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