We asked Emi Chiba, the color designer of "Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san," about the fun of thinking about colors for animation.

The manga "Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san," which depicts the production of an entertaining movie, has been adapted into an animated film. The film is directed by Takayuki Hirao, whose works include "The Garden of the Sinners Chapter 5: The Conflict Spiral" (2008), "GOD EATER" (2015), and "The Witch Sisters' Yoyo and Nene" (2013). In this "Mr. Pompo," Hirao brings an impassioned touch to the drama of Pompo's assistant Jean Fini, a film producer and rookie director, who is immersed in the process of making a film.

On the other hand, the gorgeous picture-making also leaves a strong impression. For this interview, we spoke with Emi Chiba, who was in charge of color design for "Mr. Pompo.

Use realistic colors for the props that the characters hold in their hands.

─ ─ When it comes to colors in animation, in the past, we used to paint from the back of the cell with paints, didn't we? Did you experience such a time?

Chiba: When I entered the industry, it was a transitional period when animation production was shifting from analog to digital, and some companies were still using paints to color the cels. Telecom Animation Films, which I joined as a newcomer, was quick to switch to digitalization, so I have no experience painting by hand.

─ I interviewed you when you worked on "The Garden of the Sinners the Movie" (2007-2013), and I heard that you decided on the basic colors for the characters and then fine-tuned them for each scene.

Chiba: That's right. First, I decide on the basic colors for the characters, and when the backgrounds come in, I adjust them to match the backgrounds. It is often said that changing colors from cut to cut is too much for TV, but as long as I have time and room, I try to make adjustments from cut to cut, thinking that it is better to do it as much as possible because it makes the film better. Since "Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san" was a theater piece, there were fewer restrictions like there are on TV, and I was allowed to work freely. I would submit my own color plan, and if the director (Takayuki Hirao) asked me to do something a little more like this, I would change it accordingly. Not only for the film, but also for posters and copyrighted illustrations, I adjust the colors to match the atmosphere without changing the basic colors.


─ ─ Sometimes the colors change drastically during the filming process, don't they? Do you discuss this with the director of photography?

Chiba: No, I do not attend the shooting meetings. The director of photography and director Hirao probably have a goal that they are working toward, and I think of color design as creating materials for the intermediate stages of that goal. I think it is more important for the work as a whole to be cohesive than to have my own individuality.

─ "Pompo-san" is set in a fictional city called "Nyaliwood," and has a mysterious worldview that can't be described as fantasy or realistic.

Chiba: The background is very dense, and the cute cartoon-like characters ride on top of it. Since the characters have only a few parts, the number of colors is limited. Therefore, we had to be creative with the colors of the edges and highlights to create a colorful atmosphere. Also, the colors of the props that the characters hold in their hands were used to create a sense of reality. For example, if a character had a PC, painting it yellow or pink would make it more colorful, but it would not be enough to enter the world of the work. Therefore, we painted the props in the character's hands in realistic colors. In other works as well, the colors are chosen so that the viewer can feel that the characters are in the same place.


─ What was the coloring staff like?

Chiba: I have been freelance for about four years now, but some of the coloring staff who worked at the same place before also became freelance, so I asked people I knew well who I worked with all the time. Some worked at home, while others worked at different studios while working on other productions. We usually concentrated on the work and finished it in two or three weeks, but for "Pompo-san," we worked for two or three hours a day, like a club activity.