Young Animator Training Project

The Young Animator Training Project (若手アニメーター育成プロジェクト, Wakate Animētā Ikusei Purojekuto) is an annual project launched in 2010, and funded by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs in order to support training animators. The project culminates in a series of Anime Mirai (アニメミライ) shorts produced by various animation studios each year. This project is an opportunity for young talented animators from many Japan studios to present their visions and produce their own short anime (25 minutes). This production is very special and often totally different from typical anime mainstream.

History

The project was launched by Japanese Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) in 2010. The animation labor group received 214.5 million yen (about US$2.27 million) from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and it distributed most of those funds to studios to train young animators on-the-job during the year. One of the reasons for the support of the Agency for Cultural Affairs is the concern that more of the Japanese animation process is being outsourced overseas—thus leading to a decline in opportunities to teach animation techniques within Japan. In 2011 the Agency once again provided funding for JAniCA to select more young training projects under the same budgets.

In April 2014, JAniCA announced that they are no longer running the initiative. Later it was announced that The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) will run the project.

Animations

The following animations were created out of the funding provided by the Young Animator Training Project. Animation studios bid for funding, and each year, four studios are selected to produce short films. All short films air in theaters each year in March.

Young Animator Training Project 2010 (alias: Project A, or backly renamed as: Anime Mirai 2011)

The following shorts were produced in 2011.

• Kizuna Ichigeki (キズナ一撃, lit. Bond Strike) - Ascension
• Ojii-san no Ranpu (おぢいさんのランプ, lit. The Old Man's Lamp) - Telecom Animation Film
• Bannō Yasai Ninninman (万能野菜 ニンニンマン, lit. Versatile Vegetable Nininman) - P.A.Works
• Tansu Warashi. (たんすわらし。, lit. Wardrobe Dwellers) - Production I.G

Young Animator Training Project 2011 (after year renamed as: Anime Mirai 2012)

The following shorts were produced in 2012.

• BUTA - Telecom Animation Film
• Wasurenagumo (わすれなぐも, lit. Little Spider Girl) - Production I.G
• Shiranpuri (しらんぷり, lit. Minding My Own Business) - Shirogumi
• Pukapuka Juju (ぷかぷかジュジュ, lit. Dudu the Floatie) - Answer Studio

Anime Mirai 2013

The following shorts were produced in 2013.

• Ryo (龍 -RYO-) - Gonzo
• Little Witch Academia (リトル ウィッチ アカデミア, Ritoru Witchi Akademia) - Trigger
• Aruvu Rezuru - Kikaijikake no Yōsei-tachi (アルヴ・レズル -機械仕掛けの妖精たち-, lit. Alv Rezul - Mechanical Fairies) - Zexcs
• Death Billiards (デス・ビリヤード, Desu Biriyādo) - Madhouse

Aruvu Rezuru replaced an intended short, TV Kazoku Channel Jacker, that was to be produced by Pierrot.

Anime Mirai 2014

The following shorts were produced in 2014.

• Harmonie (アルモニ, Arumoni) - Ultra Super Pictures
• Ōkii Ichinensei to Chiisana Ninensei (大きい一年生と小さな二年生, lit. The Big First Year Student and the Little Second Year Student) - A-1 Pictures
• Paroru no Miraijima (パロルの未来島, lit. Parol's Future Island) - Shin-Ei Animation
• Kuro no Sumika -Chronus- (黒の栖-クロノス-, lit. Black Nest -Chronus-) - Studio 4°C

Anime Mirai 2015

The following shorts were produced in 2015.

• Aki no Kanade (アキの奏で, lit. Aki's Rhythm) - J.C.Staff
• Robotto Kāsan (ロボットかあさん, lit. Robot Mother) - SynergySP
• Ongaku Shōjo (音楽少女, lit. Music Girl) - Studio Deen
• Kumi to Chūrippu (クミとチューリップ, lit. Kumi and Tulips) - Tezuka Productions

Anime Mirai 2016

The following shorts will be produced in 2016 and The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) was retaked this project.

• Colorful Ninja Iromaki - Signal.MD
• UTOPA - Studio 4°C
• Fusuma no E-shi - Tezuka Productions
• Kaze no Matasaburō - Buemon

External links

• Project A official website (Japanese)
• Anime Mirai official website (Japanese)