Animation Spotlight: THE CAT RETURNS | Capturing Sunlight in Animation
We’ve dealt with some very heavy topics in my last two blog posts . So I think it’s time to return to something more fun… and it doesn’t get more fun than The Cat Returns , the least Ghibli-like Studio Ghibli movie ever! This movie about believing in and standing up for yourself may be Studio Ghibli’s simplest film. It’s just an hour and 15 minutes long, while most Ghibli movies approach (or exceed) two hours. It also has a very straightforward and satisfying story that, on the surface, really doesn’t seem to have much depth. This relative simplicity doesn’t extend to its presentation, however. Like most Studio Ghibli productions, The Cat Returns is a masterpiece of animation, music, and sound design. It warrants a full review, and I’ll write one later. But for today, I just wanted to focus on three specific frames. Not three scenes. Not even three shots. Three frames . Ready? Here they are: DID YOU SEE THAT!? WHAT THEY DID WITH THE LIGHTING? No? Okay, here it is again. In...