Studio Ghibli criticised for paying low salary to animators

en.rocketnews24.com/2017/05/29/studio-ghibli-criticised-for-paying-low-salary-to-animators/

The latest job ad calling for animators to help create Miyazaki’s next anime feature film has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons.

Just last week, we were thrilled to hear that Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki had officially “withdrawn” his retirement in order to make one last feature-length anime film. That wasn’t the only good news for fans of the acclaimed animation studio either, as the company also announced that they would be hiring animators to work on the new movie.

The lengthy job description included details such as location and submission requirements, while also highlighting the fact that applicants of any nationality were eligible to apply, as long as they were proficient in Japanese. However, it was the section outlining the pay that caught the attention of overseas readers, who were vocal about their surprise at the low salary being offered, with their comments making news back in Japan.

According to local media, the monthly salary of “200,000 yen (US$1,797) or more” drew criticism from people abroad, who took to social media to voice their opinions.

This Japanese Twitter user shared some of the comments to the job listing with followers online.

Other urls found in this thread:

twitter.com/omitomeni/status/868204316133163008
twitter.com/NSFWRedditImage

Other comments from abroad included:

“I’m a professional background painter in 2-D animation and this is REALLY bad.”
“Are they kidding?! That’s less than a quarter of a regular storyboarding job in L.A.”
“$450 a week…meanwhile some actor does four days of work and gets paid $4 million.”

Commenters from Japan, on the other hand, offered a local perspective on the situation.

“Actually, 200,000 yen is higher than other animation companies in Japan.”
“Japanese animation you are enjoying is supported by movie guys with average annual income of 1.1 million yen (US$9,879) and monthly income of 90,000 yen.”
“Still you can live in Tokyo comfortably because that includes a lot of benefits from the government like healthcare and employment insurance.”

The different responses highlight the huge gap in pay levels between animators in Japan and their overseas counterparts. In spite of the criticism aimed at Studio Ghibli in response to their advertised wage, it turns out that it’s actually on the more generous side of the payscale for local animators, with a 2015 survey revealing that the average animator’s annual salary is well under US$10,000.

In addition to the low wage, the survey found that an animator’s average workday lasts 11 hours, and 54.9 percent of the respondents reported having four or fewer days off a month, including weekends.

Looking at the Japanese animation industry as a whole, the people sitting comfortably at the top rung of the ladder in terms of income are voice artists, followed by producers, series directors, computer graphics animators, production assistants, and then, towards the very bottom, are the artists who actually produce the illustrations enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.

>200,000 yen
This is actually fine. Burger faggots are retarded to compare Ghibli to their studio.

This is low compared to burger standard, not japanese standard, why are burgers so fucking retarded?

>Twitter fags go on retarded "justice" crusade about non-issue they don't understand
How shocking.

I assume this is for key animators, no? Wait until the people complaining get to know how much subcontracted inbetweeners get, or how actually paying monthly instead of by-frame is rare in Japan.

All the money goes for greedy Miyazaki

That's for inbetweeners.

I wonder how many western """"animators""" would still care about their work if they were paid comparatively similar salaries to Japanese animators. The studios would be practically empty.

Durrr salaries and cost of living are different in other places?

And people are complaining about this? 200.000 quid is actually fantastic for inbetweeners. There's the problem of the work schedules and long hours (which infects every part of the industry), but that salary is far from poor in the stablished system and context.

twitter.com/omitomeni/status/868204316133163008

Old news. The tip of the iceberg. Even top tier animation studio is hell on earth.

Western big studios scumming people too but they paid good salaries and artists have "rights" at least.

Because we've perfected the business of entertainment and it's only out of sheer stubbornness that the Japanese have managed to perpetuate their backwards revenue streams and ancient business practices.

Actually, that's true of the Japanese economy as a whole.

What animators? This kind of work is outsourced to the slave farms in Korea, both here and there.

>May 19
>2017
Old news.

I remember an interview with a British-Japanese woman who worked for Ghibli but ended up working in the UK again because she got paid triple.

