Showing posts with label animahenasyon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animahenasyon. Show all posts

Mayari (A Cut Out Animation)

10:57 PM
Synopsis: Based on a Pampangan myth, “Mayari” tells a story of the epic battle of the son and daughter of the supreme god Bathala. Mayari, the goddess of the moon, and Apolaki, the guardian of the sun, fought over who would rule the earth after Bathala’s death. The once friendly battle stopped when a tragic incident happened. (Zamboanga City/ 2008 / Cut Out Animation / 04:31 min.)


Mayari - A Cut-out Animation from Cedrick Zabala on Vimeo.

Finalist, Animated Short (Student Category), Animahenasyon 2009
Produced by: Cedrick Zabala, Joanne Atilano, Bryne Brillantes
Who is Mayari? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayari

My first Daily Deviation

2:48 PM
DeviantArt.com has been my source of inspiration and way to share my artworks online. It keeps me updated with the latest styles, designs and works of art of different
kinds of artist, from traditional to digital artists. I also get my resources there like brushes, shapes, patterns, textures, and stock images which are free. The only rule is to credit the owner once you will post your work using their resources. I've been a member of the site for five years already and there were just few members back then. I have posted many works and the best thing are the comments of people around the world. Some comments are harshly negative but most are appreciative and constructive.

Now, the site has become a social network where people can be friends and exchange critiques and join activities such as polls, contest and exchanging of llama badges. Awesome, right? Being a member, there are also ranks, from being an ordinary member to a  premium member, to super administrator and gallery moderators. But for most members, the biggest accomplishment is the recognition of your works. The number of faves, pageviews and comments are usually the basis to see the status of your gallery or art work. Everyday, the administrators choose a set of outstanding works and feature it in a special gallery called the "Daily Deviation". If you want to be inspired everyday but you have limited time, this is the place to go.

Recently, i posted my poster design for a contest called Animahenasyon 2013, the Philippine Animation Festival. It's a steampunk-themed poster named "The Engine of Perpetual Motion". My friend, Jude, who also joined the contest, is a very active member of the site and suggested it to be a part of the daily deviation for October 7, 2012. And fortunately, it was accepted! I just had my first daily deviation in 5 years and im really happy to have this recognition. :D We're still waiting for the results of the poster design contest which will be announced on the closing program in this year's festival. I'll be goin there with my fellow Ateneans who are joining the Animation contests.

Thanks again to Jude ^JCROXAS and ^princepal for the DD!

AnimaDreams

9:41 AM
Doodle Dreams by csz97
DREAMS - one of the most mysterious gifts that we possess as human beings. No one has fully understood its content and purpose, not even science. They differ from one person to another but every dream gives us the same experience that makes us think they are real at that moment. It taps our senses and digs out sorts of emotion like happiness, sorrow, joy, anxiety, fear, or bliss. They take us to places without the use of our feet. They give us vision without the use of our eyes. 

I have always been fascinated with dreams. Some dreams are simple flashback of memories, while others are extreme, impossible and merely bizarre. Sometimes I write about these dreams and try to seek interpretations, hoping to discover a treasure that is buried in my subconscious. But sometimes words aren’t enough so I try to doodle the remaining images in my memory from the dream.

Disintegration of Persistence of
Memory by Salvador Dali
For artists, dreams have become a source of inspiration. It has influenced the world of literature and art ever since. We can read it in the books of the Bible, in the verses of Homer’s epics, in the novels of Stephen King and even in the songs of Billy Joel and Beatles' Paul McCartney. Dreams also inspired visual artists like Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, and film-makers like Christopher Nolan who directed  “Inception,” a sci-fi fiction action film about manipulating dreams.  With the rise of cutting edge technology, these dreams can now be inspired to create other forms such as computer graphics, digital film and music, and animation (may it be in 2D or 3D form). All of these are not possible without man’s determination to understand, recreate, and share the magical experience of dreams.

