Dayo Movie

If you missed Dayo during the Metro Manila Film Festival 2008, you can catch Cutting Edge Productions' animated film Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia at the UP Film Institute (UP Diliman) on the following dates:

January 13 (Tuesday) - 2 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM
January 14 (Wednesday) - 2 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM
January 15 (Thursday) - 2 PM
January 16 (Friday) - 2 PM
January 17 (Saturday) - 2 PM, 5 PM
January 19 (Monday) - 2 PM, 5 PM
January 20 (Tuesday) - 2 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM
January 21 (Wednesday) - 2 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM
January 22 (Thursday) - 2 PM, 7 PM

Here are the winners of the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival 2008 held last December 27, 2008 at the Sofitel Hotel.

Best Director - Mark Meily (Baler)
Best Screenplay - Baler
Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award - Antonio Villegas (Baler)
Best Supporting Actress - Manilyn Reynes (One Night Only)
Best Supporting Actor - Philip Salvador (Baler)
Best Actor - Christopher De Leon (Magkaibigan)
Best Actress - Anne Curtis (Baler)
3rd Best Festival Picture - Iskul Bukol 20 Years After
2nd Best Festival Picture - Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat
Best Picture - Baler
Best Cinematography - Lee Meily (Baler)
Best Production Design - Aped Santos (Baler)
Best Editing - Danny Anonuevo (Baler)
Best Visual Effects - Robert Quilao (Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia)
Best Musical Score - Jessie Lasaten (Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia)
Best Theme Song - “Lipad” by Jessie Lasaten and Artemio Abad Jr., performed by Lea Salonga (Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia)
Best Sound - Albert Idioma and Wally Dellosa (Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia)
Best Original Story - Jose Javier Reyes (One Night Only)
Best Child Performer - Robert Villar (”Shake, Rattle, and Roll X”)
Noli Villalobos - Best Make-Up (”Desperadas 2″)

Congratulations to Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia for winning four awards at the MMFF Awards including Best Visual Effects, Best Musical Score, Best Theme Song and Best Sound. Let's support Dayo and Philippine animation by watching the film!

Photo by Ada

Bloggers were invited to the red carpet premiere night of 'Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia' last friday, December 19, 2008. Watch the video of Dayo reviews right after the premiere ended at the SM Megamall cinemas 9 and 10. Some of the bloggers present were Aerin, Monch, Trix, Sire, , Jonel , Ed Arevalo, Nan , Gab, Juned, Fritz, Karla Redor, Sha Ang, Billycoy , Ada and yours truly, Poyt.


Video care of Azrael

Here are some links to some of the bloggers' reviews. If you were able to watch the premiere and was able to write your review on Dayo, feel free to leave a comment with your link on your blog post!


‘Dayo’ is official entry to 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival
Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia Review
Azrael's Dayo Movie Review by Azrael Coladilla
Dayo Premiere Nightby Jonel Uy
Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia: A Must Watch Movie at the MMFF by Sha Ang
Witnessing a Filipino Digital Animation Breakthrough: Dayo by Ed Arevalo
MMFF 2008: Dayo movie reviewby Faith Salazar
Cutting Edge’s Christmas Gift to you: Dayoby Karla Redor
Kaya ng Filipino Lumipad.. A Dayo Review by Anton Diaz
Review: Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia
Movie Review: Dayo (2008) by Regnard Raquedan
2008 MMFF : Dayo Movie Review
Review: Dayo by Juned Sonido
MMFF Entry 2008 - “Dayo” Animated Movie
Filipino animated film "Dayo", Highly Recommended
MMFF Entry 2008 - "Dayo Animated Movie

Here are new Dayo movie posters made by Eric Cabahug!

Michael V. is Narsi - DA CHIKBALANG.

Pokwang is Vhicky - DA YAYANANGGAL.

Cutting Edge productions brought together the finest voice actors in the Philippine entertainment industry to jazz up Dayo's animated characters. At a last week's press conference at Ratsky's Tomas Morato, Dayo voice actors Nash Aguas, Katrina Legazpi, Peque Gallaga, Nova Villa and Pocholo Gonzales showed what you should expect to hear when you decide to catch "Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia."

