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Spirited Away

A Film by Hayao Miyazaki

VYVYAN STRANIERI AND CHRISTINE EVELY

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STUDY

GUIDE

his study guide to accompany the Japanese anime Spirited Away , has been written for stu-

Spirited Away has a

of viewers, their previous experiences, especially with anima and manga, and their beliefs and values.

BEFORE VIEWING THE FILM

ABOUT THE FILM

Chihiro is a wilful, headstrong girl who thinks everyone should fit in with her ideas and meet her needs. When her parents Akio and Yugo tell her they are moving house, Chihiro is furious. As they leave, she clings to the traces of her old life. Arriving at the end of a mysterious cul-de-sac, the family is confronted by a large red building with an endless gaping tunnel that looks very much like a gigantic mouth. Reluctantly Chihiro follows her parents into the tunnel.

The family discover a ghostly town and come across a sumptuous banquet. Akio and Yugo begin eating more and more greedily. Before Chihiro ’ s eyes her parents are transformed into pigs! Unknowingly they have strayed into a world inhabited by ancient gods and magical beings, ruled over by Yubaba, a

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res). As well as animes for TV there are many animes in the cinema on a regular basis. Many have never made it to Australia; although we have been watching animes on Australian TV since the 1970s.

• Ask your parents or carers if they remember Astro Boy or P rincess Knight or Kimba the White Lion (which the Lion King is based on).

Osamu Tezuka created all of these animes. In Japan Tezuka is regarded as the ‘godfather’ of anime. Miyazaki is an admirer of Tezuka. Like Tezuka, Miya-

like novels with pictures. Miyazaki has created a very beautiful manga called Nausicaa. This epic ran for over 12 years! Mangas are extremely popular in Japan and people everywhere of all ages read them. There are many differ- ent types of mangas, pitched at different audiences.

• How many Japanese animes have you seen? Perhaps you’ve seen Pokemon or Dragon Ball Z or Sailor Moon? Or even some of Miyazaki’s other animes like Princess Monon- oke. Write your own definition of ‘ anime ’.
• Have you read any mangas or seen any? Which ones? How different are they to other comics?

Anime has many different types (gen-

The director of

Spirited

Away

, Hayao Miyazaki

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zaki also has produced many mangas. When Tezuka’s work screened on TV, as now, the voices of the characters were dubbed into English rather than having subtitles. As a consequence in the 70s, audiences tended to believe that such animations were American because the characters had American accents.

• What are the advantages and disad- vantages of having a film subtitled and/or dubbed?
• Which do you prefer to watch?

You would have noticed that Japanese anime looks different to Western ani- mation and often the storyline of these are also different. Look at the eyes of characters, these particularly are often extremely expressive. In animation most of the emotions and ideas are carried by the expression of the character’s eyes). Often the eyes look less Japanese and more Western, although this is chang- ing. Once all Japanese animes had characters with Western eyes.

• Why do you think the Japanese decided to do this?

AFTER VIEWING THE FILM

ELEMENTS OF THE FILM

Several elements come together to help a film tell a story, for example, there needs to be a setting, characters and a

plot. The plot usually involves some sort of problem being resolved and along the way some important ideas, or themes being explored such as friendship, loyalty or trust.

When we arrive at a cinema to view a film we usually have some expectations about the story, the main characters and what will happen in the film.

• What expectations did you bring to Spirited Away? Make a list of the things you thought would happen in this film, the sorts of problems or conflicts you thought would happen in the film and how you thought the problems would be sorted out or resolved.

The opening scenes of a film set out to create expectation about what will happen during the film. At times some viewers will have expectations that are not explored.

• Did this happen for you in Spirited Away? Give some examples.
• Think about the opening scenes of Spirited Away. What action created expectations about what would happen in the film? Draw a scene from the beginning of the film and list expectations created for you.
• Use a plot outline like the one in chart 2 to map out the story, or nar- rative, in Spirited Away.

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CLOSE ANALYSIS

We call the beginning of any film, starting with the credit sequence or as soon as the fi lm begins, the opening sequence or the opening credit sequence. During this time the film aims to establish who the characters are and where the film is set. As well, main locations, conflicts or problems, the story and plot are in- troduced. Then in the middle of the film all of these are explored. Finally in the end or nearing the end of the film, all of these are resolved. We call the ending the closing sequence, when the story achieves closure. A classic narrative (one with a clearly defined beginning, middle and end that travels in a linear line as it unfolds its story) is probably the most common form of storytelling across cultures in films. However some cultures can play with and disturb these conventions.

