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#SetTheStage with Hisayo Usui

by Sony (Paid Advertisement),

Welcome back to another special #SetTheStage fan feedback feature! #SetTheStage is an ongoing campaign from Sony to bring you closer than ever before to many of the talented and innovative artists among its entertainment brands – including their anime studios. Today, we'll be visiting CloverWorks, an animation studio under the umbrella of Sony's globally renowned ANIPLEX brand.

CloverWorks was established in 2018 as an offshoot of another beloved ANIPLEX animation studio, A-1 Pictures. Since the split, CloverWorks has come into their own, forming a unique identity and creating some of the most daring, critically acclaimed anime series of recent years. Among their catalog of hits are TV series and films like WONDER EGG PRIORITY, DARLING in the FRANXX, PERSONA5 the Animation, and Her Blue Sky. Most recently, you've seen CloverWorks' talents on display in the global smash-hit My Dress-Up Darling, and very soon you'll be watching their hotly anticipated adaptation of the bestselling Shonen Jump comedy manga SPY×FAMILY.

There's no doubt that CloverWorks ranks among the best anime studios out there – and their quick rise to the top is amazing for a group that's only a little over three years old! But CloverWorks wouldn't be producing such phenomenal projects without the talents of some amazing creators. So, let's #SetTheStage for one such creator at CloverWorks: Hisayo Usui.

Hisayo Usui is an art director at CloverWorks. Her body of work includes background work and art direction on many of the studio's biggest and best-loved productions, including Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, Fate/Grand Order -Final Singularity Grand Temple of Time: Solomon-, and Horimiya. Her design work will take center stage on SPY×FAMILY, in co-production with WIT STUDIO, debuting on Crunchyroll this April.

In this interview, Usui reads feedback from fans and viewers like you… and she's got plenty to say about her work. Among the topics she discusses are how anime art production differs from painting and illustration, the structure of CloverWorks' renowned art department, taking inspiration from real-life locations, getting compliments on social media, subtle things that affect the look and feel of scenes, and much more.

One particularly interesting look behind-the-scenes is Usui's detailed breakdown of the art production process, starting from reading the screenplay to creating conceptual “art boards,” then moving onto to fine-tuning layouts before finally creating the impressive, full-color backdrops that bring your favorite anime scenes to life. Keep watching it all and you'll hear her inspiring words for others looking to pursue similar careers.

We hope you've enjoyed this latest #SetTheStage peek behind the curtain of anime production. Hisayo Usui is helping lead a generation of talented animation creators at CloverWorks – and there are even more creative, diverse, and inspirational talents helping to craft Sony's universe of entertainment. Be sure to check out the #SetTheStage hashtag on social media for more exclusive content featuring Sony's world-class talents in animation and more!


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