91-year-old anime

[EvilMink]

from today edition of "Mainichi Daily News":

OSAKA -- Footage of an animation film dating back to the Taisho Period (1912-1926) has been discovered here, and has been confirmed as the oldest existing example of Japanese animation ever produced.
The 2-minute animation, directed by Junichi Kou'uchi and titled "Namakura Gatana," was the second animation film ever made in Japan and was first shown at domestic theaters in 1917.

for full text - click here

[qtipbrit]

91 years old? Wow, that's even older than I am!

Actually, though, if it's that old, it must have been dreadfully difficult. He/She/They would have had to draw each individual frame, and I'd say there was at least one frame per second, and for two minutes, it's 100 frames at the very least (if they rounded), though it could have easily been more.

[minhtam1638]

Wasn't film in general invented in the 1910s? This shouldn't be surprising, although it is cool.

[EXEs]

^Yeah, but film is taking series of pictures and playing through them so movement is shown. Animation is drawing each frame, so it's more difficult and takes more skill.

[Vexx]

Film was available in the late 1800s though it was purely a "tinkering inventor" thing. I'm trying to remember whether there's any *animation* film older than these two. Most of the American and French stuff I can think of is 1910s or later.

Lucky find on their part...

[Malintex_Terek]

Will there be subs?

...

Note: I know there probably isn't going to be audio, but it could have been added at a later date...one can always hope.

[minhtam1638]

Originally Posted by Malintex_Terek

Will there be subs?

I don't even know if there would be sound.

[Vexx]

There's no sound, however, the films come with a narrative that someone is supposed to read aloud dramatically in the theatre where the film is presented.

sooooooo, it *could* have subs

[Ithekro]

Isn't "anime" considered a style of animation rather than animation from a particular location? Thus wouldn't this 91 year old production be correctly classifed as a "cartoon" as it pre-dates the anime style that I believe started in the 1940s (during the war).

[ESC]

Its not surprising but its amazing how they drew all the frames 91 years ago

[SinsI]

Is this public domain?

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Isn't "anime" considered a style of animation rather than animation from a particular location? Thus wouldn't this 91 year old production be correctly classifed as a "cartoon" as it pre-dates the anime style that I believe started in the 1940s (during the war).

'Anime' is the Japanese word for 'animation,' (well, one of them - the native word isn't heard much anymore), so any animated production created by a Japanese would classify technically as 'anime.'

Originally Posted by SinsI

Is this public domain?

I would think it almost definitely would be, but don't quote me on that.

[Kyuuen]

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's no sound, however, the films come with a narrative that someone is supposed to read dramatically in the theatre where the film is presented.

sooooooo, it *could* have subs

An animated manga?

[LiberLibri]

Originally Posted by SinsI

Is this public domain?

According to Article 54 of Japanese Copyright Law, it requires seventy years for a cinema work to fall onto public domain after its publication. However, before the 2003 amendment, the expiracy period was fifty years. The 2003 amendment provides that the amendment does not affect the works that had already gotten the status of public domain when the amendment took in force (1 Jan 2003). Japanese law and US law are interoperative through the Berne Convention.

IN SHORT,
The Namakura Gatana fell onto public domain in 1967. Don't worry about that.

However, the right to authorship and freedom from distortion (moral rights) do not expire by the time passing. And also it should be noted that the narration (for the film itself has no sounds, it needs live narration by actors) has independent rights.

[Tri-ring]

The art work was brilliant.
It show all signs of a slapstick comedy manga where people are drawn in deformative style and is hurled into the air doing somersaults.