First Filipino Anime Series “BARANGAY 143″ to Air in GMA 7

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Barangay 143,  the first-ever Filipino-themed and all-Filipino made Anime TV series will go on air on GMA 7 nationwide starting this October as announced by Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc.  during the grand media launch held at the Elements at Centris, Quezon City on July 17, 2018. 

The announcement was made today by Jyotirmoy Saha, CEO of August Media Holdings; Jackeline Chua, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc. and Takahiro Kishimoto, Head of Animation, International Business Department of TV Asahi.

Barangay 143 as the series is known as the first-ever Filipino Anime series. Co-produced between Synergy88, TV Asahi (Japan) and August Media Holdings (Singapore), Barangay 143 will feature a glittering celebrity cast including Cherie Gil, Sylvia Sanchez,  and John Arcilla and millennial heartthrobs, Julie Anne San Jose, Kelley Day, Migo Adacer, and Ruru Madrid.

Barangay 143 is a feel-good coming of age story of a young Korean boy whose search for his father brings him to the Philippines. Lost and desperate for answers, is here in this foreign land that he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits whose only ambition is to bring glory to their hometown. It’s a story about love and family set against the action-packed world of street basketball, where the stakes are always high and life the biggest game you can win.

“Philippines has a vibrant TV and film industry with a rich culture of storytelling. Right from the onset we were determined develop the show right here so that it captures the essence of life in Manila. I am immensely proud of what we have finally created in Barangay 143”, said Jyotirmoy Saha, CEO, August Media Holdings Fans can enjoy Barangay 143 not just as a TV Series but digitally, in print and as consumer products. 

The Barangay 143 Street League mobile game is already available on the Google Play Store for Android and the iOS App Store. The narrative story within the mobile game leads to the suspense and drama that drives the story for the upcoming TV Series.

”Within the series, the comic strip and even the game we have tried to capture the real-life experiences of the Philippines through the art and the sounds,” said Jackeline Chua, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Synergy88 Digital. “With Barangay 143 Street League we also created a unique experience that helps players compete with friends in cyberspace but get their wins rewarded in the real world.”

Set against the backdrop of gritty Tondo, the series also features original music from a whole host of celebrity Filipino singers and musicians. The series is painstakingly designed and produced here in Manila with the help crew from across Japan, South Korea, USA. Malaysia and Singapore.

”When we first came across Barangay 143 during its development phase, it seemed like a natural choice for us to be a part of. We hope that Japanese creativity will bring light into the Filipino story and characters to life.”, said Takahiro Kishimoto, Head of Animation at International Business Department of TV Asahi.

Leading up to the start of the broadcast, fans will be treated to a series on Barangay 143 themed concerts featuring music stars like Gloc-9, Shanti Dope, Julie Ann San Jose and more. We expect to also treat our audiences with many other “GMA has always been known to support anything that champions Filipino talent and promotes our culture. We are immensely proud to be the network carrying the first Filipino anime drama series,” said Joev Abacan, First Vice President. Program Management at GMA.

photo by Elinkterest

Executive Producers of the TV Series have mentioned that they are committed to develop the property further and are already contemplating more content surrounding Barangay 143 the brand.

Sweet couple celebrity Ambassadors Solenn and Nico with Kenny's new animated short film highlights #AwesomeTogether pairings

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Kenny Rogers Roasters presents how love really win despite all odds with the new creative short animated film entitled “Awesome Together”

Using animation, the short film tells the story of Sosy and Bolzi, a pair of farm animals who meet and fall in love at the Roasters Farm. Their parents, however, object to the love affair, prompting the star-crossed lovers to defy traditional family expectations and embark on an epic journey for a chance at eternal togetherness.

Visionary director Avid Liongoren, the man behind highly acclaimed animated live-action film Saving Sally, brings Sosy and Bolzi’s love story to life. Despite its dramatic premise, Liongoren wanted to inject a sense of fun and adventure to “Awesome Together.” 

