Motion. Design. Direction.
My Hero
Title Sequence
Concept, Storyboarding, Design, 2D Animation, 3D Modelling, Texturing & Animation, Art Direction
A tribute to Hayao Miyazaki - detailing his life philosophies, featuring some of his works and parts of his life, all in my style.
Ideation
I felt that it was most fitting that the opening shot would feature the door from Howl's Moving Castle, one of my favourite Ghibli films. The Magic Door in Howl's Moving Castle is a unique front door that opens to a new location depending on what colour the dial near the doorknob is turned to. Likewise, I wished to convey the idea of being whisked away to new worlds instantly through Miyazaki's films.
The love of flight
One common theme that runs through most of Miyazaki's works is 'taking to the skies' - a metaphor for freedom.
Looking at the sky
A famous scene from Kiki's Delivery Service in which I replaced the main character with a teenage Miyazaki.
A storyteller
Miyazaki was an avid reader from his earliest years. Thus the visuals of the narrative took on a literal interpretation of 'head in the clouds'. Being so engrossed in stories from a young age probably contributed his becoming such a great storyteller.
Burning midnight oil
Showcasing his passion to his craft, I visualised Miyazaki spending much of his time diligently working into the late hours of the night. An additional touch was staging the scene of him working at his desk in a Princess Mononoke inspired forest.
'Ma' - roughly translating to “emptiness”; a japanese concept of 'negative space'.
Miyazaki has brief moments in his films that neither advance the plot nor have any action. Instead, they give the viewers space, time, depth, and a quiet feeling that touches the soul, and is what makes Miyazaki's stories so powerful.
I sought to portray this concept through a break in the character-driven visual narrative by showcasing a leaf slowly drifting down onto the surface of a koi pond, creating ripples atop the water surface.
