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TOKYO, JAPAN -- Dec. 9, 2014 – PARTY, Inc. and the artist management / literary agency CORK, Inc. have launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Indiegogo platform to fund their stop-motion animation film project: The Diary of Ochibi *.
The crowdfunding campaign started on Dec. 9, 2014 and will run until Feb. 7, 2015 with a goal of raising $3,000 USD. Funds will be used for the production of a 4.5 to 6-minute short animated film using stop-motion. Rewards available to contributors on Indiegogo include items ranging from digital copies of the comic book, to original props such as cups and fans used in the film, to handmade limited edition figurines.
Indiegogo Site
The stop-motion animated film The Diary of Ochibi is one of the 30 projects selected by the Japan Anima(tor)’s Exhibition. The finished project will be digitally distributed through Nico Nico Live Broadcasting.
The stop-motion animation film will be directed by Masashi Kawamura, an award-winning creative director and founder of the New York-based creative production, PARTY. Animation will be developed by the animators from Studio Khara, the production studio best known for its works on the Rebuild of Evangelion series. Dwarf Inc., known for the creation of “Domo-kun,” will be shooting the stop-motion animation.
The Diary of Ochibi
Originally written by manga artist Moyoco Anno, The Diary of Ochibi is a series of full colored one-page comics starring a little boy “Ochibi” who enjoys the changing of the seasons. Formerly serialized in the Asahi Shimbun, the second largest Japanese newspaper with a circulation of 7.1 million, the title now runs in the weekly magazine AERA.
English trial version
Comment from the Director: Masashi Kawamura
“In the comic, the beauty of Japan’s four seasons is used as a backdrop of each episode, so I decided to use objects that represent each season as material to animate the story. For example, the story of spring is about a short drama under a cherry tree, so I am using a picnic lunch box and the colorful meals as the props to create the stop-motion animation.”
Comment from the author of the original comic The Diary of Ochibi : Moyoco Anno
“It was exciting for me to imagine what kind of different approach Masashi would take, and when I actually received the ideas, all of them were very interesting. I would like to work together with Masashi to create a new world of Ochibi. I’m truly excited to see the final outcome!”
Moyoco Anno is represented by the artist management / literary agency, Cork Inc.
