Dayo- can mean two things. 1. Foreign. A foreigner, dayuhan. 2. Travel or to welcome a traveler. Dayon ta. Mu-dayon to travel.
A boy named Buboy searches for his missing grandparents in the world of Elementalia with the help of Ana, a creature of lower myth. Together, they journey Elementalia and find the culprits responsible.
Ana, by the way, is a manananggal. She can detatch her lower half and fly away.
Dayo to the World of Computer Magic and Human Ingenuity...
The Filipino in Us
Saturday, bloggers were invited to Cutting Edge Studios, the makers of Dayo, the first fully digital animation movie in the Philippines. Impressive studios and I must say, we were feeling quite special. They fed us, answered all our questions and gave us sneak previews. Oh, they weren't afraid we took loads of pictures of them. Most places wouldn't even let you bring a cell phone cam.
Let me tell, you, these guys are amazing. From concepts to production, they made it. Their goal: to create a fully-Filipino masterpiece. They did.
My Aesthetics Professor once told me that the mere fact that Filipino made something automatically declares it Filipino but you have to let the World know. So, you add Filipino elements.
We know some animators of Finding Nemo were Pinoys, we can see Bahay Kubo in Nemo's Aquarium. So, what Filipino elements did the creators of Dayo put in?
They did set in the Modern Pinas. We can see telephone wires, tsinelas, kids playing our favorite past times and the daily utensils Filipinos commonly use in Buboy's kitchen.
Dayo also utilized Philippine Lower Mythology. Yeah, stuff of legends right? But nowadays, we modern Filipinos do not know them anymore. I was talking to some of the Bloggers and they have the same thoughts. In the days of our parents, they were always scared by creatures that would take them away if they did not behave.
"Kunin ka ng Capre! May Nuno sa Punso diyan!"
But now, we hear something different like: "Wag kang makulit! Kunin ka ng Pulis! Hala dukutin ka ng Bumbay!" and other derogatory things about people who scare us.
We will find Buboy is not without his discrimination. He calls Ana and her kind Halimaw. Ana, being super friendly and helpful, goes out of her way to help Buboy. Another endearing Filipino trait.
Learning from Urduja
Yeah, yeah, they don't want to be compared to the animated Urduja. They don't even call them rival. They are Kapwa Filipino and must be respected as such. Still, they have to learn from the mistakes of Urduja so they will not end as a flop. Not that Urduja was a complete flop, It's just that they want this movie to be a complete success. A huge success.
It will be finished in time for the 2008 Film Fest.
Why the story? According to the directors and producers, other previous animation coming from the Phil. are based on history or mythology: Urduja, Ibong Adarna. If they went for those, the critics would slay them if they were not historically accurate.
So, why a modern setting? The creators wanted something relatable. Especially since it is aimed at children. So, the main characters are children with their child-like qualities very typical to our times.
Filipino-ness? Yes, plenty. From the set to the attitude.
Attitude! something a lot of the other bloggers feel that Urduja lacked. Urduja is set in the pre-Hispanic era. There was no bias on who takes the throne. Historically, her father left ther the throne because she was his heir and she was a warrior without equal.
'Yeah, attitude is something Dayo characters have. Ana is a vegetarian. A What you ask? A vegetarian Aswang? No kid! Buboy is your typical dream boy who wish for so many things in life. One of which is flying. There is also Narsi, the Narcissistic tikbalang. Ana has her guards and a Yaya. (Very pinoy, don't you think?) Her yaya-naggal lost Ana and is arguing with her bodyguard on who really lost her charge.
New Ideas, Trivias, etc..
The manananggals have an extra set of lower wings that allow them to hover. All creatures of Elementalia have only four fingers.
Oh, Joey Ayala has composed something special for the album.
The theme song, Lipad is sung by Roots of Nature, a version is also sung by Lea Salonga. It will be in their album, to be released in November, ahead of the movie.
Expectations
We bloggers were silenced with food and charm but we still have high expectations. Dayo, so far seems very different. I do hope the market will appreciate the movie not only because it is animated but also because it is very Filipino. Kina-Career siya ng mga people involved. Me and my fellow bloggers who came to Cutting Edge saw the hard work put in.
This Movie is a stepping stone for all other computerized and animated movies that will come out of our country.
Good luck, Cutting Edge, and we wish you a success in Dayo!
Mananang-Gurl!
