Akira Watanabe: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Person | {{Infobox Person | ||
|type1 = | |type1 =Machine | ||
|type2 = | |type2 =Black | ||
|name =Akira Watanabe | |name =Akira Watanabe | ||
|image = | |image =Akira Watanabe profile.png | ||
|occupation = | |occupation =Production designer,<br>special effects director | ||
|birthday =May 13, 1908 | |birthday =May 13, [[1908]] | ||
|death =1999 | |birthplace =Fukui, [[Japan]]<ref name="EncyclopediaOfG">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Godzilla]]|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Gakken|page=101}}</ref> | ||
|death =[[1999]] | |||
|first =''The War at Sea from<br>Hawaii to Malaya'' (1942) | |first =''The War at Sea from<br>Hawaii to Malaya'' (1942) | ||
|notable =''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954) | |||
|imdb =https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910742/ | |imdb =https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910742/ | ||
|wikipedia =https:// | |wikipedia =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Watanabe_(art_director) | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Akira Watanabe''' {{Nihongo| | '''Akira Watanabe''' {{Nihongo|渡辺 明|Watanabe Akira}}, nicknamed '''Mr. Nabe''' {{Nihongo|ナベさん|Nabe-san}}, was a [[Japan]]ese [[tokusatsu|special effects]] production designer who worked frequently on [[Toho]]'s [[tokusatsu]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|films]] during the [[Showa era]]. He is notable for approving and finalizing the designs of popular monsters such as [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]], [[Baragon]], and [[Godzilla (First Generation)|Godzilla]] himself. Watanabe joined [[Shochiku]] in 1929, but transferred to [[Toho]] in 1941 at the recommendation of special effects director [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], and worked on his first film for the company the following year. He departed from Toho in [[1966]] after serving as Tsuburaya's production designer on ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]''. He co-founded Japanese Special Effects Productions (later Japanese Special Effects Film Co.), with which he became a special effects director in his own right, directing the effects for [[Nikkatsu]]'s ''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'' and the Japanese-American co-production ''[[wikipedia:The Green Slime|The Green Slime]]''. | ||
{{TOC}} | {{TOC}} | ||
==Selected | ==Selected filmography== | ||
=== | ===Special effects production designer=== | ||
*[[Godzilla (1954 film)|''Godzilla'' (1954)]] - | *[[Godzilla (1954 film)|''Godzilla'']] (1954)<ref group="lower-alpha">Special effects staff members' positions did not begin to be credited individually until ''[[The Mysterians]]'' in 1957. As such, Watanabe was credited for "special technology" alongside [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]], and [[Kuichiro Kishida]].</ref> | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955)<ref group="lower-alpha">Credited for "special technology" alongside [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]] and Masao Shirota; see first note.</ref> | ||
*''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) | *''[[Half Human]]'' (1955)<ref group="lower-alpha" name="w/ Tsuburaya">Credited for "special technology" alongside [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], Masao Shirota and [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]]; see first note.</ref> | ||
*''[[The | *''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956)<ref group="lower-alpha" name="w/ Tsuburaya"/> | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The H-Man]]'' (1958) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[wikipedia:Monkey Sun|Monkey Sun]]'' (1959) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The Three Treasures]]'' (1959) | ||
*''[[The | *''[[Battle in Outer Space]]'' (1959) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The Secret of the Telegian]]'' (1960) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The Human Vapor]]'' (1960) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[The Last War]]'' (1961) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Matango (film)|Matango]]'' (1963) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Atragon]]'' (1963) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Dogora (film)|Dogora]]'' (1964) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964) | ||
=== | *''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) | ||
*''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'' (1967) - | *''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) | ||
*''[[ | *''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' (TV 1966) [episodes 6, 8, 27] | ||
== | ===Miscellaneous=== | ||
*[https://www. | *''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'' (1967) - Original story / director of special effects<ref group="lower-alpha">Credited as storywriter and "associate" in the Japanese version; credited as special effects director in the American version.</ref> | ||