• Can you think of any fi lms, which don’t achieve closure? Which ones and in what ways is closure not achieved?

Use the headings and questions below ( see chart 4 ) to track and explore the narrative flow from the opening to the closing sequences of Spirited Away.

• Why do you think that Miyazaki chose to name his film Spirited Away?

The narrative of Spirited Away could be described as a cyclical narrative, that is, the story comes full circle, returning in some way to the beginning. All narra- tives (stories) in films depend on cause and effect. Characters trigger and mo- tivate a cause, which has a subsequent effect and so on. Basically a narrative is a chain of events in a cause and effect relationship, which takes place in time and space.

• Draw a circle and around it add four or five key events from Spir- ited Away to show how the plot is cyclical. Does the film return to the beginning? Is it a new beginning or

has nothing really changed? Does Chihiro change in the ending? If so, how did she change and what caused the changes? What other changes are evident?

• List some cause and effect relation- ships for Chihiro.

Work in groups of three to make a chart like chart 3. Compare some of the ele- ments of Spirited Away and another Japanese animation with Australian and American animations you have seen.

• Display your chart in the classroom and look at charts made by other groups of students. What similari- ties are there between films? How are they different from one another? What conclusions can you draw about Australian, American and Japanese films? - Think carefully about the themes of the films and the types of char- acters they include. Are there par- ticular types of characters or ideas included or not included in films from particular countries?

CHARACTERIZATION

Look up the meaning of the word pro- tagonist. Who would you describe as the key protagonist in Spirited Away? What is the meaning of hero and heroine? Is the protagonist in Spirited Away a hero- ine or hero? Why do you think this?

• Make a list of films you have seen that have a female protagonist. Ask your parents to name films from their childhood with female protagonists. Who found this task easier, you or your parents? Discuss with your

OPENING MIDDLE CLOSING

What problem is introduced? How is it explored? How is it resolved?

What characters are introduced? How are they developed? What growth or changes have they experienced?

CHART 4Is the setting introduced?^ How is it introduced?^ Do we leave the setting? How?

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VIRTUE OR QUALITY SCENE

friendship

determination

discipline

pride

thoughtfulness

CHART 5 CHART 6

REPORT CARD

NAME: YUBABA

KIND MEAN

STRONG WEAK

class why you think this is the case.

Miyazaki wanted to make Chihiro an ordinary little girl, to capture something realistic. This meant that the physique of a little 10-year-old girl had to be painted and somehow her soul, or her personal- ity also had to be captured.

• Do you think Chihiro is a realistic little girl? What is she like at the beginning of the film? Write two ‘ character report cards ’ (see chart 5) describing her personality, one at the beginning of the film and one at the end. Compare the stills from the film, (on page seven), with your descriptions. Do they match?

At the beginning of the film Chihiro is an awkward, sulky little girl. We see her sprawled out on the back seat of her parents ’ car with pouting facial ex- pressions. She certainly does not look like she is going to be the perfect, cute little heroine that we have seen in many other animated fi lms. By the end of the film we have seen the fighting spirit of Chihiro emerge, but we have also seen her charm and the depth of her spirit. Her abilities to adapt to an often frightening, mythical environment and to use her judgement to make considered decisions have emerged. She has de- veloped confidence and a sense of self, an identity. Along the way, she seems to become cute. As the animators reflect her spirit in her facial expressions, she could even be described as pretty.

• Give some examples from the film to show whether you agree or disagree with this summary of the changes in Chihiro ’ s personality and appear- ance.
• What do you think Chihiro learned by the end of the fi lm? What were the key events that led her to this thinking?
• Use a chart like the one below to

list a scene where you think Chihiro displayed each virtue or quality. Add other virtues or qualities. (see chart

• Who is your favourite character, apart from Chihiro or Haku? Make a chart like the one above to show the virtues and qualities of the character you selected. (see chart 6)

SOUND DESIGN

The audio part of a film is made up of dialogue, sound effects, music and atmospheres. We call this the sound design of a film.

• Imagine watching Spirited Away with the sound turned off. Discuss with your class how this would make you feel as a viewer. Why would it have this effect? Would it make the film seem longer or shorter? Why do you think it would have this effect?
• What type of music did you notice while you were watching the film? Would you describe the music as modern, traditional or as something different? How did the music help the fi lm to tell its story?
• Work with a friend to make a list of sound effects you remember from the film. Why do you think you remembered these sound effects? How did they contribute to the film story? Do you remember any scenes where silence was used to create meaning? If so, what meaning did it create?

