Animation Xpress Asia Pacific Edition: Philippines Govt. encouraging independent content development

You can read the article at the AnimationXpress.com Asia Pacific edition website: http://www.animationxpress.com/asiapacific/asiapac_issue7.html

Manila Bulletin Feature Oct. 23, 2008

Please see the following links to read the whole article:

http://tuldokanimation.blogspot.com/2008/12/tuldok-makes-strong-point-manila.html
http://tuldokanimation.blogspot.com/2008/10/mission-animation-manila-bulletin-youth.html

British Council sends screen entrepreneur to the UK

As the Philippine representative to the British Council’s International Young Screen Entrepreneur Awards, Benedict Carandang was sent to the UK for a two-week tour of the London, Bristol, and Cardiff film and television creative industries, to meet with prominent people to forge relationships with, and understand the UK screen sector.

Along with nine other representatives from China, India, Indonesia, Lithuania, Nigeria, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Thailand, Carandang represented the country in the competition as a creative entrepreneur in the field of animation.
His organization, Tuldok Animation Studios Inc., is a Web-based institution that uses an innovative approach to producing animation that is collaborative without the physical studio.

Carandang says, “Tuldok represents what we Filipinos can do when we work together — creating world-class animated content despite our limited resources. I came to the competition as the lone contestant representing animation and the non-profit sector while all of my colleagues were into film production/post-production/documentaries/festivals/film magazine, which were profit-making ventures. My friend from Indonesia won with his hybrid business model, which employs often neglected Indonesian filmmakers from outside of Jakarta to meet the demand of the burgeoning national television and film industries of his country.”

According to Carandang, he learned that the UK’s government, film organizations, and creative companies work side-by-side with each other, which can be called clusters/hubs in a dynamic economic ecosystem that thrives on innovation and collaboration. They have schools and universities that provide creative education, government/private institutions that funds, supports, and incubate creative businesses, cultural associations/guilds that train and share knowledge, theaters/venues that promote the creative output, physical and digital infrastructure that enables productivity and more importantly, a society that patronizes their arts and culture. He hopes that we can emulate this in the Philippines.

He explains, “What I find interesting in the UK is that they have a lot of organizations that are unique and innovative and that cater to their industries’ needs. They are organization-driven unlike the Philippines which more often than not is personality-driven. We need strong institutions that are run by professionals, not personalities that will come and go.”

The representatives visited organizations such as the UK Film Council, Film London, RSA Films, New Producers Alliance, Moving Picture Company, Pinewood Studios, Aardman Animations, Watershed Media Center, Pervasive Media Studio, Calon Studio, Boomerang, It’s My Shout, Dragon DI, Film Agency Wales, BFI Southbank, The Script Factory, DNA Films, Lovefilm International, Passion Pictures and www.shootingpeople.org.

“It is also interesting to note that the whole UK government is pursuing an over-all strategy of Creative Britain by supporting and mapping its creative industries to make the world recognize it as a hub of creative endeavor, innovation and excellence, and to strengthen its creative economy that will put their culture and creativity at the center of their national life. This strategy is intended to help more people discover and develop their talents and to use those talents to build a dynamic and vibrant society, providing entertainment alongside opportunity.”

The policy recommendation of this strategy are as follows: to give all children a creative education, turn talent into jobs, support research and innovation, help creative businesses grow and access finance, foster and protect intellectual property, support creative clusters and promote Britain as a creative hub.

Carandang concludes, “The UK is betting its money on its creative industry for its growth and future and so should we.”

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=427517

Tuldok makes a strong point - Manila Bulletin Online October 23, 2008

One of the minds behind the country’s most dynamic animation studio — one that doesn’t have a real office — goes to the UK for the International Young Creative Screen Entrepreneur Awards

Since 2004, the British Council’s Creative Economy Unit has been spearheading the International Young Creative Entrepreneur (IYCE) awards. The IYCE aims to celebrate and develop the potential of young artists in fields such as fashion, publishing, music and screen.

"The creative economy is a global phenomenon. Think about this: if you see creative talent as a natural resource, pretty evenly spread across the world, then the next J K Rowling could as readily be sitting in a café in Kolkata or a bar in Buenos Aires as the café in Edinburgh where the first Harry Potter was penned. It’s a young creative entrepreneur who will spot the big talent and bring his or her work to market, this program enhances that potential and the possibility of that work reaching the widest possible audience," the IYCE concept paper mentions.

