top of page
CHARACTER DESIGN | VISUAL DEVELOPMENT | ANIMATION
TANOD
Two law enforcers and best friends realize their definition of justice don't match. My solo student thesis film that fuses 3D backgrounds with 2D frame-by-frame animation.
OBET
A paragon of true virtue and duty. He stands by the rule of law.
Obet is meant to symbolize the harsh nature of law in the Philippines. While made with justified—and sometimes noble—intentions, enforcement of it can often be used as a means of violence and abuse by those with authority and power.
He is a good person, but is ultimately unaware of the injustice the law can bring. His armored suit is not only protection, but a load he carries—the weight of the law. This makes him inflexible, lacks the nuance and awareness to act in a truly just manner, and will not break the rules to achieve a better outcome. To him, obeying the law will always lead to a good, just, and humane outcome.
His design primarily uses square shapes to show his rigidity, while his thinner, more triangular legs makes him feel unbalanced, as if he is about to fall over.
ISH
A misfit with a big heart. Despite his position, he stands by his own rules.
Ish symbolizes flexibility and compassion when one is burdened with responsibility. While good in theory, this is can be used as a means for evading the law all together, even when the punishment for the crime committed is fair and warranted.
He is a good person, but his position as an enforcer of the law makes his own creed of justice difficult to follow, and ultimately leads to ruin. More than that, he is willing to use his position to achieve a more merciful, and nuanced outcome for other people, something that seems admirable but avoids the rule of law, making him no better than those who seek to use their own power for their own gain.
His design uses longer, more triangular shapes to show his physical and moral flexibility, while his large gloves keep his hands clean of anything he does.
CES
Ish's younger sister. She is hopes to change the state of the nation.
Ces represents the youth of the Philippines—those within the Millennial and Generation Z. The events that transpire around her show how the system aims to keep said youth powerless, while simultaneously admitting they hold a lot of power.
She is a good person, but is ultimately used as a scapegoat by more nefarious forces, which acts as a metaphor for the naivety the youth can have. She does not completely know how the system works, and so was exploited by the system, like the majority of the many peoples in the Philippines.
Her design is simple enough to convey that she is a civilian, but is similar enough in color palette to the enforcer uniforms to show that ultimately, we want the same thing: justice and compassion.
THE SENTRIES
A special feature of the film are these bipedal horse-shaped robots that rampage across the streets.
Their design was inspired by the mythical tikbalang that is said could be tames by pulling out the three golden strands of hair on its mane. This how the deactivation mechanism for these robots was found.
Their top-heavy design and fragile legs allowed for them to be positioned under the train tracks for easy deployment, and agile movement. This is also a metaphor for how the system can very easily be tumbled from underneath showcased but not before it could do significant damage to the lives of regular civilians as seen in the film.
Dilaw, bughaw, pula. The film intentionally used the three colors of the Philippine flag as the main inspiration for its color grading as this is firstly, a story about the peoples of the Philippines.
Yellow symbolizes public tension. Like the monetary economics of the country, the film uses yellow as a way to show how things can either become better, or worse. Much like the traffic lights of the metro, they often become worse.
Blue symbolizes the calm before the storm. From the weather conditions of the country, to the political state of each barangay, things never feel good—just calm. When things seem quiet, it often means something bad will happen.
Red symbolizes all danger and pain. No one in the country feels safe despite what the powers that be promise. The people of the Philippines often have to look behind their back, whether in politics or while walking on the streets.
ACTING ANIMATION
Attempts at conveying emotion through subtle movements, lighting, and simple compositing.
ROUGH KEY ANIMATION
Attempts at conveying story and character through movement, facial expression, and interaction.
bottom of page