Screenwriting : Screenwriting in Anime: The beauty and relevance of 1995 Katsuhiro Otomo's "Memories" by Juliana Philippi

Juliana Philippi

Screenwriting in Anime: The beauty and relevance of 1995 Katsuhiro Otomo's "Memories"

Silent night...longest night...

Good evening screenwriters, and good tidings to you and yours : )

On this Winter's Solstice evening, my husband has shared with me his favorite genre of movie once more, anime, but this time... it truly affected me.

"Memories", a 1995 Japanese anime, made up of three movies, in the science-fiction, futuristic, and for me, social commentary veins, has truly captivated me. The beautiful, hand-made drawings, the frames, the voice over work, but most of all, the stories. Haunting, funny, human, and completely futuristic, and foreboding of the perils and consequences of a disconnected, fearful, and ignorant humanity.

"Magnetic Rose" takes place in space in the year 2090, ish? (forget the exact date), and is about a trash collecting ship in outer space, that receives a distress signal, SOS, they must respond to, from an abandoned...junk ship... (and this happens to be my favorite one)

"Stink Bomb" is about a man sick with a bad flu, who works at a pharmaceutical lab, and stupidly takes a new mystery pill, that turns out to be a biochemical stink weapon, that kills all around him.

"Cannon Fodder", set in a city that is, a militarized existence, where all its citizens are "preparing and waging war" on a moving city...

They are free standing vignettes, but somehow, their themes build one upon another seamlessly. The screenwriting is magnetic, simple, yet...genius. The worlds are very elevated, but still grounded in real, tangible and relatable human experiences and feelings.

Have you written an anime, animated script? How does it differ from a "straight" screenplay? And, does anime, and crossing over of other genres, influence you and your art?

Posting the trailer here, for those who are interested. It is...certainly...worth your while, and a unique Holiday treat for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hABBy-xta80

Felicidades!

Juliana

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Juliana Philippi. I've written animated scripts. I write them like I write live-action scripts. I'm interested in learning how to write anime.

Juliana Philippi

Maurice Vaughan I've yet to venture in, I may one day, but I was so taken by this film. So beautiful, and relevant. It stayed with me, and that hasn't happened in quite some time.

Leonardo Ramirez 2

What's interesting about this Juliana Philippi is that I started out writing live-action sci-fi and fantasy and later morphed into animation. But in getting coverage, more and more people are suggesting that some of the properties be produced as an anime. I never set out to do that but they may be right so I'm exploring that. Great post!

Juliana Philippi

Leonardo Ramirez 2 Thank you! I feel I’m in the same wave, a tv series pilot and bible I’ve begun…I think it may be better served as anime-animation. Who’d have thunk that from miss Period Piece herself??? Lol

Leonardo Ramirez 2

These pieces have a mind of their own Juliana Philippi. Some of them may need a chancla to stay in line. LOL.

Juliana Philippi

Leonardo Ramirez 2 La Chancla!!! OMG that’s the title for a comedy….claiming it!!!! Hahahaha. Y mira, a ver pa’ trabajar con Sebastian!

Leonardo Ramirez 2

Da’le Juliana Philippi! A magical chancla with powers to change the hardest of wills. All yours sister! LOL. Espero la llamada!

Mike Boas

I show Cannon Fodder to my storyboard class. An interesting one because it’s done in a series of “oners” where the camera doesn’t cut. The behind the scenes on the DVD shows some of the backgrounds with strange layouts used to accommodate camera moves.

Juliana Philippi

Mike Boas That’s so cool Mike, and that one in particular was so well done, the story, the tone conveyed through the colors, it was just amazing. And the camera work is super cool. They don’t make them like this anymore? It seems, for anime.

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