message, or entertainment?
Kenji Kamiyama:
I don’t think we meant to make Blood: The Last Vampire as a political film so much as we wanted to make a story set in a realistic world. So naturally it wound up becoming a political film. But it wasn’t our intention to make something explicitly political.
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
When I see interviews with director Oshii, there are often questions about politics. All his answer to those types of questions is“ no comment.” And there’s a reason for that. He doesn’t think that his films are made simply because of politics. He may be interested in them, but that’s not why he made the movie. But if he just talks on and on about the meaning of his films, he’s just going to become like one of the critics himself.
Kamiyama, how would you compare art direction to directing animation?
Kenji Kamiyama:
When working as a director, you need to be able to manage all the creative staff. Whereas when you’re working as an art director, you just concentrate on what you’re drawing. But as a director, you have to supervise the entire production. So it’s no longer technical work. Also, a difficult thing you have to do, as a director, is make many decisions on things. When you’re an art director, and you run into a problem, you just let other people take care of it. But you’re the director, you’re constantly being asked for your input.
So what goals or plans does I.G. have for the future?
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa:
We definitely accomplished a big project by making Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. It was such a big accomplishment that in order to make our next big film, we need to sort of reboot everything and start from zero. We can’t be inactive, so we have to keep making films. But then we need money to begin new projects.
Is there a message for viewers about to watch 2nd GIG?
Kenji Kamiyama:
Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG is more complicated than the first one, so don’t be left behind. Keep up with the series. Also, another thing you can expect is a romance planned for major Kusanagi.
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