The anime industry in Japan is valued at an estimated 2 trillion yen (approximately $ 18.8 billion). While the anime industry is thriving, this is not reflected for its workers, particularly its animators. This is how the Animator Supporters initiative was born in 2011, with the aim of helping animators in difficulties within the industry through crowdfunding campaigns, thereby providing support for housing animators. This initiative gave rise to the Animator Dormitory Project, which carries out campaigns year after year.
The difficult life of the entertainer in Japan
The information provided by Animator Supporters indicates a rather bad image for animators serving the anime industry in Japan. A 2015 survey by JAnicA noted the trend for an entertainer in his twenties to earn a total of 90,000 yen (about $ 800) a month. From this data, it is inferred that most young or new entertainers in the industry earn less annual income than the average minimum wage worker in Japan.
Considering the amount of work that each project requires, it is an amount that differs considerably from the fair, and is understandable for those who seek to work as animators with a way of life. Entertainers in their early years seem to fare worse, as their monthly salary may be as low as 30,000 yen (about $ 270).According to a survey conducted by the JAnicA in 2015, an average monthly salary for an animator who is in his/her 20’s around ￥90,000, making the yearly salary about ￥1,100,000.— animator_supporters (@animatorsupport) June 10, 2019
*￥90,000→about $800
*￥1,100,000→about $10,000https://t.co/okaXG1wgND pic.twitter.com/4QY7StETjK
According to Animator Supporters, 90% of animators in the industry quit their job in their first three years of work. There are a large number of factors that make this profession too stressful and difficult for a newcomer to support. Long working hours and constant overtime do not improve the situation, but what really affects the young entertainers are two things: the miserable pay and the need to move.
Most of the time, animators are hired for certain projects and their pay is determined by how much they produce rather than having a base rate. This means that the faster an animator works, the more money he will earn. This clearly puts young entertainers at a disadvantage who lack the experience to aspire to a good salary in the industry. Although this is a situation that can clearly improve over the years, not everyone is able to resist long enough to wait for results.
The average salary an animator earns per frame is about 200 yen, which is equivalent to just under $ 2. The Animators Supporters project estimates that even if animators were able to produce 300 frames per month - something quite difficult for a new animator to achieve - their monthly salary would barely reach 60,000 yen, which is barely 2/3 of the expected average amount. . Furthermore, most of the major (and highest-paying) studios are located in Tokyo, where housing and subsistence costs are considerably higher. Mercer rated the city of Tokyo as one of the most expensive cities to live in worldwide, being only behind Hong Kong.
What is the Animator Dormitory Project looking for?
The Animators Supporters initiative was created in the hope of exclusively supporting young animators in the industry. Since housing costs are often overwhelming for them and a factor in the decision to resign, this project provides housing facilities, with incomes of less than 30,000 yen per month, covering services such as water, electricity, air conditioning and Internet . The intention, in addition to providing affordable housing, is for newcomers to use their resources to improve their skills, which will eventually improve their income and ability to support themselves.
Since 2014, the project has hosted 40 new residents, and promises to continue beyond 2020. In an effort to help young animators inside the dorms, the project provides technical support. Residents have the option to participate in a monthly class taught by veteran animators with the goal of improving their skills, and they are also offered monthly drawing sessions while also helping animators find well-paying production companies. In 2019, some of these entertainers found companies that paid them an average of one million yen (more than $ 9,000) more than the annual average.
The results so far
The Anime Dormitory Project saw its first bedroom founded in March 2014. Located in the Asagaya area of Tokyo, the dorm housed two entertainers. The 2015 campaign was also successful, with 105% of the goal accomplished. However, the 2016 campaign barely reached 82% of the target, although this still represented a large amount of money. The 2017 campaign was one of the most successful, with 177% of the target achieved. Finally, the 2018 and 2019 campaigns were also successful, reaching 192% and 136% of their goals, respectively. Although it must be taken into account that the number of people who contributed decreased by more than half between 2018 and 2019.
As can be seen, the 2018 campaign has been the most successful in the history of the project, with a collection of $ 58,514 (38,514 obtained by virtual campaign in GoGetFunding, and 20,000 obtained in physical campaign). Additionally, the project has hosted quite notable guests, including Masaaki Tanaka, who worked as the animation director for the third season of Shingeki no Kyojin, Tatsuro Kawano, the animation director for the anime Koutetsujou no Kabaneri; and Shingo Tamagawa, the animation director for Gundam G no Reconguista.
As it stands, the 2020 campaign (link) has achieved 27% of the target in five months. With more than 120 sponsors and just over $ 5,000 raised, there is still a long way to go to reach the goal of $ 20,000. The campaign will come to an end at the end of this year, so there is still time to participate.
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