How to Apply to Production I.G

9 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 3 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Application flows through the studio's custom recruit page at production-ig.co.jp/recruit/ and Wantedly — there is no commercial ATS and no English-language application path.
  • The anime industry is honest about its economics: entry-level animator pay is structured around per-cut piece work (¥1,500-3,000 per in-between is typical industry-wide for 動画) and even prestige studios pay below convenience-store wages for the lowest tier. Salaried 社員 roles in production coordination, 3DCG, compositing, and tech pay better but still trail Tokyo IT salaries substantially.
  • 新卒 (new-graduate) hiring runs an annual cycle aligned with Japan's standard April start; 中途 (mid-career) hiring is rolling but slower, and 制作進行 is the most common entry path for non-artists.
  • The studio is part of IG Port (TSE: 3791) alongside Wit Studio and Mag Garden, which means audited financials and corporate governance unusual for the anime industry.
  • Recent commercial momentum (Kaiju No 8 in 2024, the SAC_2045 Netflix run, group involvement in Look Back) has expanded hiring slightly, but the production bottleneck is still talent — not budget.
  • Japanese-language fluency at N1 / business level is effectively required; English is a plus but never a substitute on the production floor.
  • Portfolio quality and finished credits matter far more than resume polish — submit work that lets reviewers see your decisions, not just your output.

About Production I.G

Production I.G (株式会社プロダクション・アイジー) is one of Japan's most internationally recognized animation studios, founded in December 1987 in Kokubunji, Tokyo by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and animator Takayuki Goto. The studio's name combines their initials. Today its headquarters sits in Musashino, Tokyo, with a second production base — IG Sapporo Studio — opened in 2022 to expand capacity and tap talent outside the saturated Tokyo labor pool. Headcount sits at roughly 300 staff across both sites, plus a much larger floating layer of freelance animators, in-betweeners (動画), and finishing artists who carry per-cut piece-work contracts. Production I.G is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IG Port (TSE Standard: 3791), the listed holding company that also owns Wit Studio (the original adapter of Attack on Titan seasons 1-3 and co-producer of Spy x Family with CloverWorks), Mag Garden (manga publisher), and previously held Xebec before that studio was absorbed into Sunrise. The current corporate structure means Production I.G operates with a public-company governance overlay rare in the anime industry, including audited annual reports, IR disclosures, and segment-level revenue reporting. Leadership: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa remains involved as a senior figure tied to the IG Port group, while George Wada (和田丈嗣, also romanized Joji Wada) — long associated with Wit Studio's success — serves as Representative Director and President of Production I.G. Creative leadership has historically rotated around director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 2, Jin-Roh, The Sky Crawlers), Kenji Kamiyama (SAC, Eden of the East, SAC_2045), Production I.G's in-house animation directors, and an evolving bench of younger directors handling commercial hits. Catalog highlights span four decades and most of the medium's prestige tiers: the Ghost in the Shell franchise (1995 film through Stand Alone Complex and the Netflix-distributed SAC_2045), Patlabor 2 (1993) and 3 (2002), Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), Eden of the East (2009), Psycho-Pass (with Tatsunoko), the Haikyuu!! TV series and films, A Whisker Away (2020 Netflix), B: The Beginning (2018, Netflix), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable (with David Production for some segments), the breakout Kaiju No 8 (2024) which became one of the year's biggest global anime hits, and group-affiliated work on Studio Durian's theatrical adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back (2024). The studio is widely considered an S-tier creative house in the medium — but the financial reality of working there, like all anime studios, requires a clear-eyed reading of the industry's economics before applying.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Open the official recruit page at production-ig

    Open the official recruit page at production-ig.co.jp/recruit/ and identify which of three lanes applies to you: 新卒採用 (new-graduate annual cycle), 中途採用 (mid-career, year-round), or インターン (intern). Each lane has different forms and timelines. The page is Japanese-only — there is no English application path.

  2. 2
    For 新卒 (new-graduate) hiring, follow the annual schedule: information sessions (

    For 新卒 (new-graduate) hiring, follow the annual schedule: information sessions (会社説明会) typically run March-May for the following April start, with applications, portfolio review, and studio tests stretching through summer. Internal target roles in 2026 cycles include 3DCG 制作進行 (contract) and 制作進行 intern positions.

  3. 3
    For 中途採用 (mid-career), apply directly through the role-specific form on the recr

    For 中途採用 (mid-career), apply directly through the role-specific form on the recruit page. Currently posted lanes include 撮影 (compositing / cinematography), 制作進行 (production assistant), 3DCGデザイナー, アニメーション演出 (episode director), 設定制作 (settings/design coordinator), システム開発 (in-house tools), and 経営管理 (corporate). Each role has its own required materials.