IYCE works on the premise of nurturing the world’s brightest creative minds. Delegates are given opportunities to go on educational tours in British institutions. The winner is given a grant so he could fund a dream project.

The Philippines has been part of this exciting competition since its inception. Those who’ve represented our country in the IYCE include Adarna Publishing’s Annie Almario, Island Souvenirs’ Jay Aldegeur, and musician Louie Talan.

Creative works, whether they are films, songs, books, artworks, or clothing, have become the "greatest equalizers" in the modern world.

"It used to be that only the very elite like royalty enjoyed them. That is not the case now when everyone can have access to and can enjoy artistic creations," said David Hopkinson, acting director of the British Council Philippines, during the presentation of the Philippines’ bet to the IYCE: 27-year old Benedict Carandang of Tuldok Animation.

Carandang will be flying to the UK this October to meet with 9 other screen entrepreneurs from emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Nigeria.


Tuldok Members Group Photo

God’s plan

Carandang’s fascination for animation began in 1998 when he was a visiting student in Pittsburgh. He entered the ‘’Bug’s Life Sweepstakes’’ wherein the prize was a trip to Pixar Studios, creators of the animated film A Bug’s Life. Out of so many entries, his ticket won. Ben toured the studios with his host parents and brother. "And I found myself asking, ‘Why did I win?’ Maybe God has a plan."

Around October 2005, Ben and his friends Ayen Pineda, Toffer Lui, and Ramon del Prado got together after their college graduation. From that meeting emerged the idea to work on an animated film. That got the ball rolling. They passed a proposal to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to obtain a grant. Many months passed without hearing from the NCCA. "We thought we didn’t get it until the NCCA suddenly contacted us early 2006," Ben recalls excitedly. They were given P500,000 seed money for the project, which eventually became ‘Libingan’, a 20-minute animated feature and the first film produced by Tuldok Animation.

KKB – kanya-kanyang bahay…

The people of Tuldok Animation work like this: they would meet in fastfood restaurants like Jollibee or McDonald’s. Communication would be also done via cellphone or email. In fact, files like drawings would also be sent via email. Artists would do their work at home on their own time and on their own computer. Like one of its partners revealed in their audio-visual presentation, "Dependent kami sa Gmail and Yahoo. Uso sa amin ang KKB – kanya-kanyang bahay, KKK – kanya-kanyang kuryente at KKO – kanya-kanyang oras."

This unique set-up was said to be one of the factors that impressed the British Council’s IYCE screening committee.

"It’s an outlet for artists. We cannot offer them a big monetary compensation but they are compensated in another way because they get to express themselves for a good cause. For us, it’s not sacrificing a part of our time at all. We love what we do so it’s like playing."

Aside from showcasing Filipino ingenuity in animation, Tuldok also aims to highlight Filipino culture. Libingan is filled with traits and tales that are unique to our country, like fiestas, religious processions, extended families, playing with spiders and scary stories of kapres that are told to kids. "The younger generation has somehow forgotten about the Filipino culture and we aim to bring that to the mainstream and to the rest of the world," says Benedict.

-GAY ACE DOMINGO, Contributor

You can also read the article at http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/10/23/YTCP20081023138717.html

Mission: Animation - Manila Bulletin Youth & Campus Oct. 23, 2008


Tuldok, the Filipino word for dot, speck, or a point.

Also the most basic part of a drawing from which all kinds of lines, shapes, patterns emanate.

It could also mean the end, or the starting point of something.

But for the people behind Tuldok Animation Studios Inc., it is the realization of a dream.

Dreaming to show the world the artistic and creative talents of Filipinos, a group of four Lasallians – Ramon del Prado, Toffer Liu, Ayeen Pineda and Benedict Carandang formed Tuldok in October 2005, which aims to promote the promising yet untapped animation film industry in the country.

"Almost 25 years na ang animation in the Philippines pero puro outsourcing lang," says Benedict Carandang, who was recently awarded by the British Council of the Philippines as the International Young Screen Entrepreneur 2008.

Tuldok believes that Filipinos, being natural storytellers, have the ability to create original and captivating stories, and not only as outsourcing of talents, who are usually left uncredited and unrecognized.

