A while ago a manual on the job of a Production Assistant (制作進行) was published by the Association of Japanese Animation (AJA), defining what this job is and what it entails, so I thought this is a good opportunity to talk about it and the production department in general. It’s not that interesting of a job to be honest, but I think talking about production assistants is important considering the essential role they play in the anime industry, and the production department is involved in really every step of the process. This post is mainly based on the aforementioned report, although you can find a lot of what I’m going to write here through other sources, and I generally recommend reading the manual if you can.The main 3 roles in the production department are production assistants, Production Desk (デスク) and Producers (プロデューサー). Production assistants are considered the lowest ranking among them so let’s start there.Production Assistants (制作進行)Simply put it’s the person responsible for making sure that the production of a single episode is going smoothly. That means among others checking that every process is moving according to the schedule put by the Desk. Production assistants don’t handle whole projects or TV series, just single episodes, with multiple production assistants in rotation during a TV series, which helps the production assistant understand and learn all the details of every step in the process since he is more directly involved in it this way. This is important for the future career of a production assistant.As for his/her main tasks, they include: Communication between the different departments, preparing meetings (such as a meeting between the director and the animators), transporting and preparing production materials and a lot of other organizational tasks. Hundreds of people are involved in each single episode, so there has to be someone to act as a link between all of them, which also means that production assistants need good communication skills. Transporting production materials, such storyboards and drawings, is also a vital task, since the industry is far from being all digital and time is critical, and a lot of creators are freelancers working from home. All of those “simple” tasks are absolutely necessary for the industry to function properly.Production assistants’ work starts before production, since one of the first things he has to do is search for the remaining staff the director needs, mostly animators. Not an easy task considering the scarcity of animators in the industry, and it only gets worse when one animator has to drop out mid-production for one reason or another, and the production assistant has to find a replacement as soon as possible. You hear stories about production assistants resorting to asking sakuga fans online if they knew any animators available.It’s also said that during the early days of TV anime and till the 80s it was even harder, because aside from the scarcity that was present even then you had the “rivalry” between the two largest anime studio at the time, Mushi Pro and Toei Doga, which led to two factions emerging in the industry that don’t cooperate with each other. Mushi Pro is said to have paid animators more than Toei, causing some talents to leave Toei, and there was the thing with Otsuka leaving Toei too, so there may have been some real “competition” to secure animators back then. Toshio Okada (while I don’t like him, you can’t deny his experience and insider-knowledge) said in a recent video of his it was so fierce production assistants actually raced each other just like the opening scene of Shirobako, explaining the scene that I found a bit weird myself, if we were to believe what Okada said at least. He also mentioned a rumor he heard back when he first joined the industry, talking about how Sunrise, after receiving hundreds of job applications driven by Gundam’s success, made applicants run a marathon carrying a box filled with paper, and hired who came first. Some of this might be exaggerated, but it holds some at least truth I think. Okada’s video is interesting and I’d recommend myself, he provides some interesting comments sometimes.Anyway, back on topic. One more thing to mention about the production assistant role is how it acts as training for new people in the industry. It’s widely known that the anime industry lacks most forms of training institutions or anything of that kind, and it also mostly doesn’t require a certain degree or level of education to join, so most of learning the ropes is done by actually working. The position of a production assistant is an important “training job”, not only because it gives you a good overview of the whole process, but also because it allows for a lot of possible future prospects for the production assistant. A production assistant can decide to become a director, producer, scenario writer and many more. In fact, a lot of the popular anime directors started as production assistants, such as Yuzuru Tachikawa (Deca Dence - Mob Psycho 100) and Tomohiko Itou (SAO). Animators in comparison have less flexible career prospects. Sure things get mixed up in the industry and