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Anime Company Seeking Artists!




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Jedaka



Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:54 am Reply with quote
I'm putting together a variety of talent into a sort of production company. Everything from artists, writers, editors, musicians, voice actors, audio/video editors, directors, and so on. The main emphasis of the company is of course Anime. Other than that the production goals are fairly broad, be it producing AMV's for new musicians (Anime music videos), animated shorts, fully fledged movies, or series productions.

Right now we're in the planning stages, essentially just getting names of talent interested in co-operative work in animation. There is no serious time frame or requirements to worry about at the moment. Essentially we're simply bringing together talent first, before settling on any particular projects.

The goal for right now is to bring people together. The goal years down the road is to form one of the first American based Anime Production Studios.

The big recruitment push at the moment is for more artists. We're seeking artists of ALL skill levels and specialties. Even if you consider yourself relatively unskilled, it's still possible to be part of the animation process.
We're seeking all categories of artists, but the big categories are:
Illustrators - They do the basic sketch work of developing frames
Inkers - Go over the sketches to create line art
Colorists - Specialize in coloring line art, mostly through CG. Although in some situations traditional medias can be used (Such as Copics, Acrylic on Acetate Animation Cels)

If you're interested in joining or have questions, feel free to e-mail
me at [email protected] or IM me at HazyDreams85.
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Steventheeunuch





PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 9:34 am Reply with quote
An American based Anime production company, studio, or whatever, is an oxymoron, since Anime is a regional identifier for cartoons that are produced in, or come from Japan. While you can make productions with an "anime style" (which runs into a whole load of other technicalities, since it's ignorant to think theres only one specific style to anime), such as Teen Titans and what not (and even then, they're very hit-and-miss), you're not actually ever going to make ANime unless you happen to be working with or as a studio based in Japan, with main creative staff comprised of mostly Japanese folk and have Japanese or outsourced Animation studios/workhouses.

Also, if you're intent on making a legitimate business, wouldn't it be a good idea to consider learning how a business runs, and what sort of time and effort you'd need to put it? Assuming you haven't already (and depending on what age you're aiming at, Anime isn't exactly the most financially enticing of industries, and things dont run on just dreams alone).

With that in mind, best of luck I guess, though these things really, really need more thought (asking on the internet is pointless if you've got no base of operations, and you're not taking geographical location into mind. Some people are in Ohio, some in Spain, some in England, others in Hong Kong, and while you've gotten interest through those people, it's not always the safest bet carrying all aspects of production through the internet).
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Cloe
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Joined: 18 Feb 2004
Posts: 2728
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 12:13 pm Reply with quote
Jedaka wrote:
Illustrators - They do the basic sketch work of developing frames
Inkers - Go over the sketches to create line art
Colorists - Specialize in coloring line art, mostly through CG. Although in some situations traditional medias can be used (Such as Copics, Acrylic on Acetate Animation Cels).


My gosh, you're planning on using acetate? There's no need for that; a scanner and Photoshop are much, much faster and it looks just as good.

It bothers me a little bit that you're putting together an animation production company and don't seem to be interested in hiring animators... have you or any of your colleagues studied animation production? You DO know that it can take 30 people over six months to produce five minutes of animation, right? Your top priorities right now shouldn't be collecting talent, anyway. It should be buying up licenses for software like After Effects, Photoshop, Final Cut, and (the most expensive) Maya. Unless you already have all of this software available to you, of course. Oh, also keep in mind that 35mm film transfers cost $350 a minute, so you need to save up tons of cash if you want people to take you seriously at festivals. (I'm assuming your films won't be in the "student" category.) Anyway, good luck.
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Jedaka



Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 2:13 pm Reply with quote
Steven:
I consider anime to be more descriptive of a genre of animation in a general sense. Isn't it just a little silly to debate what is anime and what isn't. Would you say that country music is a regional identifier for music that are produced in or come from the US? If so, could a musician in Japan create country music (Or is he just playing in the style of country music, since any music that isn't created in the US is by default "not country")? Could an American Musician in Japan create country music? A person in Japan saying that he produces country music rather than plays in the style of country music yields entirely different views. The important thing is that the word "Anime" gives you a pretty clear idea of what to expect. Semantics is the LEAST of my worries here Smile

Also, I probably should have mentioned it but it'll primarily be based out of Lawrence, KS and staffed by students and alumni at the University of Kansas. Although some (If not most) aspects of production should be able to be done anywhere.

Cloe:
No, I don't really plan on using acetate. I did state "mostly through CG". There was simply no reason to exclude traditional media artists, and acetate was industry standard not too long ago.

I do realize how long it will take. 24 frames per second, 60 seconds per minute, 7200 frames for five minutes, each frame taking hours to complete. That's alot of man hours just for the animation frames alone.

The production capital is there, and even legitimate. When you live in a college town filled to the brim with aspiring artists, animators, and film directors - the means of production are there, they just aren't "together".
Actualy, one of the first things we'll be spending money on is a Lawyer. Creating a Non Disclosure Agreement (Among other things) is on the top of the list.


Last edited by Jedaka on Sun May 22, 2005 6:17 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Jedaka



Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 5:23 pm Reply with quote
An update:

It's going to be rough going for the first few years. But with enough determination and carpal tunnel syndrome, it will happen.

We're off to a great start so far.

We have a great group of highly skilled underground indie musicians willing to create unique and new music for anything we produce.

Our production department specializing in audio and video editing is quickly shaping up and attracting student directors hoping to break into the industry.

We definately need more artists. Right now we have about seven or eight artists of varying skill levels. We need more of all types and skill levels. Whether you're a Keyframe quality artist or a tweener we can probably use you.

