(JINROH script writer)
Interviewer: Kenji Kamiyama/Go Arai (assistant)
... cont'd from Part I
| KAMIYAMA | Ever since Ghost (G in the S), there is an image built up as Oshii = Digital. If you had directed JINROH yourself, would you have done a lot of digital processing just like how you did in your Ghost? |
| OSHII | Yes, I'd thought about it. |
| KAMIYAMA | But I think JINROH has a completely opposite world of that of Ghost, meaning it's more analog than digital. If you were to use it, it would be a bit different than how you used it in Ghost? |
| OSHII | Nothing like the 2D world of computers. CGI can be utilized in various aspects such as on the camera works, effects, especially the water effects. I wasn't planning to add 3D textures to that town (the ancient Gothic-style town in Tokyo). I wanted to use it mostly on the camera works. |
| KAMIYAMA | The camera movement is the key point? |
| OSHII | I've learned quite a bit while working on Ghost. A computer can do more than just a simple digital processing. You can use it for the analog world as well, especially for the vertical movements of the camera and lens effects, and lots more. |
| KAMIYAMA | In that sense, you would've utilized a lot of the digital technology. |
| OSHII | If it was me directing it, I would say so, and the number of animation will be less than half of Okiura's... somewhere around 30,000. |
| KAMIYAMA | Using digital technology can no longer be an effective sales promotion, so I believe that you are right about your ideas of utilizing it in a different way. |
| OSHII | Shouldn't we all go in that direction from now on? |
| KAMIYAMA | The Animo system that thy have been using over at IG is supposed to be pretty good too. The vertical movements of the camera can be done on it also. The problem is that Okiura san is allergic to computers!! |
| OSHII | He sure hates it! |
| KAMIYAMA | He'd rather not use it. |
| OSHII | I know, he prefers not to. It's not that he doesn't know how to use it. He simply hates it! |
| KAMIYAMA | As a director, he tries to use it, but then he finds out that he can't draw on it. |
| OSHII | He always says that it's quicker to draw by hand. This is just his nature. It's not the matter of which is better or worse. |
| KAMIYAMA | When I first read your script, the main character Fuse reminded me of Okiura san. I mean the nature is somewhat similar to that of Okiura san. Did you have him in mind when you created Fuse's character? |
| OSHII | I never thought of that. I never asked Okiura what he liked or what he was interested in or anything personal. All I knew about him was that he wanted to make a drama and portray the complex lives of each and every characters. He didn't want to do any of that fantasy type movies, just dramas. |
| KAMIYAMA | It is also my first time working with Okiura san, but I felt that he and the main character are alike. Okiura san always had this stoic image at first, and as we started working together, his true character came out which was more humanly. That's how I see Fuse too. |
| OSHII | Well, I never thought about that. I portrayed Fuse exactly as I felt. Whether or not Okiura wanted to change the looks of Fuse was completely up to him. I was only in charge of writing the script. The way I write my script is that no matter how bad the director is, as long as he follow my script precisely, the final product can get a C+ or more upon completion. Truth of the matter is that this is the first time where the director had his own idea that was different from mine. |
| KAMIYAMA | I see... How does it feel for you to do the script only? |
| OSHII | Really frustrating! When I see the final product, it is usually very different from my initial concept. |
| KAMIYAMA | You mean theme-wise? |
| OSHII | I mean like the idle story of Patlabor. This is one of the only project where I did only the script. I felt dissatisfied picture wise, but not so much so direction-wise. |
| KAMIYAMA | So you don't want to do only the script. |
| OSHII | Basically not. Not that I hate it, but it just makes things difficult. I respect Ito who has no objection or complaints doing it. I don't know how he can do that. |
| KAMIYAMA | Hmm... I wonder. |
| OSHII | This is how I feel. The moment you write, you want to direct. |
| KAMIYAMA | What do you think the script writers feel? |
| OSHII | I don't know. I'm not a script writer, but Ito said that he sometimes feels the same way as I do. He gets stressed out too, but that's the kind of work he chose to do, so there isn't much he can do about it. |
| KAMIYAMA | Now that you have finished writing the script, what may be your greatest expectation for JINROH? |
| OSHII | I would have no control over the final product that is definitely going to be different, so I only hope that they will try to do their best. I'm talking about the pictures here. After all, the final product only comes out as the director wants it. No one knows what's inside until you open the lid. Directing is nothing but to find your ideas and identities in the already-existing script, and you just use them in what you create. In that sense, there is no way to stop it from becoming something completely different. |
| KAMIYAMA | You may be right. Even by watching the storyboard, the result may be completely different. |
| OSHII | Right. I really don't want to see the midway progress. I can only say that I'm looking forward to the final product and hope that they all remember the deadline! |
| KAMIYAMA | Thank you very much for your time. |