Production IG Production Company - Attack on Titan
Production IG, Inc. (株式会社プロダクション・アイジーKabushiki-gaisha Purodakushon Ai Ji ) is a Japanese animation studio founded on December 15, 1987 by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Takayuki Goto. Its head office is currently based and located in Musashino, Tokyo (Japan) and is owned by IG Port.
Production IG is an animation studio that has been involved in the creation of several popular domestic and international anime television series, OVAs, and motion pictures, and is also actively involved in the design and development of video games, as well as music publishing and management.
Some of its most notable works are the Attack on Titan series (co-produced with another animation studio, Studio Wit) None Guilty Crown None Psycho-Pass None Eden of the East and the Ghost in the Shell series. The studio was also in charge of the animated film adaptation of Patlabor: The Story of , created by the HEADGEAR group. Production IG is well known in the video game industry for developing intros, cutscenes, and illustrations for games such as Namco Tales Studio's title, Tales of Symphonia None
Production IG is a member of the Japanese Animation Association (AJA), a prestigious association to which more than 50 Japanese animation studios belong.
Establishment
Production IG was originally established as IG Tatsunoko, a name that represents the initials of its founders, as well as the famous studio they came from. In 1993, during the final stages of production of Patlabor 2 , the company ended its equity relationship with Tatsunoko Production, which held 20% of IG's shares, and changed its name to the current Production IG in September 1993. As a result, the film Patlabor 2 , released in August 1993, became the last completed work bearing the name "IG Tatsunoko."
In 1998, the company was founded as "Production IG, Inc.", and later Production IG merged with "ING," another producer also founded by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. On July 4, 2007, the company announced its merger with Mag Garden, forming a new holding company called IG Port.
International recognition
According to the information provided on Production IG's official website, Production IG has received several awards for its storytelling and animation quality, both nationally and internationally. Here are some of the accolades received for their work, with a brief description below.
- Ghost in the Shell (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii, reached number one on the Billboard Top Video Sales Chart in the United States in 1996.
- Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, received the Special Jury Prize at Fantasporto in 1999.
- Blood: The Last Vampire (2000), directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, received critical acclaim from Japanese and international critics.
- Ghost in the Shell 2: The Innocence (2004), directed by Mamoru Oshii, became the first Japanese animated feature film to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Sky Crawlers (2008), an animated feature film also directed by Mamoru Oshii, was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 65th Venice Film Festival and won 3 awards at the Sitges Film Festival that same year.
- Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (2009), directed by Shinsuke Sato, is Production I.G.'s first 3DCG animated feature film. It received the Excellence Award at the 33rd Japan Academy Prizes.
- A Letter to Momo (2012), by Hiroyuki Okiura, had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and also received Best Animated Feature Film at the New York International Children's Film Festival and the 6th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
- Giovanni's Island (2014), by Mizuho Nishikubo, has won 15 international awards, including Annecy, Fantasia and the Chicago International Children's Film Festival
- Keiichi Hara's Mademoiselle Hokusai (2015) won the Jury Prize at Annecy 2015, three awards at Fantasia 2015, the APSA 2015 for Best Animated Feature Film, and was described by the French newspaper Le Monde as "a lesson in elegance."
Influence in Hollywood
In addition to its fame in Japan, Production IG is said to have influence with many famous Hollywood creators, and was one of the reasons why the collaboration with Quentin Tarantino for the animated sequence of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 could be made.
Due to the rapid international success of some of its productions such as Patlabor or Ghost in the Shell, after only 10 years of existence, the animation studio's management decided to expand its exposure to international markets. In March 1997, Production IG launched an overseas subsidiary based in Los Angeles. One of the most notable achievements of this international connection is the creation of the television series IGPX (2005), directed by Mitsuru Hongo, and co-developed and co-produced with Cartoon Network. This is the first collaboration between an American cable channel and a Japanese production company in history.
Additionally, Production IG has collaborated with international music artists on the production of fully animated music videos for Russian singer Linda and French artist Milène Farmer.