The anthropomorphic characters of Sosy and Bolzi were inspired by Kenny’s brand ambassadors and “it couple” Solenn Heussaff and Nico Bolzico, who also lent their voices and personalities to the star-crossed lovers—and to great results. 

“Nico and Solenn are very animated humans so it was so much fun to turn them into animals,” says Liongoren.

The animated film is meant to highlight another pair that’s awesome together: flavorful bacon and juicy roast chicken. Kenny Rogers Roasters is relaunching the Bacon Roast, which was first introduced in 2013. 

The Bacon Roast is a special dish that wraps Kenny's famous slow-roasted chicken in decadent strips of bacon to present a delicious, crave-inducing treat that will keep you coming back for more. Kenny’s takes pride in continuously serving bold and unique flavors that their guests crave every day. This is why they have decided to bring back the Bacon Roast, and this time, more tender and juicier than ever.

Will love triumph in the end for Sosy and Bolzi? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, we celebrate the awesomeness of perfect pairings with Kenny Rogers Roasters’ Bacon Roast.

Join Sosy and Bolzi on their epic journey by watching the animated film “Awesome Together” on this link:https://youtu.be/hkwhdjypUK4 Share the love on your own social network sites with the hashtag #Awesome Together and #BaconRoast.

You can enjoy the Bacon Roast Solo Plate with 2 side dishes, rice and a muffin for only P255. It is also available in a Group Meal for 4 for P840.

The Bacon Roast is available at any Kenny’s store nationwide starting July 16. This offer is only available for a limited time, so try it now!

Tilda Appleseed animation wins Asian Television Awards 2017 for Best Preschool Program

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Tilda Apple Seed animation

Hamburg-based WunderWerk GmbH along with Manila’s ASI Studios Inc. & Singapore’s August Media Holdings have announced that their animated pre-school production Tilda Appleseed has won the Asian Television Awards 2017 in the BEST PRE-SCHOOL SHOW category. 

Speaking about the win, Gisela Schaefer, Managing Director at WunderWerk said, “We are delighted to have received the award. This recognizes the true beauty of the characters and the simple but key values that this show will deliver to it pre-school audiences.”

.Jackeline Chua Managing Partner of ASI Animation Studio Inc and Jyotirmoy Saha Founder of August Media Holdings

For her part, Jackeline Chua, Managing Partner at ASI Studios Inc. said, “The show presented for the studio, a particularly unique challenge in its art style. Once again our team demonstrated its versatility by not only taking on that challenge but also creating award winning works.”

The recently completed Tilda Appleseed is based on Andreas Schmachtl’s book series of the same name. The series follows the adventures of a spirited mouse with a big heart and an even bigger imagination – Tilda. The series is filled with many wonderful characters who model friendship in marvelous ways. This show about friendship and problem solving is designed for pre-schoolers and features an art style that completely resembles water colored books. The first season of the show was delivered in 2017 and a second season of 52 episodes is currently in the works.

WunderWerk had developed the book series into a TV series under license from German broadcaster, MDR/SWR for KiKA and is also the lead producer of the series. The series is animated at ASI Studios and co-produced by Synergy88 and August Media Holdings. 

For August Media Holdings, this is the 6th nomination in the last 3 years, 4 of which have been for shows produced in partnership with ASI Studios Inc. Founder of August Media Holdings (who is also a partner at ASI Studios), Jyotirmoy Saha said, “It’s wonderful to hit a home run year after year. I am proud of my teams at ASI and August Media and the association between the two companies.”

Tilda Appleseed is currently on air on MDR/SWR in Germany, Good TV in Taiwan and is available on the recently launched Over-the-top platform Tapow™ media streaming and download service. The show is soon to air on multiple other networks in various parts of the world starting the early half of 2018.

ABOUT WUNDERWERK

WunderWerk is a German production animation company focused on creating live action and animation features that deliver a powerful message. The company, based in Unterföhring (near Munich) and Hamburg, is passionate about stories in the field of children’s programming and family entertainment. 