there’s no general rules, but it’s at least rare for animators to become producers for example.This sadly leads to devaluing the position of production assistants (despite their essential role in the process) even to the point of dehumanization. It might not be as bad as with in-betweeners, but that’s not that high of a bar really, and they still get some of the lowest salaries in the industry, without a work environment suitable for you to continue working as a production assistant even if you wanted to. It’s not a job that affords you a liveable wage, and the mentality in the industry is that this isn’t a stable job, but a sort of trial period you have to succeed in. Even the aforementioned manual treats it as such. Anime fans are also kinda guilty of the same, you see all the sakuga fans praising a single animator for a single scene for hours, yet a bad animator may ruin a single scene, while a bad production assistant may ruin the whole episode. I mean, it is hard to blame anyone for not getting excited for the job of a production assistant or what they do, but that’s just the sad reality of their position in the industry.SourceProduction Desk (デスク)It’s the person responsible for the schedule of the whole show and oversees the work of all the production assistants. There’s usually only one Desk in each project. It’s the next step of the ladder if the production assistant decides to take the production career route, and generally isn’t much different than a production assistant in what he does, just with more responsibilities and wider scope. The Desk may also get involved in choosing/finding animation and episode directors, which highly influences the quality and look of the episode.Producers (プロデュサー)It’s generally the top position in the production department. The main supervisor for the whole project and the person involved in all the business talks and the likes between the different companies involved, as each company in the production committee is represented by one of its producers, including the animation studio. Anime is a medium that combines creativity and business, so a good understanding of both the creative process and business is necessary. There are multiple types of producers, the most common among them being:Line Producer (ラインプロデューサー): Responsible for maintaining the production “line”, as in communicating with the different companies involved such as the backgrounds studio, recording studio and animation studio etc, facilitating the work among them. Animation/Creative Producer(アニメーションプロデューサー/クリエイティブプロデューサー): Responsible for the production process itself and the quality and direction of the project, and sometimes gets the chance to starts projects based on his own ideas and vision.Business Producer(ビジネスプロデューサー): Responsible for stuff like contracts, monetization, merch etc.One producer might fill multiple of these roles, and some of them have the production assistants or Desk involved, so as always the borders between each role aren’t as clear and defined as you might think. It’s funny that despite involving this large number of people in management roles, all responsible for drafting schedules and maintaining them, the anime industry and its schedules are still a mess.That’s all I have for this post, and I again recommend reading the whole manual if you can. It goes over the production process in detail, providing among other things the most detailed flow-chart of the anime production process I have seen.
Oct 25, 2020 • Subscribe
More like this
Ashi Production and the Pers-kun movement
Following 1979’s Galaxy Express 999, Yoshinori Kanada had become one of the top animators in Japan and would go on to be an inspiring figure for many of…
![Featured image for [Vtuber] Information on Upcoming “hololive production COUNTDOWN LIVE 2023▷2024 -HOLOSTARS side-“](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20231227/1703686570.75612.112506.jpg)
[Vtuber] Information on Upcoming “hololive production COUNTDOWN LIVE 2023▷2024 -HOLOSTARS side-“
It’s that time of the year again! It’s time to say goodbye to 2023 and ring in the new year, and if you’re a fan of Hololive Production,…
Rain and the Other Side of You
Back in 2019 the folks at Galette Works gave us the problematic Ame to Kimi no Mukou (雨と君の向こう) written by Sakuraka Yukino with art by Momono Moto. I…
The Way of the Househusband and Interesting Production Choices
Production I’m sure that most people don’t really take much notice to who produced an anime but in blogging circles it was a bit of a deal that…
Bocchi the Rock! Complete Production Notes And Final Impressions
Bocchi the Rock has been a wonderful mix of ridiculous comedy and compelling character growth. Now that it’s over, though with hopes to return, let’s take a final…
Anime Production Behind The Scenes!
Layouts, Genga, Genga Corrections, Douga, Cel Sheets, Composite... So much that goes into making a single frame of animation! Edited by @TeeHallumsYT SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/totallynotmark FOLLOW…
Production I.G. and Two Great Sports Anime
"However, I think both 'Kuroko no Basket' and 'Haikyuu' excel for a number of reasons."