As far as compensation goes - Your compensation is directly proportional to the success of the project (Read: You get paid nothing now, but when the projects earns, you earn). A good portion of the money earned in the early years will go back into the company for further production.

Why you should join? Well, at the very least even if the project is a flop, it's something impressive you can put on your resume. How many other artists out there can say they worked to help produce an anime,oh sorry, let me rephrase, animation in the anime style(Just teasing), outside of Japan? At best you'll be part of the senior team of one of the first non-Japanese/Korean based Anime Studios.

Also: We're based out of Lawrence, Kansas. Mainly staffed by Undergraduate and Graduate students at the University of Kansas. However in most, if not all cases, it should be possible to do the work at distance over the internet.
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kusanagi-sama



Joined: 22 Aug 2004
Posts: 1723
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 5:31 pm Reply with quote
How and where do you intend on getting financing to keep your business going?
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Jedaka



Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:10 pm Reply with quote
I, among others involved, will be investing heavily in the production. However we do plan on looking into finding outside investors and backers. Depending on the business model (Possibly releasing episodes on the web at first) we may be able to sell advertising space as well.
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Steventheeunuch





PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 6:31 pm Reply with quote
Jedaka wrote:
Steven:
I consider anime to be more descriptive of a genre of animation in a general sense. Isn't it just a little silly to debate what is anime and what isn't. Would you say that country music is a regional identifier for music that are produced in or come from the US? If so, could a musician in Japan create country music (Or is he just playing in the style of country music, since any music that isn't created in the US is by default "not country")? Could an American Musician in Japan create country music? A person in Japan saying that he produces country music rather than plays in the style of country music yields entirely different views. The important thing is that the word "Anime" gives you a pretty clear idea of what to expect. Semantics is the LEAST of my worries here Smile


No, because Country has specific themes and styles to it which define it as an actual genre or classification. Australians, Germans and Chinese people can do country music once they understand the basic principals of it. Anime, on the other hand, uses countless different styles and is placed in different genres throughout film medium. One Piece is a totally different monster to Ghost in the Shell, and Tiny Fairy Sugar is totally different from Princess Mononoke. None of these share any links, except for occasional staff. The only thing that makes them Anime is the fact that-

1. The animation is produced by, or contracted by a Japanese firm (working in outsourced studios in Korea, Phillipines, etc, which just do inbetween work);
2. The fact that a majority of the production work, such as direction, is done by a Japanese staff.

There is no definitive "Anime Style", nor can westerners truely produce Anime (atleast, not without a Japanese staff), especially not you since you fail to grasp the idea that it's a medium nor regional identifier. And what should we expect from you when you define yourself as "Anime"? Big Eyes? Magical powers? Harems?
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Nagisa
Moderator


Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:29 pm Reply with quote
Jedaka wrote:
I consider anime to be more descriptive of a genre of animation in a general sense. Isn't it just a little silly to debate what is anime and what isn't. Would you say that country music is a regional identifier for music that are produced in or come from the US?


Country music is a genre. Anime is far greater in reach, containing every genre found in other forms of film & television. Anime contains an incredible variety of titles which have virtually nothing in common with each other EXCEPT for the fact that they were conceived in Japan. Technically speaking, there is no "anime style" beyond an uneducated generalisation (big eyes, multicoloured hair, speed lines, etc.), because AKIRA looks nothing like Fruits Basket looks nothing like Dogtato-kun looks nothing like Zeta Gundam.

Therefore, since anime encompasses an incredible variety of shows from Ghost in the Shell to Bottle Fairy, which often have nothing in common with each other, it's easiest (and least excluding) to define "anime" purely as animated film produced primarily in Japan.
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Jedaka



Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:03 pm Reply with quote
If it makes you feel better I'd be perfectly happy to start describing it as "Cartoons made in America targetted towards a wide variety of demographics from children to adults, men and women, spanning a large variety of sub genres"

Does that really give you the same idea? Not in the least bit. The word Anime *does* convey certain ideas, that go a little deeper than just big eyes, multicolored hair, and speed lines.

Semantics -
se·man·tics
n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

1. Linguistics. The study or science of meaning in language.
2. Linguistics. The study of relationships between signs and symbols and what they represent. Also called semasiology.
3. The meaning or the interpretation of a word, sentence, or other language form: We're basically agreed; let's not quibble over semantics.

If you really want to argue over it, I seem to recall a thread called "What exactly IS anime", you may find some interest there. But I'd rather not bicker about a completely irrelevant and unneccessary topic.

I'm done arguing about what phrase to use to describe the work, because it offends your sensitivities about what true "Anime" is. I'm not trying to be offensive, and I'm not saying whether I think you're right or wrong, I just don't care what your definition of words are. It's silly, so you can have the last word and prove that you're right if you want.
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Haiseikoh 1973



Joined: 24 Apr 2004
Posts: 1590
Location: Waiting for the Japanese 1000 Gunieas.
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:33 pm Reply with quote
kusanagi-sama wrote:
How and where do you intend on getting financing to keep your business going?




Matthew Lesko. Laughing
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Haru to Ashura



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 617
Location: Termina
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:41 pm Reply with quote
Describe to us some of your working projects right now, even if there as vauge as sketches and story ideas. This really isn't a good forum for this sort of thing, but I reccomend Megatoko's Art and Drawing section of their forum. (XD Don't worry, there's a lot more talent there than in Megatokyo itself.) Also, a website or something more solid than just these posts telling us about your company and plans, etc., would help a lot. :)
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Grico



Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 201
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:55 pm Reply with quote
Hey if there is anything I can do from Lansing, Michigan while i continue my graduate students, sign me up. Always wanted to be a VA or a script writer....


[Sorry, no personal advertising on ANN. However, I'll keep your email address there in case anyone wants to contact you. Locked, otherwise. -b]
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