Pursuing a Unified Vision at FLAT STUDIO: Director loundraw and Producer Ryu Ishii

Founding a new studio is never easy—even without all of the logistics involved, there's pressure to prove that a new venture is worthwhile, that it can produce quality work, and that it's worthy of working with well-known figures. loundraw, an illustrator and the founder of FLAT STUDIO, and FLAT STUDIO producer Ryū Ishii sat down with ANN to share how they balanced all of that (including working with renowned band BUMP OF CHICKEN on a music video) while staying true to their artistic visions, both as a studio and in terms of their own personal creeds...all during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How hard was it running a studio during COVID-19?

loundraw: When we established our studio [in January 2019], the pandemic had just started a little bit after that. So we were overcoming the challenges as they came along. It's hard for us even to tell what the most difficult part was, but we realized how the pandemic helped us as a studio. Now that the [Summer Ghost]'s out and we've gotten feedback, we've been able to strengthen our bonds and grow technically as well through this experience together. I think that we established a pretty good working relationship.

Will that experience affect how you work on future projects?

loundraw: In the story of Summer Ghost, I incorporated a personal goal of expressing my own resolve to create films. It marked a turning point when I transitioned from an illustrator to a movie director. The studio had a bunch of different people who joined it. So it isn't just me doing the work; I'm working with a team. Our resolve to complete Summer Ghost has brought us to our current form.

What makes your studio different from others?

loundraw: Initially, when we started the studio, I was thinking, “What would determine how I created something?” Instead of skills at creating something, what I found to be even more important was sharing a sense of what we like. Otherwise, the team might not be satisfied with their work. That's something I've struggled with. More staff are coming in, but we focus on the feeling we want to share, not the skills. I think that was the number one priority. I could teach people techniques and skills. As a team of fairly young members, it's important for us to be good friends with each other. We're just getting started, but I see a bright future ahead.

What does it mean to be both artist and manager?

loundraw: As an animation studio, you're expected to have a director on top and other staff members supporting them. That's not what I wanted to do. We're all individual artists here. As an artist, everybody has their own vision and ideas. I want to maintain the fact that we're all individuals while showing that we can create a unified vision together. That is the philosophy of our studio. We have a slogan: “One is all.” We are a team in which each member contributes their own individuality while pursuing a shared vision.

How did you get involved with FLAT STUDIO?

Ryū Ishii: I've known loundraw since he was an illustrator. We talked about his career path as an illustrator, what he wants to do, and where he could go from there. We had this discussion about him going from an illustrator to an animation director, so with that in mind, I asked if we should start an animation studio together. And that's what led us to where we are now.

So what would your role here specifically be?

Ishii: My main role here is as a producer. But it's a role that changes almost daily as my skills develop. The work of a producer involves tasks such as planning, gathering personnel and funding, but nowadays, these are just one of the many skills that should be acquired. Our roles are constantly expanding and shifting, not just for me as a producer, but for all our creators. An illustrator might become an animation director, an animator might direct one of our features, and a background artist might work on storyboarding. You don't need to be defined by your current job roles. That's kind of the message we want to send to the world.

What is the appeal of working at a smaller studio?

Ishii: The biggest benefit is how familiar you can get with studio members. As a company grows, you don't really get to know everyone you work with. It's just something that happens. It's unavoidable. Making anime is a difficult job, and there are a lot of tough experiences. Many times you'll wonder, “Why am I even doing this?” I've been there before… But if you think, “I've got others working with me,” that emotional support can get you through a lot. So rather than a faceless person you've never met, working through the hard times for the sake of someone I know gives me the motivation [to move forward].

What's the best and worst part of having a studio?

loudraw: Probably the best part about forming my own studio was that I could make a group of friends who I could work together with to create something. As an illustrator, your work is generally done alone. So everything you think of is something you come up with yourself. But this studio allowed me to build a close relationship with other artists. And the closer I got, the more I learned from their opinions and expanded how I thought about the work we create. That was the biggest benefit of creating a studio.

Of course, if you take that from the opposite POV, it was also a bit stressful working with others because I used to do it myself. Working alone gives you a certain freedom. But when things get really difficult as a team, I would have to help settle it out with everyone else. So that comes with its own set of stress.

What image do you want people to have of FLAT STUDIO?

