Studio Ponoc
Studio Ponoc (株式会社スタジオポノック, Kabushiki-gaisha Sutajio Ponokku) is a Japanese animation studio based in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded by former Studio Ghibli lead film producer Yoshiaki Nishimura in April 2015. Its first feature film, Mary and the Witch's Flower, was released on July 8, 2017 throughout Japan with the film's main character Mary Smith serving as the company's mascot in their logo, similar to Studio Ghibli's mascot, Totoro.[1]
Native name | 株式会社スタジオポノック |
---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki-gaisha Sutajio Ponokku |
KK | |
Industry | Animation |
Founded | April 15, 2015 in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan |
Founder | Yoshiaki Nishimura |
Headquarters | Musashino, Tokyo , Japan |
Number of locations | 1 |
Key people | Yoshiaki Nishimura Yoshiyuki Momose Akihiko Yamashita Hiromasa Yonebayashi |
Website | ponoc |
History
Yoshiaki Nishimura founded Studio Ponoc on April 15, 2015 and gained the support of several animators previously working under Studio Ghibli, including director Hiromasa Yonebayashi.[2][3][4] The name of the studio comes from the Serbo-Croatian word ponoć, for "midnight", meant to signify "the beginning of a new day".[4]
The studio worked on an advertisement for JR West for its 2015 summer campaign.[2] Mary and The Witch's Flower, the studio's first feature film, was able to reach number six of the highest-grossing films of the year in Japan. The film is based on The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart. Several former employees of Studio Ghibli have joined the studio to work on the film.[4][5] Ponoc produced a short for the Tokyo Olympic Games inspired by Olympic values and it will be screened in July 24 through August 9, 2020.[6]
Works
Short works
- Television ad spot for JR West (2015)
- Short for Tokyo Olympic Games (2020)
Films
Title | English Title | Release date | Directed by | Screenplay | Soundtrack |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meari to Majo no Hana (メアリと魔女の花) | Mary and the Witch's Flower | 8 July 2017 | Hiromasa Yonebayashi | Riko Sakaguchi, Hiromasa Yonebayashi | Takatsugu Muramatsu |
Chīsana Eiyū: Kani to Tamago to Tōmei Ningen (ちいさな英雄-カニとタマゴと透明人間-) | Modest Heroes — Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1 | 24 August 2018 | Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiyuki Momose, Akihiko Yamashita | Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiyuki Momose, Akihiko Yamashita | Takatsugu Muramatsu, Masanori Shimada, Yasutaka Nakata |
References
- Yonebayashi, Hiromasa (2017-07-08), Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017), archived from the original on 2018-03-15, retrieved March 24, 2018
- "Ghibli Producer Yoshiaki Nishimura Works at New Studio". Anime News Network. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-12-15. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- White, James (December 15, 2016). "Studio Ponoc aims to bring the Ghibli magic with Mary And The Witch's Flower". Empire. Archived from the original on 2016-12-16. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- "Former Ghibli Staffers' Studio Ponoc Unveils Mary and the Witch's Flower Anime Film". Anime News Network. December 15, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-12-15. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- Collin, Robbie (December 15, 2016). "Prepare to be spirited away: as if by magic, Studio Ghibli is back to make the world a brighter place". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2016-12-16. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- Zahed, Ramin (June 10, 2019). "Studio Ponoc to Produce New Short for the Tokyo Olympic Games". Animation Magazine.