Editing Production I.G (section)

{{Short description|Japanese animation studio}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name                = Production I.G, Inc.
| logo                = Production I.G Logo.svg
| logo_size           = 250px
| logo_caption        = Logo used since 1993
| image               = PRODUCTION I.G STUDIO.jpg
| image_caption       = Headquarters in [[Musashino, Tokyo]]
| trade_name          = 
| native_name         = 株式会社プロダクション・アイジー
| native_name_lang    = ja
| romanized_name      = Kabushiki-gaisha Purodakushon Ai Jī
| former_name         = I.G Tatsunoko (1987–1993)
| type                = [[Kabushiki gaisha]]
| industry            = {{Unbulleted list|[[Animation]]|[[Cinema of Japan|Feature film]]|[[Television in Japan|Television]]|[[Video game industry|Video games]]}}
| predecessor         = <!-- or: predecessors = -->
| foundation          = {{Start date and age|1987|12|15}} (studio)<br>{{Start date and age|2007|11|1}} (company)
| founders            = {{unbulleted list|[[Mitsuhisa Ishikawa]]|Takayuki Goto}}
| hq_location_city    = [[Musashino, Tokyo]]
| hq_location_country = Japan
| area_served         = Worldwide
| key_people          = {{Unbulleted list|[[Mitsuhisa Ishikawa]] ([[Chairperson|chairman]])|[[George Wada]] ([[President (corporate title)|president]] and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])}}
| products            = {{Unbulleted list|[[Animated film]]s|[[Animated series|Animated TV programs]]|[[Original Video Animation|OVA]]|[[Original net animation|ONA]]|[[Video game]]s|}}
| num_employees       = 219
| num_employees_year  = 2022<!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent              = {{Unbulleted list|[[Tatsunoko Production]] (1987–1990)|ING (1990–2000)|[[IG Port]] (2007–present)}}
| divisions           = {{ubl|I.G Digital|I.G3D|Production I.G Niigata|Production I.G USA}}
| subsid              = 
| homepage            = {{URL|https://www.production-ig.co.jp/}}
| footnotes           = <ref group="Web">{{cite web|url=https://www.production-ig.co.jp/company/aboutus.html|script-title=ja:会社概要|language=ja|publisher=Production I.G|access-date=August 31, 2022}}</ref>
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Production I.G, Inc.'''|株式会社プロダクション・アイジー|Kabushiki-gaisha Purodakushon Ai Jī|lead=yes}} is a Japanese [[animation studio]].

Headquartered in [[Musashino, Tokyo]], Production I.G was founded on December 15, 1987, by producer [[Mitsuhisa Ishikawa]] and [[character designer]] Takayuki Goto as '''I.G Tatsunoko''', a branch studio of the animation giant [[Tatsunoko Production]], changing its name to the current Production I.G in September 1993.<ref group="Web">{{cite web|url=https://www.productionig.com/contents/about_us/01_/index.html|title= COMPANY PROFILE |publisher=Production I.G|access-date=June 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414100007/http://www.productionig.com/contents/about_us/01_/index.html|archive-date=April 14, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders.<ref name="natalie559014_1">{{cite web |url=https://natalie.mu/comic/column/559014 |title=アニメスタジオクロニクル No.11 Production I.G 石川光久 (代表取締役会長) (1) |trans-title=Anime Studio Chronicle No.11 Production I.G Mitsuhisa Ishikawa (Representative Director and Chairman) (1) |page=1|last= |first= |date=February 20, 2024 |language=ja|website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |publisher=Natasha |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref> Since 2007, Production I.G is a subsidiary of the [[IG Port]] holding company, causing a restructuring which led to the second incarnation of the studio being formed. Ishikawa was president and CEO of the studio until August 2022 when that position was given to [[George Wada]] with Ishikawa remaining as chairman of the company.