They handle all areas of film production and distribute their titles internationally under the label WunderBox by Beta Film. Contact person: Gisela Schaefer (Gisela.schaefer@wunder-werk.de)

ABOUT ASI STUDIOS INC.

ASI Studios, Inc. is a full-service animation studio based in Singapore. The studio is a collaborative effort between Manila-based Synergy88 group and Singapore’s August Media Holdings. ASI Studies holds an office in Quezon City, Philippines and is focused on generating high-quality media projects. Its roster boasts of 130 highly trained artists with a collective experience in 2D traditional, Digital Cut Out, and paperless animation.

ASI is currently in the middle of the production of a new domestic TV series that is slated for release next year. Contact person: Jackeline Chua (jackie.chua@asi.media)

ABOUT AUGUST MEDIA HOLDINGS.

August Media Holders creates and manages intellectual properties for the youth and children. Along with its rights management arm August Rights, the company has made a mark with its properties which are on air in more than 100 countries. Contact Person: Jyotirmoy Saha (moy@augustmh.com)

Ten-years-in-the-making MMFF 2016 entry “Saving Sally” gets A rating from Cinema Evaluation Board

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A movie about love, comic books, and the monsters in our heads, “Saving Sally” is one of the eight entries in this year’s December film festival.

The Metro Manila Film Festival Screening Committee describes “Saving Sally” “a typical youthful love story replete with child-like elements as applied through 2D animation.” 

It took over ten years to make but the Cinema Evaluation Board gave an A rating to the directorial debut of Avid Liongoren, a motion picture that weaves a young romantic story set in wonderful 2D animation hues.

"Saving Sally" has long been in the drawing board, and began shooting as early as 2005. That's how long the film's lead, Enzo Marcos, waited for a chance for the film to be shown in theaters.

“Saving Sally” was mounted by a small team of young animators led by its director Avid Liongoren who has directed for television and TV commercials. 

After initial filming in 2005, the project came to a halt due to lack of funding. French film producer Alain de la Mata, who was impressed with the work of film director Avid, decided to come in and help with production.

How the film was put together is also anything but typical. You might as well call it “epic.”

Production came into full swing in 2010 on a blue screen, which was later replaced with a stylized Manila and 2D animated monsters created by Liongoren and his team of artists at Rocketsheep. Every frame, every background, every piece of art was painstakingly made. 

“What we lacked in manpower, we made up for with love in every single frame. We spent countless hours checking and rechecking every detail,” shares Direk Avid.

The result is ready to be served come December 25. "Saving Sally" as director Liongoren puts it is "a familiar coming-of-age story told with super- stylized visuals. The project blends live action, 2d animation and an abundance of warm, fuzzy feelings to create a totally unique and lovable little film."

Get ready to be dazzled and mesmerized, children, millennials, and the young-at-heart. “Saving Sally” will make you believe in love, comic books, and the monsters in our heads all over again.

Cheer on as Marty (Enzo Marcos), an aspiring comic book artist pines for his best friend Sally (played by Rhian Ramos), a gadget inventor. Sally, however, has monsters for parents and an inconsiderate boyfriend (TJ Trinidad). In Marty’s fantasies, he conjures up ways of defending the love of his life from the big bad world.

At its very heart, “Saving Sally” is a simple story about love and never, ever giving up told in a unique way that combines live action & vivid kaleidoscope-colored animation.

Rhian Ramos

TJ Trinidad

Enzo Marcos

“Saving Sally” stars Rhian Ramos, Enzo Marcos, TJ Trinidad, Bodjie Pascua, Carme Sanchez, Sharmaine Centenera Buencamino, Archie Adamos.

Rated Parental Guidance by the MTRCB.

Bringing you a tale of young love, monsters and how dreams really can come true, "Saving Sally" opens this Christmas in cinemas nationwide.