Of all the different forms, Animation may be one of the most challenging to create. It uses all the other elements from the other forms: the aesthetics of visual arts, the technicalities of film-making, and the story telling of literature. And to celebrate the wonderful world of Animation, Animahenasyon is here to gather every Filipino animators and talents to showcase their works. For years, the Philippine Animation Festival helped gather, promote, hone, and recognize student and professional animators around the country.
As a budding animator, it is also my dream to be recognized in Animahenasyon. Last 2009, my class project, a stop-motion short film, was fortunate to be one of the finalists. In 2010, a new contest was opened, the poster design contest, and I grabbed the opportunity to participate. With God’s grace, my entry “AnimaDreams” was chosen as the official poster design for this year’s Animahenasyon. It is a Digital Illustration created in Photoshop.

"AnimaDreams" Poster for
Animahenasyon 2011
My design is inspired by a dream land where nature, humanity and technology coexist harmoniously. As a Mindanaoan, I incorporated artistic elements that I have been accustomed while growing up in a place known as a melting pot of culture. The background is a pattern inspired by ukkil, the art of carving of the Sulu Archipelago. You can also see the famous vinta of Zamboanga and a woven turung dulang used as the geometric headpiece for the iconic figure. The head, representing the talented and creative Filipino, is in a form of a detailed futuristic luminous tree. It also symbolizes the innovative, forward-thinking, and brilliant mind of Filipinos.

Aside from culture and technology, nature is also a vital source of my inspiration. The creatures are sci-fi glowing versions of bizarre organisms that do exist in reality. They give color to our environment, make it a livelier place.  And together with these creatures are two characters, a boy and a girl, joyously swinging in motion under the giant trees. They are bare foot, one with nature, discovering the fantastic world of dreams.

Like my artwork, Animahenasyon is a festive place where dreams come alive. It’s a place where each and every talent collaborate to create animation, a dynamic form of medium used to express visions and tell stories. Animation is a product of our endless desire to make dreams a reality. Though dreams are mysteries rooted from the deepest, darkest corner of our psyche, it is but a mere extension of a bigger, brighter place that we can easily access anytime, anywhere – our IMAGINATION.

- o -

I wrote this article for the souvenir program for Animahenasyon 2011.

ACPI-TAP Original Filipino Character Design Contest

3:50 PM
The Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., in cooperation with Toei Animation Philippines, is calling all budding and professional artists to join the original Filipino character design contest.

ACPI-TAP Original Filipino Character Design Contest

If you have a character in mind, whether it be human, animal, object, or any other creature, this is your chance to introduce your character to everyone. Just make sure that your character design embraces the Filipino concept or identity. So don't pass up this opportunity in having your character discovered and making it shine in the field of comics or animation!

ACPI is a non-stock and non-profit organization whose member companies specialize mainly in, but not limited to, either 2D or 3D animation. It aims to promote the Filipino talent both locally and internationally. With the cooperation of its members as well as the Philippine government, it is envisioned that the member studios will be considered competitive both creatively and technologically.

You may download the entry form and guidelines at www.animahenasyon.com. Deadline for submission of entries is on October 10.

For more information, please contact the ACPI secretariat at telephone numbers (632) 817-2727 local 108, (632) 483-9501, or e-mail animahenasyon@gmail.com. Please visit facebook.com/animahenasyon or facebook.com/AnimahenasyonPilipinas.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM HERE

Animahenasyon 2011 Teaser

3:12 PM

The Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) is calling all budding and professional animators from across the country to participate and submit their animated works to Animahenasyon 2011: 5th Philippine Animation Festival, as it formally opens and accepts entries to this year's festival. Entry forms may be downloaded from the ACPI web site at http://www.animahenasyon.c​om/. The deadline for submission of entries is on September 15.

Animahenasyon 2011 is held in conjunction with Toei Animation Philippines, Inc.'s 25th anniversary, and co-presented by Eastwood City where the festival will be held from November 22 to 25.

