Kuris Talk # 6: Jaylord Villalobos

Iron Warren is Jaylord's inner expression of unspoken reveries and miseries about life.
Scenario # 1: A short cybernetic nap is what Jaylord needs to get his circuits back and refresh.
Scenario # 2: Looking through his mind's eye...we can see Jaylord's cybernetic eye that sees the unseen and top secret weapons, hehe!

Jaylord Villalobos

The Transformer kuris animator

unveils his passion

By Ronelo Ladiao

There’s something phenomenal about Jaylord’s passion. Amid the risk and discouragements he sometimes gets from pursuing his passion, his spirit remains optimistic, determined and patient. When he put his heart in every goal and dream, he knows how to wait and hold on until a brighter day comes. His lifelong passion speaks about his true capabilities as an artist to share something significant to the world around him. Even now as an amateur Ilonggo animator, he knew he must climb mountains to prove himself better.

19-year-old Jaylord Villalobos, the eldest son of five siblings of the couple Timoteo and Josephine Villalobos from Tacas, Jaro, Iloilo City was bestowed with artistic gifts. During his elementary and high school years at Tacas Elementary School and Jaro National High School, respectively, he has been joining lots of art-related competitions that honed his talents. When he was a kid, he used to watch several television cartoons and animated films. He promised himself that when he grow up, he will make and create animated films but doesn’t know what the profession of those who makes animation. One of his unforgettable moments was when he won third place in an inter-school mural painting contest (wall painting) during his fourth year. Even if he seldom won in several art constests in the past, Jay can easily accept defeat and take it as a challenge to improve his craft. It was in his second year in college at Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST) where he is taking up Architecture when he heard about a new vocational course offered by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) about 2D animation. A few weeks later, he passed the admission test given by Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI) and confident in joining the 40 trainees of the second batch of 2D animation at WVCST.

His artistic prowess was put on test day after day to prove himself as a trainee for animation. He got along well with his classmates and never hesitates to share his talents. During the time when they were making “The Adventures of TASI”, their required group project to finish their course, Jay gave his best and even did something unique. He made a five-second animated scene about a lightbox (the drawing box with transparent flat form lighted by a bulb and used by animators to draw) transforming into a robot. It was phenomenal since he created something nice out of his wild ideas. After their graduation on October 19, 2007, the second batch decided to call their group “Kuris” (Ilonggo term which means scribbled line) and planned to launch a big project to make a short animated feature film about Dinagyang Festival’s historical origin later entitled “The BEQUEST”. Bryan, the group’s lead animator for the project wanted to combine 2D and 3D animation for the background of the animated project. So he asked Jay to assist him in this unique experimentation. At the opening of “Kinarton” Ilonggo animator’s exhibit at Museo Iloilo, Jay and Bryan worked hard to present an innovative teaser trailer of “Lapis: Epic of the lost Key” (an animated project of the group slated to be finished later this year) wherein they combine 2D and 3D animation. It was well-accepted by the spectators and left a positive impression about the group. For almost 60 days of struggle and sacrifice to finish The BEQUEST, Jay together with his groupmates unveiled the first Ilonggo animated short film at SM Cinema 7 on January 25, 2008. It was a fulfilling experience for Jay to be finally appreciated by his fellow Ilonggos for his ingenuity, creativity and artistic expression of breathing life to iconic Ilonggo landmarks such as Plaza Libertad and San Jose Church in form of 3D animation.

Now, Kuris animator’s resident amateur 3D transformer artist will speak up about his true passion and tireless journey in life…

Ronelo Ladiao (RL): First, tell us something about yourself?

Jaylord Villalobos (JV): Well, I’m an average guy, very silent but observant. If I feel something I keep it to myself and try to give my full attention in my work.

RL: As an artist, what is your forte or specialty?

JV: I love to draw since I was a kid. Before I learn to use the computer, I like using watercolor and colored pencil in my artworks. My specialty in drawing is more on the animation figures and doing robotic characters similar to Transformers, Gundam Seed and Voltron. I don’t know, I just love to do this kind of stuff.

RL: You created “Iron Warren” as your original animated character for Kuris Universe, can you give us some insights about him?

JV: Iron Warren is a powerful teenage cyborg with mysterious origin and past. He used to be a beggar in the street and when he almost died in an accident, a powerful cosmic ray hit the satellite and directed the radiation towards his dying body. Warren was transformed into a heroic fighting machine, part-man, part-robot who continue to search for answers about his shrouded past. Iron Warren’s tagline “…a gift of life to struggle for answers in a violent world” reflects my sentiments about life, my personal dilemma on poverty and other social problems today.

RL: Tell us how you were inspired and how long did it take to finish your lightbox-transforming-robot?

JV: During the time that we are making The Adventures of TASI, I got obsessed with Transformers. When I saw my lightbox, I realize I can make something nice out it so I spent two weeks of doodling the key drawings and in-betweens. There was even a scene where the lightbox robot was dancing but it was disregarded since it was unnecessary to be included in TASI. All in all, I did more than 200 drawings for that particular scene.

RL: When Bryan decided to add elements of 3D animation in your future projects, did you showed outmost interest?

JV: Huo eh gusto ko gid ang iya idea (yes of course I really like his idea). Since I’m fond of robotic characters, I realized that it would be suitable for my interest to upgrade my talents in animation. 3D animation is much easier to manipulate in different angles and perspectives if you have the patience to master the techniques of using it. It was surprising in my part when I realize that I learned to use 3D animation for only two months, all by myself without formal training or schooling.

RL: What do you consider as the best contribution you did for The BEQUEST?

JV: I’m happy with our work in the 3D animation of Magellan’s galleons. Bryan and I work hard for the rendering, animating and deciding what kind of texture that we will put to make it look like more realistic. Our group members did a lot of research in the internet how the galleons should look like. Sa tuod lang, ginobra lang namon atonga scene sa sulod sang tatlo ka adlaw (in fact, we work for that particular scene three days).

RL: There was a time that you confessed that some of your family members discouraged you about animation because they thought you have no bright future in this kind of craft, how do you take their opinion?

JV: Siyempre galain man buot ko eh kay basi kuno wala pakadtuan ang work nga ini (of course, I feel bad about it because they thought I have nowhere to go with this kind of work). For me, I just follow what I love to do since I was a kid and I have faith that one day they will realize that this craft, my passion and talents will get me somewhere else in life.

RL: Now tell us about your greatest dream?

JV: To become a professional animator and work in one of the biggest animation studio in the world.

RL: Do you have any happiest moment you can share as a member of Kuris?

JV: Sang pagkadto namon sa Racsos para maglecture sang February.(when we go to Racsos--an inland zoo resort at Guimbal, Iloilo—to hold a lecture last February). For the first time, I was thrilled and got inspired to hold a lecture in front of more than 40 students about 3D animation. It was a funny thing for me because I am not yet an expert 3D animator. But I think they learn a lot from me and I was glad that my effort was truly appreciated.

RL: As a parting shot of this revealing chat, what’s your favorite expression when you did something great?

JV: I can’t believe I did that, hehe!

For comments, email us at kurisanimators@yahoo.com