Earlier this morning, Sony Pictures Japan unveiled a sneak peak at a new BLADE RUNNER anime short from Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of COWBOY BEEBOP and SAMURAI CHAMPLOO. Entitled BLADE RUNNER BLACK OUT 2020, the events of the animation take place several years after the first film and, according to Netlab, takes place during a power outage.
The video in which Wantanabe speaks on some of the details of the film can be found below. While checking out a bunch of great concept art and viewing a few clips from the upcoming short, you'll also get to see a bit of test animation – which can sometimes be the coolest part of creating an animated film. I say that because that's the point in the movie making process where you really get to see how the bones of your animation work. With the tests completed, you can then move on to layering, colorization, and light rigging. Damn it, sometimes I really do miss writing Ink & Pixel.
For a taste of what's to come, check out these sweet stills fromt he video:
The anime will make its Sony Pictures Japan Youtube debut on September 26th, ahead of the theatrical release of BLADE RUNNER 2049 on October 6th..