Animecast: Anime Production Issues and Audience Response
The hosts of the Otaku Spirit Animecast dive into the touchy subject of production issues and decisions that affect our beloved medium of anime. How the audience reacts…
GuP, 86, and Production Delays and Issues in Anime: #AniTwitWatches
Hello everyone. I’m extremely behind on writing posts for #AniTwitWatches. Part of that is because of Mecha March that takes away time from everything else I want to…
The History and Production of Turn A Gundam: Part III – Prelude
Continuing my series of articles detailing the history and production of Turn A Gundam! My goal is to provide an accessible source of context and knowledge for reference…
Winter Production Recap #1: Haikyuu!! To The Top and Sachiko Fukuda
Haikyuu!! returned with a new season and with many aces of the franchise gone, there was some legitimate doubt about the quality of this new season. However thanks…
The Dark Side of the Door
detective fiction, 推理小説、games, mystery, murder, locked room, Japanese, translations,
The Dark Side of the Door
detective fiction, 推理小説、games, mystery, murder, locked room, Japanese, translations,
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 11-12 And Final Impressions
We’re due a final in-depth look at SSSS.Dynazenon: the creators who stood out in the last stages, the fascinating answers to some seemingly unanswered riddles, and what to…
Anime Staff & Production Terminology: The Basics
This is largely something I’m doing just to familiarise myself with the roles of anime production and the Japanese titles for each role, may not be 100% accurate…
The Production Farce of Zom 100
Zom 100 is a show about a protagonist named Akira escaping from his job of producing commercials that has been a living hell for three years. One where…
The Unusual Production History of Genocyber
A cult classic in the schlock n’ gore OVA genre, Genocyber took an unlikely road from pitch to production.
Production & shipping update
All back issues orders received between 2010/03/05 and 2010/06/16 were shipped Wednesday (for Canadian orders) and today (for U.S. and Inter...
![Featured image for Side by Side (2023) review [OAFF 2023]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20230319/1679205610.55672.88465.jpg)
Side by Side (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A peaceful dream-like visual experience that celebrates both the impact subjects have on each other as well as the manner in which the subject remains opaque to himself…
The Manga Shelf: OSHI NO KO and the Dark Side of Fame
“Love is War!” mangaka Aka Akasaka returns with a series about the unpleasant underbelly of the idol industry.
The Complicated Relationship Between Anime Production Schedules, Working Conditions, Quality, And Exploitation
Anime’s production schedules, the wellbeing of its creators, and the quality of their work are deeply interconnected. It’s a complex balance fraught with misunderstandings, and even lie…
Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #28 “The Burden”
Turn A Gundam’s twenty-eight episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on October 22, 1999. Turn A Gundam’s twenty-eighth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on October 22, 1999.
The History and Production of Turn A Gundam: Part II – Influences & Inspiration
Continuing my series of blog posts detailing the history and production of Turn A Gundam! My goal is to provide an accessible source of context and knowledge for…
Winter Production Recap #2: ID: Invaded and Atsushi Ikariya
ID Invaded is a fascinating project in many ways, starting with the way it came to exist! Around 2012-2013, Ei Aoki started planning an original show featuring a…
Winter 2020: Anime Season in Hindsight and Production Notes
On this blog I commonly find myself writing from a position of anticipating something which has either yet to happen, or conversely reacting to recent events around the…
The Dark Side of Time Travel
By Andrew Osmond. Anime Limited is releasing new editions of two landmark anime series, Erased (carrying the full 12-part anime) and Re: Zero (carrying the complete first season).…
The Dark Side of Online Reviews
In this week's Please Save Money, Krystallina explains why as much as reviews are subjective, you still need to be careful about certain ones.
NANA: The Dark Side Of Love
Get You Figurama Collectors Diocubes here ▶▶ https://figurama-collectors.com/collections/diocube Tags: NANA, NANA anime, NANA manga, NANA song, NANA ai yazawa, ai yazawa, Nana Shin, Nana hachiko, nana hachi, nana manga…
The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún and Magilumiere Co. Ltd.
This episode, we’re talking about Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún published by...
