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Anime Professional Talk at Moorgate July 13

On Monday July 13, there will be a talk by three animation professionals at the Moorgate campus of the London Metropolitan University (near Moorgate station, directions). It is hosted by The Japan Foundation.

Entitled Inside the Industry: Anime, the talk takes place at 6.30 p.m. The event is free but it must be booked at this link. The event will be chaired by Stephen Cavalier and the speakers are:

- Hirokatsu Kihara, who has production credits on Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro.

- Michihiko Suwa, Chief Producer at the animation department of Yomiuri TV, who has production credits on many incarnations of Detective Conan, City Hunter, Inu-Yasha and Yawara!

- Aya Suzuki, animator on The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet), Satoshi Kon's unfinished The Dream Machine and The Wind Rises.

From the website:

Anime is one of Japan's most popular and prolific cultural exports. Across a wide range of productions and vast number of styles and genres, it has developed to become an iconic aspect of Japanese culture, continuing to attract legions of fans and inspire animators worldwide. But where exactly do our favourite TV series and films begin before becoming domestic and international hits and what makes them successful?

This event will bring together seminal figures in the anime industry to discuss the practical aspects of their respective positions in the business, and outline the challenges which animators, writers and producers face today. The speakers will take you on a journey through the tough but fascinating world of anime production, right from the very earliest sketches to the finished product in all its animated glory.

Additionally, Hirokatsu Kihara and Michihiko Suwa will appear two days earlier (Saturday July 11) at the Hyper Japan festival. According to the site, 'They'll talk about what direction Japanese anime is taking, behind the stage stories of anime production and production secrets.'