Studio Ghibli Layout Exhibition - A preview | Halcyon Realms

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.

UPDATED 310708 : I now have a few copies of the Studio Ghibli Layout Designs Exhibition artbook for sale. Grab it before its gone here !