This project has two big goals and meanings; one is to create an environment in which start-up animators can focus on their work without desperately trying to make the ends meet by providing them with housing, and the other is to offer a place where animators can interact and start-up animators can receive technical support.

In order to achieve this goal, we, the NPO Animator Supporters, opened the first Animator Dormitory that allow new, young animators to live on ￥30,000 including the expenses for water, gas, electricity, AC, and Internet and that encourage them to take lessons on drawing and painting.



- History of Animator Dormitory -



◇In March 2014, the 1st Animator Dormitory was founded (capable of having two animators) in Asagaya

◇In March 2015, the 2nd Animator Dormitory was founded (capable of having two animators) in Ogikubo

◇In March 2016, the 1st Animator Dormitory in Asagaya was expanded (capable of having four animators total)

◇In March 2017,the 3rd Animator Dormitory was founded (capable of having two animators, for girls) in Narita-higashi

◇In March 2018,the 4th Animator Dormitory was founded (capable of having two animators, for girls)

With these 4 Animator Dormitory, we will be providing 11 animators with housing total from this year.

Note: Before 2014, we provided monetary support of $6,000 for the winners of the New Animators Grand Prix, which means that we have supported 35 animators total by 2018.

Though baby steps, we have been achieving our goals. There will be a new dormitory for girls, meaning that we will support 11 animators this year!

Being able to support 11 animators means that, we have achieved our first goal, which was to support 10 animators to serve as “the safety net.”

We cannot thank enough for all forms of support we have received by now.

Please continue to lend us a helping hand for the management and the development of Animator Dormitory.





【Average salary for new animators in their 20s is $900.】

Japanese anime industry has been producing more anime than ever, with its market size more than 2,000,000,000,000 JPY. However, the environment surrounding animators remains severe -- low salary, long working hours, and illegal contract.

According to the survey conducted by the JAnicA in 2009 (answered by 728 people), an average monthly salary for an animator who is in his/her 20s around ￥90,000, making the yearly salary about ￥1,100,000.

It is not uncommon that the monthly salary for the first year animator is less than 30,000 JPY.

The reason why the earnings are so drastically low despite of the hard labor, overtime, holiday shifts at almost every field of work, is because in most cases, animators are hired and paid according to the piece-work system

(※2) based on the price per each frame an animator draws, and it takes time to become a skillful animator who can draw quicker and cover more frames within the given time, to have a fair amount of earnings per month. For many cases, animators’ salaries are determined based on the number of the sketches they draw. For a typical TV anime series, an animator makes ￥200 by drawing ONE picture. If one draws 300 pictures per month, his monthly salary is only: 300 drawings × ￥200 = ￥60,000. However, drawing 300 sketches is a really challenging task for a new animator. In addition, animators generally do not have time to do a part time job, which makes it even harder to make a stable living.

Most anime studios are located in Tokyo. Because the house rent in Tokyo is expensive, new animators who move to Tokyo for work are forced to live with a very limited budget.

The Animator Supporters have tackled these problems in many ways; housing support, technical support (providing new animators with a place to interact with skilled animators), introducing side-jobs etc.

- About Technical Support -

Boarders of Animator Dormitory can participate in (for free):

■ a monthly drawing class in which skilled animators teach boarders techniques

■ a croquit about once a month

Introducing side jobs?

It is not uncommon that the monthly salary for the first year animator is less than 30,000 JPY.

In the hope to help them, we introduce them to a side job. *Last year we introduced side jobs to several animators, and the total amount was approximately 1,000,000 JPY.

Some animators who lived in our dorm have made their debuts as key animation directors! Now we are ready to move on to the next stage!

•Shingo Tamagawa: a key animation director for “Gundam Reconguista in G”

•Tatsuro Kawano: an action animation director for “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress”

•Moeka Kuga: a key animation director for “Wish Upon the Pleiades”

•Namiko Ishidate: character design for the McDonald’s commercial “Mirai no Watashi”





Now that we opened a new dormitory for girls in March 2018 and have reached our original goal: to create a safety net by supporting 10 animators, we are moving to the next stage.

The next stage is, to create a new anime-making system in which profits made by the sales of anime actually return to animators. One of the biggest reasons why animators’ salaries are so low is the current anime-making system.

- Problems about the current anime-producing system -

It is quite costly to produce anime. So if one anime did not become a hit, it would be a huge debt. So, in order to avoid such situations, current anime making system makes a production committee which consists of TV station, movie production firm, ad company, publisher, and some big productions. The production cost is collected from each of them, so that the burden can be reduced.

It is, in a way, true that this kind of thing is needed to avoid a huge debt, but there are some issues at the same time.

For example, the production fee paid from the production committee to the anime studio is, in many cases, not sufficient. Consequently, many anime studios end up in debt. (! in 4 anime studios are in debt.) As a result, they cannot pay salary for animators, and animators have to live in poverty.

In addition, the profits made by sales of an anime go to the production committee, so even if it became a hit, animators would not benefit from the sales.

In order to change such situations, we have set our next goal: to make a new anime making system in which profits made by the sales of anime return to animators.

To be more concrete,

We are going to make the money flow more direct; we are going to make a short anime by ourselves, using crowdfunding campaigns to raise money, while making sure that there are enough time and money to make good anime.