Globe Broadband brings wonderful surprises with premiere of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory

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Customers get a chance to win free tickets and a private block screening for friends and family

A wonderful Monday afternoon, June 13, 2016 meeting Disney/Pixar Filipino sketch artist Paul Abadilla, as he talks with animation / arts students about his experience in being a part of the #animation team of Finding Dory movie. 

Disney/Pixar Filipino sketch artist Paul Abadilla talks about his experience in being a part of the animation team of Finding Dory among aspiring animation students at a by-invitation seminar.

Disney/Pixar Filipino sketch artist Paul Abadilla, talks about his experience in being a part of the #animation team of Finding Dory movie during a meet and greet event with animation students and media held at the Makati Diamond Residence, Makati City, June 13, 2016. 

Globe Broadband brings wonderful surprises to customers in line with the much-awaited movie premiere, Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory. As the official broadband service partner of Disney in the Philippines, Globe Broadband customers are in for a whole lot of fun with its latest events, ticket giveaways, and special prizes.

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus McLane, Finding Dory is the highly anticipated sequel of the successful 2003 movie Finding Nemo. Now the main protagonist, Dory the forgetful blue tang fish explores her childhood through flashbacks. This eventually leads her to embark on a life-changing quest to go back home and be reunited with her parents.

“Disney’s brilliant storytelling has made most if not all, look forward to what movie they are going to premiere next. Finally after over a decade, Finding Nemo’s sequel makes its way to theatres and this gives us another opportunity to give our customers access to exciting giveaways and exclusive events. By taking that extra mile we provide our customers a more immersive experience.” shares Martha Sazon, Globe Senior Vice President for Broadband Business.

Headlining Finding Dory’s Philippine premiere is the homecoming tour of Pixar Studios Filipino sketch artist, Paul Abadilla.

Making his way back home, Abadilla is conducting a by-invitation animation workshop and will be sharing his work on Finding Dory and his experience being part of one of the most prestigious animation studios.

Globe Broadband customers in Metro Manila are also entitled to join the exclusive block screenings via free movie invites when they subscribe to a broadband plan or upgrade their current subscription until June 16, 2016. New customers are eligible to get four (4) tickets while plan upgraders get six (6) tickets. 

One lucky customer will also get a chance to hold a private block screening with 50 of his friends! To join, customers simply need to catch the Finding Dory artwork on the @enjoyglobe Twitter account and retweet with the hashtag #GlobeBroadband. Participants with at least 50 likes and retweets combined are qualified for the raffle and should stay tuned for the announcement on June 22, 2016.

With speeds of up to 1 Gbps, Globe Broadband currently offers a wide range of internet services for the home. Customers can enjoy seamless internet connectivity for the family alongside free entertainment content bundled with their plans such as Spotify, HOOQ and NBA League Pass.

Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory opens in cinemas on June 16.

For more information on promos and free movie invites, visit www.globe.com.ph/broadband/promos/movie-invites.

Tickets will be confirmed via the application email provided and can be claimed from Globe representatives in participating cinemas on the day of the screening.

Catch Up the Animation entries as HOOQ places student films in the spotlight at this year’s MMFF

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Join and enjoy the gateway to a world of unlimited entertainment.

HOOQ, Asia’s largest video-on-demand service, gives you unlimited access to over 10,000 movies, indies and animation and TV series. Discover endless adventure, eternal drama and non-stop laughter at your fingertips.

It's time to widen your world of entertainment, as HOOQ, has signed a groundbreaking deal with the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) to screen a selection of the official entries on the app. 

“Everyone has to start somewhere and for many directors, that happened while they were in school. Young filmmakers from schools like Ateneo de Naga University and DLSU-CSB made it as finalists in this year’s MMFF” said Jane Walker, HOOQ Philippines Country Manager. 

“It is very encouraging that their animated films were chosen among hundreds of entries to take part in this festival,” she added. 

