Cinematography of Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise

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Gainax's 1987 debut work, the feature film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, was a pre-digital anime, requiring that its animation cels and background paintings be photographed onto movie film. The actual scenes in the completed work were created through this cinematographic process, involving for some shots as many as 12 different layers of cels, backgrounds, and masks designed to selectively illuminate portions of an image. Special photographic techniques were employed in multiple scenes to express particular optical or motion effects. Assistant director Shinji Higuchi, a veteran of the film crew's earlier live-action amateur works,[1] assisted on the photography of Royal Space Force as well; Takami Akai commented that the filmmakers' live-action experience influenced their thoughts on the perspectives and compositions used in scenes, not out of an attempt to "emulate" live-action but to seek a realism in anime, a medium where "the camera doesn't really exist."[2]

Although the film had been pitched as offering a younger person's critical perspective on anime,[3] and its 24-year-old writer and director Hiroyuki Yamaga was seen as an example of a new creative generation,[4] Yamaga felt it very important to note the contributions from both the older and younger generations in the industry to the making of the film.[5] The lead cinematography staff on Royal Space Force were both 20 years older than Yamaga, industry veterans Hiroshi Isakawa and Iwao Yamaki. Isakawa described difficulties and frustration with Gainax's techniques, demands, and work schedule on the film, yet accepted it was "in pursuit of perfection," and "a work that made full use of anime's best merits," whereas Yamaki felt it was Gainax's lack of experience in the industry that opened up the prospect of a generation seeking in Royal Space Force "new adventures" in cinematographic technique that would help advance anime as a filmmaking medium.

Cinematography[edit]

Method and live-action influence[edit]

As a pre-digital anime, the scenes in Royal Space Force were created by using a camera to photograph the animation cels and backgrounds onto movie film. A scene would typically consist of a series of separate individual shots known as "cuts," with each cut being prepared for the photographer by collecting into a bag all animation cels and background elements to be used in that particular cut. Akai noted that Anno's animation of the flakes of frost falling from the rocket at liftoff required so many cels[a] that the cuts for the scene were carried in a box, rather than a bag.[7]

Many of the scenes in the film would be created through special photographic techniques applied to the underlying animation; an example was the appearance of the television screen in the Royal Space Force barracks. Gainax came up with the idea to take a clear acrylic panel cover from a fluorescent lamp and place it over the animation cels depicting the TV broadcast, moving the cover around as the cels were photographed; the motion of the prismatic pattern on the cover simulated the look of an image with varying reception quality. The appearance and disappearance of an analog television's cathode ray-generated images as a channel was switched or the set turned off was further simulated by using a photo compositing technique, as it was felt employing a simple camera fade would reduce the realism of the effect.[8] The TV screen images were shot at the T Nishimura studio, a photography specialist that would later contribute to 1989's Patlabor: The Movie.[9]

Besides the technical necessity to photograph the animation, Gainax's own prior experience in filming amateur live-action works had a broader influence on the construction of the animated scenes themselves; the sequence early in Royal Space Force where Tchallichammi and Shiro converse in the bathroom is described in the director's commentary as a "simple scene" which was nevertheless redone many times as the staff debated the relative motions and placement of the two characters "as if we were shooting this in live-action."[10] Akai and Yamaga remarked that it had not been their intent as animators to "emulate" live-action films, but rather to make animation with a realism based on their experience of "look(ing) through the camera lens to see what it sees ... there weren't many people who could [both] draw and understand how the camera works ... It's difficult to express animated films realistically. The camera doesn't really exist."[11] Another reflection of their live-action experience involved building scale models of Marty's motorcycle, the Honnêamise naval jet and air force prop planes, and the Royal Space Force headquarters building. These models were used as reference aids for the animators,[b] but also to choose which angles and viewpoints to use in scenes where the modelled objects would appear; in the figurative sense, to "decide where the cameras should be."[15]

Director of photography[edit]

