Production I.G 石川光久社長 インタビュー
OUT TO 'BEAT HOLLYWOOD'
Producer holds tight to an 'anime' dream
By SHINICHI TERADA
Staff writer
Film producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa is a fighter. The desire to better his lot, and in some ways right the wrongs of the past, were factors that drove Ishikawa to establish his own company in 1987 along with partner Takayuki Goto. That company, I.G Tatsunoko, became Production I.G, Inc. in 1993 and has enjoyed steady growth in sales, size, and acclaim ever since. Its shares are now traded on the JASDAQ market for startups.
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| Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, president and CEO of Production I.G, Inc., shows a brochure of the animation "IGPX," which was jointly produced by his company and Cartoon Network of the United States. |
In 2003, film director Quentin Tarantino asked Production I.G to produce the animation sequence for "Kill Bill." A year later, the Ishikawa-produced "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" was nominated for the Palme d'Or Award at the 57th Festival de Cannes.
Ishikawa is a man who has lived his dream. He spent his childhood in the western Tokyo suburb of Hachioji and, back then, dreams were about all he had. His parents couldn't afford new clothes for him, not even underwear. His mother would cut up the free towels from the local agricultural cooperative to make his underwear.
His elementary school classmates teased him, calling him "baikin kun," literally "germ boy," or the Japanese equivalent of taunting, "He's got cooties!"
Some three decades later, Ishikawa was chosen to represent Japan for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, an award given to entrepreneurial business leaders around the globe.
"I learned to have determination in order to survive. Even if you fail, or are treated like some weed, you have to hold tight to your dream," says the casually dressed, bushy-haired Ishikawa.
Japanese anime first made inroads into the American pop culture as early as 1963, when "Astro Boy" made its debut in the U.S. But Japanese anime films failed to capture the hearts of Americans at first. They were believed to be filled with violence and abuse.
It wasn't until 1995 that anime took off, when "Sailor Moon" hit the American television screen and appealed to teenage girls and young women in their 20s.
In 1999, anime was given an added boost with the introduction of Pokemon. And in 2003, Miyazaki Hayao's "Spirited Away" picked up an Oscar for best-animated feature film.
Now, more and more American adults in their late teens and early 20s are tuning in to the "Japanese anime craze," says Ishikawa. Some buffs feel the popularity is due to Japanese anime's all-encompassing approach. Storylines tend to be emotional and more humanlike than Western animated films and are supported by highly detailed and expressive art.
Ishikawa, overseeing the U.S. anime market since the Los Angeles branch of his company, Production I.G.,LLC, was established in May 1997, is feeling the pressure to satisfy the growing appetite for Japanese anime, especially since Production I.G is one of the few companies to compete in Hollywood.
American youth are taking anime into the mainstream and Ishikawa says his films are aiming to meet their tastes.
It would seem, that in light of his success, Ishikawa would have made peace with his demons. But, never a man satisfied with the status quo, he now sees new ones. Despite their popularity, Hollywood still doesn't take Japanese animated films ("anime") seriously, claims the 47-year-old Ishikawa, who is once again set on making amends. "I'll beat the Hollywood crowd. We just have to rise even more to the challenge," he says with his dogged determination.
Overall, the challenge is becoming increasingly difficult. Ishikawa points out that Japanese anime has been one of Japan's most successful export products, but that the market at home is saturated.
Though data for anime alone is not available, the digital contents industry market, which includes animated cartoons, music and games, was worth an estimated 13.3 trillion yen, or $113.6 billion in 2004, according to the Digital Content Association of Japan, which traces the digital contents market. The market was valued at 13.1 trillion yen in 2003.
A company spokesperson confirmed that the declining growth rate between 2003 and 2004 indicated that the market is indeed becoming saturated in Japan.
Asian countries, such as China and South Korea, which once served as subcontractors for Japanese anime, are starting to gain recognition themselves as anime-producing countries. Taiwan, where youngsters are wild about Japanese anime characters such as Hello Kitty, gained the attention of Hollywood film producers.
The Japanese anime industry is struggling with cost-cutting and increasing outsourcing. According to a Japan Economic Monthly report by the Japan External Trade Organization, Toei Animation Co. outsourced its production jobs to the Philippines.
Studio Ghibli Inc., famous for the 2003 Oscar-winning film "Spirited Away," also reportedly subcontracted work on the film to Korea. Such outsourcing, Ishikawa says, is adding to another industry problem, a lack of animators.
Such moves, he says, "contribute to the lack of future anime creators." Ishikawa says his entire production process -- planning, production and distribution -- is done in-house, which also ensures the highest quality and competitiveness with other countries.
"All we can do is to constantly produce better works," Ishikawa notes. "But the number of animators cannot keep up with the huge demand from anime buffs overseas. Thus, about 430 anime production companies fight over the talented animators."
"I do respect animators and it is my job to make them aware of how important the animator's job is. Because of them, the industry has gained worldwide popularity," he says.
Ishikawa feels it is important to create a place where animators, shouldering the future of Japanese anime, can produce good work, and, he points out, profitable business models also result in high-quality films.
