TAAF2019] Next Generation Digital Animation Production Tools Gather! Exhibition Project "Digital Tool Touch & Try" Report

On Sunday, March 10, 2019, the exhibition project "Digital Tools Touch & Try" was held at the Toshima City Hall as part of the program of the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2019 (TAAF2019).

This project is an exhibition deMonStration project of digital tools related to animation production. By touching each tool, visitors could experience the future of Japanese animation.

At each booth, tool publicists and developers were on hand to explain the tools to visitors, who were then able to actually operate them.

What kind of tools will be used for animation production in the digital age? This exhibition gave us a glimpse of what kind of tools are used in animation production in the digital age.

FOUNDRY/MODO JAPAN Group, TMS Entertainment (MODO, TMSCAM)

MODO" is a 3D video production software.

TMSCAM" is a mutual support tool for drawing (2D) and CG (3D). By sharing the same camera for each, the collaboration between 2D and 3D in animation production will be strengthened and the efficiency of layout work will be improved.

Dwango Corporation (OpenToonz)

OpenToonz" is a tool based on the "Toonz" software used by Studio Ghibli, and is available as open source. Dwango is working on the project in cooperation with Digital Videp and Studio Ghibli.

After scanning line drawings, almost all operations such as digital painting, filming, and effects can be processed on the software.

Toon Boom Animation Inc. (Harmony, Storyboard Pro, Producer)

Canadian company Toon Boom exhibited its animation production software Harmony, Storyboad Pro, which is packed with tools necessary for creating storyboards digitally, and Producer, a web-based workflow management software.

Tsune Shindo (DigitalStoryboard (tentative))

DigitalStoryboard (tentative), developed by Mr. Tsune Shindo, is an application that allows users to create storyboards on the iPad. The key point of this application is that it can be customized to match the style of Japanese animation.

Pancake Corporation (Blender)

They proposed animation production with Blender, a CG software that can also do 2D drawing.