Production I.G went through a number of structural changes, not only stepping up from subcontractor to prime contractor to financier of animation production, but also changing the very scheme of the animation business in Japan.<ref name="jinzai-bank.net1">{{cite web |url=https://www.jinzai-bank.net/edit/info.cfm/tm/094/ |title=魂の仕事人 第25回 其の一 |trans-title=Soul Craftsman No. 25 Part 1 |last= |first= |date=August 20, 2007 |language=ja|website=Jinzai bank net |publisher=HR vision |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref><ref name="jinzai-bank.net2">{{cite web |url=https://www.jinzai-bank.net/edit/info.cfm/tm/095/ |title=魂の仕事人 第25回 其の二 |trans-title=Soul Craftsman No. 25 Part 2 |last= |first= |date=August 27, 2007 |language=ja|website=Jinzai bank net |publisher=HR vision |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref> The studio has implemented a series of measures that break with industry norms, such as investing in productions that are unprecedented for an animation studio, entering the copyright business, establishing a finance company, establishing overseas subsidiaries, and negotiating directly with major Hollywood [[movie studios]].<ref name="jinzai-bank.net1"/><ref name="jinzai-bank.net2"/> The studio established a [[holding company]], IG Port, which owns Production I.G itself as well as animation studios [[Wit Studio]]. And the studio has continued to change and expand its business format, merging with publisher [[Mag Garden]], establishing electronic content distribution company Lingua Franca, and forming a comprehensive business alliance with Netflix.<ref name="animationbusiness13287">{{cite web |url=http://animationbusiness.info/archives/13287 |title=プロダクションI.G代表取締役社長に和田丈嗣氏が就任、石川光久氏は代表権のある会長へ |trans-title=Joji Wada is appointed President and CEO of Production I.G. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa becomes Chairman of the Board with representation rights |last=  |first= |date=June 25, 2022 |language=ja|website= |publisher= Animation Business Journal |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref><ref name="animeanime47064_2">{{cite web |url=https://animeanime.jp/article/2019/07/22/47064_2.html |title=「世界が注目するアニメ制作スタジオが切り開く未来」Vol.17 Production I.G (2) |trans-title=“The future opened up by an anime production studio that attracts attention around the world” Vol.17 Production I.G (2) |page=2|last=Ishijima |first=Eiwa|date=July 22, 2019 |language=ja|website= Anime! Anime! |publisher= iid |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
While other major studios are being acquired one after another by large companies and placed under their umbrella, the studio has remained independent (as of 2024).<ref name="ANNinterviewig">{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2000-08-01|title=Interview: Production I.G|last=Macdonald|first=Christopher|date=August 1, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2023|website=[[Anime News Network]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531181049/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2000-08-01|archive-date=May 31, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since its inception, Production I.G has produced many of Japan's leading creators, including [[Mamoru Oshii]] and [[Kenji Kamiyama]].<ref name="animeanime47064_1">{{cite web |url=https://animeanime.jp/article/2019/07/22/47064.html |title=「世界が注目するアニメ制作スタジオが切り開く未来」Vol.17 Production I.G (1) |trans-title=“The future opened up by an anime production studio that attracts attention around the world” Vol.17 Production I.G (1) |page=1|last=Ishijima |first=Eiwa|date=July 22, 2019 |language=ja|website= Anime! Anime! |publisher= iid |access-date=May 30, 2024}}</ref> It has also produced a number of acclaimed [[Feature film|feature films]], television series, OVAs ([[Original video animation|Original Video Animations]]), ONAs ([[Original net animation|Original Net Animations]]), and [[Video game|video games]].<ref name="animationbusiness13287"/><ref name="japansociety">{{cite web |url=http://www.japansociety.org/content.cfm/mitsuhisa_ishikawa |title=Mitsuhisa Ishikawa (石川光久) President, Production I.G.|trans-title= |last= |first=  |author-link= |page= |date= |language=|website= |publisher=Japan Society Innovators Network |access-date=May 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907184610/http://www.japansociety.org/content.cfm/mitsuhisa_ishikawa |archive-date=September 7, 2008 }}</ref> Its representative works include the ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' series, the ''[[Psycho-Pass]]'' series, ''[[Blood: The Last Vampire]]'' and its derivative works such as ''[[Blood+]]'', the animation sequences of ''[[Kill Bill Vol. 1]]'', ''[[Eden of the East]]'', ''[[Guilty Crown]]'', ''[[Kuroko's Basketball]]'', and ''[[Haikyu!!]]''<ref name="animationbusiness13287"/><ref name="animeanime47064_1"/> It is also known in the video game industry for developing intros, cut-scenes and artwork for games such as [[Bandai Namco Entertainment|Bandai Namco]]'s ''[[Tales (video game series)|Tales]]'' series. Furthermore, it has also spawned such influential animation studios as Wit Studio and Signal.MD, and its influence on the Japanese animation industry is immeasurable.<ref name="animeanime47064_1"/>

Production I.G's works have received critical acclaim outside of Japan, with Mamoru Oshii's ''[[Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]''{{efn|It would spawn a [[Ghost in the Shell|media franchise]].}} reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Video Sales Charts in 1996, and ''[[Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence]]'' was the first Japanese animation film to be nominated in Competition at the [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="jinzai-bank.net1"/><ref name="japansociety"/> [[Hiroyuki Okiura]]'s ''[[Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade]]'' and [[Hiroyuki Kitakubo]]'s ''Blood: The Last Vampire'' have also been highly acclaimed.<ref name="japansociety"/> Those works have also influenced famous Hollywood creators. As a result, it was decided that ''[[The Matrix]]'', directed by [[Lana and Lilly Wachowski]], would be produced, and Production I.G produced the animation sequences for [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''Kill Bill Vol. 1''.<ref name="japansociety"/><ref name="ign20170327">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/27/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-ghost-in-the-shell |last= Complex |first= Valerie |title=8 Things You Didn't Know About Ghost in the Shell |trans-title= |language= |page= |date=March 28, 2017|access-date=May 30, 2024|website= | publisher = [[IGN]]}}</ref> When pitching the idea for ''The Matrix'' to producer [[Joel Silver]], The Wachowskis showed him ''Ghost in the Shell'' anime film and told him they wanted to make a similar movie.<ref name="ign20170327"/> Quentin Tarantino liked ''Blood: The Last Vampire'' so much that he himself visited the studio and asked Production I.G to participate in the production of the film.{{efn|Gogo Yubari in a sailor suit wielding a [[Japanese sword]] was inspired by the film's main character Saya.}}<ref name="avwatch20090217">{{Cite web|url= https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20090217/aniplex.htm |last= |first= |title=アニプレックス、「BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE」をBlu-ray化|trans-title=Aniplex releases "Blood: The Last Vampire" on Blu-ray |language= ja|page= |date=October 22, 2003 |access-date=May 30, 2024|website= |publisher = All About}}</ref><ref name="allabout206146">{{Cite web|url=https://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/206146/3/ |last=Minami |first=Juri |title=『キル・ビル』来日会見 (3) |trans-title="Kill Bill" press conference in Japan (3) |language= ja|page= |date=October 22, 2003 |access-date=May 30, 2024|website= |publisher = All About}}</ref> However, Production I.G was very busy at the time and was in no condition to accept the request, so Ishikawa initially declined the request. Then Tarantino began sending drafts of screenplays to the studio one after another without asking. As Ishikawa read them, he gradually became interested in the film and eventually accepted the request.<ref name="allabout206146"/>