It looks like everyone really enjoyed doing voice recording for Dayo although it was a first for everyone excluding Pocholo Gonzales, who has been working as a voice actor and director for thirteen years. Nash (Bubuy) and Katrina (Anna) thought like they were just playing in the recording studio and that they had no difficulty recording their parts because they identified with the character. While Peque Gallaga, a multi-awarded actor and director who made Lolo Nano's (the sage) character come alive, had a hard time doing with the recording and thanks that he had good directors to help him. Nova Villa is Lola Nita, Bubuy's caring grandmother. Pocholo Gonzales mimics news anchor Mike Enriquez to do the voice of Toti, one of Anna's bodyguards. He also voiced another villain in the movie (a tree) that will come as a surprise as the plot unfolds.


Here are the voice actors of Dayo showing the press a preview of the amazing things to come on Christmas Day.




Actors Michael V. also played a narcissistic cool rocker tikbalang (Narsi), Noel Trinidad as Bubuy's grandfather Lolo Meong, Johnny Delgado as Carpio (Anna's father), Laurice Guillen as the kapre and the Diwata/Bruha, Gabe Mercado as one of Anna's bodyguards Jo, and Pokwang as Vicky, Anna's nanny manananggal.

Dayo's soundtrack hits stores today with 28 audio tracks - 6 of these are sung by artists like Lea Salonga, Moymoy Palaboy, Juan Lunar, Noel Cabangon, Jay Durias and Roots of Nature. The rest of the tracks are from Dayo's Original Music Score - one of the songs was performed by Joey Ayala. The CD also includes 3 music videos. Go and visit your local music stores and buy a Dayo soundtrack for just 285PHP!


Moymoy Palaboy


Roots of Nature


Music Videos

1. "Lipad" by Lea Salonga with FILharmoniKA
2. "Kapit" by Moymoy Palaboy
3. "Lipad" by Roots of Nature

Audio Tracks

1. "Lipad" by Lea Salonga with FILharmoniKA
2. "Kapit" by Moymoy Palaboy
3. "Daybreak" by Juan Lunar
4. "Kasalo at Kasuyo" by Noel Cabangon
5. "Pang-surprise" by Jay Durias
6. "Lipad" by Roots of Nature

Dayo Movie Original Music Score
1. "School Fair"
2. "Bubuy's theme"
3. "Last Supper"
4. "Tree on Fire"
5. "Left Alone"
6. "Two Creatures Meet"
7. "Toti and Vicky"
8. "Cemetery Chase"
9. "Elementalia" performed by Joey Ayala
10. "Nano's House"
11. "Getting to Know"
12. "Nano's Chant"
13. "Adventure Begins"
14. "Salidumay"
15. "Alitubi"
16. "Father's Love"
17. "Alikupuy"
18. "The Rescue"
19. "Hal-lan"
20. "The Hero Rises"
21. "Safe and Sound"
22. "Peace Offering"




Jessie Lasaten, multi-awarded film music composer and executive producer of “Dayo,” weaves magic this time complementing the digital animated film with an ensemble of an all-Filipino musical talent and the use of indigenous instruments. Providing for a multi-sensorial treat to audiences of all ages, “Dayo’s” soundtrack highlights the rendition of world-renowned performer Lea Salonga of the movie’s theme song, “Lipad.” Her version of “Lipad” and the whole film score were recorded together with the FILharmoniKA under the baton of Gerard Salonga.

Aside from Lea’s inspirational version, upcoming band Roots of Nature sang an upbeat version of “Lipad.” This is currently released on the airwaves under the Sony BMG label.