"Hindi tayo na-credit kasi binayaran ka, the credit goes to the company like for example Pixar, Disney or Dreamworks. At saka hanggang ngayon wala tayong original content. Meron tayo pero it’s not a big industry. People are not patronizing it," he adds.

Although Tuldok is not the first group of Filipino animators, it is one of the few groups involved in producing an all-original content. It focuses on local folklore with the main goal of nurturing the identity of Filipino culture.

FOR THE LOVE OF TOONS

The four friends, who were all staff members of the college paper "The Lasallian," pooled in their talents together – Ramon for animation and directing (who is in New York for a Fulbright scholarship in the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan), Ayeen for voice acting, Toffer for software and information technology, and Ben for finance and management, and put up the non-stock, non-profit organization.

Then, they invited friends and artists who share the same dream of creating all-original Filipino animated films.

"Ang solution ng Tuldok, we’re government subsidized habang dine-develop namin yung franchise or following sa Tuldok, and at the same time our artists sacrifice part of their time and labor," says Ben.

The group is divided into nine teams: the core group (the Tuldok founders) as the main link to the animators, the background artists, the character designers, the music team, the voices team, post-production, support staff and promotions, and writers.

Despite the lack of funds, the group is still capable of creating animated stories with their available resources: digital technology and talents who are willing to participate for the love of it. Tuldok is maximizing the use of Macromedia Flash 8 and Adobe Photoshop to create their animations.

"We rarely meet each other. The core group is in the center of everything. We distribute the labor and ipapakita lang namin if we’ve already combined everything, kapag tapos na lahat. It’s a surprise for everyone. Although maliit lang yung ginawa nila but if you combine things, you can produce something big. Bayanihan talaga. Filipinos working together for a single cause," relates Ben.


Tuldok Members in Production Meeting

GUERILLA GROUP

Last year, Benedict and his colleagues produced Tuldok’s first film entitled "Libingan" (The Burial). The 20-minute 2-D animated short film was supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

It tells the story of a seven-year-old city girl named Anna who goes to the province with her mom and pet dog, Rambo, to meet her relatives. The visit is going well until Anna is bullied by three boys who accidentally toss her cellphone into the forest. Determined to recover her cellphone despite stories of kapres said to be residing there, Anna and Rambo traverse the spooky forest and prove that kapres do exist. But their startling discovery also debunks ancient misconceptions about these feared mythical creatures popular in the local folklore.

Benedict admits that creating animation is both labor and cost intensive. There have been some attempts made before to create original animation, but these Filipinos remain few and rare. Due to the lack of support and funding from big companies, they failed. Animation’s high initial costs have scared away many mainstream productions who just settled for "safe and formulaic content."

"We can’t just do outsourcing because foreigners are looking for original content. They’re going to Asia to look for stories and we have a lot of stories to tell, we just don’t have the money to show it to them," he shares.

The movie "Libingan" was done without the physical studio or office. It was mainly completed in different fast food chains and their own houses.

"Tuldok is a web-based group. We just meet in fast food chains, we collaborate, we bring our laptops, we go to Netopia. We’re like a guerilla group. What we’re trying to say is, you don’t need to have a studio to do animation. We Filipinos even if we have little resources, we can still create something we can call our own, given our talent and passion. We can do something and we can do quality films," he relates.

Most of the members have their own day jobs and only do Tuldok on the side, whenever they have free time or on weekends. "Maraming nag-inquire sa amin na gustong sumali. And we tell them upfront na there’s no money here. We have honoraria pero hindi sya malaki," he reveals.


Tuldok Members meeting in a fastfood chain

IT BEGINS WITH AN IDEA

Tuldok is now working on a new project, the 40-minute animated short film "Pasintabi," a co-production with the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) and NCCA.

Like "Libingan," "Pasintabi" will be distributed for free throughout the country, particularly in schools, with the help of Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI) aiming to encourage and spur the interest and involvement of young Filipinos in the animation industry, which eventually can provide jobs and develop hidden talents.

"We’re trying to bring back Philippine folklore to the mainstream kasi we’re being bombarded by Western. Nakakalimutan na sya and we have to go back to our roots," says Tuldok graphic artist Che Bello. "On our school tours we not only show the film for free, we also give them tips on both the production and business side. We want to teach them as well and introduce the animation industry sa mga kids pa lang," she continues.

