Even CG animators have their own individuality!　Interview with Tomoki Banno, who is active in the industry but also keeps to himself in independent production [Watching the Animation Industry No.83

A short animation titled "Departing the Night," a little over a minute long, recently became the talk of the town on Twitter. The action is exhilarating as a robot with a Japanese sword-like weapon bashes and slashes at one enemy after another. The rays of the morning sun, the splashes and reflections of the lake where the battlefield is located, and the slow and rapid camera movements also create a strong impression.
This CG animation was created by Tomoki Banno, who is also active in the world of commercial animation. He is a freelance CG animator who is also active in the world of commercial animation. We asked Mr. Banno about his stance on his work, his thoughts on his personal creations, and his outlook for the future.

Once in a lifetime. It's not the time to be making moves out of admiration or respect for a "moment" that will never come again.

─ ─ I can't imagine what it is like to be a freelance CG animator, but what kind of work do you do now?

Banno: In my case, I go to the studio every day to work, just like an employee. The only difference is that my contract is as a freelancer, but other than that, there is little difference.

───Do you ever think about belonging to a company?

Banno: Yes, I do. When I first started freelancing, I was not particular about it, but before I knew it, I had become accustomed to freelancing and participating in projects on a project-by-project basis. I make a proper decision each time whether I will do it or not. I am more afraid of losing time to work I don't want to do than I am of not having a stable living, and I personally believe that participating in a work with low motivation is not good for the work.

───What kinds of works have you been involved in up to now?

Banno: Since becoming freelance, I have been involved in the prologue video for "No More Heroes 3" and the short animation for "Tales of Crestoria," both of which were produced by Kamikaze Animation. Other works I was involved in as an employee were "Majestic Prince Awakening Gene" (2016), "Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Chapter 3 - Final Chapter" (2015-16), and "Treasure Land #03,10" (2017). ), and more. I also have a work history page ( # ) on my website, so please see there for details on the parts I am responsible for.

─ ─ This year, you released a short CG animation titled "Departing the Night"?

Sakano: "Departing the Night" is the avant-garde title, or the first part, of an original animation that I am making on my own. The full-length version will be produced in the future, but it will have a story and human characters.


─ ─ Do you have an image source for "Departing the Night"?

Sakano: No, I do not. We try never to have such things, especially when it comes to motion. The cut of an animation is a once-in-a-lifetime "moment" for the characters that appear in it. There must be a certain action that must be taken at that time and place, so it is not the time to make movements out of admiration or respect. This is my basic stance as an animator, regardless of whether it is for work or independent production. As for design and effects, it's not my main job, so I just go along with what I saw in that work. ......


─ ─ Are you not attached to the 2D animation style?

Banno: Not at all. I had one when I was a student, but by the time I started working as a CG animator a year later, I had lost all attachment to it, and I realized at that point that 3D animation is not a reproduction of drawn animation, I forgot that I was even making an animation. By the way, in "Departing the Night," I hardly drew any pictures, except for the sky in the background. I only used text for the storyboards, and even the design was decided from the beginning while modeling and rigging in 3D software. I thought that was enough for a one-person production, and that way I could take advantage of the potential of 3D as it is.

─ ─ I saw a tweet explaining the 3D model, and the protrusions on the back would get in the way of its movement, so you made it so that the protrusions retract as it moves, right?


Banno: Yes, it is just a simple mechanism, but by creating it in this way, it naturally takes on a rational shape. Also, I have no experience in design, and if I were to make the same thing as other people, I wouldn't come up with anything great.

─ So you are not attached to the giant robot genre?

Banno: Yes, I am not particular about the genre. However, I feel very strongly about the merits of using CG to depict robots. I wonder if faces and hair are really necessary for action scenes.　I sometimes wonder. The movement is intense, and even though they are only small in size, the man-hours required for them are not much different from those for ordinary cuts. I am sure that robots are more efficient than characters in action scenes.