Several notable artists also rendered their artistry for the completion of “Dayo’s” sound. Among them was Moymoy Palaboy singing "Kapit," a song about friendship. New band Juan Lunar performed "Daybreak," a song about being there for someone when they need you most.
“We have music that combines full orchestral instrumentation with the ethnic instruments of Joey Ayala. I've composed new themes for the major characters. In terms of scoring the scenes, I've combined orchestral score with Filipino ethnic instruments especially when Bubuy enters Elementalia. We asked Joey to sing the Elementalia Dayo song as well as have him perform his "hegalong " a two-string lute instrument. He also played kubing (jaw harp), kulintang (ethnic gong), and nose flute which added texture to the score in the Elementalia scenes,” narrates Jessie about the extent of his team’s efforts in coming up with the movie’s full soundtrack. This multi-faceted musical scoring will guarantee to carry the viewers from one scene to the next, bridging animation and real life.

Video by Pinoycentric

Lea Salonga has been hired by Disney and other production companies to do voice and animation that she has become a household name. Among these productions are Aladdin (as Jasmine), Mulan (as Mulan's singing voice) and My Neighbor Totoro (as the Mother). Everyone's excited to hear Lea sing the theme song live - almost everyone took out their cameras and started recording her sing at one of Dayo's press conferences last Thursday at Discovery Suites.



Someone asked Lea what differs the project she's done for Dayo with her other projects like Mulan and Aladdin. She said that she had to project more with voice acting - for Dayo, Lea said she just had to "believe every word I'm singing". Very timely for Filipinos as it will hopefully up the bar for animation as an industry.



Gerry Salonga is also involved in this project as the conductor of the 35-piece FILharmoniKA Orchestra which recorded the whole soundtrack of the movie.


Here are some note-worthy and amusing questions from the media during the press conference:

Won't other children abroad get scared of the "manananggal" on the film?

Dayo's Musical director Jessie Lasaten says that animation is usually made to showcase culture and Dayo is the perfect opportunity for Filipinos to show the international community the rich culture we have. The concept behind Anna's (the girl manananggal) character was inspired from the different species of bats - a fruit bat to be more exact. There are manananggals who eat human flesh while there are others, like Anna, that are vegetarians.

If you do subtitles for international release, how will you translate "manananggal"?

Director Robert Quilao says that they haven't really thought about it and maybe they can translate mananaggal as a "self-decapitating creature."

What do you call the kind of animation used in this film?

Jessie Lasaten says they call this cross between 2d and 3d animation as "tradigital" animation. They used the same software and equipment as the animators at Pixar.

How much did the production of Dayo cost:

Robert Quilao estimated the project to cost 1.7 MILLION USD - and he said that it's pretty cheap. And right now, the projected cost is still changing because they're bringing the whole film to Technicolor Thailand to make it at par with international standards - a 7.1 conversion outcome which is a first for a Filipino-made movie.


Related links:
PINOYCENTRIC: Video: Lea Salonga Sings Dayo theme "Lipad"
YEHEY: Lea Salonga inspires in “Lipad”
PHILSTAR: Lea Salonga sings theme song of RP animated film 'Dayo'
PEP: Lea Salonga sings theme song of MMFF entry Dayo

Another first for Lea Salonga

Everyone knows who Lea Salonga is. If not, they have probably spent the last decade or so in a deep, dark hole in the middle of nowhere.

But just for the record – Lea Salonga is the first Filipina to ever star in a West End and Broadway production [Miss Saigon of course] and the first Filipina to ever win international theater accolades including the most prestigious award in British theatre, the Laurence Olivier Award, the Antoinette Perry or the Tony Awards for Excellence in Theatre, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Awards and the Theatre World Award.

Lea was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.

All these firsts make Lea a veritable First Lady in the world of theatre – and I do mean world!

Now this theater Titan, adds another first to her list. She is singing the theme song, “Lipad,” of the upcoming Filipino animated feature “Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia.” Though Lea has been the singing voice in animated films before - Princess Jasmine and Mulan in Disney’s Aladdin and Mulan respectively – this is the first time she is singing for a Filipino animated production.


It’s rather fitting really because “Dayo” is also a first in itself! This breakthrough full-length, fully digital animated film feature is the first of its kind in Philippine cinematic history.

