Founded in 1985, Studio Ghibli is one of the most influential animation production houses in all of Japan. It is also the home of the acclaimed anime director Hayao Miyazaki, who has three films which were just recently released on DVD. With films to his credit such as Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Miyazaki has turned Studio Ghibli into a force to be reckoned with.
The films produced by Hayao Miyazaki have been celebrated internationally, and although his influence on Studio Ghibli has been nothing short of phenomenal, the success of Studio Ghibli and animation in general is not the results of one man, but a team of people who work together harmoniously.
Others that have greatly contributed to the success of Studio Ghibli are veteran producers Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, as well as director Isao Takahata and the musician Joe Hisaishi. These are just of view of the very talented artists and composers who have contributed to the artistic and financial success of the studio.
Ghibli is an Italian word word meaning "hot wind blowing over the Sahara desert." The name has been frequently used since World War 2 for Italian combat aircraft, as well as Italian auto makers, notably Maserati. Miyazaki, a fan of aviation used the name and felt that Studio Ghibli would blow "a hot wind of sensation over the world of Japanese animation.
In 1988, Studio Ghibli released to landmark films, My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Miyazaki, while Takahata directed Grave of The Fireflies . Due to the studio being relatively unknown, they decide to release the two films simultaneously. Although the strategy was good, due to the films not being released during the key summer seasons, the films performed poorly in the box office.
Despite, the studio did get attention and acclaim for the films that were released. To help recoup the costs associated with releasing the film, the studio begin selling Totoro toys. Because the Totoro toys helped them so much, they were eventually incorporated into the companies logo.
It was the release of Kiki's Delivery Service in 1989 that brought the studio grand success. It was the number one box office film of the year, and due to its success, the studio was able to expand its operations into Tokyo.
At this time Ghibli Studios begin recruiting full time animation staff, with training programs designed to take advantage of the pool of talent. This in itself was revolutionary. Traditionally artists were recruited on a freelance basis only. Creating a full time staff would allow Studio Ghibli to maintain a high quality of art and animation work.
Since this time, films released by Ghibli Studios have consistenly performed well in Japan as well as internationally. The film Spirited Away won numerous prestigious awards, which included Academy Awards in the US and the Best Film award in Japan. Ghibli Studios was also recently awared the Hugo Award Nomination.
Commitment to quality and vision are the trademarks of Ghibli Studios. Miyazaki is well known for is detail and work ethnic. He is known for hand drawing and correcting dozens of cels for the release of his films, and his storyboards are remarkably similar to the finished product. He is sometimes known for being harsh during production, and his influence greatly felt in his work. In additon to this, Miyazaki has a fascination with flight, and this is greatly felt in the films he produces.
Unlike many other animated film directors, who have wholeheartedly embraced CGI, Miyazakin was highly skeptical of it, although he has finally begin utilizing it in parts of Spirited Away.
Studio Ghibli has continued to produce some of the most influential animated films of all time. The commitment to high end animation has brought the studio huge box office successes, and we are anxious to see what stories they will be bringing to theaters and homes in the future.