  4. 4
    For animator (作画) and key animation (原画) roles, expect a studio test (実技試験)

    For animator (作画) and key animation (原画) roles, expect a studio test (実技試験) — typically a timed cut assignment evaluating drawing speed, layout reading, in-between work, and ability to hold a model sheet under pressure. Submit your test on the requested paper format or digital file with the requested DPI.

  5. 5
    Build a portfolio (作品集) appropriate to the role

    Build a portfolio (作品集) appropriate to the role. Animators submit drawing samples (rough, key, in-between separated), compositors submit before/after compositing reels, 3DCG submits modeling/rigging breakdowns, and 制作進行 candidates emphasize logistics, schedule management, and any prior production-coordination experience.

  6. 6
    Cross-reference the studio's Wantedly profile at wantedly

    Cross-reference the studio's Wantedly profile at wantedly.com/companies/company_2625709 — Production I.G uses Wantedly as a satellite listing platform for casual interviews (カジュアル面談) and roles that benefit from a softer first contact, especially business-side and tech roles.

  7. 7
    Submit application materials as instructed (typically PDF resume 履歴書 + 職務経歴書 + p

    Submit application materials as instructed (typically PDF resume 履歴書 + 職務経歴書 + portfolio). Use the official Japanese resume format with photograph, full address, family register name in kanji + furigana, and chronological education/work history. Western-style one-page resumes will be considered incomplete.

  8. 8
    Expect a multi-stage interview: document screening (書類選考) → one or more intervie

    Expect a multi-stage interview: document screening (書類選考) → one or more interviews (面接) usually with HR and the relevant section head → for creative roles, often a second technical round with the studio test or in-person drawing exercise → final interview with a senior producer or director.

Resume Tips for Production I.G

recommended

Use the Japanese 履歴書 (rirekisho) format with attached 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho

Use the Japanese 履歴書 (rirekisho) format with attached 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho / work history) — this is non-negotiable for any role. Templates from Mynavi or Rikunabi are acceptable. Include a recent ID-style photograph, your name in kanji with furigana, full date of birth, and current address.

recommended

For creative roles, the portfolio (作品集 / ポートフォリオ) carries far more weight than t

For creative roles, the portfolio (作品集 / ポートフォリオ) carries far more weight than the resume itself. Animators should show range — character acting, action, effects, perspective work — rather than a single style. Submit roughs and finished cuts side by side so reviewers can read your process.

recommended

Quantify production credits explicitly: episode numbers, cut counts, exact role

Quantify production credits explicitly: episode numbers, cut counts, exact role (原画 / 第二原画 / 動画 / 動画チェック / 作画監督 / 演出助手 / 演出 / 制作進行). Vague credits like 'worked on anime production' read as inflation. Studio reviewers know every credit slot in the staff roll.

recommended

List specific software fluency: Toon Boom Harmony, CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX (with An

List specific software fluency: Toon Boom Harmony, CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX (with Animation features), TVPaint, Stylos / RETAS STUDIO, After Effects (with the studio's compositing pipeline plugins), Maya / Blender / 3ds Max for 3DCG, plus pipeline tools like Shotgun/ShotGrid if you have them.

recommended

For 制作進行 candidates without animation production history, emphasize transferable

For 制作進行 candidates without animation production history, emphasize transferable logistics: event production, film crew assistant, retail shift management, or any role demonstrating that you can chase down dozens of artists, manage delivery deadlines, and remain calm during 進行会議 (production meetings) at 2 AM.

recommended

Japanese language: native or business-level (ビジネスレベル) is required on the studio

Japanese language: native or business-level (ビジネスレベル) is required on the studio floor — N1 at minimum for non-native speakers in creative coordination roles. State your level honestly. JLPT certificate scans help. English is useful but secondary; the working language is Japanese.

recommended

Avoid the common Western mistake of including unrelated jobs to fill space

Avoid the common Western mistake of including unrelated jobs to fill space. Japanese animation hiring is granular and credits-driven; one verifiable project credit beats five tangentially related entries.

recommended

Include any same-industry network references (referrals from current IG staff, p

Include any same-industry network references (referrals from current IG staff, previous directors, animation school instructors at Yoyogi, HAL, Toyo Bijutsu Gakko, or Tokyo Designer Gakuin). Referrals do not skip the test, but they ensure your file gets read.

