“How Do You Live?”, produced by Toshio Suzuki, created a sense of anticipation through “no advertising,” and became an overwhelming topic of conversation that swept across Japan. It was released in theaters in July 2023 and has been a huge hit.
Since then, it has won numerous awards, a first in the history of Japanese animation, including the Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, Best Animated Feature Film at the 77th BAFTA Awards, and Best Animated Feature Film at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. It has not only been a big hit in Japan, but also in North America, where it debuted at number one in the box office rankings, and was a huge hit in China when it was released in theaters in April of this year. It continues to break records as a feature-length animated film from Japan, attracting attention from all over the world.
The film has finally been released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD, Studio Ghibli’s first Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. To commemorate the release of this 4K UHD, an interview was conducted with Studio Ghibli’s director of photography Atsushi Okui and post-production manager Tamaki Furushiro, who were involved in the production.
The two have been involved in Studio Ghibli productions for many years, with Okui in charge of the visual aspects of the packaging, and Furushiro in charge of the sound. It is rare for the production staff of theatrical films to also be in charge of packaging, and he emphasizes that “we know exactly what problems occurred on set and why the film ended up the way it was, so we can guarantee the quality, which is one of Studio Ghibli’s strengths.” Studio Ghibli
‘s packaging production aims to reproduce what Director Miyazaki saw at the first screening after the film was completed. When previous works were released on Blu-ray, adjustments were made with a focus on the texture of the film, also known as the Ghibli filter.
This time, “How Do You Live?”, the first Studio Ghibli work to be released in 4K UHD, underwent delicate fine-tuning throughout the film. Regarding the fact that there are many darker scenes than in Miyazaki’s previous works, such as the city at night under blackout control and the fire at the beginning, Okui said, “We used the high brightness of the dark and light areas, which is a characteristic of HDR, to create a strong expression of darkness.” He added, “We have produced the film so that it can be enjoyed on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD, each of which has its own merits, but the 4K UHD is included with the Blu-ray, so please compare them and see the difference.”
Furushiro, who was in charge of sound, said, “There are many quiet scenes, so we put a lot of effort into creating the sound, with an emphasis on spatial expression.” He added, “I think you can enjoy the film in an environment where you are surrounded by sound, just like watching it in a movie theater. I hope you’ll have a drink and popcorn ready and watch it all in one go.”
The highly anticipated 4K UHD version of “How Do You Live?” comes as a two-disc set with the Blu-ray disc as well as the main feature. The package features the image board of the protagonist, Masato, which was the first drawing by Director Miyazaki, and the third poster visual featuring the Blue Heron/Hermit Man. Prices include tax and are 11,880 yen for the 4K UHD, 7,480 yen for the Blu-ray, and 5,170 yen for the DVD. On sale since July 3rd.
“How Do You Live?”
Released on Wednesday, July 3, 2024
4K UHD 11,880 yen (tax included), Blu-ray 7,480 yen (tax included), DVD 5,170 yen (tax included)
(C) 2023 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli
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