'Impossible for All Viewers to Understand': Hayao Miyazaki Reveals Creative Dissent With Inside Out Director (2024)

For several decades, Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has maintained an active friendship with the founders of CG-animation giant, Pixar. Recently, Miyazaki, Inside Out 2 executive producer Pete Docter and Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki sat down to discuss their opinions about theatrical test screenings and whether they're a worthwhile part of the creative process.

According to Comic Natalie, this talk was arranged by Tokyo FM's popular radio program "Ghibli Sweaty," which frequently invites high-profile figures within the animation industry. Following the premiere of Inside Out 2, which has performed well both domestically and overseas, Docter discussed many different elements of the creation process, including test screenings, which are used to gauge how audiences react to certain elements or scenes. When Docter asked Miyazaki if Ghibli holds test screenings for its films, Miyazaki stated that it does not. "No, it is impossible for all viewers to understand a film," he explains. "We are the ones who take responsibility, so we can't leave it to someone who happens to be there."

Pixar's Pete Docter and Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki Disagree on the Value of Test Screenings

Based on Miyazaki's explanation, Ghibli has a more insulated approach to filmmaking than Pixar, opting to rely solely on intuition and internal dialogue to guide the creative process. In contrast, Pixar prefers a more integrative approach and, as Docter explains, often uses audience test screenings to gauge if certain emotional scenes are properly "resonating" with viewers. "In our method, test screenings are useful. Since we are in the middle of production, we can determine that this part is not resonating at all, or that the emotions we want to feel are not being felt, so we can make adjustments," he stated.

According to Docter, the best way for a studio to take responsibility for its message is to take viewer feedback into account -- at least to a certain degree. "It's true that when I'm listening to opinions, I sometimes let it go from right to left, but at the preview, we watch it together. That way, I can feel it when they are bored or when they are engrossed in the screen, so I believe that their reactions are genuine," he explains. "I believe that it is our responsibility to adjust the film so that it resonates with as many people as possible while watching it."

Inside Out 2 and The Boy and the Heron Both Saw Massive Box Office Success

While Pixar and Studio Ghibli each have unique philosophies regarding animation, both studios have achieved overwhelming success with their respective approaches. As of Aug. 4, Inside Out 2 has raked in a staggering $1.56 billion at the worldwide box office. Notably, the film has performed particularly well in Japan, earning over $5 million during its first week in theaters. As for Ghibli, the studio's latest animated hit, The Boy and the Heron, has grossed over $300 million worldwide, earning over $12.8 million in North America during its opening weekend alone. In the year of its release, it ranked as Japan's third highest-grossing animated film overall -- despite the fact that it had essentially no marketing except for a single theatrical poster. In 2024, The Boy and the Heron took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, netting Ghibli its first Oscar win since Spirited Away (2001).

The aforementioned episodes of "Ghibli Sweaty" will have their broadcast debut on Aug. 4 and Aug. 11. Depending on the viewer's geographical location, Studio Ghibli's film library is available to stream via Max or Netflix. The Boy and the Heron will arrive on Max on Sept. 6, 2024.

• 

  Inside Out 2

  Adventure

  Comedy

  Family

  Fantasy

  Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.

  Director

  Kelsey Mann

  Release Date

  June 14, 2024

  Cast

  Amy Poehler , Phyllis Smith , Lewis Black , Tony Hale , Kaitlyn Dias , Liza Lapira , Maya Hawke

  Writers

  Meg LeFauve

  Main Genre

  Animation

  Production Company

  Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

• 

  The Boy and the Heron

  Animation

  Adventure

  Drama

  A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

  Director

  Hayao Miyazaki

  Release Date

  December 8, 2023

  Cast

  Soma Santoki , Masaki Suda , Takuya Kimura , Aimyon

  Writers

  Hayao Miyazaki

  Main Genre

  Animation

  Production Company

  Studio Ghibli, Toho Company

Source: "Ghibli Sweaty" radio program via Comic Natalie