Studio Feature: TECARAT Vol.2

STUDIO FEATURE

Studio Feature:
TECARAT Vol.2

This program features animated short films by TECARAT on its 10th anniversary, highlighting the Norman the Snowman series and announcing the work in progress of its newest installment, scheduled for release in 2026.

Creating films that will be remembered 100 years from now.

We put all of our craftsmanship spirits together into a team named “TECARAT.” It is named after the Japanese words, “Te ka ra” meaning “from hands.” It is our hands that always turn our idea into a reality. Our slogan is “create films that are remembered even 100 years from now” and we are vdetermined to produce such films that stay alive in people’ s hearts for a very long time. TECARAT is a studio that engages in content creation and advertising related video and art production. Based on the knowledge and experience gained from our productions up to now, we create brand content with storylines, shoot animation, and make art proposals.

https://tecarat.jp/

NORMAN THE SNOWMAN -The Northern Light

2013 | Japan | 0:25:00 | Japanese dialogue | English subtitle

YASHIRO Takeshi

A one-night tale of adventure in which a boy who longs for the snow travels to a northern land with a snowman childhood friend. Director Yashiro was born in a snowy region, and this work is based on nostalgic memories of his hometown that came to him as he watched a snow-covered long-distance express train. It is the first in the Norman The Snowman series. It has also spread to 4K broadcasts and theater releases.

NORMAN THE SNOWMAN -On a Night of Shooting Stars

2016 | Japan | 0:27:00 | Japanese dialogue | English subtitle

YASHIRO Takeshi

On the night of the meteor shower, the city was covered by snow clouds. A boy and Norman, who set off on a journey in search of a break in the clouds, encounter a strange youth in a hot air balloon. It is the second in the series, produced in response to the popularity of the previous work.

PROFILE

HIROKI Ayako (Stop-motion Animation Director)

She started her career working on original stop-motion animation projects at TECARAT, and now works on numerous commercials and original content. She is skilled at creating animations that bring out the charm and unique characteristics of everyday objects, and her strength lies in her ability to handle the entire production process, from planning to sculpting, character design, and animation. Her representative work is “kanjigram”, a stop-motion animation that reinterprets the "meaning, form, and origin" of kanji characters. In the short animation series “Norman the Snowman”, directed by Takeshi Yashiro, she was in charge of art and puppet design, as well as animation. For the latest film, “Norman the Snowman 3 (working title)”, she is currently serving as the director and is in the process of shooting.

KUSAKABE Yasuhiro (Producer)

Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1982, Yasuhiro Kusakabe is a film producer. He began his career in film production in 2005. As a production manager, he gained extensive experience on a variety of projects, including TV commercials and large-scale exhibition videos. As a producer, he leverages this knowledge to work on a wide range of projects, from large-scale videos for planetariums and corporate museums to XR content like VR and AR. He has been deeply involved in the works of director Kenji Yashiro, with his first experience in stop-motion animation being on “Firewood Kanta & Granpa”. He has since worked on the “Norman the Snowman”series and “The Moon on a Sleepless Night”. He is the main producer for the latest film currently in production, “Norman the Snowman 3 (working title)“. He produces a wide range of works, from analog to cutting-edge video expressions.

OIKAWA Masaaki (Chief Producer)

Engaging in large-scale video productions, such as for the World Expo, Masaaki realized that "video shouldn't be confined to a square frame; it's crucial to create an immersive, full-body experience." Inspired by an encounter with a full-sky aurora in 1999, he began working on dome projection for planetariums. In 2005, he produced the world's first 360-degree spherical video for the Aichi World Expo. He continues to create works that appeal to the viewer's senses, including interactive videos and handmade stop-motion animation. At TECARAT, he has served as the producer for all of director Takeshi Yashiro's films and is also one of the producers for the stop-motion samurai epic, “HIDARI”.

YASHIRO Takeshi (Stop-motion Animation Director)

Born in Akita Prefecture in 1969. After graduating from the Department of Design at Tokyo University of the Arts, he worked as a commercial director, primarily in live-action. He became dedicated to stop-motion animation after creating the short animation “Norman the Snowman”. He has since established TECARAT and is now active with a focus on animation. He places great importance on the texture of the sets and puppets created by hand, and in addition to writing and directing, he also handles the art design, animation, and puppet sculpting (often using wood carving) himself. His directorial works, including “GON, THE LITTLE FOX”, “The Moon on a Sleepless Night”, and “Norman the Snowman”, have won numerous film awards. He was in charge of puppet design for the opening of the NHK morning drama “Boogie Woogie “and for “HIDARI”. “Pukkulapottas and Hours in the Forest” is an experimental work that took on the challenge of outdoor shooting, which is considered difficult in animation. His most recent work, the NHK show TinyTales Stop Motion Shorts "Haru-tsuge Fish and Fu-rai Boy", realized a collaboration between flowers and puppets.

STUDIO FEATURE

Studio Feature:
TECARAT Vol.2

SCHEDULE

2025.11.22　13:00: NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT THEATER
Theater 2
Screening and TalkGuests on the StageEnglish Interpretation