The director of photography on Royal Space Force was Hiroshi Isakawa of Mushi Production, where the animation for the pilot film had been shot in early 1985.[16] Isakawa had subsequently been asked to direct photography on the full-length film as well; in an interview after the film's completion, he remarked that he was originally assured photography could begin in April 1986, but received no cuts to film[c] until August and September, and then "only the easy work," with Gainax putting off completing the more difficult scenes until later.[d] Isakawa joked that as it was not until October that the cuts began to come in at a steady pace, it was difficult for him to determine exactly how much progress they were making on the film. The most intense period of work occurred in January 1987; Isakawa completed the filming for Royal Space Force at the end of that month, noting that with the off-and-on nature of the task, the photography had taken three months of actual time.[20]

Isakawa described the technical challenges he faced in filming Gainax's work on Royal Space Force, with some individual cuts created by using as many as 12 photographic levels consisting of cels, superimposition layers, and sheets of paper masks designed to capture isolated areas of different colored transmitted light (a photographic technique usable with translucent items such as animation cels, where the image can also be illuminated by light passing through the object, rather than only by reflected light). Some of the cel layers arrived with dust and scratches, which posed additional difficulties for Isakawa; he considered obscuring them with the popular method of employing a polarizing filter, but felt he could not use the technique, as such filters also obscured fine details in the cel art. Isakawa remarked that Gainax had however largely avoided what he described as the common errors in the anime industry of cels not being long enough for their background paintings, or having misaligned attachment points to peg bars.[21] Another challenging aspect for Isakawa involved motion rather than light, such as conveying the heavy vibrations of Marty's motorcycle, or the air force plane cockpit; whereas ordinarily such scenes would be filmed while shaking the cels and the backgrounds as a unit, Gainax insisted that the elements be shaken separately.[22]

Isakawa and Yamaki assess the project[edit]

Yamaga and Shinji Higuchi, who also served as assistant director of photography on the film,[23] had Isakawa watch The Right Stuff and showed him NASA photos as a reference for the look they wished to achieve in certain shots. In an effort to convey a sense of the visual mystery of the film's world from space, Isakawa photographed the animation art through such tiny holes made in the paper masks for transmitted light that he felt the images could hardly be said to be lit at all; he was unable to judge the exact light levels needed in advance, having to make adjustments afterwards based on examining the developed film.[24] Higuchi related that he had made the holes using an acupuncture needle he had obtained from a masseur on the film's staff.[25][e] Isakawa mentioned that he would get tired and angry after being asked to shoot five or six different takes of a cut, not seeing the necessity for it, but gave up resisting when he realized it was a work "in pursuit of perfection," and felt that the final achievement was "realistic without using the imagery of live action, a work that made full use of anime's best merits."[27]

Iwao Yamaki of the studio Animation Staff Room, who had been director of photography on Harmagedon and The Dagger of Kamui,[28] served as photography supervisor on Royal Space Force, assisting Isakawa and Yamaga with advice on specific shooting techniques; his suggestions included the fog effect in the sauna where the Republic officials discuss the Honnêamise kingdom's launch plans, achieved by photographing the cels through a pinhole screen, and creating the strata of thin clouds that Shiro's training flight flies through using a slit-scan method.[29] Isakawa and Yamaki were both 20 years older than Yamaga;[30] Yamaki remarked that Gainax's filmmaking without knowledge of established techniques opened the possibility of "many adventures," and whereas his generation had adventures through what they already knew, Yamaki wanted the next generation of filmmakers to have "different adventures", that necessitated taking new risks. Yamaki approvingly quoted Yamaga that the nature of Royal Space Force as a film was not defined by the fact it was an anime, but through how it used the techniques of anime to the fullest extent to ultimately achieve filmic effects beyond if it had been a live-action work, which Yamaga believed was the way for anime to prove its value as a cinematic medium.[31]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In an interview shortly after the film's completion, Anno laughed that as he was given freedom to animate the launch however he wanted, he ended up making 250 drawings for one three-second sequence, layering them in as many as eight or nine levels of cels at once.[6]
  2. ^ A team of six model builders worked on the film,[12] including Orochi Strikes Again special effects crew veteran Akinori Kishida.[13] Anno remarked that the set of models made for the film also included the street sweeper; he described them as very useful in his animation work, noting as an example that he could not have understood the shape of the Honnêamise air force plane without first having the model as a reference, but that ironically the model was not available when it came time to actually draw the key animation, as it had gone out of the studio for use in publicity interviews.[14]
  3. ^ Shoichi Masuo had noted that one of his responsibilities as an assistant director on Royal Space Force was to send the genga, or key animation drawings, to various outside studios that would then complete the cuts; among the 25 such subcontractors for the film were AIC, Madhouse, Artland, Magic Bus, and Mushi Production.[17] However, whereas ordinarily on an anime TV show or film such subcontractors would be sent batches of 50 or 100 cuts to complete, Masuo remarked that on Royal Space Force he was obliged to send batches consisting of only 10 or 20 cuts at a time, as animation work had begun with the storyboards still unfinished.[18]
  4. ^ Anno commented at the time that he had in fact originally planned to start with the hardest work and animate the rocket launch first; he felt, however, that it would be an impossible task before he understood the look and the worldview of Royal Space Force, and thus, Anno remarked wryly that he instead ended up animating the launch at the very last minute.[19]
  5. ^ The staffer, nicknamed "Anma", received a brief cameo in the film as the launchpad crewman with his arm around Kharock as the Space Force celebrates the final assembly of the rocket. In the 2000 director's commentary, Akai and Yamaga cited Anma as an example of a collective spirit still fondly remembered among those who had worked on the film; a young licensed acupuncturist and masseur who "offered massages and acupuncture to tired animators...He told us that he couldn't help us with the production, but he helped by making the staff feel better. Everyone was so pleased that we created a character modeled after him."[26]

