Over the weekends at STGCC 2015, we managed to interview Shigeto Koyama, one of the designers behind the creation of Baymax from Big Hero 6, as well as veteran animator/director, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki of Evangelion. Here are some of the insights that we got from these wonderful creators on their works and their experiences!
Interview with Shigeto Koyama:
What is your favourite medium for art?
Shigeto Koyama: I’m a pencil and paper person, although in the studio, we generally work on machines – for me, I do my work on a Macbook Pro and Photoshop.
What made you interested in this career?
Shigeto Koyama: I found animation to be interesting, and wanted to do something related to it.
How did you develop your art style?
Shigeto Koyama: Basically I find inspiration from anything and everything around me, including that of other designers. I love American comics as a kid, and liked the style – the thought of mixing east and west together was interesting. I never had any format training in the arts, and I had a pretty late start in this career; I was a part-time jobber in my mid-20s before I became involved in animation!
What are some of your favourite works?
Shigeto Koyama: Panty and Stocking, HeroMan, Guuren Lagaan, Big Hero 6… I can’t choose. Each of them is distinct and unique in their own way.
What do you think of Stan Lee?
Shigeto Koyama: Oh, he’s a funky old man! He’s also the fastest old person I’ve ever seen and open to ideas to be throw around too!
Who is your favourite artist?
Shigeto Koyama: It would have to be Sadamoto. I learned a lot from him and working with him.
Do you have any advice for budding artists?
Shigeto Koyama: Go out, experience the world, and do all kinds of jobs – it’ll influence your work in future in ways you know not of!
What are your future plans?
Shigeto Koyama: I can’t divulge too much, but I’m currently working on a big music-related project that will be announced on worldwide news.
Interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto:
How has the industry now differ from the past?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: The internet wasn’t available in the past when I first started, so whatever ideas illustrators pitch to production sponsors, our ideas were more easily accepted. With the rise of internet these days however, productions are more difficult to proceed as people are able to head online and see what’s trending and what styles are more popular – as such, they will reject ideas accordingly too. It is more important to make things specific to a group and cater to a ready crowd.
What are your thoughts about crossovers of the game and anime industry?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: The crowd for both will definitely overlap at some point in time; after all, anime and manga are more affordable for the younger crowd right up to their teens. Ultimately the interest has to be generated from them somewhere, otherwise the industries would not be sustainable at all!
What got you started on this career and what motivates you in it?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I started manga drawing as a hobby, and joined the manga club during my university days. Subsequently, one of my juniors invited me to the production of Macross the TV series, and from there I was drawn to the industry. I guess what motivates me the most is seeing that my peers are all working hard too, and I strive to be like them as well.
What are your thought processes when creating a character?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: We will get a brief from the director, as well as the basic storyline when creating a character, but what I do is that I imagine myself as the director, and then begin on the character design. At times, I will also give input for the story flow, just so it would fit the character better.
Which character(s) do you like the best, out of all your works?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: That’s a tough question…Let me think…I like FLCL…But if I have to choose one character, I would have to say Ayanami Rei? She’s the character that I spent the most time on, and is the most well-known character and well-loved to date. However, I don’t like her personality at all – She’s too quiet! I’ll prefer if she’s more bubbly and chatty.
Were there any specific influences that you had while working on Evangelion?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: For the female characters, I drew inspirations from a shoujo manga – in fact the hairstyles were pretty much similar to hers (Kuramochi Fusako). The music that I was listening to at that time was another key factor. For the costumes, basically they were drawn as to how I wanted the story to flow.
What are your thoughts on the success of Evangelion?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: To be honest, it was a low budget production – it wasn’t even half of what the major animation projects cost back in those days! Nonetheless, it was my greatest satisfaction at that point in time.
Who are some of the illustrators that you look up to?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: Otsuka Yasuo, my teacher. In a way, both of us are pretty similar in terms of our private lives – our hometowns are close to each other too. And oh, Hayao Miyazaki too.
What do you like and dislike about your job?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: Well, I’m able to have my hobby as my job – that’s probably something that I like about it, but I guess that now that it has turned into my livelihood, it worries me too. It upsets me that my designs are not always accepted, so I guess that’s what I dislike.
What are some of your hobbies?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I like carpentry and wood carving, and so during my spare times I’m piecing models cars or figurines. Basically I like things that are hands-on.
Do you have any advice for budding artists?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: The Internet is a good medium for showcase, however, it is also a bane, as most people then to replicate whatever they see as popular. What is more important is that you have your own style, and not get response just because you are copying that of others.
