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French 'Birth' Short Posted With Art by Final Fantasy's Amano

"Birth", the short film produced by France's Shibuya International film studio for its 10th anniversary, began streaming on Friday. The film features art direction by Yoshitaka Amano and music by Akino Arai. The 3-minute "dreamlike" short is set in the vastness of space, where an unexpected event occurs… a birth.

Amano is arguably best known for his contributions to the Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy franchises, as well as his collaboration with English graphic novelist Neil Gaiman on Sandman: The Dream Hunters. He joined Tatsunoko Production at the age of 15, and worked on Time Bokan, Hutch, the Honeybee, and Shinzō Ningen Casshan. He also created Yasai no Yōsei - N.Y. Salad, a television anime about the secret nocturnal life of vegetables in a New York kitchen, which inspired a 3D film in 2010. Amano had been planning Deva Zan, his first, full-length 3D anime film with his Studio Devaloka.

Arai sang songs for Windaria, Macross Plus, Outlaw Star, Noir, and many other anime. She also composed and wrote songs for Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea, Record of Lodoss War, and Spice and Wolf II, among others.

Shibuya International had previously collaborated with Amano on an art exhibition at France's Cannes. The company is also celebrating its 10th anniversary with Windwalkers: Chronicle of the 34th Horde, a feature film adaptation of Alain Damasio's heroic fantasy novel. Jan Kounen (Dobermann, Blueberry) is helming this project with art director Marc Caro (Delicatessen). French students at the Objectif 3D school animated the "Birth" short.

[Via Catsuka]