This is the system, in which profits made by the anime return to those who involved in the anime-making process, such as animators.





We are going to make:

①an anime directed by an animator who the Animator Supporters used to support and

②an anime whose storyboard is made by fans! (We will ask anime fans for the storyboard, and the one made by the winner of this event is going to be actual anime!)

In 2018, we will be working on the 15-second commercial to ask anime fans for the storyboard.

In 2019, the commercial will be released.

The commercial is made by a group of people who lived/are currently living in the Animator Dormitory.

In order to protect Japanese anime and keep it going, we need your support.

Our goal is changing from providing animators with housing to making an environment which can allow them to create even better anime.

To make this change happen as well as to continue to provide housing, we need your helping hand.

We truly appreciate your supportiveness and generosity.





- More about Animator Dormitory -

◇Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Animator-Dormitory-149188...



◇Twitter

@animatorsupport

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- About perks -

$30 We Love Animation

◇Thanks note and an original image LIMITED only for gogetfunding campaign!

(Resolution/ W1280×L720pixcel) via email.

*The image below is a sample.



-----------------------------------------

$50 Special Offer for Repeaters #1

Those who helped us in any of our precious projects will also receive:

[The 1st Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue] ×1copy

-------------------------------------

$150 Anime Forever!

In addition to the $30 perks,



The 1st Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue ×1 copy

The 2nd Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue ×1 copy

The 3rd Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue ×1 copy

[a short movie and an animation project by Shingo Yamashita]

Details: A short movie by Shingo Yamashita, a QT movie HD1920×1080, and a flash project

*The movie is a half-sized sample.

-------------------------------------

$150 Special Offer for Repeaters #2

For those who donated in one or more of the crowdfunding project in the past

Those who helped us in any of our previous projects can choose A or B:



【A】You can join the animator dormitory dinner party

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can choose which month you want to come.

【B】Three pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

◆QT movie 720×480

◆3 flash projects

*The movie is a half-sized sample.

-------------------------------------

$300 We Love Animation!

・Perks for those who raised $150

・Three pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

（including the one for the $150 perks)

◆QT movie 720×480

◆3 flash projects

・You can join the animator dormitory dinner party!

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can choose which month you want to come.

-------------------------------------

$300 Special Offer for Repeaters #3

$300 Special Offer for Repeaters

Those who helped us in any of our previous projects can choose A or B:

【A】You can join the sketch event with the boarders and the monthly dinner party.

【B】Five pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

◆QT movie 720×480

◆5 flash projects





*The movie is a half-sized sample.

・An illustration sketch by Masaaki Tanaka or Hitomi Kariya (who won the 6th Starting Out Animators Grand Prix

◆You can request us what you want him/her to draw

-------------------------------------

$500 The Animator Supporter

・Perks for those who raised $300

1）[The 4th Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue]×1 copy

2）You can join the animator dormitory dinner party TWICE!

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can choose which month you want to come. (twice at maximum)

3）Five pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

（including the four pieces for the $300 perks)

◆QT movie 720×480

◆5 flash projects

4）An illustration sketch by Masaaki Tanaka or Hitomi Kariya (who won the 6th Starting Out Animators Grand Prix

◆You can request us what you want him/her to draw

-------------------------------------

$500 Special Offer for Repeaters #4

Those who helped us in any of our previous projects can choose A or B:

【A】You can stay at the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya for one night 「◆We can schedule your stay during August 2018 - July 2019

【B】

1)10 pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

（including the four pieces for the $300 perks)

◆QT movie 720×480

◆10 flash projects

*The movie is a half-sized sample.

・An illustration sketch by Masaaki Tanaka or Hitomi Kariya (who won the 6th Starting Out Animators Grand Prix

◆You can request us what you want him/her to draw

-------------------------------------

$1000 Anime Be Eternal

・Perks for those who raised $500

1）[The 5th Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue]×1 copy

2）You can join the animator dormitory dinner party FIVE TIMES!

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can choose which month you want to come. (five times at max)

3)10 pieces of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

（including the nine pieces for the $500 perks)

◆QT movie 720×480

◆10 flash projects

-------------------------------------

$1000 Special Offer for Repeaters #5

Those who helped us in any of our previous projects will also receive:

1）You can join the animator dormitory dinner party 10 TIMES!

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can choose which month you want to come. 10 times at max)

2）A complete set of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

◆QT movie 720×480

◆30 flash projects

*The movie is a half-sized sample.

3）An illustration sketch by Masaaki Tanaka or Hitomi Kariya (who won the 6th Starting Out Animators Grand Prix

◆You can request us what you want him/her to draw

-------------------------------------

$3,000 Collector

・Perks for those who raised $1000

1）[The 6th Starting Out Animators’ Grand Prix / Catalogue]×1 copy

2）You can join the animator dormitory dinner party 10 times!

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday of every month, and you can come join us 10 times at max.

3）A complete set of short movies and projects produced by Shingo Yamashita

（including the 19 pieces for those who raised $1,000 ）

◆QT movie 720×480

◆30 flash projects

-------------------------------------

$5,000 Otaku King!

・Perks for those who raised $3000

1）You can join the Animator Dormitory dinner party in Asagaya every month for a year.

◆We hold the dinner party in the Animator Dormitory in Asagaya on the fourth Sunday.

