Academy Museum’s inaugural exhibit will celebrate Hayao Miyazaki and his works

When the The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures finally opens in April, visitors will be treated to an inaugural exhibit that honors the legendary six-decade career of Japanese animation and Studio Ghibli icon Hayao Miyazaki. According to organizers, the exhibit will display over 300 objects, some of which have never been seen outside of Japan, in a first ever North American retrospective of the celebrated artist's work.

Photo by Nicolas Guerin

The exhibit will be organized thematically into seven different sections displaying original storyboards, character designs, backgrounds, posters, and animation cels, as well as immersive environments and film clips that allow visitors to travel through Miyazaki's career and the worlds he's created.

Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki commented on the announcement, saying Miyazaki's genius is his power of remembering what he sees...it is our hope that visitors will be able to experience the entire scope of Hayao Miyazaki's creative process through this exhibition."

Film Still, Spirited Away (2001), Hayao Miyazaki, 2001 Studio Ghibli-NDDTM

Film Still, Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Hayao Miyazaki 1989 Eiko Kadono-Studio Ghibli-N

Visitors will start out being led by Mei from "My Neighbor Totoro," into the "Tree Tunnel" gallery, which acts as an entry path into the animated worlds of Miyazaki. They'll emerge into the "Creating Characters" gallery, where film clips reveal the creation and design process of characters from My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke (some never seen outside of Japan!) are shown. This leads to the "Making Of" gallery, which focuses on Miyazaki's relationship with the late Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, their early works, and a tribute to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Film Still, My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Hayao Miyazaki, 1988 Studio Ghibli-ND

Production Imageboard, Howl's Moving Castle (2004), 2004 Studio Ghibli-NDDMT/p>

The "Creating Worlds" area will open up an immersive exploration of the world's Miyazaki has created through intensive manual work and technology, including the bathouse of Spirited Away, the underwater world of Ponyo, and Miyazaki's passion for flight in Porco Rosso and The Wind Rises via original sketch art and imageboards. This area is punctuated by the Sky View, where visitors can contemplate and reflect, as Miyazaki stresses in his films.

The final two stages escort the guests through the "Transformations" areas which highlights the physical and mental changes of characters in their respective films, followed by the "Magical Forest", where guests will see storyboards and artwork that are center around the spirits of Princess of Mononoke.

Set to open on April 30, 2021, on Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in the Saban Building, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures definitely has a headline star.

By - Big Neko.

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