Biography of the great authors
By Akihiko Kaminoyama
Learn from Hayao Miyazaki -2
What is to see the world from a child's viewpoint?

Hayao Miyazaki's typical works are made from 1982 to the present. "I believe that to make animation is to make fiction. The world comforts the heart which was tired in the rough reality, the will which is likely to be discouraged, and the feeling which has become myopic astigmatism. Furthermore it gives audience a free and nimble mind and a purified fresh feeling. " (Quote from the same as the above).
However, the present animation is flooded by the mass production and a program. The animator is only a gear of a process of production. While there animators who ask for a dream, there are people who manipulate animation as a means of money-making.
He says to it. gEven if you would be an animator with high hope to build the world of fiction, your easygoing dream would be blown away. Too much huge works, absolute shortage of the cost and time, ..(omitted).. Who have you blamed, even if you cannot but run a pencil on paper mechanically sitting down in front of a belt conveyor?." (Quote from the same as the above)
In short, cheap labor, hard work, and mechanical work are the animator's job. They have to make animation with the low cost and few skilled workers in their daily routine, while they impair their health. Only people with the mind which still overcomes it can accomplish achievements. What serves as their driving force? I would like to focus on Hayao Miyazaki's sensitivity and the joy to make it.

The author of a "Jurassic park", Michael Crichton wrote such the words in the postface. He wrote that book from the child's viewpoint. When he showed it to the editor and the friends at first, their reputation was very bad. Then, I thought over and rewrote it from the grown-up viewpoint. Then, their reputation was very good.
Since I wrote his words by memory, I think it is not accurate, but the outline would not be wrong. This episode means that if you writes a book with a child's viewpoint, the adults may not understand that meaning. Even if you say, "children can understand it", it is not valid for business of the publications or films which is obliged to succeed in business in the United States. Itfs the case that when Hayao Miyazaki draws animation, thinking is adult, but a story and expression is written by the viewpoint of children. It is excellent. The masterpiece is "My Neighbor Totoro."
By the way, a company of the animation movie has got 60 percent of the advertising rate which a toy maker pays for. The adult is commercializing the animation world for the children blatantly. They are doing business saying the fine things to children . In such reality, you would understand how it is serious to make good works to a child culturally and mentally. Hayao Miyazaki says, gIt is exactly serious to produce a conscientious
works of the animation which flow like a flood.
It seems that we drop down spring water drop by drop to the muddy water of the flood. However, I cannot but think that it is very sad, if those works which have been washed away by the flood have been sent out at the world. Once a person chose the occupation of animation, to use a grandiloquent phrase, itfs important to devote his life to the animation, or to do anything being worth it. Ifm thinking about it, Ifm groping for the answer now.g(Quote from the gStarting Pointh)
He goes on talking. gIf I say that you should make the animation for children, you may hear that I say in principle. But it is not right. Moreover, we make a work because it is well liked by children, I would like to make animation which my children are wanting to see or which I wanted to see in my childhood, that is, which children truly want then. I always think that if I can made it, Ifm very happy." (Quote from the same as the above)
In such views, I want to know how Hayao Miyazaki is making the conscientious animations for children. The movie "My Neighbor Totoro" is a work seen repeatedly by children putting themselves in a flutter. There are few works which are supported by children so much. Ifm very interested in how such a work was made.
--To be continued.

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