Editing Princess Mononoke (section)

== Development ==

=== Early concepts and pre-production ===

[[Hayao Miyazaki]] composed the preliminary ideas for what would become ''Princess Mononoke'' in 1980 after releasing his first film, ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]''{{nbsp}}(1979),{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=3}} drawing sketches of a princess living in the woods with a beast.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|p=182}} The story was roughly based on the "[[Beauty and the Beast]]"{{nbsp}}(1740) fairy tale, set in historical Japan.{{sfnm|Denison|2018|1p=3|McCarthy|2002|2p=182}} The Beast was realized as an animalistic spirit ({{lang|ja-Latn|[[mononoke]]}}) whom the protagonist, the daughter of a nobleman, is forced to marry.{{sfnm|Kanō|2006|1p=189|McCarthy|2002|2p=182}} After unsuccessfully proposing the film project to several production companies, Miyazaki published his concepts in a book in 1983,{{sfn|Greenberg|2018|p=136}} republished in 2014 as ''[[Princess Mononoke: The First Story]]''.{{sfn|Green|2014}} He reused various ideas from this project in works such as ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]''{{nbsp}}(1988) and ''[[Porco Rosso]]''{{nbsp}}(1992).{{sfn|Kanō|2006|pp=189–190}} ''[[Shuna's Journey]]''{{nbsp}}(1983) in particular bears the closest resemblance to the eventual film, featuring a protagonist who rides an elk to the land of gods.{{sfn|Greenberg|2018|pp=137–138}} A few fundamental ideas from the 1980 concept appear in the final film, but the character designs and plot are entirely different.{{sfnm|Denison|2018|1p=3|Greenberg|2018|2p=136}} The film scholar [[Raz Greenberg]] wrote that the original concept also {{nowrap|"[portrayed]}} the end of tyranny vividly", in contrast with the film, showing the antagonist's fortress destroyed and its slaves emancipated.{{sfn|Greenberg|2018|p=137}} According to the film scholar [[Rayna Denison]], the stark difference between the original idea and the final film demonstrates the radical change of Miyazaki's filmmaking philosophies during that time.{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=3}} He took cues from Japanese folklore, especially the tale of a princess with a birthmark, which evolved over time into Ashitaka's curse.<ref>Cited in {{harvnb|McCarthy|2002|pp=182–183}}.</ref>

[[File:Shiratani Unsui Gorge 17.jpg|thumb|Some of the film's natural scenery was inspired by a visit to the forests of [[Yakushima]].{{sfnm|Napier|2018|1p=189|Yanagihara|2018}}|upright=1.1|alt=A dense forest floor.]]

Inspired by the writings of [[Yoshie Hotta]], Miyazaki also considered creating a film adaptation of the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[Hōjōki]]}}{{nbsp}}(1212), a Japanese literary classic on the ephemerality of life.{{sfn|Napier|2018|p=180}} It was written by the poet [[Kamo no Chōmei]] during a period of political turmoil and natural disasters, which the animation scholar [[Susan J. Napier]] felt resonated with the "increasing sense of vulnerability" in Japanese culture during the time of the film's production.{{sfn|Napier|2018|p=181}}{{efn|See {{slink|#Conflicts of nature, technology, and humanity}} for further information.}} However, Miyazaki felt the concept was "far removed from common sense" and had no possibility of commercial success;<ref>Cited in {{harvnb|Kanō|2006|p=190}}.</ref> he never moved forward with this concept but continued to consider creating a historical piece.{{sfn|Napier|2018|p=181}} Upon the completion of his [[manga]] series ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga)|Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]''{{nbsp}}(1982–1994), Miyazaki began work on the project proposal for the film in August 1994.{{sfnm|Kanō|2006|1pp=191–192|McCarthy|2002|2p=185}} However, encountering [[writer's block]] in December, he took a break from the production to direct the short film ''[[On Your Mark]]''{{nbsp}}(1995) as a side project.{{sfnm|Greenberg|2018|1p=140|McCarthy|2002|2p=185}} Miyazaki returned to the film in April 1995 and began working on the storyboards in May.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|p=185}} The film's broad scope and high level of detail extended the pre-production process.{{sfn|Napier|2018|p=178}} That month, Miyazaki took four of the art directors to visit the island of [[Yakushima]],{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=193}} which had already inspired some environments in ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', to achieve the environmental depiction that he was seeking to portray.{{sfnm|McCarthy|2002|1p=186|Yanagihara|2018}} The island's relative lack of development informed their sketches of the film's forest of the gods.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|pp=186–187}} The fifth art director, [[Kazuo Oga]], went to the [[Shirakami-Sanchi]] mountains to draw inspiration for the Emishi village.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|p=186}}

