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2010-02-15

The Borrowers Teaser Trailer



Here is Studio Ghibli's teaser trailer for The Borrowers. This really looks magnificent - Kazuo Oga's impressionist paintings are always a wonderful sight. Very interesting that this movie returns to the "classic" Ghibli style, and not Ponyo's storybook watercolor approach. Perhaps that newer style will be more exclusive to Miyazaki's films? It's a great testament to these skilled artists that Studio Ghibli can showcase so many different artistic styles.

Obviously, I would love to see The Borrowers in American theatres this year or next. That's probably unlikely, but everything should depend on Disney's internal expectations for Ponyo's US theatrical run, as well as next month's DVD/BD releases. Sounds like a good incentive to buy multiple copies of the new DVDs, hmm?

12 comments:

greentea said...

What a tranquil opening. Sort of Zen-like, added with the music too. Too bad it's so short.

Daniel Thomas MacInnes said...

Ghibli's teaser trailers are always short. Don't worry, the full preview will be made available soon.

Anonymous said...

I'm really looking forward to this movie. I love the thought of special little cultures tucked away where we can't see. That's probably one of the reasons I liked pom poko so much

Dan Hamman said...

Whilst it's great that Ghibli's 'returning to their traditional style' I'd love Miyazaki to really stand back enough for young talent to make voices for themselves, and even develop new styles, like how he Takahata, Otsuka et all did way back when. Especially in Ponyo, new background art talent was shining through, and (Karigurashi's director) Yonebayashi's animation of the surfacing water fish and graceful Granmanmare make me confident that Arrietty will bring no less.

However, the recent (20th Jan?) report about production being 20% complete is really quite astonishing, surely with the release date so close they would be finished a bit more?

Daniel Thomas MacInnes said...

I wouldn't worry about Ghibli meeting their production deadline. The Borrowers is set for a July release, and they'll be working up until the very last minute.

beyond said...

According to Arrietty blog, art director Yoji Takeshige(art director of Howl, Spirited Away, Yamada, On Your Mark) paints a part above the ground, another art director Noboru Yoshida(art director of Ponyo) paints under floor part Arrietty's house, and Yohei Takamatsu(art director of The Day I Bought a Star) paints the doll house which appers as a importance thing in the film.
This means that art director of Miyazaki's short film which he is making now is might Naoya Tanaka (art director of Chu Zumo, The Cat Returns, Ocean Waves)

Key animation work need a lot of time in the production. So, the speed of the first half is very slow. If it is completed, the speed of the production accelerates.

Dan Hamman said...

Beyond, is there somewhere where there are translations for the Arietty blog, because it's in video form it's harder to find a translation, but there are so many, and I'm sure fans would be interested in what has been said about the film.

The blogger himself said 'To speak honestly, I think these numbers show a slight delay of production." (commenting on the status report on the 20th January. But I'm sure they'll pull through. Interesting to see how the estimated running time has gone from ~80mins in December to ~100 just recently.

beyond said...

Um...I have to say you "Please study Japanese". Because I'm Japanese, we can easily know the Ghibli's important latest information, Miyazaki's latest activity and an interesting episode from Ghibli's website, blog, newspaper, NTV, and Suzuki's radio program.

Yes, the blogger Nishioka said it.
And Suzuki said "Teaser trailer says The production is favorable!! But it is a lie.(laughs)" in a press conference.
However, in the Arrietty blog of Feb 6, Nishioka said "First release date is decided. This means we must complete the film whatever it takes. Main staff are working without holiday. Please wait it with expect."
They are professional team. If they think it is impossible to complete, distributor Toho doesn't announce the first day. As you know most Japanese film's teaser trailer doesn't announce it. Howl did not announce it until summer and postponed. It was humiliation for Ghibli, and it was a blow for Toho.
Probably, second teaser will be released on Mar 6 or April 17.

"80 min" is Miyazaki's thought in the project paper. But Yonebayashi's storyboards became around 100 min. So, production team start it as "around 100 min".
When Miyazaki makes a film, he mekes it while drawing storyboards,production team cannot readily decide a schedule.

beyond said...

NTV's Feb 5 program "How Ponyo was born - Live broadcast from Ghibli Museum" is available on YouTube.

Program shows Ghibli Museum's Ponyo exhibition displays 320,000 pieces key animation and animation cel by hand drawing.
Miyazaki is drawing a key animation of the wave him self. The narration (Kazuko Yoshiyuki voice of Toki)
explains that Miyazaki spent more than two days to draw this three seconds scene (06:30)and he drew all waves. (Miyazaki's drawing footage is from DVD "How Ponyo was born - Hayao Miyazaki's process of thinking")
Ponyo exhibition is commented on as always by a freehand drawing of Miyazaki. This exhibition ends in May.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkt7cr9D2I

Miyazaki stays in Tomo no Ura (footage from DVD). Program shows a shipyard.(7:50)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5_vTIA79tY&feature

Miyazaki explains Ponyo is a girl like Fuki who is Katsuya Kondo's daughter.
Miyazaki meets Fuki(footage from DVD).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC7c16RxplA&feature

Hiroki Doi and Yuria Nara interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxNjAzm5nJc&feature

There isn't 5/5. In this part, Arrietty's image boards, teaser trailer and Cecile Corbel's interview were
broadcasted.

Dan Hamman said...

Watching these clips really makes me want to see the full documentary even more. I really doubt it'll ever be released in English-speaking places, though £70 is a lot to spend on one DVD. With the popularity of the mononoke documentary on youtube im surprised it hasn't been picked up by someone to fansub yet either.

Even though Ponyo's success at the box office wasn't as triumphant as it has been around other parts of the world, I hope there isn't such a delay in the release after the Japanese date.

beyond said...

Miyazaki suddenly appears on Arrietty blog.
http://blog.karigurashi.jp/

According to Arrietty blog, when prepare for the shooting, Miyazaki came to the room (This room is Suzuki's room) suddenly and had begun to talk toward the camera.

Miyazaki: What Nishioka(Arrietty blogger) had talked are all lies. Shooting this now?
The production team becomes impoverished. Chief animator Kagawa-san and Yamashita-san become impoverished most. Art director Takeshige and director assistance Noboru Yoshida becomes impoverished by another dimension more. The skin of the face of Yoshida-san peels off once in 3rd. He tries various medicine, but it is not yet improved. I think that the unprecedented spurt not to understand what will happen in the future approaches gradually with the time limit. It will be in time or not in time, I do not really understand it. That's all.
You are not able to broadcast this, are you? (staff:I think good.)

After Miyazaki left the seat, Oscar can be seen in a shelf.

Arrietty's latest production status (last Sunday) announced.
Arrietty has 995 cuts.

Layout: 945 cuts were completed
Key animation: 654 cuts - 65%
Chief animator check: 529 cuts - 53%
Animation: 493 cuts - 49%
Painting: 356 cuts - 35%
Background painting: 443 cuts - 44%
Completed cuts: 332 cuts - 33%

Nishioka: Well, thogh these number shows the critical status, it make speedup from the last time.
The postponement of the release is never forgiven, because the first day was announced.
I think staff member will do best more from now on and continues working.
Thogh it is the critical status,please expect staff's perseverance.
I'll announce the number again next month.

Anonymous said...

I see today that Disney announced open auditions for voice actors to dub secondary roles for Toy Story 3, opening in Japan on 10 July. It'll be interesting to see how TS3 and Arrietty do head-to-head in Japan this summer.

Ja ne,

Paul

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