October 20, 2006

Blood+ Opening Film Ver. 3 has been selected for the 11th Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF) in the International Competition for Applied Animation, Film Leader category.

Overview
In 2005, Production I.G started working on a TV series inspired by the world-hit feature film Blood: The Last Vampire. The series, entitled Blood+ and directed by Junichi Fujisaku, counted 50 episodes in total, and eventually featured 4 different opening films, directed by different creators with totally different graphic styles. All films have a slight twist to the ordinary, but the third version, seen from episode 26 (aired April 8, 2006), somehow stands on its own. Accompanied by UVERworld's fast-paced music from the song Colors of the Heart, the characters of Blood+, reborn with a new brush touch, seem to wander into a kaleidoscopic picture book, where crayons and watercolors coexist with delicate 3D effects. Animator Naoyoshi Shiotani, who directed the film, cleverly exploited a variety of techniques, including long-forgotten tools in Japanese animation, such as cels and dermatographs.

Profile: Naoyoshi Shiotani
Born in in 1977, he's one of Production I.G's most promising young creators. His main works include Windy Tales (2004, TV series, animation supervisor), Blood+ (2006, TV series, animation supervisor), Le Chevalier D'Eon (2006, his debut as episode director) and Reideen (2006 TV series, animation supervisor). Colors of the Heart is the third opening from the TV series Blood+ directed by Junichi Fujisaku, and has been used from episode 26 (air date: April 8, 2006). For this film, Shiotani also drawn the storyboard and acted as animation supervisor

The Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF) is an internationally recognized animation festival and offers a unique, state-of-the-art selection of animated films for a diverse public. Its 11th edition is held in Utrecht from November 1 to 5, 2006.

HAFF official website:
http://haff.awn.com

© 2005 Production I.G · Aniplex · MBS・HAKUHODO