View source for Shaft

{{Distinguish|[[Shaft (Witch)]]}}<br>
[[File:Shaft_Logo.png]]

[[File:Shaft-office.jpg|thumb|SHAFT head office]]
[[wikipedia:Shaft_%28company%29 | SHAFT]] is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1975 and has produced anime such as ''[[wikipedia:Hidamari Sketch|Hidamari Sketch]]'', ''[[wikipedia:Bakemonogatari|Bakemonogatari]]'', and ''[[wikipedia:Sayonara,_Zetsubou-Sensei|Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei]]''. It has [http://www.shaft-web.co.jp/ an official site] in Japanese.

==The History==

Shaft was founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao, the former animator of Mushi Production. The company was originally founded to paint animation, but later worked on animation productions as a subcontractor. They were able to produce their own first original series, Yume kara, Samenai (夢から、さめない) in 1987.

In 2000, after Shaft cooperated with Gainax to produce a special remastered DVD of Gunbuster, they were in joint production with Gainax to produce Mahoromatic, This Ugly And Beautiful World, and He Is My Master. After Hiroshi Wakao retired in 2004, Kubota Mitsutoshi has become Shaft's representative director. Their painting group has also been downsized in order to strengthen their digital group. Since the joint works with Gainax, Shaft focused their efforts on adaptations of acclaimed Mangas and Light Novels, until 2011 when they released their first original anime series in over a decade: Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

==Madoka Magica Credits==

[[Akiyuki Shinbo]] directed Madoka Magica and came up with the initial concept for the series along with Aniplex producer [[Atsuhiro Iwakami]].

Character Design: Takahiro Kishida

Series Director: Yukihiro Miyamoto

Supervising Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi, Mika Takahashi

Action Director: Nozomu Abe, Tomohiro Kamitani

Layout: Takao Maki

Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba, Yuji Kaneko (Episode 1-6), Ken Naito (Episode 7-12)

Production Design: Moriyoshi Ohara

Color Setting: Hitoshi Hibino, Izumi Takizawa

Visual Effects: Motoi Sakai

SFX Director: Shinichiro Eto

Editing: Rie Matsuhara (aka Rie Matsubara)

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Storyboards: Yoshiharu Ashino (Episode 1, 2 & 3), Shin'ichi Omata (Episode 5 & 8), Shinsaku Sasaki (Episode 4, 6, 10 & 12), Masayoshi Nishita (Episode 7), Noriko Shichishima (Episode 9), Tomohiko Itou (Episode 11)

Episode Directors: Yukihiro Miyamoto (Episode 1 & 12), Masahiro Mukai (Episode 2 & 9), Yuki Yase (Episode 3 & 10), Shin'ichi Omata (Episode 4), Takahiro Majima (Episode 5), Fujiaki Asari (Episode 6), Satoaki Kidokoro (Episode 7), Takashi Kawabata (Episode 8), Kotono Watanabe (Episode 11)

Animation Directors: 
Ryouma Ebata (Episode 1),
Jun'ichi Fukunaga (Episode 6),
Toshiyuki Fujisawa (Episode 11),
Mino Honda (Episode 5),
Yoshiaki Itou (Episode 11),
Noboru Jitsuhara (Episode 2),
Tomoaki Kado (Episode 7),
Tomohiro Kamitani (Episode 3),
Miyuki Katayama (Episode 9),
Ryou Kobayashi (Episode 7),
Yuuji Kondou (Episode 8),
Kazuhisa Kosuga (Episode 5),
Shin'ichi Miyamae (Episode 11),
Hitoshi Miyashima (Episode 6),
Mayuko Matsumoto (Episode 5),
Tomoyuki Matsumoto (Episode 8),
Miyabi Ozeki (Episode 4),
Kazuya Shiotsuki (Episode 3 & 10),
Mika Takahashi (Episode 1 & 12),
Jun'ichiro Taniguchi(Episode 12),
Fuyumi Toriyama (Episode 2)

==See also==

*[http://www.shaft-web.co.jp/index.html Official website]
*[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=677 Shaft Studio on Anime News Network]
*[[Head Tilt]]
[[Category:Production]]