References[edit]

  • Akai, Takami; Yamaga, Hiroyuki (2000). Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (Director's Commentary) (DVD). Chicago: Manga Entertainment. ASIN B00000JKVI.
  • Animage Editorial Department, ed. (1989). The Art of Japanese Animation II: 70 Years of Theatrical Films. Tokyo: Tokuma Shoten. ISBN 978-4198190101.
  • Daicon Film (1988). Daicon III & IV Opening Animation/Orochi Strikes Again (liner notes) (LaserDisc). Tokyo: Daicon Film. DCF-1.
  • Matsushita, Kazumi, ed. (1987). Ōritsu Uchūgun Seisaku Kirokushū [Royal Space Force Production Archives]. Tokyo: Movic. ISBN 978-4943966074.
  • Naito, Keiji; Saito, Chikashi, eds. (2006) [First released in Japan by Bandai Visual Co., Ltd. and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation in 2004]. Patlabor The Movie Limited Collector's Edition (Patlabor the Movie Archives) (Media notes). Torrance: Bandai Visual Co., Ltd. ASIN B000E5LF0K.
  • Saitani, Ryo, ed. (May 1987). "Bandai Kaichō Intabyuu—Yamashina Makoto: 'Kono sakuhin wa yoku wakaranakatta dakara seikōna n da' [Bandai Company President Interview—Makoto Yamashina: "I Didn't Really Understand This Work, Therefore It Was a Success"]". Comic Box. No. 37. Tokyo: Fusion Product.
  • Studio Ash, ed. (1987). This is Animation The Select 12: Oneamisu no Tsubasa: Ōritsu Uchūgun. Tokyo: Shogakukan. ISBN 4-09-101515-8.
  • Studio Hard [in Japanese], ed. (1987). Oneamisu no Tsubasa: Ōritsu Uchūgun Completed File. Tokyo: Bandai. ISBN 4-89189-377-X.
  • Watanabe, Shigeru [in Japanese], ed. (1990). Ōritsu Uchūgun Oneamisu no Tsubasa Memorial Box (A Wing of Honnëamise Royal Space Force Data File [liner notes]) (LaserDisc). Tokyo: Bandai Visual.
  • Yamaga, Hiroyuki; Miyazaki, Hayao (1987). "Yamaga Hiroyuki vs Miyazaki Hayao: Genjitsu kara hamidashita bubun de nani ga atarashii mono ga mieru toki [Hiroyuki Yamaga vs. Hayao Miyazaki: Discovering Something New When You Step Out of Reality]". Kinema Junpo. No. 956. Tokyo: Kinema Junpo Sha Co., Ltd.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 53:05
  2. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 01:48:38
