Creative Work
CoMix Wave Films - ColorEdge Monitors Used for Production of Animated Film "Suzume"
ColorEdge Monitors Used for Production of Director Makoto Shinkai’s Animated Film Suzume
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Makoto Shinkai’s animated film Suzume was released nationwide in Japan in November 2022, becoming a blockbuster hit with over 11 million viewers. It was released internationally in 2023 through various distribution channels. The production company that worked on the film, CoMix Wave Films (hereinafter referred to as CWF), has been using EIZO monitors for its productions for a long time. For Suzume, they newly installed ColorEdge color management monitors which they manage over a network.
Suzume |
© 2022 "Suzume" Film Partners
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We interviewed Mr. Masahide Miyakogawa, who is responsible for the studio’s color management system in the production process, which is crucial to expressing Makoto Shinkai’s world.
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Masahide Miyakogawa Systems Management CoMix Wave Films |
Tell us why you decided to install additional ColorEdge monitors when production of this film started.
The goal of the ColorEdge installation was to create an environment where the colors seen by everyone who works digitally are consistent and accurate, not just for the few who are directly involved with color management.
CWF implemented a color management system for the 2016 release of Makoto Shinkai’s film Your Name. EIZO’s ColorEdge CG277 was chosen as the reference monitor for the production staff involved in color grading and other areas where color has a particular impact.
For Shinkai’s 2019 film, Weathering With You, several additional monitors from EIZO's FlexScan series, mainly 27-inch monitors, were additionally installed for other staff members. The color adjustment of the monitors was handled by Imagica Entertainment Media Services Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Imagica EMS) and adjusted according to each film project.
Weathering With You Case Study
After finishing production on Weathering With You, I attended a color management seminar hosted by EIZO. I learned about the differences between the DCI-P3 color space and sRGB, the need for wide gamut monitors, and recognized the difference between software calibration, which is used to calibrate standard monitors such as FlexScan, and hardware calibration, which can be performed on color management monitors such as ColorEdge.
Until then, our staff had been using FlexScan monitors that were color adjusted by Imagica EMS. However, this still left us with the drawbacks of using monitors that were not designed for color management, such as color drift over time and the difference in the visual characteristics of an sRGB gamut compared to what Director Shinkai was using – an Apple monitor with Display P3.
So, when we started production of Suzume, we upgraded the monitors from FlexScan to ColorEdge CS2731, which we felt offered great quality at a reasonable price for our budget.
ColorEdge CS2731 Monitors in CWF’s Production Area
You have also started to do network color management with this latest installation. Can you elaborate?
We use color management consulting services from Imagica EMS. One of the services they provide is the operation of EIZO's ColorNavigator Network - a solution that enables the collective management of ColorEdge monitors registered in a network.
We decided to install the CS2731 because in 2021, ColorNavigator Network became compatible with the ColorEdge CS series. I was the only system administrator in the company, so it was impossible for me to maintain the nearly 50 main monitors in the company without centralized management.
The fact that Imagica EMS was able to remotely check the color mode and calibration status of the monitors under our management using ColorNavigator Network, and provide us with advice and comprehensive support, gave us peace of mind.
Tell us about the installation of the monitors.
When we received approval to purchase the monitors, we prepared an environment for DCI-P3 reproduction where we could compare color differences, such as between the screens of notebook PCs and iMacs, and share the results with relevant parties.
We started with four monitors and had our staff compare colors so they understood that they needed monitors that could reproduce the DCI-P3 color space. In addition, EIZO gave us opportunities to train our staff with basic knowledge of color management, which increased their interest in the subject.
After confirming that there were no operational problems, we installed a further 25 units. All CS2731s were delivered to the Imagica EMS darkroom, where they were calibrated using sophisticated measuring equipment before being delivered to us. Now, every time we hire new staff, we get more monitors. As of today, we have 42 CS2731 monitors in use.
The timing of the installation was challenging, as it was in the middle of COVID, but the EIZO sales staff did a fantastic job of accommodating us, for which we are very grateful.
Have you found CS2731 and ColorNavigator Network to be effective?
The time and effort required to manage our monitors has been greatly reduced. Before, sometimes our staff would change settings or color profiles unintentionally, and I wouldn’t know. But now I can remotely monitor the color environment without having to check the actual equipment. This allows me to handle such cases more quickly and reliably.
During COVID, staff would sometimes work from home. It was very convenient to be able to check the status of the CS2731 over the network without having to go to each person's home. I am sure ColorNavigator Network would be a useful solution for studios with multiple locations.
Unlike the CG series, which has a built-in calibration sensor, the ColorEdge CS series requires manual calibration using an external sensor, but I don't find it too inconvenient. Rather, I find that having the staff make regular adjustments themselves helps them take an interest in the color of their monitors.
I believe that the goal of Systems Management is to create an environment where creators can work without stress and without burden. In that sense, using ColorEdge gives me more peace of mind. In digital work, it is the monitor that we see for final confirmation, so I feel that the peace of mind of knowing that we are seeing the same colors is truly priceless.
Finally, do you have any requests for EIZO?
I know that the 27-inch 4K ColorEdge CG2700X of the CG series was recently released. I wish it had come out just three more years earlier, because people using the iMac 5K have been asking for 4K (laughs).
I would like to see more opportunities for creators to learn about color space and color management. I look forward to more seminars and other promotional activities from EIZO.
Special thanks to CoMix Wave Films for their cooperation.
Website
Deployed Products
- ColorEdge CS2731
- ColorEdge CG277 (Successor Model: CG2700S)
- ColorNavigator Network
- Photos of Mr. Miyakogawa provided by Imagica Entertainment Media Services. (Photographer: Kazumi Morisaki)
