How to become an anime director?

Escaflowne22 · Post by **Escaflowne22** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:32 am

I'm coming out of high school next year, and was wondering, what it is you take to become an actual anime director.

Is knowing how to draw an actual necessity? Because i've always been terrible at art, but excellent at telling stories. Can anybody help me out here?

I'd rather be intrested in Japanese anime, because American still rather has a childish concept. But maybe that would be a draw because you'd be unique in America if you could bring their style in.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:39 am

Mmmmm...

I really have my doubts about the possibility of this. As with anything, you have to have good connections in the industry, etc. - which I think would be near impossible for someone non-Japanese.

Drawing is obviously a neccesity, and I'm fairly sure you can't be a director without being a lowly routine animator first. Directors have to well... 'direct' the art, work with storyboards, manage visual solutions - you can't do that without being competent in drawing, even if you don't do any actual drawing on the job yourself (which you'd probably have to).

Sorry if I sound like a darn skeptic

winged_faith · Post by **winged_faith** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:44 am

I don't know either but if you know any colleges that you have heard of or want to go to I suggest you look on their official site and look up what kinds of classes they have their and try to match what you want to do with one of the classes. If that doesn't work I can ask my older brother what kind of class it would be (he always asks me what kind of college I want to go to and drags me on the internet looking for classes when I haven't even graduated yet!) because he seems to make the whole college search a "

torture the little sister hobby

". (he visits once in a while, so if this topic is still here when he visits, I'll ask him.

yukimoru · Post by **yukimoru** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:46 am

Certainly unique. I don't know any American Japanese-anime director. I know that American companies take anime that's drawn in Japan (or where ever) and bring it to the US. But, an actual anime director...I think you should have grown up in Japan. To draw Japanese-anime, in my opinion, you should know first hand what their culture is all about. I'm certain at least that their own culture influences their art (as do we, too.) I think you'd have a better chance at joining Disney and influencing them. The director needs to know how to draw the art he/she is producing to some extent. I haven't ever heard of an anime director drawing stick figures to show the animators what he/she wants in the art. But, if you want a professional opinion, go ask Miyazaki.

winged_faith · Post by **winged_faith** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:51 am

Have you ever heard of Hayao Miyazaki? He is the director of Princess Mononokie, My Neighbor Totoro, A Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and a few more movies and oranime series. He did most or some of the art in them so I will have to agree with Otohiko.

yukimoru · Post by **yukimoru** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:56 am

winged_faith wrote: Have you ever heard of Hayao Miyazaki? He is the director of Princess Mononokie, My Neighbor Totoro, A Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and a few more movies and oranime series. He did most or some of the art in them so I will have to agree with Otohiko.

Yeah, the interveiw thing on Spirited Away was great! Well, it wasn't an interveiw but a camera crew that followed Miyazaki around. He does a whole lot of the animation in his movies.

winged_faith · Post by **winged_faith** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:07 am

I was braindead until I read Otohiko's post and remembered who my favorite director was. It was weird: I was typing my idea (I'm a slow typer) and when It was posted you suggested Miyazaki before my post!

It was almost as if we shared the same brain for two seconds!

(I own the 2 disk special edition dvd kof Spirited Away)

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:24 am

Not to sound like a meany, but get your head out of the clouds and get realistic. You will never be an anime director. The closest that you could hope for is manga artist, and there are hundreds or thousands of those whos work never are never turned into anime. But you say you suck at drawing, so I doubt thats even an option. Just go to school and work in an office or something. Or become a writer, maybe you could do that.

Harlock7876 · Post by **Harlock7876** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:29 am

<SARCASM>
How do I become supreme emperor of planet Earth by way of a 12 step program?
</SARCASM>
Be reasonable. Setting your goals as high as an American anime director is futile. Reality is is that it will never happen. You're more likely to start taking steps in the worlds of drawing and then get fed up with it because you can't support yourself and you're newly found addictions that help you "lose the edge" from all the work you're being swamped with by your "slave driving" boss.
Go to college. Get wasted at some frat parties and hopefully you'll die from alcohol poisoning thusly avoiding the harsh realities of the world.
Or you'll preform a miracle and be the first American to direct money grossing anime.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:36 am

I would suggest go to an anime convention and ask a director Guest of Honor, how they got started. Also, be very proficient in Japanese.

I only know of one American who has directed Japanese anime. Steve Bennet is a founder of Studio Ironcat. He's a repeat GoH at Katsucon. He got started in Japan doing cel animation and eventually, I believe, he directed one of the Urusei Yatsura movies. He gave technical advice on how to do the Americans in Blood: The Last Vampire. Go to Katsucon and talk to him.