When we think of Ghibli, we think of delicate stories, fluffy characters, natural landscapes, and light but deep emotions. Can we create such a unique experience ourselves? Yes, with some effort, creativity, and the right tools, we can create our own Ghibli-style animation videos.
In this process, we first need to prepare a good story. If we notice the themes that are often found in Ghibli movies, they include family bonds, magic, independence, love of nature, and beauty in small things. The story we want to tell should also be close to these themes. We need to think of characters that will bring the story to life. Usually, the characters in the Ghibli style are very natural, slow, but touching.
After that, we need to choose the right software or methods for animation. Learning tools like Toon Boom Harmony, Blender, or Adobe Animate, which are used by professional animators, will yield good results. However, tools like OpenToonz (free software used in Ghibli Studio) or Krita can be used from the beginning to make it easier for most people in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.
Colors and backgrounds are also very important to the Ghibli style. Generally, soft colors and scenes based on nature are more common. You should try to keep the style to look like hand-drawn, using fewer digital effects.
Not only that, heart-touching music is also key to the Ghibli style. If you can't create your own music, you can use free music resources like Studio Ghibli Soundtrack Covers.
Making videos in the Ghibli Studio style yourself requires a lot of patience, practice, and creativity. Although it may seem very complicated at first, once you understand the basics and try slowly, you will get amazing results. If we can show stories in our own style, it's like we've created a whole new kind of magic in the style of Ghibli
The journey of creating Ghibli style videos is not only very interesting, but also a creative experience. However, it is necessary to understand it more deeply and follow each point in detail.
Deep thoughts in story structure
The main feature found in Ghibli films is strong story structure. For this, we need to identify some important points. What kind of emotion should the story convey? Is it completely filled with magic, or is it a magic that exists in ordinary life? What kind of characteristics should the characters have in the story? By deciding all this in advance, we will have a clear direction for the animation we are going to produce.
The most important thing in Ghibli stories is character development. We need to make sure that each character has naturalness and deep emotions. For example, in "Spirited Away", notice how the little girl named Chihiro changes from beginning to end. She starts as a scared little girl and becomes a brave woman who faces problems with her adventure. We should also see the characters in our story develop slowly like that.
Visual Aesthetics
Studio Ghibli films emphasize beautiful landscapes, such as the sun shining in the water, raindrops, flower gardens, and mountains. We should also try to incorporate such scenes into our animation. Use colors and textures to create a hand-drawn look.
The choice of colors is also very important. Studio Ghibli often uses natural, sober colors such as yellow, green, light blue, pink, and white. Keeping the colors soft gives the scene a peaceful feel.
Animation Techniques
Studio Ghibli places great importance on small details. For example, trees swaying gently in the wind, characters' hair moving lightly as they run, and children slipping slightly as they walk are animated to look natural. If we also include small micro-moments in our animation, the video will become more natural and heartfelt.
If we use 12 FPS or 24 FPS in the animation style, we can provide smooth movements like Studio Ghibli. Otherwise, using more frames will make the work a bit more difficult. If we use the "Pose-to-pose" animation technique, we can create important scenes first and then slowly complete the middle frames.
Background Music and Sounds
Music plays a very important role in Studio Ghibli films. Piano and orchestral scores provided by music director Joe Hisaishi gave the films a special heart. If we cannot create our own music, we can borrow peaceful music from resources such as Creative Commons Music.
Also, Ambient Sounds also bring the Ghibli style to life. Adding the sound of the rain, the murmur of the wind, and the chirping of birds will enhance the experience even more.
Creating Ghibli-style animation videos yourself is an art. It requires a lot of care, effort, and creativity at every stage. In this journey, you first need to think about the story in a straightforward but deep way. Although the stories in Ghibli films seem very ordinary, the emotions behind them, the characters' abilities, and the beauty in the little things make them special. If we are to make such a story, it is very important for us to observe the world around us. We need to be able to recognize the small miracles in everyday life and turn them into a story.
Nature, magic, and wonderful imaginary worlds are important themes that often appear in Ghibli films. However, unlike ordinary fantasy films, these are natural and reflect real life. For example, although magic is the main thing in "My Neighbor Totoro", the story is completely understandable to the nature of children and their feelings. Similarly, even if there is magic in our stories, it should naturally blend into the world we live in.
Before starting animation, it is necessary to visualize each scene. Storyboarding is a very important process at Studio Ghibli. They focus entirely on how each scene will be shot. We also first draw a story line, draw each scene like a small sketch, and then start animating it.
When it comes to animation style, Ghibli films have smooth, natural movements. There are subtle details in each character's movements. For example, if a character is surprised, they add small changes such as pulling their eyes back, slowly opening their mouth, and then completely surprised. These make the characters look more natural and full of life. We should also follow this method in our animation.
Nature is another element that plays a major role in Ghibli films. There is a feeling that nature is an important part of the story, rather than just a background. Even small things like trees swaying in the wind, grass moving lightly in the fields, birds flying away, make the story more alive. That's why, the more natural we can show nature in animation, the more magical it will be.
Music also brings a special emotion. Ghibli films have a lot of songs, but they are very gentle and understandable to the story. If we add piano, violin, or light music to the animation we create as much as possible, it will help to express the feeling we want to convey even more strongly.
Once the entire video is created, it is very important to improve it. Usually, animators first make a rough version and then add details to it. We also need to first create an animation like a simple stick figure or a basic shape, and then gradually bring small improvements to it, such as colors, lights, and so on.
Making Ghibli-style videos is not just about learning a technique, it is also about how we see the world. If we can see the beauty in small things and turn them into a story, the animation we create will truly touch the heart. If there is a good message, a gentle emotion, and a magic in each story, it can undoubtedly provide the audience with a Ghibli-style experience.
The important thing in this journey is enjoying the experience. We should not strive for perfection every time, but make small improvements and turn every attempt into a learning opportunity. We should never settle for one thing, but explore new techniques, new stories, and take each attempt to the next level. Creating Ghibli-style videos yourself requires patience, love, and a great imagination. But, once we put our minds to it and try, we too can create a wonderful magical world!