The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún and Magilumiere Co. Ltd.
This episode, we’re talking about Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún published by...
The Most Cursed Anime Production Remains Cursed
If you were worried Tokyo 24 couldn't be more of a mess, then rest easy. Just a couple weeks after skipping an episode from its ongoing production issues,…
Production Committees – Understanding the Anime Business Model
Today, as sakuga discourse has become increasingly prevalent within anime fandom, more people have become aware of anime’s production process and some of the business behind it, notably…
Introduction! Mii’s side
Let’s introduce the minds and writers of the blog! First one up to introduce themselves is Mii. Hello everyone! Last week I decided to revive the blog yet…
Introduction! Kin’s side
With yesterdays introduction let’s introduce another fellow member of the blog, let’s meet Kin. Who am I? Konnichiwa!!! I am a new author of Sakura Galleria, I…
Tamon’s B-Side
By: Yuki Shiwasu Disclaimer: This review is based on volumes 1 (chapter 1-4) Summary: When a shiny idol is a sad mess in real life, can his number…
One Piece Animation Production
Skooga Edited by @TeeHallumsYT SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/totallynotmark FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/totallynotmark FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@totallynotmark
Bakuten!! #02 – Production Notes
Storyboard/Episode DirectorSeishiro NagayaChief Animation DirectorAya NakanishiAnimation DirectorAya Nakanishi, Shogo MatsumotoAction SupervisionFumiaki KoutaKey AnimationAika Kawasaki, Shuto Enomoto, Shino Tsuzurahara, Takuya Yoshihara, Ayumu Ikeda, Toumitsu Ina, Shou Ochiai, Yui Kinoshita,…
Bakuten!! #03 – Production Notes
Storyboard/Episode DirectorYoshiyuki FujiwaraChief Animation DirectorYuka ShibataAnimation DirectorMiki Muto, Naho KozonoAction SupervisionFumiaki Kouta Key AnimationShino Kuzuhara, Miki Muto, Susumu Matsunaga, Yoshiyuki Fujiwara, Miyako Yatsu, Naho KozonoKeiichi Ishikura, Nana Fujiki,…
SSSS.DYNAZENON – Production Notes 10
SSSS.Dynazenon #10 was an explosive showcase of young creative energy drawing the audience in and out of a stunning illusion, and at the same time, proof of how…
Sound! Euphonium production history
I’ve noticed through the years a lot of various comments regarding how the Euphonium franchise was created, so I thought that I’d post the accumulation of a lot…
Dragon Ball's Production Mutiny
Local man loves nostalgia so much he demands the rights to the franchise. Edited/Written by @TeeHallumsYT SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/totallynotmark FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/totallynotmark FOLLOW ME…
Seasonal First Impressions: OSHI NO KO and The Dark Side of Fame
What would you do if you’d been born as a celebrity’s child?
By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga
Noted yuri scholar Erica Friedman explores the origins of women loving women in Japanese media from its roots in literary girls' fiction to the acknowledgement of yuri as…
Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #3 “After the Festival”
Turn A Gundam’s third episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on April 23, 1999. This is the first of many episodes whose screenplay is credited to a woman—Miya…
Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #6 “The Forgotten Past”
Turn A Gundam’s sixth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on May 14, 1999. Turn A Gundam’s sixth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on May 14, 1999.
Turn A Gundam Staff, Production, and Episode Analyses – Episode #45 “Guin the Traitor”
Turn A Gundam’s forty-fifth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on February 25, 2000. Turn A Gundam’s forty-fifth episode was broadcast on Fuji TV on February 25, 2000.
Advanced Japanese Reading Practice with Side-by-Side Readers
Want Japanese reading practice with newspapers or essays? Here's how to level up your Japanese game with side-by-side readers.
The Brilliance And Darkness of Zom 100 Bucket List Of The Dead – Production Notes 01
The first episode of Zom 100 is one hell of a showcase of inventive, fresh, and very bombastic animation and direction, all packaged together with clear intent. It’s…