ATS System: Custom recruit page (production-ig.co.jp/recruit) + Wantedly satellite listings

Production I.G does not use a conventional commercial ATS like Workday, Greenhouse, or Japan-market platforms such as HRMOS or Mynavi Tenshoku for its primary intake. Applications flow through role-specific forms hosted on the studio's own recruit microsite, with Wantedly serving as a parallel channel for casual interviews and a subset of business / technical roles. Each posted role typically routes to a dedicated form requesting履歴書, 職務経歴書, and portfolio. There is no candidate-facing dashboard, no global account, and no automated screening — submissions are read by humans in the recruiting office and routed to the relevant section.

  • Submit only PDFs — never .pages, .numbers, or .key files. Japanese reviewers expect PDF or, in some cases, ZIP with explicit folder structure for portfolios.
  • Name files in the convention 氏名_職種_書類名.pdf (e.g., 山田太郎_原画_作品集.pdf). Files with Western-only names or generic 'resume.pdf' titles get lost in shared inboxes.
  • For Wantedly applicants, complete your Wantedly profile fully in Japanese first. A bilingual but Japanese-primary profile signals seriousness and language readiness.
  • There is no application status portal. Expect silence between submission and response — typical reply windows run 2-6 weeks. Following up after 4 weeks via the contact email on the recruit page is acceptable; multiple follow-ups within a short window is not.
  • Portfolio file size: keep total under 100MB or host on a private link (Google Drive, Dropbox) with the link inside your application PDF. Many studio inboxes silently drop attachments above 25MB.
  • Japanese reviewers may flag spelling errors, inconsistent furigana, or use of half-width kana in formal documents. Have a native speaker proofread before submission.

Interview Culture

Production I.G interviews are formal, calm, and craft-focused.

Expect 1-3 rounds: an HR screen, a section-head technical interview, and a final round with a senior producer or director. For creative roles, the technical interview will include detailed discussion of specific cuts in your portfolio — be ready to explain your in-between count choices, why you used a held cell vs. animated transition, how you read the layout, and what direction you would have given yourself in retrospect. Vague answers like 'I just felt it should move that way' will not pass; reviewers want to see craftsmanship reasoning. Dress is business attire (リクルートスーツ) for new-graduate interviews, business casual for mid-career creative roles, and full business for any 経営管理 or producer-track interview. Bring printed copies of your resume, work history, and portfolio even if you submitted them digitally. Arrive 10 minutes early, no more, no less. Address interviewers by 役職 + 名字 (title + family name) — never first names. Language is Japanese throughout. Bilingual ability is a plus but never a substitute. Questions tend to be specific and operational rather than behavioral: how would you handle a 演出 who keeps changing the cut after you've finished it, what do you do when the 制作進行 assigns you cuts above your weekly capacity, how do you respond when a 作画監督 redraws your key. Honest, structured answers grounded in concrete past experience perform best. Avoid manufactured enthusiasm — the studio prefers candidates who clearly understand the workload and are choosing it with eyes open.