{{Real People}} | *''[[wikipedia:The Green Slime|The Green Slime]]'' (1968) - Director of special effects [with [[Yukio Manoda]]]<ref group="lower-alpha">Only credited in the American cut; Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd. is credited in the Japanese version.</ref> | ||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small"> | |||
File:Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with P1.png|Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with a model of the [[P-1]] | |||
File:Akira Watanabe Lady from Hell.jpg|Akira Watanabe on the set of ''[[wikipedia:Lady from Hell|Lady from Hell]]'' | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Trivia== | |||
*The [[2012]] San Diego Comic-Con "mood piece" for ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' (2014) was first leaked to the internet by a YouTube user named "Akira Watanabe."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfeGh-EgwHA|title=Fatman Trailer|first=Akira|last=Watanabe|date=10 September 2013|work=YouTube|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004154428/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfeGh-EgwHA|archivedate=4 October 2013}}</ref> | |||
*Another Akira Watanabe would later work as a lighting assistant on the [[2024]] short film ''[[Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo]]'', though his name is spelled with different kanji. | |||
==Notes== | |||
{{Notelist|lower-alpha}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
{{Real People|tab=Art}} | |||
{{Comments}} | {{Comments}} | ||
{{Era|REL}} | {{Era|REL}} | ||
[[Category:Real people]] | [[Category:Real people]] | ||
[[Category:Artists]] | [[Category:Artists]] |
Latest revision as of 03:16, 29 April 2024
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Akira Watanabe (渡辺 明, nicknamed Mr. Nabe Watanabe Akira) (ナベさん, was a Nabe-san)Japanese special effects production designer who worked frequently on Toho's tokusatsu films during the Showa era. He is notable for approving and finalizing the designs of popular monsters such as King Ghidorah, Baragon, and Godzilla himself. Watanabe joined Shochiku in 1929, but transferred to Toho in 1941 at the recommendation of special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, and worked on his first film for the company the following year. He departed from Toho in 1966 after serving as Tsuburaya's production designer on Invasion of Astro-Monster. He co-founded Japanese Special Effects Productions (later Japanese Special Effects Film Co.), with which he became a special effects director in his own right, directing the effects for Nikkatsu's Gappa and the Japanese-American co-production The Green Slime.
Selected filmography
Special effects production designer
- Godzilla (1954)[a]
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955)[b]
- Half Human (1955)[c]
- Rodan (1956)[c]
- The Mysterians (1957)
- The H-Man (1958)
- Varan (1958)
- Monkey Sun (1959)
- The Three Treasures (1959)
- Battle in Outer Space (1959)
- The Secret of the Telegian (1960)
- The Human Vapor (1960)
- Mothra (1961)
- The Last War (1961)
- Gorath (1962)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
- Matango (1963)
- Atragon (1963)
- Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
- Dogora (1964)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
- Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
- Ultra Q (TV 1966) [episodes 6, 8, 27]
Miscellaneous
- Gappa (1967) - Original story / director of special effects[d]
- The Green Slime (1968) - Director of special effects [with Yukio Manoda][e]
Gallery
Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with a model of the P-1
Akira Watanabe on the set of Lady from Hell
Trivia
- The 2012 San Diego Comic-Con "mood piece" for Godzilla (2014) was first leaked to the internet by a YouTube user named "Akira Watanabe."[2]
- Another Akira Watanabe would later work as a lighting assistant on the 2024 short film Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo, though his name is spelled with different kanji.
Notes
- ↑ Special effects staff members' positions did not begin to be credited individually until The Mysterians in 1957. As such, Watanabe was credited for "special technology" alongside Eiji Tsuburaya, Hiroshi Mukoyama, and Kuichiro Kishida.
- ↑ Credited for "special technology" alongside Hiroshi Mukoyama and Masao Shirota; see first note.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Credited for "special technology" alongside Eiji Tsuburaya, Masao Shirota and Hiroshi Mukoyama; see first note.
- ↑ Credited as storywriter and "associate" in the Japanese version; credited as special effects director in the American version.
- ↑ Only credited in the American cut; Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd. is credited in the Japanese version.
References
This is a list of references for Akira Watanabe. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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