FILM DESIGN

Animes are recognized for their artistic mastering of the animation form, in terms of the look of the overall anima- tion. Japanese anime manage to look like they are live action. This is due to the camera angles, sizes and movements of the filming. The backgrounds in anime

are often painted by hand and have little computer generated work done in post-production (after the anime is filmed, so during editing). Animes often have the look of what we call painterly. They are textured and have depth to the forms on the screen, even though it is a 2D art form.

• What do you remember most about Spirited Away? What impression did it leave on you?

Spirited Away is an imaginative, colour- ful animation. The Artistic Director, Yoji Takeshige uses handcrafted art and stylized paintings to create mystical but believable settings and characters. Miyazaki wanted light and colour to fill the story, so Takeshige used many nuances or shades of colour, for exam- ple, from the sombre hues of the noren (curtains hung from the door) that hang in the yuya to the violent colours on the bridge-we see every imaginable shade of red. For all these contrasting hues and weights of colour to be visible Takeshige had to be sure the light did not drown them out. At times he chose a weak, reddish light to reflect the ancient times of Japan, while at other times scenes are purposely darkened. In the scene where Chihiro ’ s parents are transformed into pigs, he darkens the scene purposely so the audience feels Chihiro’s fright.

The Artistic Director says that Miyazaki asked him to draw from Chihiro ’ s point of view. He wanted reality to be skewed from her subjective point of view.

• Discuss with your class what you think Miyazaki meant by this. Do you think the artistic director achieved Miyazaki ’ s goal? How would the images have changed if the film had been drawn from another char- acter ’ s point of view, for example, Haku or Yubaba?

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• What things do Chihiro and Haku each have in common? Imagine these two characters have become email pals. Write four or five mes- sages they might write to each other after Chihiro leaves the mystical world of the gods.

CHILDREN ’ S CONCERNS

When Spirited Away film-maker, Hayao Miyazaki, is planning a film, he tries to think about the problems and concerns of children, especially girls. He has noticed that many children feel over- protected by the adults in their lives. He says they feel like they cannot play without adult eyes watching what they are doing. Do you agree?

• Conduct a survey amongst Year 1, Year 3 and Year 6 students to find out if they feel overprotected by adults. Graph the results, then write a report explaining your results.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Hayao Miyazaki says it is not his role to educate people about ecology. Yet he does admit he projects his personal experiences onto his films. He regu- larly helps clean up a river that runs by his house, and he prefers trees to concrete.

• What other things do you remember from the film that you think might relate to his experiences and prefer- ences?

Spirited Away language

Create a list of

capture ideas to help solve this problem. Display and share graffiti walls with other class members.

GOING FURTHER

ANIMATION

The art of animation is really just like a magic trick or an illusion. Animation has been around for a long time and amounts to creating a moving image by showing lots of still images really quickly one after the other. There are lots of different ways to animate pic- tures, but they all rely on the same idea. When people view lots of slightly different images quickly one after the other they are not able to separate the pictures out individually. Their eye fools them into believing they are seeing a moving image.

MAKING A FLICK BOOK

The flick or flip book is a really simple way to try animation yourself. First, col- lect the things you need:

• black lead pencil
• 32 pieces of paper measuring ap- proximately 6cm x 8cm
• colouring pencils or felt tip pens
• a stapler that will staple thick docu- ments.

1. Think of a simple sequence of movement such as a face chang- ing expression, an animal running, a flower opening or the sun rising over a hill. Now draw it on one of the 32 pieces of paper. Include crosses

beside each drawing (called regis- ter marks) and the number of each image. This will help you to get the drawings in the right order later. Be sure the image is in the middle of the page. 2 Slightly change the action of one part of the drawing only on each page. Be sure to line up the register marks each time. This will help you to position the image correctly onto the pages of your flick book.

3. Draw each picture on one of the blank pages. Start with the last page of the book, and work forwards, so you can see the previous drawing beneath. Trace most of that image and change one thing slightly each time to give the illusion of move- ment. Colour each image using the same colour scheme. Dark colours work well. 4 Place the 32 pages of the flick book in order. 5 Finish making your flick book by stapling together the 32 pages in the correct sequence

WHAT ABOUT FILM ANIMATION?

With live action film the camera runs at a constant speed, but with animation, film sequences are built up one frame at a time. When small changes are made to each image between shots this is called stop-motion animation.

In cel animation characters and other moving features are created on trans- parent sheets called cels. A separate background or setting is created, then each time you want to create movement a new cel drawing is filmed against the background.

