An Archival Approach Applying the 3Cs-Concept to Animation Studies: Research on ONBU OBAKE as a Case Study.

Abstract

The ‘3 Cs’ (content, carrier and context) is a common concept in the field of film archiving that describes the object to be preserved based on the idea that film content is fundamentally characterized by its carrier and context. As a case study applying this ‘3 Cs’ archival approach, this paper presents an investigation of Ryuichi Yokoyama’s colour animation film Onbu Obake (1955). As illustrated in this case study, it became possible to complement the film’s content to some extent by examining the ‘career’ of the 16 mm colour reversal film, which consisted of three different film stocks, and by focusing on document research on the screening environment (‘context’), with further reference to production materials and Yokoyama’s own statements. This case study further underlines that intermediate materials, such as painted cels and backgrounds, are essential for the preservation of the content, as they are elements that define the content before the carrier and context were involved.