Morphing up

The BEQUEST is back soon!

Mads and Carmen talking about the stoyboard while the rest are busy with the work.

Mads is getting busy checking some of his important stuff for the project.

Blurred pic but it’s OK—Je Ann, Brynh, Bryan and Kyle waiting for their softdrinks during the meeting.

Amado and Bryan checking some the project storyboard in my laptop.

Change

Change is constant. Life is a constant change. For us Kuris animators, we need to embrace the reality of change all the time. Nothing in this world is permanent and would stay the same. Everything would be boring if we are always sipping the same bowl of soup or living to the same old crappy traditions. Every day, we open our door and perspective to a lot of changes.

In the past, the lessons of change and how we deal with it has been part of our existence. We won’t be stuck forever in the same programs that we are using in doing our projects. Bryan, our resident maverick K-guy is always on a look out for new stuff and innovations. Going out beyond the box has always been our forte and statements. With the recent plan to enhance The BEQUEST for an upcoming animation festival, brilliant ideas are swirling in our heads lately. New credits, new marketing plan, new scenes, new 3D and new vigor has been the stuff our imaginations lately. While getting busy with the special project, the real dream-team isn’t going away from what we are destined for. We are hoping for the best. Leave the detractors and critics behind. They’re not going to give us laurels and emotional-boost that we need. Let them be, they love doing that and we our doing our own stuff.

Evident of the change that we are talking about was when we first declared that our original story—“Lapis: Epic of the Lost Key” would be our entry for Animahenasyon this year. The Daily Guardian has announced it a few months ago. But suddenly we switched plans and decided it could have a bigger picture through the generous response from a prestigious institution. I think it is destined to become far better than a 2-minute animated trailer and leave it shallow in the end. The BEQUEST has already established its cultural significance in Iloilo City and when people talks about Ilonggo animation, Kuris is synonymous to it (eye brows raising?). Taking a big step to be shown in a mall cinema and raving with lots of local media attention, we realized that indeed this project needs a fitting introduction in the capital Manila. The schedule is tough but we are risking again in making it ready for the festival. The rest of our previous sponsors are still willing to help us bring the project to the next level simply because we are sincere and has delivered a piece of excellence in our output (which dismissed false accusations about us). Piece of advice to the nega peeps--- get a life, no guts, glory. We pray hard too!

Another evidence of change in our pace as a group of amateur animators is the passion to challenge ourselves. It has been months since the buzz about our proposed project for a popular food product to be made into animation. They approached us since last year to accept the project. But this time around, we decided to commit and get on with our guts. The rest of the K-members who are somehow inactive for the past few months are joining us onboard to make this worthy project. Few days from now, the rollercoaster ride of work is coming up and it would be fun to have the big team around.

In fact yesterday, we had a little reunion and sort-of-meeting for the other project. We never realized that this is how interested the rest of the inactive Kuris animators. They still keep the same flair and passion for our craft. I guess, being a Kuris is something we can’t deny for the rest of our life. We know each other for more than a year now but the warmth of our closeness is evident (that would be something that we will be wishing not to change).

The meeting was inspiring and fun as well. We had some chat and laugh for a while remembering the things we did in the past. So I’m entrusting Amado to become the team leader of the other commercial project. He will take big decision since the rest of us are busy. But they might be a few rooms or blocks always from us whenever they need us. Sure, a few days from now there will be another reunion in Villa to jumpstart the project. It’s not all about the money or attention that we might be getting from all of these stuff (take note: the pay is not that much big than most of you are expecting). It’s the need to express our inner passion in our chosen craft that keeps us going. We we’re made for these ever since we were young… it’s what they call reveries!