Short Anime éphémère Uses DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud
Joint production by animation studio Noovo Inc and studio EIGHT COLORS INC connected artists from across Japan with a remote post workflow based around DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Blackmagic Design today announced that the short anime “éphémère” was produced using DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blackmagic Cloud, and Fusion Studio. The production was a joint effort by the animation studio Noovo Inc. and studio EIGHT COLORS INC.
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“éphémère” is a short anime based on the concept design by the illustrator QTONAGI, known for her delicate and beautiful creations. Set in a future where humanity can migrate to different planets, the story takes place at a hotel on Uranus and depicts a brief encounter between two characters, Uta and Paula, inspired by QTONAGI’s concept art featuring constellations and celestial bodies.
The production received support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ animation talent development project “Anime no Tane.” This project includes a program to produce 10 minute original short animations, through which talent development occurs. “éphémère” was one of four projects selected to receive funding, and the unique and delicate illustration style of QTONAGI, rare in typical anime works, was produced using DaVinci Resolve Studio for editing and some effects creation.
The production utilized DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud for the remote post workflow, with animators at studio EIGHT COLORS based in Kochi Prefecture and Director Masao Shimizu and Nao Omachi of Noovo, who were in charge of compositing and editing the film, based in Tokyo.
Omachi said: “Both Shimizu and I mainly worked from home, gathering only when necessary. I already built a collaboration workflow using a local database, but remote work presented challenges with VPN setup and intermachine communication issues. Blackmagic Cloud offered a convenient cloud workflow, easily implemented as long as we had internet access and could share materials.”
Shimizu explained: “We used DaVinci Resolve from the previsualization and video storyboard stages. I made a rough edit while checking materials, and Omachi performed operations during preview and editing sessions. We frequently used DaVinci’s marker function to gather information on the timeline. By placing markers and notes on areas of concern, we could discuss them in real time during meetings.”
Toward the end of the project, during color checks and other final reviews, Shimizu and Omachi worked in the editing room while other staff checked results via Blackmagic Cloud, allowing work to continue without being tied to specific machines or locations.
On Blackmagic Cloud, Shimizu commented: “I can use DaVinci myself to build timelines, but even those who can’t use it benefit from this project sharing. Without having to export movies, we can always check the latest timeline, maximizing the cloud’s advantages.”
Omachi further explained: “Exporting the edit index as a CSV was also convenient. Most feedback was related to image creation, so I managed it entirely within DaVinci. Exporting the edit index and leaving only marker sections for staff ensured that even those not using DaVinci Resolve could share the information.”
Work progressed through project sharing with studio EIGHT COLORS’ staff in Kochi. “For anime productions, we often add ‘cut numbers’ to the screen corners or display character names on the screen during dialogue. By working on these tasks with the staff in Kochi, we could proceed efficiently and prevent errors through mutual checks,” said Omachi.
Additionally, DaVinci Resolve Studio’s color and Fusion pages were extensively utilized during online editing. Omachi commented: “During editing sessions, we often adjusted brightness for characters we didn’t want to emphasize, added or reduced flares, and made contrast adjustments. We also deliberately added camera shake effects to simulate handheld filming. For a scene with a bird hopping, we used the Fusion page to adjust the timing of the movement as it seemed too much. In a typical animation workflow, this kind of work would be carried out by compositors, but during the compositing process, the work is in principle carried out on an individual shot, so it is a great advantage to be able to make detailed adjustments by comparing before and after shots on a timeline.”
In the shots where an aurora appears and where the sky in a weather dome change, Omachi used Fusion Studio for the effects. “The weather dome scene required creating a matte in Fusion. I aimed for a random feel rather than digital regularity, experimenting considerably. Fusion Studio’s responsiveness was ideal for this,” Omachi said.
Omachi concluded: “DaVinci Resolve is flexible for workflows. Even if we initially planned to use it solely for editing, it allowed us to quickly handle tasks that would typically require a compositor or accommodate new ideas during editing.”