• You could create a background and then make your own action cels us- ing plastic transparency sheets, per- manent pens and oil based paints. It would be a good idea to create a storyboard first.

Films usually run at 24 frames per sec- ond. Usually each drawing is shot for two frames. So, every second of film needs 12 drawings. If this is the case in Spirited Away work out how many drawings would be needed altogether for the total film? You might need a (^10) calculator for this one!

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STORYBOARDS

A storyboard is a little like a comic- strip. It is a set of simple drawings that helps you plan the plot and how you will present the visual elements of your film story. It should show the main scenes, some written notes about the action, camera shots and movement and the sound needed. Shot sizes and movements give animation the look of live action, so it is important to think about this aspect very carefully.

STOP MOTION ANIMATION

If you have access to a video camera you can create a simple stop motion action.

You will need:

• white board markers
• white board
• white board eraser

Plan a simple action with a character in a simple setting. For example a skater travelling down the skate park on a ramp. The skater is going to skate up and down the ramp once and then fall. Draw the ramp in full. Then draw the skater skating, bit-by-bit, thinking of the movement required. Each time you draw a bit more, film with the camera using the record and pause functions on the camera. Do not use stop on the camera. By pausing and recording you can film short small movements and then when we watch it will be one con- tinuous flowing movement.

STUDIO GHIBLI

Hayao Miyazaki creates a fascinating image of how Studio Ghibli works. He says he considers himself Kamaji. Yuba- ba is Mr Suzuki, the president of Ghibli. He says Ghibli is just like the bath-house in the film. Chihiro is like a young anima- tor who has come to visit. When she arrives she finds Yubaba shouting and giving orders to everyone. Meanwhile, Kamaji is forced to work hard under Yubaba ’ s orders. He is so overworked he does not have enough arms and legs to do the task. As for Chihiro, she has to make herself useful if she doesn ’ t want Yubaba to make her disappear, that is to fire her!

Imagine you are an animator and you have a fantastic idea for an anime and you want to show it to Studio Ghibli. You will present to them a ‘pitch’ for a new script. In this you need to have the following ideas to present to the studio. They prefer that you present this pitch, in either Powerpoint or Hyper Studio (or another web-based program). It will need:

1 A 200 word synopsis (what the film is about) 2 A character list with who they are, what they look like, who they re- late to, their role in the story, and sketches of them. 3 A description of the setting and locations with sketches. 4 What music, sound effects and at- mospheres will be used in the sound design? 5 How the anime will look in terms of texture, colours, forms. 6 An outline of the themes and issues explored in the story.

THE NEXT STUDIO GHIBLI FILM

Studio Ghibli hopes to release another film in Japanese theatres in 2004. Hayao Miyazaki is not sure if he will direct it. He comments that the world is changing enormously. Japan is going through a serious recession and terrorism is on the rise. He believes the studio must pro- duce a work that is pertinent, that will ask the right questions, provide some answers, and give people hope.

• Work with a partner to create 10 or 15 storyboard frames outlining a film that would meet Hayao Miyazaki ’ s ideals, or
• Design a film poster that would meet Hayao Miyazaki ’ s ideals.

Some Miyazaki feature films you may wish to see are:

- The Castle of Cagliostro

• Nausicca of the Valley of the Winds
• Princess Mononoke
• My Neighbour Totoro

SOME WEB SITES OF INTEREST:

Spirited away http//www.spiritedaway.com.au

Studio Ghibli

http://www.ntv.co.jp/ghibli/ http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/ ghibli/

Madman http://www.madman.com.au/

REFERENCES

J, Clements and H. McCarthy, The ani- me encyclopaedia a guide to Japanese animation since 1917 , Stone bridge Press, Berkeley California, 2001.

Celia Meehan, Kites, Kimonos and Karate , Macmillan Education Australia, South Melbourne, 1997.

JAPANESE ORGANIZATIONS

Japanese Seminar House http://www.japansh.com/intronew.htm

Consulate-General of Japan h t t p : / / w w w. m e l b o u r n e. au.emb-japan.go.jp/index.htm

This study guide was written for ATOM by Vyvyan Stranieri and Christine Evely, Education Programmers, Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

This study guide was produced by ATOM on behalf of Niche Pictures Pty Ltd and Madman Entertainment. For enquiries about screenings of the film go to the official website at http: //www.spiritedaway.com.au or contact Lyn McCarthy, Niche Pictures, tel. (02) 6687 1117, fax (02) 6687 1269 or email: [email protected]

For more information about ATOM study guides or The Speakers’ Bureau visit our web site: www.metromagazine.com.au or email: [email protected]

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