Ishii: At this point, we've only released one work. While it's exciting to think about how the studio will be perceived going forward, we haven't yet decided what kind of impression we want to leave. While we always need to pursue originality in both our work and our business, we want our work to exude a certain atmosphere that is uniquely ours. We'd be really happy if people who see our works would say, “I can't explain it well in words, but that definitely feels like FLAT STUDIO.”

How does a remote production affect the schedule?

Ishii: Working remotely hasn't really affected our production, mainly because we've always been working remotely. So we've never had a negative conception of remote work. Of course, if you're not in the same room, it's harder to communicate with your co-workers. As a studio, we set times to meet regularly so we can get to know each other. But sometimes you're more focused when working alone. So we try to create a balance between working remotely and working offline as a team. We work with both methods, but basically, remote work hasn't been a negative for us.

What do you picture in the studio's future output?

Ishii: If I were to describe what is and isn't a success, I would say opinions vary from person to person. Where we are now, I think we're successful. If we continue as we are now, further success should follow. But finding fulfillment in it is also important. For example, there are cases where you may get praised, but feel creatively unfulfilled. That may look like success to some, but I'm not sure if we can really call it true success, right? So maybe our answer to success is finding a way to work as a team where every member involved can feel a sense of fulfillment.　 .

How do you train new members to fit loundraw's vision?

Ishii: I think the most crucial moment is in recruiting. Of course, depending on their skill level, they can immediately join the team and contribute. But, beyond that, values are important. If they share our goal and a similar view of the world, it's reflected in their output. Yes, it takes time training them up to a certain skill level. But since they already share our artistic values, the end product will be closer to our vision. That's a way to find people who can match loundraw's designs and his coloring sense in a short amount of time.

What does the word “flat” signify?

Ishii: Just so you know, everybody has their own way of interpreting it. For me, the way I view our name is that everybody in the world has their own biases. You might think something is good, but if everyone else says it sucks, you might start thinking that too. Those biases might even affect what you create. I think, first and foremost, our studio should be a place that sees everything in a very flat, objective way.

loundraw: No matter how much our studio expands, I want our studio to be a place that's always objective and logical. We want to approach our work with a flat, unbiased mindset, creating what we want without being swayed by others. That's the idea I had for naming ourselves FLAT STUDIO.

Do you plan on sticking to shorts or doing longer films?

Ishii: Actually, Summer Ghost was originally intended to be a feature film. But after realizing our weaknesses as a studio we realized, back then, 40 minutes was the maximum runtime we could achieve. However, we've always wanted to make a feature eventually. That was our original goal for establishing a studio. And we keep that in mind when recruiting members. But there are limits to what a small team can achieve. So we do want more people, but we don't want to bring in new people without that sense of shared values. Thanks to our efficient and unique workflow, the effective use of technology, and the growth of our team members, we've reached a point where—despite being a small team—we're capable of producing output that's anything but “small.”

What do you think makes a short or film successful?

loundraw: It all comes down to will. It's really easy to (not really) give up, saying, “At this point, I think it's good enough,” and stop it at that moment. But instead, touching up every single frame of motion and really working on it as much as you possibly can until the very last night before the final deadline, everyone was working really hard to finalize everything. I think that's what really makes a big difference. In other words, I guess this is an attitude of never giving up and never surrendering.

How was the film festival response to Summer Ghost?

loundraw: Depending on the country it was being screened in, the reaction we got was very different. A simple example that I found interesting was when Summer Ghost was screened in America. They laughed at minor things I wouldn't laugh at. It surprised me like, “Oh, was that funny?” I didn't expect them to laugh at those moments. So, I learned that people interpret things differently and form different impressions.

How do you balance creative aspects and business needs?

Ishii: It all depends on what the objective behind the project is. For example, are you doing this to make money? Or are you trying to share a vision to change the world? I think it changes entirely depending on the objective. I'm not sure if I should say this, but I don't go into projects hoping to make money. So I try to make decisions as simply as possible. And we focus on creating what we want to create. Some people might say, “So you're ignoring the business side of things?” Of course, we take that into account when balancing the two. But I think it's important we don't let ourselves be swayed by business considerations when it comes to our work.

How was it working with BUMP OF CHICKEN?

loundraw: I'm actually from the BUMP OF CHICKEN generation. They were really popular when I was growing up, so I've been a fan of them for a while. When TOHO brought up discussions about who to collaborate with for this project, there were a lot of big names on the list. When I thought about who would be best to work with, and the most rewarding challenge in bringing a song to life, it was BUMP OF CHICKEN's “Tentai Kansoku.” I was really thankful when they gave us the OK. But at the same time, I was very nervous when I got the OK. I wondered, “What if I screw this up?”

