Masterclass animator and world-renown director Hayao Miyazaki has had a career unrivalved by any other. The sheer quality and distinction in his movies have driven many, myself included, to create work of their own. All the while instilling valuable lessons in conservation and humanitarianism.
Personally, I was introduced to the work of Miyazaki and his team at Studio Ghibli through My Neighbor Totoro, an adorable tale of two sisters who, with their father, have moved to a home in the country. Their mother, sick in a hospital bed towns away, is unable to provide a maternal role in their lives. Thus enters Totoro, a fluffy giant with a mile-wide smile that takes the girls on adventures and gives them hope.
This is one of many Miyazaki films that have moved me in my 20-odd years, just as they have moved so many others. One of which is dono, an animator from Paris who has, for years, been applying to be an animator at Pixar Studios. Although I haven't found much about who dono is, I have a feeling Pixar does now, if they didn't already.
This video, Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki, is a beautifully rendered testament to a great man. The opening shot, synchronized a familiar composition, opens spectacularly into a wide shot of Spirited Away's bath house. From there, numerous characters from Miyazaki classics are placed thoughtfully into dono's 3D world interpretation. Fans of Studio Ghibli will appreciate the detail of this video while those unfamiliar with their work will hopefully be inspired to seek out one of the films. I suggest Spirited Away as an opener, followed up with Howl's Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke.