This is the first book that deals with technological innovation in Japanese animation industry from a management perspective. In reviewing prior research and explaining the history of the technology, the author raises the difficulty of dealing with new technologies. In particular, the focus is on systems that combine analog technology (drawing by hand) and digital technology (3D computer graphics or 3DCG) to create a product. This combined technology is referred to as "hybrid technology" in this book, and the development and management of "hybrid products" using this technology are studied.
The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was to determine the engineers’ (animators’) perception of hybrid technology. The results showed that in terms of potential, the hybrid technology of hand-drawn animation combined with 3DCG was rated more highly by engineers than hand-drawn alone. However, in terms of the assessment at that time, hybrid technology was rated higher than 3DCG alone but lower than hand-drawn. Therefore, it was assumed that hybrid technology, while useful, would pose challenges with respect to systematic implementation. The second stage was the development management of hybrid products. The results showed that the "adaptive engineer," who openly accepts other new technologies in the early stages of their emergence contributed to the integration of new and existing technologies.
Author(s): Takeyasu Ichikohji
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 176
City: Singapore
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of First Publications
Contents
About the Author
1 Purpose of This Book
1 Maintaining and Utilizing Existing Technologies and Adapting to New Ones
2 Examples of Hybrid Technologies and Products
3 Hybrid Products in the Period of Technology Coexistence
4 Objectives and Discussion of This Book
5 Structure of This Book
2 Review of Prior Research on Corporate Behavior During the Emergence of New Technologies
1 Obstacles for Companies to New Technology Transition
1.1 Micro Approach
1.2 Macro Approach
2 Corporate Response to the Emergence of New Technologies
2.1 Strategy for Maintaining Existing Technology
2.2 Strategy for Transitioning to New Technology
2.3 Strategy for Partial Integration of New and Existing Technologies
2.4 The Potential of Hybrid Technology Utilization Strategy
3 Research Questions
3.1 Research Questions
3.2 Research Subject
3 History of Japanese Animation Industry and New Technology
1 What is Animation?
2 Development of Animation Production Technology (Analog Technology)
2.1 The Birth of Animation Production Technology
2.2 Technological Innovation at Disney
2.3 Development of Animation Production Technology in Japan
2.4 Production Process of Analog Animation
3 Process Development Through the Introduction of Information Technology (Digital Technology)
3.1 Introduction of IT On and After the Coloring Process
3.2 Introduction of New Technology in the Drawing Process: 3DCG
3.3 New Technology in the Drawing Process: Flash
3.4 New Technology in the Drawing Process: Digital Drawing
3.5 New Production Technology: Stereopsis
3.6 Organizing Existing and New Technologies in Japanese Animation Industry
3.7 Production Process of Digital Animation
4 Obstacles to the Introduction of New Technologies
4 Evaluation of New Technology by Existing Engineers
1 Methods and Data
1.1 Data
1.2 Methods
2 Results
2.1 Comparison Among All Technologies
2.2 Intra-technology Comparison
2.3 Positioning of Technologies
3 Summary
3.1 Evaluation of Each Technology
3.2 Positioning of Hybrid Technology
4 Discussion
5 Attributes of Engineers with High Receptivity to Other Technologies
1 Research Model
1.1 Conceptual Framework
1.2 Hypotheses and Theoretical Background
2 Methods
2.1 Digital Drawing
2.2 Preliminary Investigation
2.3 Operationalization
2.4 Data
3 Results
4 Contributions
4.1 Innovativeness in Accepting New Technologies
4.2 Organizational Factors
4.3 Implications for Technology Introduction Management in Organizations
6 Utilization of New Technology in Incumbents—Development of Hybrid Products Through Insourcing of 3DCG Production
1 Analytical Framework
2 Subjects of Study
2.1 Toei Animation
2.2 Hand Drawing and 3DCG
3 Case Study Analysis
3.1 Establishment of New Technology Division
3.2 Establishment of Management of New Technology Division
3.3 Establishment of Collaboration between New and Other Divisions
3.4 Summary of the Case Study
4 Implications
4.1 Role of Adaptive Engineers
4.2 Role of New Technology Division Manager
7 Utilization of New Technology in Incumbents—Development of Hybrid Products by Outsourcing 3DCG
1 Analytical Framework
2 Case Study Analysis
2.1 Preparation of Product Development Resources
2.2 Operational Preparation for Product Development
2.3 Establishment of System for Collaboration (With Other Companies)
2.4 Summary of the Case Study
3 Implications
3.1 Role of Adaptive Engineers
3.2 Role of Top Management
4 Comparison Between Toei Animation and XEBEC
4.1 Preparation of Product Development Resources
4.2 The Role of Adaptive Engineers in Operational Preparation and Collaboration
4.3 Generalizability in Japanese Animation Industry
8 Conclusions
1 Answers to the Research Questions
2 Contribution of This Book
3 Future Research
9 Supplementary Chapter: Influences of Environmental Factors on the Recognition of New Technologies
1 Flash Animation
2 Data
3 Case Study Analysis
3.1 History of Chinese Animation Industry
3.2 The Status of Flash Animation on TV in Japan and China
3.3 The Situation When Flash Appeared in Japan and China
4 Conclusion
4.1 Discussion
4.2 Contributions
4.3 Limitations
5 Appendix: The Difference Between Japan and the U.S.
References