=== Production and animation ===

''Princess Mononoke'' was the most expensive animated film ever produced in Japan at the time.{{sfn|Schilling|1999|p=5}} It was originally allocated a budget of {{JPY|2 billion}}, which was expanded to {{JPY|2.35 billion}}{{efn|Equivalent to {{JPY|{{Format price|{{Inflation|JP|2350000000|1997}}}}}} in {{Inflation/year|JP}}{{sfn|''Rateinflation.com''}} }} later in the production,{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=195}} more than double that of any previous Studio Ghibli film.{{sfn|Schilling|1999|p=5}} Miyazaki stated, "I don't care if the studio goes bankrupt."<ref>Cited in {{harvnb|Kanō|2006|p=193}}.</ref> The animation production commenced in July 1995.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|p=185}} Miyazaki created the [[storyboard]]s using the approach he took toward serialized manga, writing the film's plot as he drew the scenes.{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=194}} His declining sight initially caused him to use oversized paper, but he switched back to the normal size to increase the pace of the storyboarding.{{sfn|Kanō|2006|pp=193–194}} This process was done in parallel with the animation, and the final boards outlining the end of the film were not finished until January 1997.{{sfn|Kanō|2006|p=195}}

An unusually high level of detail was afforded illustrating backgrounds and animating background characters due to the large budget available.{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=7}} The decision to assign five art directors to the film was also unprecedented.{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=10}} Each tackled a different aspect; for example, one handled daylight shots while another covered the nighttime.{{sfn|Denison|2018|pp=10–11}} The film used approximately 144,000 [[cel]]s, 80,000 of them being [[key animation]] frames, more than any other Studio Ghibli film.{{sfnm|Schilling|1999|1p=5|Toyama}} Miyazaki is estimated to have drawn or retouched nearly 80,000 cels himself.{{sfn|Denison|2018|pp=8–9}} The final shots were completed in June 1997, less than a month from the release date.{{sfn|McCarthy|2002|p=185}}

=== Computer graphics ===

[[File:Mononoke hime cgi.png|thumb|[[3D rendering]] was used to create writhing demon flesh that was [[Digital compositing|digitally composited]] onto a [[Hand-drawn animation|hand-drawn]] Ashitaka.{{sfn|Denison|2023|p=114}}|upright=1.1|alt=Ashitaka draws a bow with dark demon flesh on his arm.]]

The film was created using a combination of [[hand-drawn animation]] and [[computer-generated imagery]]; approximately five minutes were animated entirely using digital processes. A further ten minutes use [[digital ink and paint]], a technique used in all subsequent Studio Ghibli films.{{sfnm|Denison|2018|1p=13|Napier|2018|2p=177}} The company's hand-drawn methods were becoming outdated by the late 1990s,{{sfn|Denison|2023|pp=106–107}} and by 1997, members of Studio Ghibli's computer graphics team felt that the adoption was made largely out of necessity.<ref>{{harvnb|Shimamura|Sugano|1997}}, cited in {{harvnb|Denison|2023|p=107}}.</ref> According to [[Mamoru Oshii]]{{nbsp}}– a contemporary of Miyazaki's{{nbsp}}– digital painting was adopted at the insistence of [[Michiyo Yasuda]], a senior colorist at Studio Ghibli.<ref>{{harvnb|Oshii|Ueno|2004|p=89}}, cited in {{harvnb|Napier|2018|p=275|loc=note 3}}.</ref> While Studio Ghibli had already begun experimenting with digital techniques a few years prior on ''[[Pom Poko]]''{{nbsp}}(1994), its computer graphics department was opened during the production of ''Princess Mononoke''.{{sfn|Denison|2023|p=108}}

Miyazaki's distaste for digital animation techniques was well known in Japan before the film's release, so his use of computer graphics came as a surprise, according to Denison.{{sfn|Denison|2023|p=107}} He made the decision to use the new techniques early in the production, starting with the demon god in the opening sequence.{{sfn|Denison|2018|p=12}} Certain sequences were created using 3D tools and then processed to resemble a traditionally animated sequence using a program called Toon Shader, developed by [[Microsoft]] at the studio's request.{{sfnm|Denison|2023|1p=113|Kanō|2006|2p=203}} Some of this work was outsourced to the animation studio [[Toyo Links]].<ref>{{harvnb|Clements|2013|p=200}}, cited in {{harvnb|Denison|2023|p=108}}.</ref> Three broad categories of digital techniques were applied to the animation: the use of digital ink and paint to finish coloring hand-drawn frames; [[3D rendering]] and [[digital compositing]], which put the hand-drawn images in a three-dimensional environment to create more visual depth; and [[morphing]] and [[particle effects]], which create additional detail and smoother transitions.{{sfnm|Denison|2018|1p=12|Denison|2023|2p=113}} {{ill|Yoshinori Sugano|ja|菅野嘉則}}, the head of the computer graphics department, recalled that the most involved uses of digital techniques were to mask the transitions between the digital and hand-drawn elements on screen. Some characters, particularly the gods, alternate between rendering approaches in different shots.{{sfn|Denison|2023|p=114}}