In an effort to build an audience, awareness and development of original contents, ACPI puts together its flagship project through an annual animation festival called Animahenasyon that showcases original animated works of both aspiring and professional animators in the country through a competition.

The festival is composed of the professional and the student/amateur divisions that will have different running time categories: 1 to 5 minutes; 6 to 20 minutes, 21 to 60 minutes, and the full-animated feature (more than 60 minutes). There are also categories for music video, title sequence, public information, demo reel, and TV series. There will also be animated works in exhibition (full-length, special citation, and past Animahenasyon winners).

Animahenasyon serves as a venue for Filipino animators to present their world-class ideas, and opens doors of opportunities for them to meet with and be inspired by the finest names in the industry. It also aims to create greater awareness of the Philippine animation industry and its contributions to the global entertainment business, while tapping locally produced content for promotion in animation markets here and abroad.

ACPI's vision is to make Philippines as the prime provider of animation and content creation services to the global marketplace. On the other hand, ACPI's mission is to be the center of excellence for animation and content creation services through building more efficient and effective collaborative business practices that will elevate the country's economy and culture.

As an organized body, ACPI aims to promote the Filipino talent both locally and internationally. With the cooperation of its members as well as the Philippine government, it is envisioned that the member studios and schools will be considered competitive both creatively and technologically.

ACPI is a non-stock and non-profit organization whose member companies specialize mainly in, but not limited to, 2D, Flash or 3D animation. It aims to promote the animation industry globally with the intention of creating an identity for the Philippines to be considered amongst the preferred countries that service the animation industry.

For more information about Animahenasyon 2011, please call 483-9501, 8172727 local 108 or email the secretariat at animahenasyon@gmail.com, or visit www.animahenasyon.com.

SEAIR Animated Short Tails Contest

11:40 PM
Participants at the "Animated Short Tails" contest can win a vacation package for two at one of the country's best year-round destinations, Batanes or Boracay.

Presentedby South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), together with the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), the competition will run until February 28,2011. Registration is free and open toall Filipinos. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.animahenasyon.com. Competition updates will be posted at www.facebook.com/flyseair.

"As we see and acknowledge that animation is an edgy marketing tool to promote our products and services,"says Delza Gochoco, SEAIR Head of Commercial Affairs. "SEAIR decided to partner with ACPI for 2011 to help promote our airline and its destinations,but at the same time to help boost the production of more original Filipino animation."

The contest is divided into the professional and student divisions. The first place winner in the professional division gets two Batanes roundtrip tickets and three days, two nights accommodations for two at Batanes Seaside Hotel; second place gets two Boracay roundtrip tickets plus three days, two nights stay for two at Fairways and Bluewater Resort; and third place gets two Boracay roundtrip tickets.

The top draw in the student division wins a Batanes roundtrip ticket and three days,two nights stay at Batanes Seaside Hotel; second place gets a Boracay roundtrip ticket and three days, two nights stay at Fairways and Bluewater Resort; and third place gets a Boracay roundtrip ticket. A participant in the school division must provide a photocopy of a valid school ID and school registration form together with the entry form.

Entries should promote SEAIR and its destinations, communicate SEAIR's positioning as the Philippines' premier leisure airline. They can be in cel animation, linedrawing, stop motion objects or animated objects, stop motion puppet, stopmotion clay/claymation, sand on glass, paint on glass, cut-outs, pixilation, 2D computer/flash animation, 3D computer, or a combination of the above forms.

Works must have a total duration of 30 seconds. The deadline for submission of entry forms and related materials is on February 28,2011, Monday.

SEAIR will also give away a Boracay roundtrip ticket to the entry with the most number of "Likes" on the SEAIR Facebook Fan Page. A link to the entry must be posted on the wall at www.facebook.com/flyseair before 11:59 p.m. of February 28, 2011.

"The support from different private institutions has been overwhelming,"emphasizes Michael Kho Lim, Executive Director of Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. "We feel that these companies are seeing the growth potential of the animation industry and how it can enliven the economy. Their support then becomes advantageous for our local artists as they get the support and encouragement to produce more original content."

SEAIR is the nation's second oldest airline and is the only airline that flies from Manila to the idyllic northern province of Batanes. It has the longest history of uninterrupted flights to Boracay via Caticlan and offers the fastest flights to Boracay, the world-class beach destination - at 35 minutes. It was the 2009 Best Airline of the Year at the Philippines' Consumer Excellence Award. This year, SEAIR was named Gold Brand by the Gold Brands Council Philippines as a testament for brand image appeal, and trust and market acceptance.

ACPI is anon-profit organization recognized and supported by the government to promote Filipino animation talents worldwide. It holds the annual animation festival, "Animahenasyon", which features works of aspiring and professional animators in the country through competition, masterclasses, animation congress, and work exhibits of seasoned animators and lifetime achievement awardees.

For inquiries on entry submission and "Animated Short Tails" contest rules, please contact the ACPI at 817-2727 local 108 or email: animahenasyon@gmail.com and check updates in SEAIR's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/flyseair.

Animahenasyon 2011 Poster

12:04 AM

Nato Beach walk

5:49 PM
November 27, 2010 - It was cold and there was scattered rain all over CamSur. We planned to have a nature trip this day after the Animahenasyon week. After taking our breakfast at the hotel, we went to SM Naga to buy some food. A block away from the mall is the bus station. We travelled east to Tigaon hoping for more sunshine. Unfortunately, after a few hours of travel we reached to our destination still with a bad weather. We stopped at a place called "Bolo" where my Wella's other relatives lived. She stayed there last semester when she was preparing to transfer at Ateneo de Naga University. Her cousin, Kuya Ruel, welcomed us to thier home and was also kind to be with us during that day.

Supposedly, we will go nature tripping at Mt. Isarog where there is a beautiful falls where we can go swimming. Sadly, because of the rain, it is dangerous to go walking in the mountains and it might take us longer to go there. Another trip in our list is the island hopping at Caramoan with its luscious white sand beaches. However, we should be there as early as possible because it will take us 3 hours to go there. With all these unfortunate events, we resorted to the next best thing, beaches. Just a few minutes of bus ride, we went to a small town to have our lunch. Afterwards, via tricycle ride we went to a place where there is a lineup of resorts in a place called Nato. Kuya Ruel led us to a resort called Pier 39. Just infront of the resort is a vast rice field with Mt. Isarog as the background. There were white birds flying over the almost sunken fields and some kids happily playing in the cluster of palm trees somewhere there.



We ready to enter the resort but we learned about their rates. They are actually requiring us to rent a small cottage for 500 pesos. We don't want to spare our time and money in that resort so we decided to sneak in an open resort and went to the beach. Upon reaching the coast, we can see a huge stretch of gray-sanded beach and a vast sea. The beach resembles a huge curve where we can see mountain ranges at the sides. The beach is at the east which made me realize that we were actually looking at the Pacific Ocean! Kuya Ruel confirmed that it was the Pacific Ocean indeed. It's our first time to see the ocean so it was worth going there. Again with our cameras, we spent our time taking photos at the beach. It was kind of surreal looking at the vast ocean with a foggy horizon and grey clouds. There were some kids swimming in a small portion of the sea. We can hear the sound of the crashing waves as we feel the cold breeze in our faces.


L-R: My first encounter with the Pacific Ocean, I was blown away!

In a distance, we can see a pier/seaport where are some people just standing at the edges. I can't understand why they were just standing there in the middle of the cold. Anyways were walking to that direction when we encountered a delta where a river and the sea meet. The flow of the river is fast so we stopped for a while and rested in a small open cottage. We had some snacks and photo sessions as usual. I told them that i want to try to cross the delta and they told me not to do it. Then, out of nowhere a man crossed the delta without any difficulty. And so we moved on and tried to cross the delta. The water was above our knees so our shorts became wet. We walked more until we reached the pier.



