How do you make what is an intimate drama about the friendship between two characters visual?

He asked me to change the setting to Japan from England.

Because most of it is about Annas internal turmoil, so I actually turned it down once.

Was it important not to soften that, to handle it honestly?

Yonebayashi:There were a lot of discussions between the screenwriters and the producer, Mr Nishimura as well.

They still feel left out, or feel lonely.

But when they see Marnie, maybe they could take a little step forward.

If they could do that, then maybe itll have been a worthwhile work to do.

This is a question for Nishimura-san.

Nishimura:In terms of my work, its exactly the same.

From the concept we discussed together, to working with the director, the staff, its the same.

And the release to the world, its the same.

But the direction from the director [Isao Takahata] is very different.

He isnt top-down, he takes a more bottom-up approach.

He listens to everybody.

That is, I guess, because hes rather younger than the two maestros.

Also, everybody knew that this was going to be the last of the feature-length Ghibli animations.

So everybody wanted to support [it], and wanted to be there for the film.

So if this really is the last feature-length animation from Studio Ghibli, where does it go from here?

Will they still produce short films, or maybe something for television in the near future?

Nishimura:There is a Ghibli museum in Japan…

Ooh yes.

Miyazakis plan is to produce 12 short films to be shown at the museum.

If there are 12 of them, we can rotate them once a month.

At the moment, they have nine, so there are three more to go.

So Miyazakis working on that.

I know Yonabayashi-san began as an inbetween artist onPrincess Mononokebefore working his way up to director.

I wondered what his memories are of working his way up the ranks at Studio Ghibli.

But one day, I closed the window just above my desk.

And Miyazaki called me into a different room.

He was furious red faced.

I almost cried because Miyazaki, the world maestro, is telling me off like that!

Thats what I remember.

I became key animator withSpirited Awayand thenPonyo, and when I finishedPonyo, Miyazaki praised me as an animator.

And then that led me to directArietty.

I never imagined Id direct a Ghibli film after 18 years.

How will it survive and maybe evolve?

Yonebayashi:I like drawing drawing physically.

Nishimura:Im preparing myself in order not to finish hand-drawn animation.

Because 2D and 3D are different things.

What they can express are different.

Im determined not to stop that tradition.

Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura, thank you very much.

When Marnie Was Thereis out in UK cinemas on the 31st May.