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4 Anime Selected for 2011 Young Animator Training Project

On Friday, the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) announced the four anime works that will each receive 38 million yen (about US$470,000) from the "2011 Young Animator Training Project." Just like last year, the animation labor group received 214.5 million yen (US$2.65 million) from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and it will distribute most of those funds to studios who will train young animators on-the-job this year.

11 production companies submitted proposal bids for the funds, and Answer Studio, Shirogumi, Telecom Animation Film, and Production I.G were selected.

The following projects will each receive 38 million yen:

Answer Studio
Director: Hiroshi Kawamata (Otona Joshi no Anime Time's "Kawamo o Suberu Kaze")
Producer: Yukari Kiso
Title: "Nankai no Juju" (tentative)

Shirogumi
Director: Pon Kozutsumi (episode director for Rita et Machin)
Producer: Kenichiro Hayafune (Beyblade - The Movie, Coji-Coji, Les Misérables - Shōjo Cosette)
Title: "Shiranpuri"

Telecom Animation Film
Director: Kazuhide Tomonaga (animation director for Cybersix, Little Nemo - Adventures in Slumberland, Sherlock Hound)
Producer: Kōji Takeuchi (Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief, Cybersix, Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy)
Title: "BUTA" (tentative)

Production I.G
Director: Toshihisa Kaiya (character designer for Immortal Grand Prix, Ruin Explorers)
Producer: Hidekazu Terakawa (Immortal Grand Prix, Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade, Tales of Vesperia ~The First Strike~)
Title: "Wasurenagumo"

Production on the four 24-minute original shorts, each with 38 million yen (about US$400,000) for expenses, will launch this month and last until January. The animation production for each short is required to be based in Japan, and professionals will impart their know-how to the young animators through on-the-job training. One of the reasons that the Agency for Cultural Affairs is supporting this initiative is the concern that more of the Japanese animation process is being outsourced overseas — thus leading to a decline in opportunities to teach animation techniques within Japan.

The trailer for last year's four anime projects is streaming online:




Update Shirogumi's name corrected. Thanks, rti9.