06 Work for Clients

Kei Oyama

Hello, everyone. How are you doing in this hot weather?
In this installment, I would like to introduce several animations that I created not as my own artwork, but as assignments for other projects.


MV Neko sutoka no uta



Let's start with this one. It was originally created as an animation for the end credits of Watashi wa neko sutoka (I Am a Cat Stalker), a film based on an essay of illustrator Harumin Asao, directed by Takuji Suzuki, and starring Mari Hoshino. Later, the credits were removed, and the animation was edited and released on the web as a music video (MV) of the movie's theme tune Neko sutoka no uta (Song for a Cat Stalker). I received a request to create a work close to analogue animation rather than digital animation feel, in which the original illustrations of Harumin Asao would just "come to life." I worked on it together with animator Atsushi Wada. All drawings were created in Photoshop, and then a paper texture pattern was added to the background.


Animation for the film Gegege no nyobo



After the film Watashi wa neko sutoka, I was put in charge of creating the animation for the next movie directed by Takuji Suzuki, Gegege no nyobo (The Wife of Gegege; starring Kankuro Kudo and Kazue Fukiishi). The request to animate, in a very straightforward manner, the original manga of Shigeru Mizuki from his kashihon rental manga period put substantial pressure on me as I had to work with characters known virtually to everyone. Yet, the excitement of this incredible opportunity to animate the manga of the great Shigeru Mizuki and see the results of my work on the big screen triumphed over my anxiety.


The Cat Flip Book Series







Following my participation in the creation of the film Watashi wa neko sutoka, I was given an opportunity to animate the Neko no para para books (Cat Flip Books), a series of flip manga created by Harumin Asao. Very often, animation that looks good on the screen does not have the same quality in the flip version. This is very frustrating, and it takes me many rounds of minor adjustments to finish each piece. So far, five books of the series have been released: Neko no Aisatsu (Cat's Greeting), Kurukuru Pamanento Garu (Curly Twirly Permanent Girl), Neko no Kimagure (Cat's Whims), Neko no Randevu (Cat's Rendezvous), and Neko no Tanjobi (Cat's Birthday). Try flipping through them in the nearest bookstore.


Adventures in Beauty Wonderland



Adventures in Beauty Wonderland is an animation created by Keiichi Tanaami for the campaign to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the opening of the first Sephora USA cosmetics stores in the U.S. I was given an opportunity to participate in the project as an animator. Actually, my participation was limited to the opening and final scenes, and most of the work was animated by Ryo Okawara.
The exposure to the bold ideas and marvelous illustrations of Keiichi Tanaami, one of Japan's foremost pop artists, was a source of great inspiration and an invaluable experience in my work as an animator. The animation was shown in all Sephora stores across the U.S. and Canada, and on the massive screen at Times Square in New York. I find it wonderful that such a fantastic visual work of art was used for the purpose of corporate advertising.


These are some examples of the various types of animation I create for work projects. Quite often, I have to resort to ideas and techniques that differ from my approach to creating my own animation work, so the participation in such projects is a great learning experience for me.

This is all for now.
Next time, I intend to present another aspect of my work: distribution.





Kei Oyama
Animation artist. Born in Tokyo in 1978.
In 2005, Shinsatsushitsu (Consultation Room), his graduation project at Tokyo Zokei University, won the Gold Prize for the Campus Genius Award, as well as Best Picture for BACA-JA. Oyama has been formally invited to international film festivals such as the Directors' Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival. In 2008 he made HAND SOAP for Aichi Arts Center which won him many awards including the Grand Prix for the Holland Animation Film Festival and the Special Prize for the International Animation Festival Hiroshima. In the live motion movies Watashi wa neko sutoka (I'm a cat stalker, 2008) and Gegege no nyobo (Gegege's wife, 2010) Oyama was in charge of making the animation clips. He is now a member of CALF which he founded with his partners, making Hokago (After School) while producing, distributing, and selling animation works.

Official website: http://www.keioyama.com/
CALF : http://calf.jp/
CALF STUDIO : http://calf.jp/studio/

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