Clockwise: Walking the beach, A bangka with a roof, the freakin Delta

We approached the silent guys at the edge of the pier. They were actually fishing. We saw little fishes down at the sea swimming in groups. Anyways, we don't have anything to do so we just joked around and had more photos. With our wet shorts and tired feet we went back to the small town. We rode a bus and went back to the city. The view of the landscapes was not very clear due to the bad weather. It was a nice time to sleep. We woke up as we stopped to the bus station and headed back to the hotel. Well, it was not the kind of trip we were looking forward to but we still had a nice time with the Pacific ocean.


At the pier


With my Ate and Wella's cousin, Kuya Ruel

More photos here!

Animahenasyon 2010 Entries and Winners

1:07 PM
My favorite part of Animahenasyon is the screening of the animation entries that will be competing for the grand prize. The screening were held at the Arrupe Auditiorium of Ateneo de Naga University from November 23-25, between 4:30 to 8:30 PM. The screening were divided into 8 competition programs. Here's the list of the competition programs and the categories.

Competition Program - Categories
1 - A (1-5 minutes, Professional); E (Music Videos, Professional); F (Title Sequences, OBB, Infomercials, TVC's, Demo Reels 30 seconds to 1minute, Professional)
2 - B (6-20 minutes, Professional)
3 - D (full-length, Professional)
4 - H part 1 (1-5 minutes, Student); K (Music Videos, Student)
5 - H part 2 (1-5 minutes, Student); L (Title Sequences, OBB, Infomercials, TVC's, Demo Reels 30 seconds to 1minute, Student)
6 - D (full-length, Professional)
7 - I part 1 (6-20 minutes, Student)
8 - I part 2 (6-20 minutes, Student)

Aside from the competition entries, there were also 3 special screenings that were shown before the competition programs. The first is an exhibition program titled "Persistence of Vision", a panorama of selected animation from 2006-2010. The next special program are selected works from the Gobelins, L'ecole De L'image's Animation Department. You can watch some of their works in their Youtube page here. And the last is a special program that showcased the award-winning entries from the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival.

I really loved the works of the students from Gobelins which are really professionally done. Gobelins is truly a high-standard school for animation and their works are simply the best. Anyways, as we were watching the entries, i have a list in hand and i marked my favorites. Here are my faves:

When Alma Died (H)
Mystery of the 24th (I)
Mga Damgo (Dreams) (B)
Kaligayahan (A)
Smog (A)
Sulundon (Hero) (B)
Impeng Negro (B)
A Day in the Life of Inday (A)
Sabong (H)
Bizarre Love Triangle (K)
Swan Song (F)
Pasintabi Opening title sequence (F)
First (H)
Toy Bully (H)
Cogwheel (H)
Bleek (I)
Eskeyp da Peyt (I)
Nestle Smarties (L)
Leftover teaser (L)
A Tower: Techy Boy (L)
Close-Up TVC (L)

I missed competition program 6 and 7 so i can't say which are my faves on that program. But i heard that Kapitan Torpe was hilarious. Above all the entries i really salute the makers of the first seven that i listed from above. They were really exceptional in terms of aesthetics and storytelling. And finally here are the winners according to their categories:

A - Smog by Jerome Alcordo
B - Mga Damgo (Dreams) by Remton Zuasola
D - Kapitan Torpe by Antonio Jose Cadiz
H - When Alma Died by Richmond Wesley Ruiz Tan
L - Close-Up TVC by Macelo Munoz
I - The Mystery of the 24th by Julian Santiago
K - Upuan by Maureen Romero

Special Awards:

Hero TV - Mga Damgo (Dreams) by Remton Zuasola
Audience Choice - Close-Up TVC by Macelo Munoz
Lifetime Achievement Award - Roxlee (see photo above)

Grand Prize:

When Alma Died by Richmond Wesley Ruiz Tan (DLSU-CSB)


Aside from the animation competition, there was also a Poster making competition for Animahenasyon 2011. It was open to all and had an earlier deadline. I gave it a shot and I won! :D Here's my poster design titled "AnimaDreams" and a photo of me giving my speech!