1,4k eurobucks before taxes may not be great but it is everything but terrible. I don't think the comparison with fucking LA out of all places makes any sense either.

>According to local media, the monthly salary of “200,000 yen (US$1,797) or more” drew criticism from people abroad, who took to social media to voice their opinions.
another case of spoiled retarded leftie gaijins crying on twitter
that's a really high salary for animators in japan

gaijin is honourless, he cares only about money.

Who's the mafioso, Suzuki? Also, there are always key animators and storyboarders returning to Ghibli's films for work if one looks closely at the film's staff. As for work reducing in quality in Ghibli specifically... where, exactly? I don't understand how this applies to Ghibli in a specific way, seeing how author based it is, compared to basically anything else in the industry.

Who else if not folded 6 million times man himself?
>There is a rumor that when Harvey Weinstein was charged with handling the U.S. release ofPrincess Mononoke, directorHayao Miyazakisent him a samurai sword in the mail. Attached to the blade was a stark message: "No cuts." Miyazaki commented on the incident: "Actually, my producer did that. Although I did go to New York to meet this man, this Harvey Weinstein, and I was bombarded with this aggressive attack, all these demands for cuts. I defeated him."

kys honourably

How far does 200,000 yen a month actually get you in Tokyo? I imagine rent is sky high.

Greater Tokyo is the most populated metropolitan area in the world my man. Prices differ.

that old piece of shit miyazaki needs to die

Also, who the fuck is this dude? Production Desk in some of Ghibli's early work? How can he talk about Ghibli's regression in a pressumably recent interview? I mean, what he says is some of the most basic truth about any industry in the capitalist economy, but doesn't necessarily apply as a whole to Ghibli.

You never seen critique of Ghilbi before? It's not heaven like Kyoani.

I've seen, yeah. Miyazaki being strict, low payment/hard job, but the interview shown in the image is hardly enlightening on any specifics. "People work there, leave, and never go back" That's hardly true, for example.

>I imagine rent is sky high.
That's a misconception propagated by the media. It's only true if you want to live in one of the bustling city centers.
If you're okay with living a 10 minutes train ride away from this kind of place and 10 minutes walk away from the station, you can find a 2 room appartment for around 60,000 yen a month.

>Just last week, we were thrilled to hear that Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki had officially “withdrawn” his retirement in order to make one last feature-length anime film
What, again?
Oh of course. Shame on you, OP.

>"People work there, leave, and never go back" That's hardly true, for example.
Well we don't know real statistic. But trash talking Ghilbi like this is pretty brave. You know...Japan . Always silent animators, apologies on knees in twitter and other industry garbage. So maybe there is somewhere truth in the middle.

Isn't it universally accepted that being an animator is a shitty, long-hours and low-pay job? There are loads of examples of studios treating the people in them like crap, with animators literally working themselves to death, like the Naruto guy.
Why are we trying to pretend otherwise now that some sheltered lefties noticed?

The dude just hasn't worked at all in Ghibli after Totoro and seems to have gained recognition as a horror story writer. This kind of vague trash talking is just nonsense.

They do realize that the average cost of living in Japan is a quarter of the amount as the US.

Adjusted to Tokyo?

except that's wrong
the average cost of living in japan is higher than the US

what?

>popped in thinking it was japan being upset about low pay; a rare feat.
>no it's just foreigners again

While I'm sure Japan does pay less than their counterparts abroad if you don't plan on living and/or working there then it's not really any of your business.

I've lived in Japan for a large chunk of my life.

200,000 yen is enough for an entry level job. It's pretty standard. Foreigners are advised not to go below 25k as a general rule, but that's often higher than their (more highly skilled) Japanese counterparts - I make around 35k and that's considered pretty high for a non-banker.

What people don't realize is that monthly salary doesn't include bonuses, which amount to about four months of salary. Also company helping to pay for pension and covering half of health insurance.

