Ghost in the Shell, cut no. 341, solegraph
Artist: Hiromasa Ogura
Edition of 25, numbered and signed by the artist
Print type: solegraph high-grade fine-art print
Paper: Radiant White 270 g/m²
Format: 42 × 59,4 cm
Artist: Hiromasa Ogura
Edition of 25, numbered and signed by the artist
Print type: solegraph high-grade fine-art print
Paper: Radiant White 270 g/m²
Format: 42 × 59,4 cm
Artist: Hiromasa Ogura
Edition of 25, numbered and signed by the artist
Print type: solegraph high-grade fine-art print
Paper: Radiant White 270 g/m²
Format: 42 × 59,4 cm
The city views depicted in Ghost in the Shell were collected by location photographer Haruhiko Higami on his trips to Hong Kong. Many of his photographs were incorporated directly and drawn as backgrounds.
In order to avoid hindering the art director’s and the color designer’s choice of palette for the film, the photographs were kept monochrome. The result speaks to the realism of Ghost in the Shell, which is derived from this approach to film-making.
In an interview, artist Hiromasa Ogura recalled the creation of this cut: “It was the rainy season. When we entered shops, the air conditioning was blasting, creating a stark contrast with the humid outdoors. We were documenting with film, not realizing that this would cause a lens-flare effect. But it was great. Very atmospheric. I realized that this was something to use. The images look almost wet. Buildings in Hong Kong always had exhaust fans, dripping with water, which mixed with the rain, everything combining in a soup below. Those photographs captured all of that, with light blurring beautifully. I thought it was cool and thought about how to incorporate it to get that feeling. The main palette is subdued, with bright colors used to emphasize focal points.”
© 1995 Shirow Masamune / KODANSHA • BANDAI VISUAL • MANGA ENTERTAINMENT. All Rights Reserved.