“Dayo” is about a boy named Bubuy who goes to save his grandparents who have been abducted by enchanted beings and are being held prisoner in mystical land called Elementalia. He is aided and abetted by other fantastical and mythical creatures from Philippine mythology in his quest.
When asked why she agreed to sing the film’s theme song, Lea replies, “I had a feeling this was going to be something pretty important… given the technology it employs in order to make the film… given that the story is about facing your fears and conquering obstacles and doing something great for somebody that you love and making your own dreams come true… there’s adventure in it, there’s comedy in it … Why wouldn’t I be part of something like this?”

Why not indeed? And the fact that it is an all-Filipino, all-original production is a plus for Lea. “It feels great to do something for a Filipino company, singing a Filipino song for a Filipino fully animated film. Its something that I can say, ‘This came from my country and I’m proud of this show’ … so to be part of something like this is very special.”

The theme song, “Lipad,” composed by Jessie Lasaten and Temi Abad, Jr. and recorded with the FILharmoniKA, conducted by Gerard Salonga, has a very special message as well.

“The song Lipad, when looked at and listened to on its most basic level, is a song of inspiration,” enthuses Lea. “The main character is encouraged to overcome his fears for a greater good. However, on a deeper level, it's a song of inspiration to everyone that hears the song: to our animators and artists to fly high and reach their dreams, to our people to dream big and achieve their goals, and to anyone that has any fear that they perhaps might be unable to make their lives better, to ‘dream it, and make it happen.’ ‘Basta't kaya mong isipin, kaya mong gawin’ is one line from the song, and I believe that anyone can make their dreams comes true, starting with a wish.”

And that’s a message Lea is well qualified to impart. After all, she is someone who has had many of her dreams come true and still continues to fly high!

“Lipad” composer Lasaten agrees wholeheartedly that Lea is the ideal choice to interpret his composition. “Lea's rendition is just how we've imagined it would be for the first flying scene of Bubuy and Anna. It's perfect and inspiring!”

And why not – after all, Lea is FIRST!


“Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia” is co-presented by Frootees, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog and Mister Donut. The film is also supported by Ascorbic Acid Ceelin, Crispy Fry Breading Mix, Enervon Bright Brand, Timezone, FUJI YKL, Inquirer.net, Yehey.com, ClicktheCity.com, Animation Council of the Philippines, Toon Boom, Wacom, Woodpecker Studio and New Media.

Even though Dayo is produced by a budding production company, Cutting Edge, it will include some of the most brilliant Filipino actors like Laurice Guillen, Peque Gallaga, Nova Villa, Noel Trinidad, Pokwang and Michael V. You might not agree that Pokwang is a brilliant voice actor though - just wait until you see her as a manananggal on the movie!

If you want to catch these actors in the flesh to promote Dayo, you can refer to this schedule:

December 1 - Mall Tour: Roots of Nature, Market, Market, 3PM,
December 6-7 - Mall Tour: Pokwang, SM North Edsa
December 11 - Voices Press Conference: The whole cast, Ratsky's QC
December 12 - Mall Tour: Glorietta
December 13-14 - Mall Tour: SM Megamall
December 18 - Mall Tour: SM Cebu
December 20-21 - Mall Tour: Mall of Asia

As Dayo the movie is nearing its completion, an additional room has been added to the Cutting Edge Production office to accommodate a team of artists to give the film that 3d feel. The 3d team is from Cutting Edge's sister company, Woodpecker. These artists barely sleep, only dozing off between taking breaks and rendering.







Everything is supposed to be finished a week from now so the material can be brought to Technicolor in Thailand to make sure the final product is at par with international standards. The production team will spend a week in Thailand to get everything done before the Metro Manila Film Festival.






If you're expecting floats going around Manila for the MMFF 2008, you will be disappointed. The MMFF Execom is repackaging the whole event so it can be more appealing on television. No news yet on how they're pulling it off but hopefully it's going to be big.

The full trailer is already up with more clips from characters dubbed by Michael V. and Pokwang.



Watch out for more updates on the MMFF and Dayo movie by subscribing to this blog's feeds.