Chapter 860: First Naruto Production Meeting
April 16th, Friday Afternoon.
In another conference room of the Tokyo Studios Complex, another meeting was about to start.
The Naruto anime production meeting!
This was another long-term project due to the number of episodes necessary to cover the whole Naruto story. If they managed to produce and put on air one episode per week, which was highly unlikely, it would take over 10 years to adapt the whole story. Which was the time frame the studio on Earth took to adapt the story.
In other words, this team would work on this project for a long time.
So, Theo had to make sure everyone had the necessary skills and tools to produce such an iconic anime. Theo projected that Naruto would become the Tokyo Studio’s front anime in the industry.
He wanted to produce an animation even better than the original; this was his dream.
The conference room hummed with a low-level anxiety, a symphony of fidgeting and nervous coughs. Empty coffee cups littered the table like fallen soldiers after a caffeine-fueled battle. Four young animators, fresh-faced and slightly overwhelmed, occupied the plush chairs. This was their first week working on the Naruto anime, a dream come true for each of them as this would be their first long-term project, though right now, the dream felt more like a pressure cooker.
Gail, the lead animator, nervously adjusted his glasses. Even with all his experience in animation, this was his project as the head of the animation department, so it wasn’t a surprise that he was nervous. Internally, he was replaying the disastrous scene from Tuesday where he’d accidentally animated Sasuke with seven fingers. *Seven fingers! How does that even happen?* he thought, cringing internally. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone yet.
Across from him, Hana, one of the character designers, doodled frantically on a notepad, her brow furrowed. Her initial designs had been deemed "too cute" by the higher-ups; she was currently battling the internal conflict of creating a Konohamaru that was both appropriately angsty and marketable to a younger audience. Although Konohamaru was only a side character, he appeared a lot during the first episodes. *Just add more spiky hair,* she thought, a pragmatic solution surfacing in her mind.
Although Theo already knew how each character should be, if the character designers presented him cool and interesting designs, he didn’t discard making alterations in the original designs.
Next to Hana sat Bruno, the background artist. His biggest issue? He’d spent an entire day painting a gorgeously detailed background only to discover it was for a scene set entirely indoors. He was silently contemplating a career change to pottery. *At least then my mistakes wouldn’t be so... visible,* he sighed internally.
Finally, there was Kanai, the sound designer. Her inner monologue was a whirlwind of sound effects: *SWOOSH! BAM! CRUNCH! Wait, is that too many crunches? Did they want more of a THUD?*. She was secretly terrified of accidentally creating a sound effect that would make her boss, Ryoko, spontaneously combust.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Theo, the stern but ultimately fair director, strode in, followed by Ryoko, the ever-cheerful producer, and her assistant, their faces mirroring a blend of professional composure and barely-contained amusement.
"Sorry, we’re late," Theo said, his voice laced with a weary but understanding tone. "We were discussing some things about the production." He gave a pointed look towards Ryoko, who simply grinned.
"So," Ryoko chirped, her eyes sparkling, "first week! How’s it going?"
Gail, emboldened by Ryoko’s sunny disposition, blurted, "Well, there was the seven-fingered Sasuke incident..."
Silence. Then a collective groan rippled through the room. Even Theo chuckled.
Hana chimed in, "And my Konohamaru designs... apparently, angsty doesn’t translate well when the character resembles a fluffy bunny rabbit."
Bruno, finally finding his voice, muttered, "And I wasted a day painting a ridiculously detailed background for an indoor scene."
Kanai, ever the professional, simply confessed, "I think I might have overused the ’crunch’ sound effect."
Ryoko’s laughter filled the room, a bright sound cutting through the tension. Theo, a slight smile playing on his lips, shook his head.
"Well," he said, his voice softening, "at least it’s entertaining. Let’s go over those initial sketches. And Gail," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "perhaps we should invest in some finger-counting charts."
The room erupted in a chorus of laughter, a collective release of tension after a challenging first week. Despite the initial mishaps, the team felt a surge of camaraderie and a shared determination to tackle the ambitious project ahead.
Theo, the director, allowed the laughter to subside before speaking. "Alright, let’s get down to business. We have a lot to cover today. First, let’s talk about character designs. Hana, why don’t you start and walk us through your latest concepts for Konohamaru?"
Hana straightened in her chair, a mix of excitement and trepidation flashing across her face. "Yes, of course. Well, as we discussed previously, Konohamaru is a complex character. He has a rebellious streak and a no-nonsense attitude, but we also want him to be relatable to our younger audience. So, I’ve tried to strike a balance by maintaining a certain level of cuteness in the design while also incorporating edgier elements." She passed around a sketch, her heart racing as she awaited their verdict.
Gail studied the sketch, and he gave a nod of approval as he noted the improvements. "This is much better, Hana. The spikier hair and the subtle changes to the facial features give him a more mature look. I think we’re on the right track."
Theo nodded in agreement. "Excellent work, Hana. It seems you’ve found a good middle ground."
In such a way, the other character designers presented each character they were working on, and the others offered their input on the designs.
When all the character designs were presented, it was time for the background designers.
Theo asked, "Now, let’s move on to the background designs. Bruno, I believe you’ve been working on those with your department?"
Bruno cleared his throat. "Yes, I have. I’ve been working closely with the art department to ensure the backgrounds capture the essence of the manga. We want to stay true to the source material while also adding our own creative touches." He passed around a stack of background designs, his confidence growing as he explained the intricate panels and camera angles. "This first one," he said, pointing to a lush, detailed forest scene, "shows the key location for the climax of Chapter Five. Notice the way the light filters through the canopy – we wanted to create a sense of both beauty and impending danger."
Mitsue, Chief Animator Supervisor, piped up, "The detail in the leaves is incredible! Did you use photogrammetry?"
Bruno smiled. "We did, for some elements. But a lot of it was hand-painted to maintain that specific manga style. It was a surprisingly time-consuming process."
Theo flipped through the designs. "Excellent work, Bruno. The detail is impressive. But what about the underwater scenes in Chapter Seven? Those posed a unique challenge, didn’t they?"
Bruno nodded. "They certainly did. We experimented with several different techniques before settling on a combination of digital painting and 3D modelling to achieve the right level of realism and stylization. Here’s a concept sketch..." He pulled out a separate sheet. "...we’re still tweaking the colour palette, but we’re aiming for a deep, almost ethereal quality that reflects the emotional tone of the scene."
Nora, the Editing Department Head, leaned forward. "Are we on schedule with all the backgrounds?"
Bruno hesitated for a moment. "Mostly, yes. We’ve hit a minor snag with the city skyline in Chapter Two. The perspective is proving tricky to get right, and we need a few more days to finalize it."
Theo considered this. "Can we move some resources to assist Bruno’s team on that specific scene? We need to maintain the overall schedule; we only have three months to produce the first few episodes."
Bruno replied, "That would be incredibly helpful, thank you." He smiled. "With a little extra support, we’ll have everything completed on time. I’m confident the backgrounds will significantly enhance the overall viewing experience."
As the team delved into the storyboards, a lively discussion ensued, with Theo offering guidance and suggestions. "I think we can enhance the impact of this fight scene by adding more dynamic angles. Perhaps a bird’s-eye view during the climax to showcase the scale of the battle."
Kanai, the sound designer, chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And with the right sound effects, we can really emphasize the intensity. I’m thinking a combination of fierce wind gusts and bone-crunching impacts."
The room buzzed with creative energy as the team threw themselves into the heart of the production, eager to bring the beloved Naruto story to life.