At Arch Research, the research and development team of Arch Inc., we build computer-based creativity support tools for anime production.
Our approach to crafting tools is very different from merely digitizing analog tools or replicating their processes. Creators have high standards of excellence for their creative environment, shaped by their extensive experience. For instance, they may envision creating "絵コンテ" (storyboards) with tools as simple and intuitive as a pen and paper or needing auxiliary tools like a stopwatch to complement their workflow. However, these standards are often ingrained in their practices and articulating them explicitly can be challenging. By engaging in conversations with creators, we work to uncover these otherwise internalized standards of excellence. We combine the crystallized principles with the unique advantages of software to design tools for creativity.
We know how difficult it is to produce software with good user interfaces. Research from the 1990s shows that on average 48% of the code and 50% of the implementation time is spent on the user interface [1]. This seems to be still true today, or even more challenging with the more complex and unconventional user interfaces required for content authoring tools. Our storyboarding tool is, in fact, a kind of "complex GUI" compound. We have studied the characteristics of analog "絵コンテ" (storyboards), sometimes by reading Japanese literature, sometimes by comparing the format with that of Western animation studios, in a longitudinal way, with the help of Japanese animation professionals [3].
Information technologies are advancing on a daily basis, and it is hard to keep up with all the new things that are coming out. We live in an age where the power structure [4] between those who build tools and those who use them can be stronger than ever. In order to integrate such technologies into the tools in a way that benefits the creators "in the wild", we believe that it is essential to be up-to-date with the latest in computer science, to have a trusting relationship with the creators through conversation, and to engage in research and development that is tenaciously committed to designing user interfaces.
We sincerely welcome you to join us on our journey of crafting tools for crafting anime films.
A web-based stopwatch designed specifically for animators. Free to use, publicly available.
A web-based storyboarding tool, formerly known as Griffith. Currently under development, expected to be available in 2025.
We aim to "craft" tools with good user interfaces that go beyond simply digitizing analog processes, through conversation and collaboration with those who "craft" anime films. The brand name, "AnimeCraft", encapsulates the image of the two types of "craft" activities, overlapping and expanding concentrically around the goal of "crafting good anime".