Animahenasyon 2011 poster
Congratulations to all winners and all the organizers for a successful year of Animahenasyon. We are truly on the way to achieve the goals of the Philippine Animation Industry. By encourging filipinos to develop their own content, we are harvesting the best of the talents that we are really proud of. Next year will be another great year. I hope that there will be more entries, not only in quantity but also in terms of quality. Thanks to Sir Mike and Ate Jzel for keeping in touch with me. See you in Animahenasyon 2011!

---

Credits to Gerard Asay for the photos!

Camsur Watersports Complex Experience

12:00 AM
It is the last day of Animahenasyon and the closing ceremonies will be held at the CamSur Watersports Complex at 6PM. We decided to go early so that we can try their famous wakeboarding. Last night we were intoxicated with Starbucks coffee so the three of us woke up almost lunch time. We rushed to SM (via tricycle) to take our lunch and bought some groceries. Then, headed to the bus station which is just a block away from the mall. After a 15-minute bus ride (to Lagonoy), we stopped at the capitol and hired a tricycle from there to the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC). Along the way we saw the convention center, where the program will be held later, and a lot of cabins or containers where you can stay there. Upon reaching CWC, we saw a lake with contraptions or pulleys running wires around the lake. We stopped at the reception area, took some photos and went to the resto just behind the reception area.



It was raining hard and the wind was freezing cold so we ordered some hot choco to keep us warm. The people there were very accommodating. I really like menu which is shaped like a board. The walls were decorated with boards too and photos of famous boarders with their autographs on. The place also has a free wifi access. Good thing we had a laptop so we can update our fb's.hehe. There is also a shoppe where you can buy authentic boards, board shorts, shirts, shoes and memorabilias like CWC ballers and lanyards.


After an hour or so, the weather became okay and my sister and i decided to try some wakeboarding. The rental for a board costs 165 pesos including the helmet and life vest. Then you have to deposit 500pesos which will be returned to you upon return of the helmet and vest. You also have to use board shorts and a shirt that is comfortable to use. Because it's our first time, they told that we should try the kneeboard first. They gave us a 15-minute allowance for our briefing and orientation before we could start kneeboarding.

For my first try, i was very very anxious. I was there in the launch pad when all of the sudden these flock of students appeared in the coast nearby. My anxiety plummeted as the thing (the one that pulls the cable) was drawing near me. Then suddenly the cable snapped. My heart just dropped, i thought that was it. For a couple of seconds, we gave it another try. For the second time, the thing draw closer and i said to my self this is it. All eyes are on me and they are like freakin expecting a great show. Then, the thing grabbed the cable that i was holding into and i started to move. The instuctor said that in the start i have to keep my head down and firmly hold the handle in a fetal position. The cable just dragged me all the way to the middle and curved to the right. Then i relaxed thinking that i just have to do the fetal position during the start. The cable just grabbed by upper body and I lost my balance. I released the handle and saw myself underwater. I just felt the audience's dismay and just laughed as defense mechanism.



My sister was next and she kneeboarded smoothly like she did it a hundred times before. I was like "how did she do that!?!?". So i tried and tried until i got the technique. It was really tiring especially in the upper body. I have to exercise more and life weights so next time i can ride the board all day and maybe learn how to truly wake board. Well, for my first time it was really a learning experience for me. Now, i'm a certified boarder and the next time i go back to CamSur, i will surely do it again all day!

Animahenasyon 2010: Jess Espanola

10:52 PM
Day 2 of Animahenasyon started with a Webinar with one of the most respected filipino animator in the industry. He is the assistant director of our favorite animated series, The Simpsons and won an Emmy for its episode titled "The Simpsons - Eternal Moonshine of the Simpsons Mind". He is Mr. Jess Española, a full-blooded filipino raised in Pampanga and finished his studied at University of the Philippines with a degree in Fine Arts.

