Makoto Shinkai

Makoto Shinkai

Makoto Shinkai in Moscow 2013
Born Makoto Niitsu
(1973-02-09) February 9, 1973
Koumi, Nagano, Japan
Occupation Film director, Producer, Writer, Animator, Voice actor, Manga artist
Known for Voices of a Distant Star
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
5 Centimeters Per Second
Children Who Chase Lost Voices
The Garden of Words
Your Name

Makoto Shinkai (新海 誠 Shinkai Makoto), born as Makoto Niitsu (新津 誠 Niitsu Makoto, born February 9, 1973), is a Japanese director of anime and former graphic designer. A native of Nagano Prefecture, Shinkai studied Japanese literature at Chuo University where he was a member of juvenile literature club where he drew picture books. He traces his passion for creation to the manga, anime, and novels he was exposed to while in middle school. His favorite anime is Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki. Shinkai has been called "The New Miyazaki" in several reviews, including those by Anime Advocates and ActiveAnime—comparisons which he himself calls an "overestimation".[1]

Career

After graduating from Chuo in 1994 he got a job at Falcom, a video game company and where he worked for 5 years by making video clips for games and graphic design including web content. During this time he met musician Tenmon who would later collaborate in many of his movies by providing the music score.

In 1999, Shinkai released She and Her Cat, a five-minute short piece done in monochrome. It won several awards, including the grand prize at the 12th DoGA CG Animation contest (2000). DoGA is an independent non-profit company set up to encourage entry-level animators with software and advice.[2] The short details the life of a cat, entirely from the cat's perspective, as it passes time with its owner, a young woman.

After winning the grand prize, Shinkai began thinking about a follow-up while he continued for Falcom. A few months later in June 2000, Shinkai was inspired to begin Voices of a Distant Star by drawing a picture of a girl in a cockpit grasping a cell phone. Some time later, he was contacted by Manga Zoo (today a smartphone "app"), who offered to "work with him," giving him a grant to turn his idea into an anime they could sell. In May 2001, he quit his job at Falcom and began to work on Voices. In an interview, Shinkai noted that production took around seven months of "real work".

Voices of a Distant Star was followed by the 90 minute long The Place Promised in Our Early Days, which was released nationwide in Japan on November 20, 2004. It was critically acclaimed, winning many honors. Shinkai's next project was titled 5 Centimeters per Second and premiered 3 March 2007. It consists of three short films titled Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut, and 5 Centimeters Per Second. The total play time is about 63 minutes. In September 2007 Nagano's leading newspaper, Shinano Mainichi Shinbun, released a TV commercial animated by Makoto Shinkai. Aside from his own projects, Shinkai also assists in animating visual novel opening movies for Minori, a visual novel company.

Shinkai spent 2008 in London, resting since the completion of 5 Centimeters per Second. He returned to Japan in 2009 to start work on his next project. He released two concept drawings for this film in December 2009. Shinkai noted that this film would be his longest animation film to date and described the story as a "lively" animated film with adventure, action, and romance centered on a cheerful and spirited girl on a journey to say "farewell".[3] In November 2010, he revealed that his next work would be titled Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below. A teaser trailer was released on November 9, and the film was released on May 7, 2011.[4][5]

His next feature, Kotonoha no Niwa (Garden of Words), was released on May 31, 2013.

Shinkai's new film, Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name) was released on August 26, 2016.

Works

Films

Shorts

Commercials

Video games

Literary works

Manga

Illustrations

References

  1. ↑ "MAKOTO SHINKAI - THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS DIRECTOR". Active Anime. 2005-09-27. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  2. ↑ http://www.doga.co.jp/english/top.html
  3. ↑ "Distant Star's Shinkai Posts Images for Next Anime". Anime News Network. 2009-12-24. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  4. ↑ "Paradise Kiss, Mardock Scramble, Gon Promos Streamed (Makoto Shinkai's latest work, Hoshi o Ou Kodomo, to have teaser on November 9)". Anime News Network. 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  5. ↑ "Makoto Shinkai's Hoshi o Ou Kodomo Teaser Posted in HD". Anime News Network. 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Other voices-遠い声- » 大成建設テレビCM" [Other voices - Taisei TV CM] (in Japanese). Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Other voices-遠い声- » 大成建設テレビCM「スリランカ高速道路」篇" [Other voices - Taisei TV CM "Sri Lanka highway"] (in Japanese). Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Other voices-遠い声- » 大成建設テレビCM「ベトナム・ノイバイ空港」篇" [Other voices - Taisei TV CM "Vietnam Noi Bai Airport"] (in Japanese). Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Other voices-遠い声- » Ｚ会「クロスロード」" [Other voices - Z-Kai: Cross Road] (in Japanese). Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films. Retrieved October 10, 2014.

External links

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