Original Video Animation: From Japan with Love
by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist
Original video animation, or OVA for short, is a Japanese import art technique that features mind-blowing visual sequences and deep plot lines. In fact, OVA will beat most movie animation titles in several critical artistic categories, hands-down.
Original video animation came onto the scene in the late 1970s as the experiment of a group of Japanese animators. As the anime craze grew over the course of the next decade, thousands of OVA titles were released to meet demand. The video animation in these artistic works rivals that of mainstream movie production companies, which are bound by formatting guidelines and other creative restrictions.
Features of Original Video Animation
Here’s an overview of OVA:
- Release Date. Original video animation works are released straight to video, often not even appearing on television or the big screen.
- Format. OVAs are typically released on DVD or laser disc to account for the enhanced visual and audio effects that give this genre its pizzazz.
- Characteristics. These video animation shorts are usually between 20 minutes to two hours in length and span several episodes to create the story.
Artistic Control
Perhaps the most attractive feature of an original video presentation is its edginess and underground feel. And that’s all due to the immense artistic control that OVA producers employ. OVA animators have full control of their video animation productions. They are able to tell the story in their own timeframe; thus plot lines and characters are complex and engaging.
If you haven’t yet experienced an original video animation, you’re missing out on one of the pure forms of the art. The Internet and especially eBay are the perfect resources for finding this popular Japanese animation art form.
About the Author
Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.
Posted on October 2, 2007 at 4:40 PM
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