Anime is booming and generating record revenues year on year — but it's short on skilled animators. In response, a textbook that teaches the fundamentals of Japanese animation was released in English last month. Aimed at aspiring animators or those curious about how anime is made, the text was produced by the Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association (NAFCA), an organization founded in 2023 to improve working conditions in the Japanese animation industry, which faces significant labor shortages.
As the title implies, the "Animator Skill Test Textbook” was written in concert with a test created and administered by NAFCA since 2024. The test, which currently has two levels of difficulty, measures aptitude in the fundamental techniques for drawing dōga, the individual frames combined to create a moving image.
"When we looked at the state of the industry, we noticed that one of the biggest issues was lack of training," says NAFCA Managing Director Ayano Fukumiya. "Traditionally, animators would work directly under their seniors, learning the ropes. But about 25 years ago, the number of titles exploded, and senior animators have been too busy to train others. Since then on, young animators haven't been able to improve their skills."
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