Review of Philippines - Animation Made by Filipinos

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1.1        Background of the Study

With animation’s fast growth over the years, sound and music has also flourished alongside it since it is one of the essential element of animation.  The visual element of an animation contains the different shapes, colors, lights and movements seen in the animated film while the audio element contains the dialogue, sound effect and music (Kim, n.d.).  The audio element had been proven many times that it is a crucial component in order to enhance the visual experience of the audience and make the animation look real in their eyes.  Sound helps the animation express all the subtle and delicate emotional states that visual image could not produce alone.

With that being said, animation made by Filipinos are also in need for a soundtrack for their animated film. 10 percent of the Philippine’s population are indigenous people who are able to produce and keep their original sound.  These soundtracks that are in their keep could be used in the entertainment industry such as animation (Santos, n.d.).  However, the use of Filipino ethnic music in animation is unpopular in the industry that it is quite uncommon for us to hear it being used.  The sound production of an animated film could help define the origin of the story in animations and because we seldom hear musical scoring based on Filipino traditions, we rarely associate it to the Philippines.

Indigenous people are all over the country and the Aeta group is one of the very many ethnic groups that produces their own original sound.  The Aeta group is without a doubt the most widely distributed across the Philippines.  The group is variously known such as Mamanua from Surigao and Ata in Negros (Galang, 2006).  

1.2        Statement of the Problem

Filipinos had produced rich and unique music from the very beginning of our history that Filipinos have to wonder why ethnic music is not used more in our entertainment.  10 percent of the country’s population are indigenous people who produced and preserve the music they received from their ancestors.  The Filipinos had been so amazed by other country’s music that our own sound is being forgotten in exchange of the western culture (David, Okazaki, 2006).  The Philippines has a rich music history that this could be used in animations that are made here in the country.

The research is conducted about the Sambal Aeta culture and determined the use of their music in promoting the Filipino culture.  The researcher aims to answer the following questions:

1. Can Filipino ethnic music, specifically Aeta music, be used as a medium to brand an animated film as Filipino made?
2. How does the music help the visual element of the animation?

1.3        Objective of the Study

The objective of the study is to produce an animated short film in which ethnic music would be used as a way to brand the animated film.  This study is created to see whether Filipino ethnic music could be viable to be used as a branding for the animation created here in the Philippines.  

1. To create a story based on the wedding practices of the Aeta ethnic group
2. To brand an animation using Aeta ethnic sound
3. To use the music of Aeta’s to compliment the visual element of the animation

1.4        Scopes and Limitations

The researcher aims to create an animation that will employ the use of Filipino ethnic music, specifically music found from the ethnic of Aetas, in order to ascertain whether using Filipino sound could inspire and help brand the animated film.  In this case, traditional music from the Aetas of Zambales, specifically Aetas of Olongapo City, will be used as the musical scoring for the animation.  

The story and script that will be produced will be based on the wedding rites of the Aeta group.  The story would include the arrangement of the wedding between the families until the end of the actual wedding ceremony.

The character design will be the Aeta people while the set design will be based on the places they have lived before.  The researcher will adapt the animation based on the sound of the ethnic music.

1.5 Operational Definition of Terms

3D Pipeline - An animators’ guide or process in creating a #D animation from an idea to an animated creation

Animatics – It is a preliminary version of a movie, produced by shooting successive sections of a storyboard and adding a soundtrack.

Aeta – They are an indigenous people who live in scattered, isolated mountainous parts of the island of Luzon, the Philippines.

Branding - It is a name, term, design, symbol or other feature that distinguishes one from the others.

Compositing - Constructing the final image by combining layers of previously-created material, including rendered computer animation, special effects, graphics, 2D animation, live action and static background plates

Ethnic - They are associated with or belonging to a particular race or group of people who have a culture that is different from the main culture of a country

Indigenous - originating or occurring naturally in a particular place;                 native.

Mimetic Theory – It tells that art is a representation of what people see around, in short, nature

Rigging - It is the process by which a technical director prepares a 3D character model for animation.

Socialist Realism – It is a system of aesthetics based on the human body that would become the main component

Texturing – It refers to the process by which professional animators are able to produce astonishing details. This detailing may refer to detailing of a character or even the environment in which the character is placed. Detailing includes clothing, hair, eye colour, skin etc. in case of a character.