On April 1, 2021, Studio Ponoc opened up applications for its newest endeavor: a training program for animators. The “Principles of Animation Program” (PPAP for short) will focus on providing training to animators that will go on to work on feature-length animated movies.
For those interested, the training program does not require an academic record or prior animation experience. Applicants can also be of any nationality, as long as they are capable of communicating in Japanese.
For applicants accepted into Studio Ponoc’s year-long training program, a few things can be expected:
- Accepted applicants will be taught animation fundamentals with a focus on working as an animator upon program completion.
- Applicants are guaranteed a contract of employment with remuneration set at $2,026 USD a month.
- Once the training program ends, a system will be set in place to hire new animators as full-time employees.
Studio Ponoc is also looking to hire students who graduate in 2022. The roles they are hiring for will be full-time and include production assistant and in-between animation roles.
Why Studio Ponoc Started The Program
Studio Ponoc’s goal behind starting the training program is quite simple. They have noticed an ongoing issue within the animation industry: a shortage of animators and creators. Japanese anime has long since been popular both in Japan and abroad.
With the demand for animated media rising in Japan, Studio Ponoc has recognized that there is a lack of skilled animators around to keep up. Fostering talent in new animators is a key point of focus in this new program, in order to help fill the gap.
A 2019 CNN piece on the global industry that anime has grown into states the following:
After seven years of consecutive growth, the anime industry set a new sales record in 2017 of ¥2.15 trillion ($19.8 billion), driven largely by demand from overseas. Exports of anime series and films have tripled since 2014 — aided in part by sales to streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon — and so far show no signs of slowing.
The growth the anime industry has seen on a global scale is quite large. So, with the demand in Japan growing so rapidly, Studio Ponoc’s solution was the PPAP.
To learn more about the Studio Ponoc training program, check out their website.
Do you have any thoughts on the Studio Ponoc training program? Or any thoughts on the growth the anime industry has seen? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below or on Twitter.
