Studio Ghibli Announces New Project, Recruiting Artists

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Summary

  • Studio Ghibli is hiring staff for a new animation project through job postings on their website.
  • Applications for background artists and finishing staff close on April 24th.
  • The studio may be working on either a singular short animation or multiple short animation projects.

In the past week, Studio Ghibli, a renowned animation studio, has been making headlines, particularly about OpenAI’s adaptation of their artwork to produce “Ghibli-style” replicas of users’ images. However, there’s also some positive news surrounding this esteemed studio. Since the release of The Boy and the Heron in 2023, Studio Ghibli has been relatively quiet, but that silence has now been broken. In a recent announcement, Studio Ghibli revealed that they are currently developing a new short film.

Instead of making a direct announcement like “Studio Ghibli has started a new project,” the news was subtly hinted at through job postings that surfaced last week on their official website. These recent job listings for the studio suggest they are seeking new team members for a short film project, implying there’s something fresh brewing in the world of Studio Ghibli. Although it’s not the typical method of revealing upcoming work, fans can still look forward to the possibility that new content is on its way as these job openings indicate an active production.

Studio Ghibli is Hiring Staff for a New Project

Job Listings are Live Now

Last Friday, two job postings were added to Studio Ghibli’s website for individuals to work on a fresh animation project. One position is for background artists, while the other is for team members to complete the studio’s latest creation using digital painting and thorough quality checks, both roles included in the job description. The application deadlines are set for April 24th, with roughly a month remaining. The chosen background artists will begin work on May 16th, followed by the completion staff starting on June 2nd. It appears that the new animation is progressing towards its final stages, which could potentially lead to an earlier-than-expected completion date.

If you’re considering applying for a job at Studio Ghibli, here are the links for the background artist application and finishing staff application. Given Studio Ghibli’s global reputation as an exceptional studio, it is expected that applicants have previous work experience in the field, which should be demonstrated through submitted samples of your past work. Additionally, due to production requirements, you must reside in Japan from April 30th onwards and possess a level of Japanese fluency sufficient for collaboration with the rest of the team (while it’s not specified, it’s important to note that you do not need to be Japanese, only to live there and speak the language).

Given the ongoing AI debate and Hayao Miyazaki’s well-known opposition to AI, it’s not surprising that the applications for the background artist role at Studio Ghibli are not submitted electronically but mailed instead. Even the required art samples must be hand-drawn traditionally rather than digitally, to preserve the distinctive style that Studio Ghibli is known for.

A New Studio Ghibli Short?

What Do We Know?

Since the new animation short is based on open job applications, we currently don’t have any details about its appearance. Until Studio Ghibli provides a formal update, it seems the project will remain secretive. Just like with “The Boy and the Heron,” no plot summary or trailer was released before the movie premiered in theaters. Interestingly enough, the Studio Ghibli brand is so compelling that people are already eager to invest in projects without knowing specific details about them.

Casey Baseel from SoraNews24 highlights a significant difference in the Japanese language used in job postings.

As a bystander, I noticed the announcement in Japanese mentions they’re hiring for “tanpen animeshon sakuhin.” This phrase could be interpreted as referring to either a single “short animation piece” or several “short animation pieces.

It’s possible that the studio has more in store for us than we might initially think; they could be working on a single new short film, or possibly multiple ones.

Studio Ghibli has a collection of short films they’ve produced, many of which are frequently shown at the theater in their theme park located in Aichi and at their museum in Tokyo. Short films like “Mei and the Kittenbus” can only be viewed at these specific locations. It is yet undetermined if the new short animation Studio Ghibli is currently hiring for will exclusively air at the Ghibli Park or Museum, or be part of another project entirely. For now, details are scarce from Studio Ghibli, but a potential announcement may come by the end of this year.

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2025-03-29 20:54