HOOQ is the exclusive presenter for the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival and its New Wave Category, a partnership geared towards promoting quality Philippine entertainment. 

For the first time in the 41-year history of the film fest, the entries under the New Wave category will be simultaneously available in theaters and online, exclusively through HOOQ. 

Since the films will be on the HOOQ app, you can now watch them wherever you are, anytime you want. With just one app, you can stream, download and enjoy thousands of movies and TV series. All from your phone, laptop or tablet.

The MMFF New Wave category has been around since 2010 to give the opportunity to independent filmmakers to showcase their entries and the chance to take home prize money that could potentially be used to fund future film projects. This year’s finalists were selected by a jury out of hundreds of national submissions which was then trimmed down to five finalists each. 

Here are the entries for animation:

The Seed 

The Seed by Joven Maniaol shows the relationship of a man and his wife’s dog, with whom he does not favor, and how this relationship develops when the dog irrevocably ruins an anniversary surprised prepared by the husband. The film was inspired by the Pixar animated film UP and French film “Floating in my Mind.”

Buttons

Buttons was created by Marvel Obemio, Francis Ramirez & Jared Garcia of De La Salle College of St. Benilde. It is a story about 2 voodoo dolls living in a world where others seem to not notice their existence until one day, a mysterious voodoo doll shows up. 

The taboo nature of voodoo one of the pulls that attracted the creators to animating this story.

Geo 

Geo was written and directed by John Aurthur Mercader of Puppeteer Animation Studio has previously won the grand prize for Animahenasyon, the biggest animation film festival in the country. His team also won best in technical quality, Best Animation in Category B (6-30 mins.), and the Hero TV Choice Award in Animahenasyon. The short is about young Geo with a wild imagination, whose mother must always come to his rescue whenever he takes it a step too far.

Little Lights

Little Lights by was written and directed by Rivelle Mallari, the only finalist submission that claims no affiliation to a school or studio. It is a touching story about a physically weak yet strong-willed firefly named Charlie who struggles with his fear of darkness and finding his place within the firefly community. 

Alamat ng Giraffe

Alamat ng Giraffe, directed by Alyssandra Kyle Mallari and written by Karl Marlo Gonzales and Mel Jeffrey Jabido of De La Salle College of St. Benilde, tells a made-up legend on how the giraffe came to be.

Each film is under 10 minutes and (will be) screened started December 17 up to 24 at Glorietta 4, Robinsons Movie World Ermita and SM Megamall. All ten entries will be available on HOOQ from December 18.

In addition to the New Wave shorts and animated films for this year, HOOQ has close to a hundred MMFF past winners and finalists among its huge collection of local TV shows and films, made available for streaming and download on multiple devices. 

New users can enjoy a 30-day free trial by signing up at www.HOOQ.tv. 

Monthly subscription is available at only P149 and can be charged on your Globe mobile bill or via credit card, or it comes free with Globe Home Broadband plans P1,299 and up.

ICON Manila Returns for its Second Year of International Entertainment and Design Conference

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ICON Manila returns this year for the second International Entertainment and Design Conference this June 26 and 27 in De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.

“International Entertainment Design Conference 2015 is an avenue of learning for students and professionals in the field of fine arts, animation, advertising, games and visual design,” says Armand Serrano, Entertainment and Design Conference organizer. “Our impressive line-up of top industry leaders will bring forth an informative and exciting event which will impart new ideas that will ultimately strengthen Asia’s impact on the industry,” he added.

Speakers of the conference, Ben Mauro, Charles Lee, Noelle Triaureau, John Nevarez, and Armand Serrano, will give lectures on Film Concept, Game Cinematic, Animation Production, Animation Environment, and Visual Development.

These speakers have worked with the largest animation studios all over the world such as Sony Pictures Animation, Pixar Animation Studio, Walt Disney Animation Studio, Marvel Production, Sony Entertainment and Electronic Arts. The speakers have come from decades of exquisite experiences in their respective fields and are behind the big screen movies and games like The Hobbit Trilogy, World of Warcraft, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Big Hero 6.