What Production I.G Looks For

  • Demonstrated craft over enthusiasm — a finished portfolio with clear technical decisions beats a passion statement every time. Junior animators are expected to show range and speed; senior candidates are expected to show direction and the ability to hold a sequence's continuity.
  • Stamina and realistic expectations. The studio prefers candidates who have done their research on anime industry pay and hours and are still choosing to apply — surprises about salary or schedule become attrition risks within the first year.
  • Japanese fluency at native or N1 business level. Work coordination, 演出 notes, 作画監督 corrections, and production meetings all happen in Japanese. Non-fluent candidates struggle even in tech-adjacent roles.
  • Pipeline literacy. For 制作進行, that means schedule software, cut tracking sheets, and the studio's preferred coordination tools. For animators, it means CLIP STUDIO Animation, RETAS, or Toon Boom plus the studio's specific layer naming conventions.
  • Cultural fit with a craft-first house. Production I.G has a strong identity as a director-driven, prestige-oriented studio — candidates who name only commercial hits in their list of admired works (and miss Oshii, Kamiyama, Okiura, and the studio's auteur lineage) signal weak research.
  • Track record of finishing. The studio is wary of candidates with many partial credits but few completed cuts or episodes. A smaller body of fully delivered work outperforms a long list of unfinished projects.
  • Willingness to relocate. The studio operates from Musashino, Tokyo, with the Sapporo studio as a secondary base. Remote work for animation production is rare; on-site presence is the default expectation.
  • Long-term orientation. Despite difficult industry economics, Production I.G values staff who plan multi-year careers in animation and want to grow within the IG Port group rather than treating the studio as a stepping stone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Production I.G hire non-Japanese speakers?
Rarely, and almost never on the production floor. The working language is Japanese — 演出 notes, 作画監督 corrections, 制作 meetings, and pipeline tools all assume native or N1-level fluency. Some 3DCG and tools/engineering roles have slightly more flex if your portfolio is exceptional, and a small number of bilingual coordinators exist on the international business side, but assume the bar is Japanese fluency unless explicitly told otherwise on a specific job listing.
What is the realistic salary for an entry-level animator at Production I.G?
The anime industry standard for 動画 (in-between animation) is per-cut piece work at roughly ¥150-300 per drawing or ¥1,500-3,000 per cut, depending on complexity. JAniCA's industry surveys have repeatedly shown first-year animator annual income in Japan averaging well below ¥2 million — below Tokyo convenience-store wages. Production I.G pays at or slightly above industry rates, but it does not break the structural economics. Salaried 制作進行 roles start higher (commonly ¥2.5-3.5M annual) but with very long hours.
Is there a remote-work option?
Limited. Some freelance 原画 / 動画 / compositing work has always been remote, and post-COVID some staff retain hybrid arrangements. But the default expectation for salaried roles — especially 制作進行, 演出, and supervisor positions — is on-site at the Musashino HQ or Sapporo studio. Apply only if you are prepared to relocate.
What is the difference between Production I.G and Wit Studio?
Both are subsidiaries of IG Port. Wit Studio (Kodansha-aligned, originally adapted Attack on Titan seasons 1-3, co-produces Spy x Family with CloverWorks) was spun out in 2012 by George Wada and operates with its own staff and creative identity. Production I.G is the older, larger, more catalog-driven house with deeper roots in theatrical and prestige TV. Hiring processes are run separately even though both report into the same parent.
Can I apply via LinkedIn or send a cold email to a producer?
LinkedIn is not the primary recruiting channel for Japanese anime studios and a cold LinkedIn message will rarely get a response. Cold email to producers is generally ignored unless you have a credible connection to forward your portfolio. The proper path is the official recruit page and Wantedly. A referral from a current IG staffer or a respected director is the strongest accelerant — but it does not skip the studio test.
What is 制作進行 and why is it the most common entry role?
制作進行 (seisaku shinkou) is the production coordinator / progress manager — the person who picks up cuts from animators, tracks deadlines, runs production meetings, books studio time, manages 演出 communication, and absorbs the schedule pressure of an entire episode or sequence. It is famously brutal — long hours, constant travel between studios and freelancer homes, and high turnover — but it is the dominant entry path into the production side of any anime studio, and many directors and producers started there.
Does Production I.G hire interns?
Yes. The current 2026-2027 cycle includes 制作進行 intern positions and 3DCG 制作進行 contract roles aimed at students and recent graduates. Intern programs are advertised on the recruit page and are an established pipeline into 新卒 hiring.
How long does the application process take?
Document screening typically takes 2-6 weeks. For 新卒 cycles tied to Japan's annual hiring calendar, the full process from information session to offer can run 4-6 months. 中途 hiring is faster but still slower than tech-industry norms — expect 4-8 weeks from submission to offer for most roles.
Is the Sapporo studio a serious career option or a satellite?
Sapporo opened in 2022 and has grown steadily — it is a real production base, not a remote outpost. For candidates with ties to Hokkaido or who want to escape Tokyo cost-of-living, Sapporo is a genuine option. Project assignment may differ from the Musashino HQ, but the same studio standards and creative pipeline apply.
What recent works should I reference if asked about my interest in the studio?
A credible answer combines catalog and current. On the catalog side, Ghost in the Shell (1995 + SAC), Patlabor 2, Jin-Roh, and Eden of the East are touchstones that signal you understand the studio's auteur lineage. On the current side, Kaiju No 8 (2024) and SAC_2045 demonstrate awareness of the studio's commercial momentum, and Look Back (2024, with Studio Durian) shows you follow the broader IG Port group. Naming only one or two recent hits without the catalog context reads as superficial research.

Open Positions

Production I.G currently has 3 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 3 open positions at Production I.G

Related Resources

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Sources

  1. Production I.G — Official Recruit Page —
  2. Production I.G — Company Overview (会社案内) —
  3. Production I.G on Wantedly — Casual Interview & Job Listings —
  4. IG Port Inc. — Investor Relations (TSE: 3791) —
  5. JAniCA — Japan Animation Creators Association industry surveys on animator income —
  6. Production I.G Sapporo Studio announcement (2022) —
  7. Wit Studio — sister studio under IG Port —
  8. Kaiju No. 8 official anime site (2024 Production I.G) —