  3. ^ 「現在のアニメーション文化を特に『ヤング』と呼ばれる若者の視点で見ると、いくつかの切り口が見つかります。」Studio Hard 1987, p. 48
  4. ^ 「『。。。何だっていったら、若い人にそのままやらせることじゃないかと思っていたんですよ。だから、ぼくはおもちゃやってていつも思うんですけど、ぼくなんかが分かるのは売れないんですよ。それがあたり前なんですよ。なぜかというと世代がこんなに違うんですよ。このギャップって凄いですよ。ですからこの「オネアミス──」は、若い人向けに作ってますが、ひょっとして大当たりするかもしれません。』」Saitani 1987, p. 48
  5. ^ 「『確かにやろうとした人間は若い世代だけども、やった人間若い世代だけじゃないという所が、そごく重要だと思う。』」Yamaga & Miyazaki 1987, p. 80
  6. ^ 「その周辺は絵コ ンテから自由にやらせて貰えましたから、自分の好き勝手にやっています。枚数の制限も無いので、1カット作画でHセルIセルまで使って3秒で250枚とか(笑)。」Matsushita 1987, p. 202
  7. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 15:10, 01:48:02
  8. ^ 「 テレビ画面が消えたリ、映ったリというところでは、フェ—ドを使うとテレビ画面らしくなくなってしまうので、テレビ画面上の絵はオプチカル合成で入れられた。スイッチが入るとバッと広がるように映る瞬間の表現上この技術は使わなければならないものだ。さらに全体がモザイク状になっているのは、螢光灯のカバーに使われているギザギザ入リのアクリル板を使ったため。そのカバーをセルの上におき、動かしているので、少し受像状態が良くないテレビ画面らしく見えるのだ。何気ない工夫だが、こうした工夫の積み重ねが技術の向上を生み出す。素人の作リ出すアイディアにも素晴しいものがあることを忘れずに。このテレビ画面の撮影をしたのは、撮影専門のティ•ニシムラのスタジオである。」Studio Hard 1987, p. 68
  9. ^ Naito & Saito 2006, p. 4
  10. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 14:08
  11. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 01:48:38
  12. ^ Studio Ash 1987, p. 127
  13. ^ Daicon Film 1988
  14. ^ 「ミニチュアは映画に出てくる飛行機や清掃車、バイク等色々と作りました。」「それらは役に立ちましたか？」「はい、役に立ちました。最初のうちの立体感を摑むのにたいへん便利でしたね。王立空軍機なんか模型が無いとよくわからない形をしていましたから。でも実際に原画を描く時には取材とかで外に持っていかれて手元にはありませんでした(笑)。」Matsushita 1987, p. 202
  15. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 22:11
  16. ^ Watanabe 1990, p. 22
  17. ^ Studio Ash 1987, p. 126
  18. ^ 「原画を外注に小きざみに出してしまったのでそのバラつきがいちばん苦しかったですね。20カットとか10カット単位で分けて出していたんです。普通テレビでも映画でもシーンで50とか100という単位でやって貰うんですが、[王立宇宙軍」の場合でそういうことができたのは数えるほどしかいなかったもので。その理由というのは絵コンテの作業と並行していたところがありまして(笑)。」Matsushita 1987, p. 199
  19. ^ 「しんどいところから作画を済ませていこう、という計画が当初あったのでいちばん最初にあのロケットの打ち上げから始めようと思ったんですが、[王立宇宙軍]の世界観もイメージも摑んでいないうちからではそれはとても無理だろう、ということで結局は最後の最後の最後になってしまいましたね(笑)。」Matsushita 1987, p. 202
  20. ^ 「たまたま虫プロでパイロット版の撮影をやったんで、それで本編の撮影もやんないかという話が僕のところに来たんです。その時の約束では4月から始まる予定だったのが。。。それで面倒なカットは後回しにする形をとりますから8月9月は楽な仕事しか入らないわけですよね、作画も撮影も。だからそれほど気にならなかったんですが、10月頃から急に本格的に動き出してきたもんだから進行状況を把握するだけで大変だったんですよ(笑)。8月から動きだしてはいたけど、手を付けられないように物凄い量がドバーッと入ってきたのは1月になってですが。まあ、1月いっぱいまでかかりましたけど実際は正味3ヶ月という計算ですね。」Matsushita 1987, p. 206