What is it like working with loundraw?

Ishii: Generally, the image of an artist is of someone overflowing with talent, with an egoistic mindset of what they want to create and a strong will to make it happen. Personally, there are many artists with whom I'd like to share that kind of mentality. They're people who are very committed to their own vision. But I would say loundraw is more lighthearted. He doesn't force his opinions too much. But everything he works on ultimately reflects his sense and vision. In our studio, the team is vital. So while loundraw is a creator, he's also a member of the team. When we work on a project, he's both a part and the whole. Interestingly, there are two sides to it. Although we are on the same team as loundraw, there is a duality in that. Each member participates as part of the team, while also viewing it as their own project.

Is FLAT STUDIO's philosophy part of this “go with the flow” approach?

Ishii: Our current stance is something we've developed over time through the projects we've worked on and the people we've met along the way. These experiences in creating projects were building blocks that formed our current philosophy and brand. Maybe it's because we're still young, but in terms of life balance, some people tend to say it's either work or private life. I feel that having a private life is necessary. But both of those come together to form a lifestyle. Why cut them apart when both make a cohesive whole? To make life pleasant, it's important to apply your values in each aspect of life. So, I want to make sure that what I value is reflected in every aspect of my life. So the studio you see here today was formed through discussions with various people working here. As a result, we've built our own style over time, and the way we work now represents the latest philosophy and form we've reached through our growth.

Which artists had a major impact on your style?

loundraw: It wasn't really just one person who influenced me. I take a lot of cues from very old pieces like Rembrandt or old oil paintings, and even the watercolor paintings used in old anime. I took a lot of inspiration from those pieces. Unlike digital techniques, you can't fix everything. With oil painting, there's tension in having to paint in one go. Even with the same red color, you may notice unevenness in some places. Those situations often added a human touch, which brought a certain warmth to the art. While pursuing the merits of digital, I want to cherish the breathtaking feel of old paintings. I'm very conscious of that.

Many of your shorts involve love and loss. Was that intentional?

loundraw: I don't think I'm necessarily trying to create purely love stories, but a lot of people interpret them that way. I was wondering why this is. Maybe it's because when creating any story, I focus on the inner truth that my characters believe in. Something they can't lie to themselves about. That's something I always consider. It could be someone they believe in, a dream of theirs, or a goal just within their grasp. I cherish depicting those moments in life, when the characters are prepared to face what it takes to achieve that goal sincerely. In the end, it all comes down to love and things like that.

Is there a certain theme you want to focus on?

loundraw: There are several themes in my works, but I don't necessarily define my works by saying, “This is the theme.” If you can't feel that specific theme set by the creator, I believe it would end up being meaningless. There might actually be people who feel that way. When I'm creating something, I do have a core concept. But rather than having a single interpretation, I'd be happy if people feel encouraged. It would be great if it makes people think, “I'll try harder tomorrow,” or helps them see the world in a slightly different way. As long as the work moves people and becomes part of their lives, I think it's perfectly fine for them to interpret it in their own way.

Any advice for those trying to find their inner identity?

loundraw: I'm currently still searching for my own identity. Every time I complete a new or challenging work, I feel like I've understood a bit more about myself. But there's always another encounter, another challenge, and I start to wonder if what I thought I knew about myself ever really made sense. And I've come to understand that this journey has no end, and there's no single “right” answer. Thinking about it that way helped ease me a little. I don't need to blame myself if I can't find the answer; I just need to keep trying. It's just as simple as that.

Is there a certain creator you'd love to meet?

loundraw: I'd love to meet the director of Birdman: Alejandro Iñárritu. The way he cuts and transitions between shots —I think it's really cool and creative. When working on my animations, rather than drawing, I try to view them more like a photographer. I take a lot of cues from live-action directors on how they pull off cool camera shots and angles. That kind of forward thinking always sparks my curiosity.

Is there anything you'd want to tell your younger self?

loundraw: To be honest, I've always been the type to have plans for my life. I charted out a number of things that I wanted to achieve. That's why becoming an illustrator was a big decision of mine. Back when I was 18, my planned schedule didn't quite work as planned. A part of that plan took longer than I had intended. But I realized that every problem I faced on my journey, every goal I couldn't quite reach, helped strengthen my resolve as a person. I've had many times when I almost gave up, but I'd like to say to my past self that it's gonna be okay.