The pre-production of "Libingan" took seven months while the production dragged on to about a year.

"From an idea you create your story outline, and then we make a proposal. Kapag na-approve yung grant saka tatakbo yung whole production. We do the script and from the script you audition the voice actors. Kapag nakapili ka na, you start the recording. We need traditional artists to draw the scenes and from there we pass it on to the flash animators who will trace the drawings done by the traditional artists. Kapag buo na sya, you start to add the music and the subtitling," she says.

For the new film "Pasintabi," Che reveals that Tuldok will now use 3-D animation for its background and incorporate it to the 2-D animated characters.

Tuldok believes that it is important to adopt culture and traditions in its films because that is how the Filipinos will be able to build their identity to the global market.

"Here in the Philippines you won’t see Filipinos na porke’t gawa ng Pinoy yan they’ll watch it. People are discerning now, they want quality. Ang napapanood mo Pixar, Dreamworks, tapos magpe-present ka sa kanila na medyo hindi high-quality. You have to keep pace with technology," explains Ben.

For the longest time, local animators have been looking for a chance to showcase their originality and creativity. Tuldok hopes to provide them the venue, and likewise, be known as a quality content producer for the Filipino’s talents and artistry in the global animation industry.

For more of Tuldok, log on to www.tuldokanimation.com or www.tuldokanimation.blogspot.com.

--Jaser A. Marasigan

You can also read the article at http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/10/23/YTCP20081023138716.html

More than A DOT IN THE STRATOSPHERE - September Fudge Magazine

Please click on the scanned image of the article to read it.

The Benildean Design Section April Feature 2008

Please visit this link for the full version of the interview:
http://zappa1one.multiply.com/journal/item/69/Interview_-_Tuldok_Animation_Studios

NCCA Agung Newsletter

Agung is a newsletter for artists and cultural workers published bi-monthly by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Tuldok was featured in its Volume X No. 2 issue.

Animation na may TATAK PINOY: Sa pagsikat ng sining ng TULDOK

Click on the photos to view the article written by Rieze Rose T. Calbay or you can read it at http://www.varsitarian.com/moredetail.asp?id=3321

TULDOK featured in The LaSallian Menagerie August Issue

Please click on the photo to read the article written by Marie Beatrice Angeles and Denise Cua.

The Weekly Sillimanian: Animation with a mission

Written by Michelle Eve A. de Guzman Thursday, 26 July 2007

Twenty-five year old computer animator Ramon del Prado said, "Everyone and anyone can do what I do. That's what we're trying to tell everyone here."

What, you may ask, does he do? And who are they?

Well, this United States Department of State-sponsored Fulbright scholar will go to the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York this coming August 20 for a Master's degree in Computer Arts focusing on Animation. And he is part of Tuldok.

Tuldok is a non-profit organization bent on making the world recognize the Filipino's artistic and creative talent, using animation as the medium to deliver that message. Formed last October 2005 and backed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Tuldok came into fruition after del Prado got together with friends Ben Carandang, Ayeen Pineda, and Toffer Liu for what he called "a bayanihan concept but in terms of art."

A Dumaguete native and Silliman High School '99 graduate, del Prado will conduct "How to Make Your Own Cartoon: A seminar-workshop on flash animation" at the College of Computer Studies this July 27. Organized by high school batchmates Mark Garcia and JM Aguilar, a premiere of his award-winning films will also be held at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium on July 26.

A son of Jose Ramon who is a farm manager, and Maria Socorro, a housewife-let's find out more about this de la Salle University's dean's lister and varsity player and internationally-recognized animator through his own words.

On the need for Tuldok

MD: What do we have to know about Filipino animation?

Ramon: The Filipino public just needs to be aware that Filipinos are actually behind some of the biggest names in cartoons today. Some are working on upcoming animated hits from US and Japan as we speak.

MD: What benefits can one get from animation?

Ramon: Well, it's always entertaining to watch. For producers, it's a good catchy way to spread a message, and for those interested in it, it's a growing industry. There is a large demand for 2D, 3D Flash and video game animators.

MD: Can it be appreciated by people from different classes?

Ramon: Definitely. It's only limited by age, because the general perception of animation is that it's only for kids. But the less educated will appreciate the beauty of movement and colors, while the educated will like the good dialogue, script and art direction. But of course, whatever class they are in, everyone loves a good story.

