Creator’s File
Directory of innovative individuals who are constantly attempting
new endeavors using their own unique methods of expression.
No. 28
YASHIRO Takeshi
Director
Joined TAIYO KIKAKU Co., Ltd. in 1993. In 2012, while working as a director on numerous TV commercials, YASHIRO completes his first independent stop-motion animated film, "Dear November Boy," which was chosen for public screening under the "Modern Japanese Animation" category during the 14th Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
©TAIYO KIKAKU Co., Ltd. / EXPJ Ltd.
JMAF 23rd Animation Division / Excellence Award
GON, THE LITTLE FOX
- Animated short Film
- 0:27:00
- Director, Screenplay, Art, Wood Carving, Animation
- YASHIRO Takeshi
- Producer
- OIKAWA Masaaki, TOYOKAWA Takanori
When Gon, a playful orphaned fox, finds that young Hyoju has lost his mother, he tries to comfort him and make amends for his own earlier mischiefs by secretly bringing small gifts to the young man every day. But Hyoju doesn’t realize who is behind the anonymous gifts, and the two are headed for a heartbreaking climax.
Behind the Scenes
Images of making process
-
Holding a special red spider lily from Hyoju, Gon skips through the field of flowers. There are about 2000 red spider lilies filling the entire screen. These were handmade by the staff over an eighteen month period.
-
A scene where Gon learns that Hyoju’s mother has died and he regrets that Hyoju couldn’t feed her the eels before her death because of his mischievous prank.
-
To shoot the scene of Hyoju chasing after Gon, the director used a raised rail mechanism to pan the camera as the characters ran. They made a field in the studio with genuine Japanese plains grass.
-
They made a partially removable set so that they could shoot the farmhouse from all angles. Paulownia was used as the main building material for the house. Paulownia has a fine and straight grain, so it works well even in a miniature size. The floor planks were painted with persimmon astringent and polished like the real thing. Making a Japanese house like this was a difficult task.
-
Hyoju's skeleton blueprint and actual armature. The armature is created based on the design drawing. At this time, what the person designing has to think about is how the character moves. Is the character standing, sitting, waving their hands and etc.? By looking at the storyboard, careful inspections are made. If this design is inadequate, you will end up with a doll that does not move as intended.
-
Director YASHIRO created a real river for this film. This is a scene where a fishing net is pulled up. The reeds that cover the riverbank are made from the ears of Japanese plains grass from Nagano prefecture. These were harvested, bunched together, and dried out for a while.
Storyboard
-
A storyboard for a scene where Gon creates mischief with the eel that Hyoju caught for his mother.
-
A storyboard for a scene where Gon creates mischief in Hyoju's fish basket and plays with the eels inside.
-
A storyboard for a scene where Gon learns that Hyoju's mother has died and he regrets that Hyoju couldn't feed her the eels before her death because of his mischievous prank.
Other Works
-
©TAIYO KIKAKU Co., Ltd. / EXPJ Ltd.
NORMAN THE SNOWMAN
-The Northern Lights-- Animated short Film
- 00:25:00
-
©TAIYO KIKAKU Co., Ltd. / EXPJ Ltd.
Moon of a sleepless night
- Animated short Film
- 00:27:00
JMAF 23rd Animation Division / Jury Selections