TAAF2019] "YOUNG POWER 2019" Report: Students, the Next Generation of Animation Industry Leaders, Receive Advice from Professionals for Their Works

The Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2019 (TAAF2019) was held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, for four days from March 8 to 11, 2019. On Monday the 11th, the last day of the festival, "YOUNG POWER 2019" was held at the Toshima Ward Office Building as part of the program.

YOUNG POWER 2019" is a program to introduce the works of young creators, students who will lead the next generation of the animation industry.
This program has been held every year since the beginning of the "Tokyo Anime Awards Festival" and this is the 6th time it has been held. This year, Yoshiaki Kyogoku, director of the TV animation "Yuru Can△," and Mark Oftedahl, who has been involved in the production of "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life," were invited as guests to give advice to the students' works from a professional perspective.

The program, moderated by Toshihiro Jinnai of Musashino Art University, was attended by students who had just graduated or were still enrolled in school to receive critiques from professionals as they continue their animation production in graduate school or elsewhere. It can be said that this program serves as a benchmark for future animation productions. The participants were selected from the students of the organizing school of the Intercollegiate Animation Festival (ICAF), which celebrated its 16th anniversary this year.

The films screened this year were "Anklet and the Blue Sea" by Akane Hirai of Tama Art University, "Whale's Bath" by Mizuki Kiyama of Tokyo University of the Arts, "Footprints" by Tengage Rei of Tokyo Polytechnic University, "to bee continued" by Aki Eren of Tokyo Zokei University, and "I'm in I" by Tomotsuru Sasaki and Nahomi Shida of Musashino Art University. Nahomi's "Frog in a Well 3.11".

After the screening of each film, Kyogoku and Mark gave their honest impressions of the films and advice to the students. The students, who were eager to be involved in the world of animation, took the words of these front-line professionals seriously and listened to their advice.

After all five films had been critiqued, the two guests concluded the session with their impressions of the day.
I would like to express my respect to you for completing your work," said Kyogoku. He used his own independent productions from his student days as an example of how much work it takes to complete a work. He tells the students how important it is to complete the work itself, because it is only by completing the work that it can be evaluated in this way, which will enable them to brush up their skills in the future. He also said that he was inspired by the students' free and artistic works.
Mark commented that it was a valuable experience for him to be able to participate in this event. Although he gave various critiques of the works, he encouraged the students not to lose their own colors, but to make the most of what they have and develop it.