MD: What could a Filipino contribute to the animation world?

Ramon: Right now, the Philippines is one of the leading animation hubs in the world. Our talent is without question already, and we are contributing greatly to the animation industry in terms of labor. What we don't have are original animated Filipino stories.
MD: What started it all?

Ramon: At that time, we were also frustrated at how everyone just goes to symposiums and conventions and rant and say "something must be done" but no one really does anything. So we decided to start something and get the ball rolling. We've got a rich culture for inspiring great stories.

MD: What do we lack?

Ramon: Money. Other countries have the money so they can make the rules. The technology is there. It's just the money/funding needed to produce original content. That's what's missing. There aren't any backers, etc… because there isn't much proof we can tell an animated story. Hopefully Tuldok will change all that.

MD: What is the future of animation in the Philippines?

Ramon: Very bright. This is a very exciting time to be an animator in the Philippines. The demand is high; jobs are plenty in this field (animation covers IT, education, medical, corporate fields as well, aside from the entertainment industry). I can feel that we are very near in showing a Filipino animation identity to the world.

On life after Fulbright and his award-winning films

MD: What do you plan to do after your Fulbright scholarship?

Ramon: I'm hoping to bring back to the Philippines not only the technical knowledge from New York, but also the connections-people who can help me realize my dream, either directly or indirectly.

MD: How did you come up with the concepts for your works?

Ramon: My concepts usually start with a message I want to tell the audience, either a commentary on society or a warning. I like to be subtle or metaphorical, to embed these messages within the story. For example, "I am the Superhero" is about two superheroes competing to become better than the other. But the underlying message is actually a commentary on Philippine politics and Pinoy crab mentality. I would never describe my stories as directly as something like "it's a story about Philippine politics." It's the audience's job to connect the dots; I just don't tell them which dots to connect. It's up to them.

MD: Do you think having films that have a message to viewers add more depth to the outcome?

Ramon: I always want to have a message in all of my works. Substance is very important. You can have a really technically outstanding film but if there is no story, no substance, no one will remember it.

MD: When did you start getting interested in animation?

Ramon: I've been drawing since I was four. My mom was an artist and taught me the basics of art back then. My dad then taught me how to make a ball bounce in the corner of a book. They have both been very supportive of me and I must say that I'm very lucky to have that.
MD: Have you always had a consciousness that you're Filipino and proud of it?

Ramon: I grew up in Tanjay and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental. I miss it all the time and I try to go home whenever I can. That led to being proud of the place I grew up in and proud of being who I was, I'm a Negrense in the Philippines, but looking at the bigger spectrum, I'm a Filipino in the world.

Perhaps it is at this point in time that you notice that for someone to make a difference, it all boils down to attitude-attitude that can be found in the rare Filipino who is truly worthy of being called that name.

With Ramon del Prado's nationalism, humility and vision, why not be inspired to do what he can do? Make a difference for the country, for a particular industry, for our own selves.

(Editors’ Note: published in the Freeman July 12, 2007.)

http://tws.bigsplashmultimedia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=2

Brief History of TULDOK in Fudge Magazine's April Issue

Our story began with a very SIMPLE IDEA - what if we combine Ben's strength (management) with Ramon's strength (animation), and Ayeen's strength (voice acting and production house expertise), coupled with Toffer's strength (Information Technology)? The end result was the foundation of the Core Group. Just mix it with hardwork and luck, fate sealed the deal . . . everything just fell into place . . . and the rest was HISTORY! This is OUR STORY. It can be yours too! Why not?

TULDOK is not just the four (4) of us, it is also about all the members involved in the PRODUCTION PROCESS (from management to voice acting to animating to promoting etc.)

TULDOK is about PEOPLE working TOGETHER as ONE and channelling this CREATIVE ENERGY in ONE DIRECTION and PRESTO we have a FORCE to reckon with! Lead it to the right path and it becomes a CATALYST not just in the Animation industry but in other facets of life as well . . .

Our JOURNEY was not an easy ride as you may see it. We are no extraordinary individuals, we DREAM of the same things as you do. The ONLY DIFFERENCE is that we decided to WORK TOGETHER and not COMPETE with EACH OTHER and SHARE THE SAME DREAM OF CREATING AN ALL FILIPINO ANIMATED FILM.

