On the 4th, it was announced that a talk between Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Pete Docter, director Kelsey Mann of the film ” Inside Out 2 ” (currently in theaters), producer Mark Nielsen, Studio Ghibli’s director Hayao Miyazaki, and producer Toshio Suzuki will be broadcast on the TOKYO FM radio program “Toshio Suzuki’s Ghibli Sweaty” for two weeks on the 4th and 11th.
Pixar and Studio Ghibli have had a close relationship since the 1980s, with Pixar supervising the English dubbing of the American version of the film “Spirited Away” (2001) and Totoro from “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988), making a cameo appearance in “Toy Story 3” (2010). Meanwhile, Docter, who came to Japan with his latest film, “Inside Out 2,” visited Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli pursues hand-drawn animation, while Pixar uses cutting-edge technology to create 3D CG animation.
They had a lively discussion about animation production, such as the behind-the-scenes of the production process and their thoughts on the works of each of the world’s top animation creators. One of the various topics that came up in the conversation was about “test screenings.” Pixar has a production method in which they hold test screenings many times before a film is completed, and they incorporate the opinions of various people to create the movie. When Docter asked, “Do you do that at Studio Ghibli?” Miyazaki replied, “No.
All viewers can’t understand a film. We are the ones who take responsibility, so we can’t leave it to someone who happens to be there.” Docter then said, “With our method, test screenings are helpful. Since we’re still in production, this part doesn’t resonate at all, or the emotions we want to evoke aren’t being felt, and then we can make adjustments. It’s true that when I’m listening to opinions, I sometimes let them go from one to the other, but in the preview, we watch together.
That way, I can feel when they’re bored or engrossed in the screen; those reactions are their true feelings. We then see that and adjust the film to resonate with as many people as possible.” They discussed the differences and beliefs each of them has in producing animated films. Below is Suzuki’s comment after seeing the movie Inside Out 2.
“Riley has hit puberty. What’s going on in her head now? It was a learning experience for me as a 75-year-old grandfather. Studio Ghibli Suzuki Toshio”