  21. ^ 「だから重ねると12枚くらいになるんです。全部がセルというわけではないですが、スーパーが入ったり透過光のラシャ紙のマスクだったり、それで12枚なんていうのもありましたけどね。。。だから中には汚いものもあるんで今流行っているPLフィルターを使おうと思ったんです。でも、あれはディテールが潰れちゃうんで美術の方が困るらしいんですよね。だからほこりやセル傷が凄いものはかなりしんどい思いをしました。。。よくセルの長さが足りないとかタップの付け方がまちがっているとかがあるんですが、そういった点は最初にキチッとやっていたらしくトラブルはあまり無かったですね。」Matsushita 1987, pp. 206–207
  22. ^ 「特に、あの飛行機に乗っているシーンで、外の景色とコクピットの両方が摇れている感じを出したいらしいんです。普通だと全部が一緒に摇れちゃうんですが、景色とコクピットが別に摇れてダブラシがあったり。あとオートバイに乗っているシーンで、やっぱり乗っている人が揺れて向こうの山も摇れるとか、そういう細かいところの要望がかなりありましたね。」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
  23. ^ 「そのへんの撮影のイメージ的な要望は、山賀(博之)監督なり撮影の助監督である樋口 (真嗣)さんからどういう形で表現されたんですか？」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
  24. ^ 「[ライトスタッフ]どいう映画がありますよね。あれを観せられたりしました。あとNASAで取材した写真とか、いろんなサンプルを観せられながらこのような感じにしたいと言われて。。。例えは透過光にしても、ラシャ紙にちっちゃいちっちゃい穴を開けてもう殆ど透過光とは思えないようなこともやったんです。宇宙から見た地球の神秘とでもいうのか、今までには考えられないような弱い光なんです。強い弱いど言われてもどの程度かわからないんで、フィルム上がりで決定するしかないんですよね。」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
  25. ^ 「あと変わったところでは、透過光のマスクで黒いラシャ紙に穴を開けるのに今までいちばん細い針でエアブラシの掃除用の針とかを使っていたんですが、今回はうちのスタッフのひとりに現役のあんま屋がいまして(笑)」「あんま...？」「針灸のあんま屋です。まだ若いんですが、その人が商売道具に使っている針灸用の針が更に細くて。。。そこで透過光の時はその針を使いました。」Matsushita 1987, p. 200
  26. ^ Akai & Yamaga 2000, 1:33:04
  27. ^ 「しんどかったというか。リテイクを5回も6回もやっているとだんだん疲れてきちゃって、何故リテイクなのかわからなくて腹立てながらやったりしたんですが、まあそれだけ完璧を追求した作品な ので諦めもつきます。フィルムを観た感じは実写的な素材をライブアクションを使わずにアニメの良さを駆使して引き出した作品と感じました。」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
  28. ^ Animage Editorial Department 1989, pp. 95, 106
  29. ^ 「僕はどちらかというと撮影テクニックのアドバイスをする立場だったわけで、例えばサウナのシーンがあった時にモヤモヤとしたエアブラシの引きセルをただ引っ張るだけじゃ面白くないからピンホールをぼかした形で霧を表現したらどうかとか、それからジェット機が空に飛び交って雲から技ける時にベタの青空だけじゃつまらないからそこに薄い雲をスリットスキャンで入れようよとか、そういうアドバイスですね。」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
  30. ^ Matsushita 1987, pp. 206, 207
  31. ^ 「テクニックを全く知らない状態で冒 険するから新しい頁が開けるわけですからね。テクニック を知らないからできる冒険もいっぱいあるわけです。僕達、テクニックを知っている経験者は経験者としての冒険をしますが、次の世代の人達はもっと違う冒険をやって欲しい。 結果はやってみないとわからないけど、怪我するのが嫌だから手を出さないでいるといつまでも冒険はできない。。。山賀監督も言っていたんですが、アニメだからこういう ふうになったのではなくて、アニメという手段を使ったか らにはそれを最大限に生かして特撮以上のものを作りあげ てこそアニメの価値ができるんですよね。」Matsushita 1987, p. 207
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