SHAFT DESIGN ANIMATION SERIES

Geometric lines and shapes fill buildings and architecture to create a neatly uniformed space within the world environment. Minimalist and often abstract/interpretation-friendly backgrounds are one element of this, clear in works from Bakemonogatari (2009) to Nisekoi (2014) to Madoka Magica (2011) (Creamer 2017). However in 2004, a man named Akiyuki Shinbo joined the team, greatly influencing the studioвЂ™s signiture style with his unique artistic expression, and forever changed SHAFTвЂ™s art direction.ДЄ striking feature of anime done by SHAFT is their use of color, space, and background in the designs of both characters and environments. One of these production companies, Studio SHAFT, began as a modest animation hub, producing less than a dozen works from 1975 to 2004. The dissolution of Mushi Productions led to its creative body branching into several smaller production studios throughout the 1970s, many of which eventually grew into some of the finest production studios in the industry today (Morisawa p.265). However, TezukaвЂ™s creative vision could not be quelled, pushing for higher budgets and production values which could not be responsibly met, leading to the studioвЂ™s bankruptcy in 1973.

SHAFT DESIGN ANIMATION SERIES

In these weekly broadcasts, Mushi Productions gave life to TezukaвЂ™s most famous manga series Astro Boy. Years later in 1963, animation began being broadcasted on a weekly television network, Fuji TV, and gave rise to a studio called Mushi Productions, founded by Osamu Tezuka.

Through the use of highly stylized design properties, and mixed animation techniques, Studio SHAFT has earned a rightful position at the top of the industry food chain.ДЄlthough the first production of Japanese animation took place as early as 1917, the animation industry did not emerge as such until Toei Animation, JapanвЂ™s first large-scale commercial studio (then called Toei Douga), was founded in 1956 (Morisawa p.265). A prominent company that has successfully stood out from the myriad of anime studios, is Studio SHAFT. And while this is a result of JapanвЂ™s notion of uniformity, there are also animation studios that strive to be different from the rest. To the eye of a standard consumer, many anime may look alike, if not exactly the same. Not only is this apparent in America, where features are described as having вЂњDisney qualityвЂќ animation, the same is true for Japanese anime. As such, many animation companies begin to form their own вЂњmarkersвЂќ.

Of course, some people influence the work much more heavily than others, but in the end the final product is attributed to a specific studio. While there exists multiple creative positions within a studio, the talents of all individuals are pooled together to create the final project.

When discussing animation, one attributes certain styles, themes, and techniques to individual production studios.

Shaft design animation