ICON Manila is a paid conference under ICON for Missions, a newly formed non-profit organization based in Eastvale, California. “By hosting various conferences all over the world, its purpose is to raise money to fund their Christian mission and humanitarian aid in needy communities,” says Sam Tanner, Executive Director of ICON for Missions.

Media Partners are De La Salle College of St. Benilde, ABS-CBN, Animation Council of the Philippines INC, FleishmanHillard, Adobo Magazine, CG Masters Academy (USA), 3dsense Media School (Singapore) and The One Academy (Malaysia).

For more details on the conference speakers, schedule, and tickets, visit www.iconmanila.com.

ICON Manila with its first Entertainment and Design Conference in the Philippines

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Top design artists from major animation studios such as Disney Animations, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers are coming to Manila in July this year to break down the design process for students and professionals working in the entertainment design industry.

ICON Manila announces its International Entertainment and Design Conference 2014. It will be the first event of its kind in Asia, featuring top professionals in animation and concept design for feature film, television and games. 

Speakers at the conference have decades of tenure and are esteemed members in their fields of expertise. All have relevant experience working with industry giants such as Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Sony Animation Pictures, and Marvel Productions among the others.

“The conference targets students and professionals alike,” shares Armand Serrano, Entertainment and Design Conference organizer, who has worked on animations like Lilo and Stich, Brother Bear and Mulan. “With our impressive line-up of top industry leaders, our objective is to present a progressive view through the entertainment design process and impart new ideas that will ultimately strengthen Asia’s impact on the industry.”

ICON Manila is a paid conference under ICON for Missions, a newly formed non-profit organization based in Eastvale, California. “By hosting various conferences all over the world, its purpose is to raise money to fund their Christian mission and humanitarian aid in needy communities,” says Sam Tanner, Executive Director of ICON for Missions.

The Entertainment and Design Conference will be held on July 3, 2014 at the SMX Convention Center. 

For more details on the conference speakers, schedule, and tickets, visit www.iconmanila.com. 

Media partners are Adobo Magazine, Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), FleishmanHillard, ABS-CBN, Lifestyle Network, Hero, ANC, Portfolio MNL, Silver Drawing Academy, Ideal Media Entertainment, Online CG Master Academy, CTN Animation eXpo, Schoolism Education Evolved, and CHAVO Animation Studios.

ICON's ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN CONFERENCE 2014 is a conference for professionals and students in the entertainment design industry. This conference details the design process for those working in animation, film, games, advertising, fine arts and other forms of visual media. Conference speakers have decades of proven experience in their fields of expertise. Their combined knowledge in this one event will help further Asia's impact on the entertainment design industry.

Animated Short “Tangled Ever After” With “Beauty and the Beast” 3D

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Walt Disney Pictures has announced that "Tangled Ever After," the short film follow-up to their 2010 hit animated feature “Tangled” will be an added attraction to “Beauty and the Beast” 3D when it opened in the Philippines  February 22.

By popular demand, directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard are bringing back some of Disney’s most beloved characters when "Tangled Ever After" picks up where "Tangled" left off. The Kingdom is in a festive mood as everyone gathers for the royal wedding of Rapunzel and Flynn. However, when Pascal and Maximus, as flower chameleon and ring bearer, respectively, lose the gold bands, a frenzied search and recovery mission gets underway. As the desperate duo tries to find the rings before anyone discovers that they’re missing, they leave behind a trail of comical chaos that includes flying lanterns, a flock of doves, a wine barrel barricade and a very sticky finale. Will Maximus and Pascal save the day and make it to the church in time? And will they ever get Flynn’s nose right?

 

 

"Tangled Ever After" is the perfect accompaniment to "Beauty and the Beast", which is returning to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D and introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. “Beauty and the Beast” was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning Oscars for Best Song, by the renowned Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and Best Original Score (Menken).

