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Vol. 3, 2005–2013
The importance of design in Studio Ghibli’s filmography (Vol. 3, 2005–2013)
How the Japanese Studio describes, narrates, and informs through objects of design and design of objects.
Real masterpieces are hard to find, but when one happens to find one, a mixed feeling of satisfaction and pleasure makes one realize that it could be watched a hundred times still with the same amazement and joy. Studio Ghibli films are some of these rare, pure gems, total works of art that leave a trace in every day’s sea of sh*t and triviality.
Total works of art are total for a reason: they could be analyzed on multiple levels, finding several interpretations and attention to detail at each of these levels.
There are hundreds of details and finesses to spot, and dozen new come out at each rewatch. Each of those details belongs to a specific narrative or informative level. Watching Studio Ghibli (and Miyazaki’s films in particular), it is amazing to find out how a narration that feels smooth and natural, actually passes through design objects to define its fundamental ideas. One of the key techniques that put Ghibli films one notch above the average animation movies, is the quantity (and quality) of information it leaves in a short time. The films are dense and leave a lot of room of interpretation, to continue to appreciate the pictures and its meaning even after the film itself. To achieve that density, the films object of the study say a lot with fast symbolic, metaphoric, and immediate images, rather than slow-pacing dialogs. In the long run, the iteration of this technique produces meaningful, and at the same time enjoyable (relatively short) plays, which can fit nearly any taste and attention.
Analyzing Studio Ghibli’s brilliant ability to narrate through design enables designers to get crucial insights to design artifacts that not only look and feel good but also convey a particular message, idea, or philosophy, which is…