But yeah, it is low from the perspective of US salary. But the US has a huge gap between rich and poor, while roughly 95% of the population in Japan makes up the middle class - ultra rich and dirt poor don't exist in the same way they do in the West.

seig zeon.

>Immediate comment comparing to Los Angeles
Fuck all of them.

>200,000 yen is enough for an entry level job.
Not for artist tho.

animators dont really qualify as artists

They're perfect slaves. Entire industry build on their exploitation.

It's not like they have to pay their material in a studio context, no?

Why would anyone want to work for 1900 a month doing 11 hour average days with maybe 4 days off every month?

1800$ is also the average pay for a 2D or 3D beginner animator.
Also, almost 6000$ to shit awful storyboards is insane. Amerilards are mentally challenged.

I don't understand. You're part of a team and you're not there to make a name for yourself, but to help a group finish a project. You're paid a set salary for a month of work including what likely amounts to 20 hours of overtime.

How is eight hours of sitting at a computer and working with a tablet different than eight hours of stocking shelves at a 7/11? Both aren't for your personal benefit, but to help a corporation.

They're not struggling artists trying to make it on Patreon donations - they're cogs in a machine because that's what the industry demands.

ALL jobs are like that - you work for twenty years and you'll be making more money, and another twenty and you'll comfortably retire. That's just the nature of the game in Japan - you can't force a Western way of living around it just because it's all you can think of.

>1800$ is also the average pay for a 2D or 3D beginner animator.
*in France or Europe, except for Britain.

>Also, almost 6000$ to shit awful storyboards is insane
storyboards are easy-peasy right?

wrong post (also no they aren't)

I work directly from storyboards, and some storyboarders absolutely don't give a shit about the directors indications or characters sizes or what they can effectively do. Some of them also shit a board in 2 days, when the ones who actually care about their job take at least a week.

>Just last week, we were thrilled to hear that Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki had officially “withdrawn” his retirement in order to make one last feature-length anime film.
I fucking hate this old cunt. Worse than 12 years old girls.

The problem is skills that animator needs.
>you can't force a Western way of living around it just because it's all you can think of.
That's why illustrators and concept artists have good salary in Japan, right?

Where did Miyazaki touch you, baby?

Post your art.

The hope that you'll be in the director's chair one day.

anime industry market don't really have a lot of money anyway. full of piracy, their customars are neet with no stable jobs. Look at how disney grabbing money from rich families, their kids can always begging to their parents to buy shit. can you begging your parents buying harem anime DVD??

not worth (You)

I work in an animation studio faggot, so legally it's not my work but the studio's and we don't have the right to show anything before it's been broadcasted.

>I work in an animation studio faggot
Oh this is bad move. Post your gestures. You can't backpedaling now.

200k JPY is almost minimum wage, assumed they work only 240 hours a month. A lot of money for an animator in Japan. Westerners can stfu. 90% of these lazy bums would quit and move back to their moms' basement after three days. All they can do is make noise and annoy people.

If this somehow leads to SG paying their animators more, then you're either going to see a huge dip in production value or have to wait much longer for films to come out to even attempt to match it's predecessors quality.
or both

>You're paid a set salary for a month
No you don't, you get paid like 4 bucks per keyframe, even worse if you are an inbetweener,

>animation studio means only animators work, everything else is made with magic and booze

Only NETFLIX bucks can save japanese animators from dying out

Toei is the closest thing to Disney, influence wise, and they've never had an issue selling toys to little kids.

This is considered low pay? 1st worlds don't know shit about low pay.

I used to make only half of that.

i promise you, they're chinks in the western world

they do this shit all the time

Not in Japan. That may be the average, but they don't pay based on output.

You sign a contract, you're with that company for the next thirty years. You don't transfer jobs in this country or abandon ship. Your salary incrementally grows to reflect this structure.

>backpedaling
I see. Should I ask you for redline of some shitty drawing?

