Its a bumper summer for art exhibitions, first up with the Inoue Takehiko The LAST Manga Exhibition, the upcoming Vermeer exhibition in August, and now this. Following the hugely successful Kazuo Oga Background Art Exhibition held in summer last year, Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art and Studio Ghibli are back once again this year – with the Studio Ghibli Layout Exhibition. The tagline for the exhibition boldly reads “Understanding the secrets of Takahata/Miyazaki’s animation”.
Expression, background, movement – the Layout is the blueprint for the animation film, showing all instructions. In the first endeavor of its kind in Japan, Studio Ghibli will join MOT in exploring the power and fascination of the anime movies of Takahata and Miyazaki through some 1,300 layouts for films ranging from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to their new film scheduled for release this summer, Ponyo on the Cliff by the sea.
(below) A sneak peek at some of the layouts appearing in the exhibition.
(below) Goro Miyazaki ( Miyazaki-san’s son ) even illustrated a beautiful comic to explain what an animation layout is. Brilliant ! ( Click on the image for a larger version. )
The Studio Ghibli Layout Exhibition will be on from the 26th of July to the 28th of September, so if you happen to be in Tokyo within this time period, you know where to go. Tickets to the exhibition MUST be purchased beforehand from any LAWSON convenience store.
I’ve posted a follow-up article on my visit to this exhibition, read it here.
You can purchase the Studio Ghibli Layout Exhibition art book from Amazon Japan | Amazon.com.
Studio Ghibli Layout Designs Exhibition Part I
Studio Ghibli Layout Designs Exhibition Part II
Ponyo on the Cliff Art Exhibition at the Ghibli Museum – Preview
Studio Ghibli Layout Designs Exhibition Art Book Review
Ghibli Studios – What Is An Animation Layout ?
July 20th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Yay! I got my ticket thanks to a friend in Tokyo… and Yes! I’m looking forward to check this amazing exhibition!
July 20th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Words can not describe how jealous I am right now 🙂
If they only would release something like this in bookform….
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
If only i had the time to go…
July 24th, 2008 at 1:45 am
nyuudo – Congrats ! Just got my tickets too, can’t wait. :]
Harry D. / tragic comedy – I’m pretty sure they’ll be releasing a book… :]
July 24th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Miyazaki = god
September 25th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Hi, the artbook is fantastic and the exibition had great success but it ends this weekend: any possibility of extension?
September 25th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Leo – Hey there, sometimes popular exhibitions here do get extensions, but at the time I am writing this there is still no word of any extension of the exhibition date, so the chances are quite small. Did you manage to get the book ?
September 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Friends of mine are planning a journey to Japan for the next month. I love all your photos of the book and I’d like to buy it but the texts are all in Japanese, I suppose (and I can’t read it!). Of course, also shipping and customs make the cost too high for me at the moment ;(
I have bookmarked several items, waiting for better days.
January 7th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Hi, do you still have the ghibli layout design?
June 24th, 2012 at 11:58 am
I actually caught the show in 2008 through the kindness of the woman at the ticket counter (and it was early in the day). I didn’t know about the advance ticketing. It was definitely something but a bit overwhelming with so much page sized pencil art filling gallery after gallery.
February 18th, 2016 at 7:10 pm
Could someone please have mercy and translate Goro’s tutorial for us non-Japanese-speaking mortals, even just roughly? I could not thank you enough for that!