“Dedicated to my teacher Masahiro Katayama,
who opened up my eyes to the WONDER of animation.”
- Mirai Mizue, WONDER, end credits
“Wonder” is
the word I would use to describe the emotion that I felt when I first
discovered the animation of Norman
McLaren as a child exploring the NFB video tape collection in my local library. I had been exposed to NFB animation in
school, but this was something new and exciting, and it changed my understanding
of animation forever. I imagine that feeling
of wonder is what Mirai Mizue and
his peers (Kunio Katō, Akino Kondoh,
among others) felt when Professor Masahiro
Katayama (read: In
Memory Of) introduced them to the world of independent animation as
undergraduates at Tama Art University in the early 2000s. Thus, it was moving to see that Mizue had
dedicated his latest animated short, the aptly named WONDER (2014) to his late sensei.
I am reminded
of that sense of wonder whenever I see a new film by Mirai Mizue because like
Norman McLaren, he is constantly challenging himself with innovative animation
projects. WONDER is the end result of the
WONDER 365
ANIMATION PROJECT executed by Mizue between April 1, 2012 and March 31,
2013. In this project, Mizue set himself
the goal of producing a one-second film – 24 images – per day for 365 days with
the support of sponsors. At the
completion of that year, Mizue’s producers, CaRTe bLanChe, set up a
kickstarter campaign to transform the resulting sequence of 8,760 images
into a complete film (8 minutes in length) – including a 35mmm print and a soundtrack by the acoustic
band the Pascals – that could be sent to
international festivals. So far, WONDER (see:
official website) has made the Jury
Selection at the Japan
Media Arts Festival, and last week it competed in the shorts competition at
the Berlinale.
ゴールドベアーはもらえなかったけど、ゴールドフィルムを受け取った!
映画『ワンダー・フル!!』2/22~ヒューマントラストシネマ渋谷
http://t.co/CFLLiOl1ob pic.twitter.com/UB93StzpBE
— 水江未来/MIRAI MIZUE (@MIRAI_MIZUE) February 16, 2014
映画祭終了後の翌日の上映は100%一般観客対象。日曜の夜でもソールドアウトで感嘆!活発なQ&Aを終えたあと帰りにレッドカーペットを歩いていたら、水江さん女性観客たちに「素晴らしかった!とっても気分が良いわ」と話しかけられてました♪ pic.twitter.com/qibaLH2FPG
— 岡本珠希|Tamaki Okamoto (@tmk_kmt) February 17, 2014
Mizue
animated WONDER using his signature “cell animation” technique that he has
been wowing audiences with since his debut animation Fantastic Cell in 2003. The
cells in question refer not to celluloid (as in the traditional animation
technique “cel animation”), but to organic cells which make up the basic
structures of the weird and wonderful creatures that Mizue brings to life in
his abstract films. In the programme to the Berlinale, Mizue’s technique is
compared to a colour organ (Farbenklavier), “in
which visual effects are produced when a musical key is struck,” they describe Mizue’s latest film as “a journey to the world of cells and structures.”
(Source: Berlinale). In addition to the cells animation, WONDER features a wide range of abstract paintings that by turns complement and contrast with each other.
Mizue does
not use storyboards in planning his films, but instead improvises using his
intuition. This imparts a lyrical quality
to his work and results in a film in which every new transformation surprises the
viewer like fireworks exploding in the sky.
When presented on a programme with his fellow CALF
animators, whose work often explores deep and troubling psychological
issues, Mizue’s films lift up the spirits with their warm colour palettes and they inspire audiences with their creativity.
Thanks in part to the Pascals’ upbeat soundtrack, WONDER is Mizue’s most
joyous film to date. The colours dance
across the screen with an ease that belies the tremendous amount of hard work
and dedication that went into its meticulous execution.
WONDER will
be screened along with 14 other shot by Mirai Mizue at the Human Trust Cinema
Shibuya on February 22nd.
They are also hosting an exhibition of the animator’s illustrations
called WONDER FULL until the end of the month.
Learn more at the official website WONDER FULL. Clips of the film from the WONDER 365 ANIMATION
PROJECT can be found of Mizue’s official Vimeo and Youtube profiles. Keep an eye out for WONDER at international festivals because it is a real treat for the senses when seen on the big screen.
2014 Catherine Munroe Hotes