The Filipino is a very talented artist INDIVIDUALLY and there is no doubt about that, but have you seen him as a TEAM PLAYER and think of the WELFARE of ALL and not just himself? This is what Tuldok wants to make a POINT. We believe that by being UNITED AS ONE we can reach GREATER HEIGHTS that we have not seen before . . .

That WE can ACHIEVE and CREATE something that WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF. It is ABOUT TIME that WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES and do something for this COUNTRY in whatever capacity we can.

This is what TULDOK is about - PEOPLE SHARING DREAMS AND SEEING THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT WE REALLY CAN DO BY BEING UNITED AS ONE.

We do not aspire to be the FIRST neither do we aspire to be the BEST instead we would like to INSPIRE other people or groups to band together and start their own thing as well. If WE can DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT TOO! Let us stop talking and whining and start CREATING . . .

GoodNewsPilipinas: Tuldok Animators empower Pinoy artists

Dreaming to make the world realize the artistic and creative talents of Pinoys, a group of four Lasallians formed the Tuldok Animation Studios Inc. Not only as a tool for outsourcing talents, the group believes that Pinoys have the ability to create original and captivating stories.

Tuldok is composed of writers, artists, animators, voice actors, and other talented people aimed at creating original Filipino animated short film. Although this is not the first group of Filipino artists and graphic animators, Tuldok is one of the few groups involved in producing all original content. It is now registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a non-stock, non-profit organization.

Purpose driven animation

Coming from diverse backgrounds, the proponents of Tuldok are Benedict Carandang, Ramon del Prado, Toffer Liu, and Ayeen Pineda. All are graduates of De La Salle University – Manila and former members of The La Sallian, the school’s official student publication. They conceived forming the group in October 2005.

Each of them has his own specialization: Ramon is good in animation, Ayeen in voice acting, Toffer in software and information technology, and Ben in management. Combining their strengths became the pillar of Tuldok. From then, the group invited friends and artists who share the same dream of creating an all-original Filipino animated short film.

Despite the lack of funds, the group is still capable of creating animated stories with their available resources: digital technology and generous writers who are willing to participate for the love of it.

“Filipino artists, by and large, are a creative bunch and are very individualistic by nature. By producing an all original content as one big group, we would like to inspire them that by being united, by collaborating and by sharing our individual talents, we are able to create something bigger than ourselves that we can all be proud of," Benedict marked the challenge.

Launching pad of animators

The country is known as an outsourcing powerhouse in the field of animation. “US, Japanese, and European studios already have contacts here for quite some time now affirming the talent of the Filipino,” Ramon said.

In fact, Pinoys already worked on animated cartoons like Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, X-Men, Dexter’s Lab, Power Puff Girls, Cow and Chicken, Johnny Bravo, Disney’s Tarzan, among others. Benedict furthered: “Filipino’s ability to tell stories visually has also been exemplified by the recognition of several independent films in several international film festivals.”

But Benedict said the country is only recognized as an outsourcing hub – the grunt work behind animated stories abroad. “It is recognition of our skills as artists to copy someone else’s style but not for our creativity in producing our own animated stories,” he added.

Some attempts have been made before to create original animation, but these Filipinos remain few and rare. Benedict explained: “Financing has been the main reason behind the lack of support from big companies. Animation’s high initial costs due to equipment have scared away mainstream companies who have chosen to stick to safe and formulaic content.”

Good news. "The advent of digital technology has been able to significantly lower the costs of producing an animation to the point that anybody with a good personal computer can produce one. Animation may only be a medium to tell stories, but it is a very powerful one," Benedict added. Tuldok is maximizing the digital technology to create their animations. Basically, they use Macromedia Flash 8 and Adobe Photoshop.

Libingan: the first project

The first and only project that Tuldok has undertaken is the 20-minute shortfilm "Libingan". The National Commission for the Cultural Arts (NCCA) granted the project with a monetary fund. Many projects are expected to follow.

The proponents encourage anybody to visit the trailer of Libingan at http://www.tuldokanimation.com/ and their production blog at http://www.tuldokanimation.blogspot.com/. Tuldok will be officially launched on July 17, 2007 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

This article is written by Paul Darwynn Garilao last June 7, 2007 and you can check it out at the website of GoodNewsPilipinas as well: http://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/docs/tech_milestones/archived/tuldok.html