>be good animator who work his ass off 24/7
>don't have time or money for a woman
>Hana Kanazawa go to studio and record few lines of moe moanings
>earn more than that animator will in 2 years
>Hana meet up in secret with some models and fuck all the time

Yeah and if you had that pay in an actual first world country you'd be living in the fucking street, I don't even do shit and I still get over 700€ each month with government allowance just to shitpost on fucking Sup Forums all day, but I'm guessing 200k yen may be enough to live in Japan depending on the area.

and yet these are the same faggots that repost 5cm per second simpsons meme

I get 400-500€ month, living a third world country (while in Europe) sucks.

You can afford to rent a one bedroom apartment so it's not too bad.

Also don't think that the costs of living is cheaper in 3rd world. It's not. Restaurants, luxury items (especially electronics), are sometimes even more expensive than what you'd get if you were in 1st world due to less variety and importing.

Being able to work for Ghibli is its own reward. It's gonna look real nice on a resume, too.

>200 000 yen
>near 1500€
Wait that's supposed to be bad? Even from a 1st world perspective that sounds like an okay salary, I get less and I still have enough money to put hundreds in savings each month.

So is Pierrot not a Japanese studio now? What about all the freelance animators?

>be good freelance illustrator in Japan
>get paid 1200$+ per illustration + sets + covers
>have a lot free time
Animators deserve everything from some point of view to be honest. They're spineless betas. They don't know price of their craft.

It's not bad at all. It's only Americans who don't understand this.

The jew fears the samurai

Yeah, since they think all animation is key animation and subcontract everything else to coreans, they think all animation work must be top billing.

> >1500€/m full time wage
>first world

pick one, you poor fuck

>don't even do shit and I still get over 700€ each month with government allowance
sorry but i don't live in a commie country

might send some of that over here?

Perhaps he or she is an accountant managing the money of the animation studio.

It's enough for a small 1 bedroom apartment outside the city centre with decent public transport connection, a commuting time of less than an hour per way. Even after the usual bills, the food and the other everyday needs there should be one or two 10000's left for luxuries if you live frugally.

In my personal opinion it's a woman's job. One you do it until you find a man with a real income and raise his children at home. It's not a career job for men. Or for anyone. The career ladder ends where it starts.

>the people sitting comfortably at the top rung of the ladder in terms of income are voice artists
Asshole comparison by the writer of the article.

I'm sorry but you're literally drawing cartoons. If they wanted more, they should have just listened to their parents and go the hard route of becoming a chartered accountant or some shit like that.

McDonald's in Japan pays you ~¥1000 per hour...
>It's not bad at all.

Yeah, it's not like drawing is a skill that requires years of practice and dedication.

>all this unironic tumblrtalk
It's almost like, there's a third party trying to manufacture narrative to support western platform distributors.
What is wrong with you Sup Forums? Are you gonna let all this corporative drones seize your media like they did with vidya back in the early 2010's?

Nope. Check his response at "Post your art".

>The career ladder ends where it starts.
So you think there's no difference between an inbetweener, a key animator, a layout artist an animation director, a storyboarder, an episode director, a series director...? You fucking retard.

Frenchfag here, working 35 hours a week no extra hour, 1600€ and I've never had any money problem in my entire life so far, but I guess living alone and only using extra money to buy figs is fine.

>US$1,797
I mean, my country is as expensive as Japan and the median monthly wage is like $2500. Yanks just don't get it.

>Are you gonna let all this corporative drones seize your media like they did with vidya back in the early 2010's?
>early 2010
Vidyas have been corporative drone controlled since way earlier than that. Also anime. Or anything really. What a stupid comment.

It's an entry level job, though, user. I don't like that these guys bust their ass off for 10+ hours each day and are not getting the money they deserve, but the fact is that this is an entry-level job.

That's not the point you doofus. They made their bed, and now they shall sleep in it.

Have you ever heard of the expression 'Where there's muck there's brass'?

People don't do the boring financial shit because they're passionate about it. They do it because it brings them more money. There's a reason why accountants are paid well. It's a fucking boring and highly skilled job that no one else wants to fucking do.

What did these animators expect when then they decided drawing cartoons was going to be their career choice?