Mr Jess gave an inspiring speech about his life. In his childhood years, life hasn't been easy on him. He cannot afford going to school and his only dream was education. With his perseverance, he was able to graduate while working part time making drawings and using his raw talent. In high school he served as the school artist. He is known for his creativity and sheer talent in drawing. Because of that he decided to take Fine Arts in college, graduated and worked.

His big break was given to him when he was sent to America. He didn't have any type of portfolio but still worked hard to impress his boss. Indeed, Jess was an excellent animator and proved to be one through years of hard work and constant improvement and adjustment to his new home. Now, Jess is the assistant director of the show The Simpsons which is famous for depicting an all-American family with a lot of culture, social commentaries with a great sense of humor. He said that the show is very popular not because of its intricate animation and effects but because of the way how they tell the story.

We had a forum and a very interactive chat with Mr Jess while he is live in America. One of the most important discussion was about the Philippine Animation Industry. What he observed is that Philippine Animators are no doubt very talented. In fact, many animation companies outsource animators here in country for its talent and easy communication since Filipinos are English speakers too. However, it has been years since Filipinos have been working for Filipinos but we never had our identity of our own. America is known for its Disney style and other types of animation. Japan has Anime and European countries are very excellent in animation like France. Philippines is a hub of talent but we didn't have the opportunity to develop our own style of Animation. Many suggested that the government should take part like what Japan and France did. To have the top quality of animation, we should have the bests of teachers, students, artists, animators, directors, writers, and all the technical expertise. But only few companies can do that here.

Talking about developing our own style of animation, Mr Jess expressed that in order to do that, we must not copy the western style or japanese style of storytelling or animation but rather serve an inspiration or create a hybrid with our own style that we can create out of our own culture. We must start by developing the local animation industry like producing animated series or shorts that reflect our own culture and that can really tickle the Filipino audience using our own stories and talents. When the local animation is fully matured and has its identity, the international audience will soon notice and appreciate it since they always look for something new or strange to them like what we have. It our task to discover it and make it a reality but we have to really focus and commit to it. However, we cannot do it on our own because of the lack of support of our government and local investors. TV station would rather subscribe to foreign animations and the government does not really see the potential of the industry.

That's me in blue jacket. haha

Mr. Jess admitted that the local animation is still way behind in terms of story telling and technicalities. Even the first few full-length animated films that we had is not quite "there" yet. He even had criticisms about some details but still he is trying to be positive. He is very supportive of the industry here and is very willing to spare his time whenever we need it.

We really had fun during the talk and he said that he was really enjoying having the conversation with us. Even though he stayed in US for years he was speaking Tagalog with us and he admitted that he still finds difficulty in speaking English. He is also a great sense of humor which his boss and colleagues really like about him. Though he cannot deliver an American joke, they still find his filipino jokes funny. What is great about the Simpsons is that it reflected the multi-cultural aspects of America.

One person asked about his success. He said that sometimes success is measured through money so he said that he's not quite successful yet cause he is not yet a millionaire. But being an award-winning animator is the pinnacle of his success. Because of it, many recognized the amount of contribution that the Filipino talents shared in this great tv series. Some even don't know that there are Filipino animators, too. Before, he was just a poor boy whose only dream was just to have an education. Now, he is the first Filipino Emmy winner.

Mr. Jess is such an inspiration to all of us. I am glad just to be there and be filled with all his wisdom and insights that he shared to all of us. Thanks to Animahenasyon for making this possible and it was really a one of a kind event. I hope that there will be more Filipinos who will reach this kind of success including myself. So to everyone, keep on dreaming and persevering so that someday you will find yourself in the pinnacle of success.

Here are some links that you might want to visit:

Jess Espanola - Internet Movie Database
Jess Espanola is the first Filipino to win an Emmy award

Thanks to Gerard Asay and Inquirer.net for the photos :D

My first time in Naga

10:54 PM
Naga City, 11.23.10 - Located at the southeast tail of Luzon is the Bicol Region. Me, my sister Eldee, and my cousin Wella is currently in Naga City to attend the annual Philippine Animation Festival called ANIMAHENASYON. It's me and my sister's first time here in the region. Last monday, we went here by plane via Manila. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Wella's cousin and travelled to the city proper by bus. We arrived at SM Naga and did some errands for a while. Then we hired a tricycle to bring us to the place where we will stay for the week. The fare here is much cheaper than in Zamboanga. Our boarding house is just near Ateneo de Naga University where the festival will happen. It is a boarding house where Wella stayed for one semester when she studied there. We left our bags and went back to SM and spent the rest of the night shopping and eating. We went back to the boarding house and rested.


The next day is the Opening Program of Animahenasyon held at the Arrupe Auditorium of ADNU. I was with my buddy-buddy Coline during the whole time. The opening ceremony was very different compared last year. Before, we just had dinner, opened the exhibit and had a short program at the cinema followed by the screening of the opening films. Now, it was formal more like the programs we had in school with keynote speakers, cultural and national dance numbers, awards and more. Every year Animahenasyon gives a lifetime achievement to a personality who had contributed or influenced a lot in the Philippine industry. This year, the award was given to Mr. Roque Federizon Lee, better known as Roxlee, pioneer of independent film animation. His style is known for his spontaneity and surreal sense of humor. Although he haven't worked as an animator for a company, his independent approach to filmmaking has influenced a lot of animators. During the whole week of Animahenasyon, his paintings will be exhibited at the Arrupe Auditorium. His book "Planet of the Noses" is also up for sale.


In the afternoon, we had a conference with the department head of one of the best animation schools in the world, Goblins, l'ecole de l'image, France. Mr. Eric Riewer talked about teaching animation in Gobelins and showed us the works of their students. Gobelins is known for its competitiveness and quality in choosing its students. A three year course in Animation includes 2 years of 2d animation and 1 year of 3d animation. Every year they have hundreds of applicants but only the top 25 will be allowed to study there. These students should be excellent in the basics of drawing. Usually, they are graduates of fine arts who has the expertise in drawing anatomies and perspectives to name a few.

Aside from its excellent students, they also had the best teachers, none other than the best professionals in the animation industry. Gobelins is known for their affiliation many animation companies in the world. Mr. Riewer showed us a lot of their student works and my favorites are the opening bumpers that they make for the animation festival called ANNECY. They were truly the best not only in drawing but also in story telling, design, technical aspects and more. How i wish to be one of the 25 students who will be privileged to study there. But i guess i have to take courses on Fine Arts and learn French first. Oh yeah, they use French in school.


After the very inspiring talk, we went to the auditorium to watch the screening of the competition entries of Animahenasyon. We saw the best works from the previous years and also the entries in the professional division. I will talk about it later and i may give some reviews about the films.


 Tired and hungry, coline and i went to the centro from ADNU through a tricycle for only 7 pesos per person. Ate and Wella was waiting for us so we could have dinner together. As we were walking in the centro grounds, we took some photos at the church and plaza where a rally was ongoing. It is the anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre which is sad and i clearly remember a year ago where we were at Manila attending last year's Animahenasyon. It was a sad feeling watching the news at the mall when we were having dinner that time. Anyways, going back to our dinner, we had a yummy dinner at the Bigg's Diner just beside the plaza/park. The restaurant is beautiful, decorated with vintage stuffs like old bicycles, vinyl records, gramophones and Elvis Presley posters. It is a place that you should really go when you're in Naga especially if you love vintage and retro-pop art.


Then we headed to Starbucks to have some frappes and update our facebook accounts. This day is really fun, inspiring, and nostalgic. The week is still long and we still have a lineup of activities ahead. As of now, i will enjoy my stay in Naga and whenever i have the opportunity, i will write more about my experiences here. Dios Mabalos!


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Why don't you read my next post! Read it here!
Thanks to Gerard Asay for some of the photos!
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