“Beauty and the Beast” 3D is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures

‘Beauty and the Beast’ 3D

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One of the most popular and enduring romantic adventures the world has ever known became one of the most ambitious and entertaining animated motion pictures ever brought to the screen with Walt DisneyPictures’ 30th full-length animated feature, ”Beauty and the Beast” which is coming to Philippine theaters for the first time in 3D.

This classic fairy tale about a beautiful young girl and her encounter with an enchanted beast has long fascinated and intrigued storytellers, filmmakers and their audiences. Through the artistry and imagination of the Disney creative team, an inspired song score by two Academy Award winning songwriters and the contributions of an enormously talented vocal ensemble, this age-old fantasy took on exciting new dimensions that are only possible through the magic of animation.

The “Beauty and the Beast” story is indeed “a tale as old as time” with variations on the central theme going as far back as Greek mythology. In 1550, Italian author Giovan Straparalo wrote the first account of the story as it is generally known. The tale grew in popularity during the 18th century with books by French authors Madam Le Prince De Beaumont and Madame Gabrielle di Villeneuve. In 1946, acclaimed French director Jean Cocteau used cinematic imagery and lyrical expression to bring this story imaginatively to the big screen (“La Belle et la Bete”).

“Doing your own version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is as much a tradition as is the story itself,” says producer Don Hahn. “Part of the fun is that each generation and culture adapts this story to be its own. The themes––you can’t judge a book by its cover, and beauty is only skin deep–– are as relevant today as ever.”

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton agrees, “The lessons of this story are truly timeless, especially for kids growing up today. It tells them to look beyond the surface and beyond materialism and that what is in their hearts and souls are the things that really matter.”

The release of “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D comes at a time when both the art of animation and the 3D process are enjoying their greatest popularity.    

Through the magic of Disney and the leaps in modern computer animation technology developed at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, a team of artists, under the guidance of stereographer Robert Neuman, found a way to breathe more dimensional life into “Beauty and the Beast” by turning it into an eye-popping 3D experience.

Numerous and dramatic challenges awaited Neuman and his team. In discussing the complications of making “Beauty and the Beast” into a 3D film, Neuman emphasizes that because there was no dimensional reality in which to put a second camera, he and his team had to invent a brand new set of computer tools that would allow the filmmakers to sculpt depth into the existing images and thereby create a second eye in order for the 3D to be achieved.

“In making a live-action film a director could simply add a second camera to get thesecond eye view,” Neuman says of the task that he and his team faced. He explains that the 3D conversion technique they came up with – pixel displacement – enables the artists to take each image and create a “depth map” that corresponds to that image. “The depth map is simply a grayscale image that allows our artists to sculpt out a relief map – the depth map – of the image. We’re then able to take that, apply it to the original image and displace the pixels to create a second eye view,” he says.

All of the filmmakers and artists who have been involved with the 3D transformation of “Beauty and the Beast” are in unanimous agreement that they take pride in being part of the great legacy of this iconic film. As stereographer Robert Neuman says, “It’s amazing to be able to take these great movies like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King’ and give audiences a new way to see them again. Even if they’re seeing it for the first time, or the one-hundredth time, this is a whole new experience for audiences.”

The computer gives the filmmakers total control over that illusion. Objects that are close up, such as Belle and the Beast dancing, can create a very intimate environment, as though the audience is sitting right there in the scene. Or if a spectacular shot is required, perhaps of the countryside with Maurice going off to sell his inventions, that epic shot is given a more gentle treatment of 3D. Many factors are at play and the story is enhanced by that 3D decision-making. Stereographers like Robert are crucial to the process.

Take for example the famous ballroom sequence. Although spectacular in its original form, Neuman and his team of artists were able to enhance what was already one of animation’s most memorable scenes. “We use 3D to support the storytelling narrative,” Neuman says. “Like any other aspect of film, such as the music score, 3D is used to enhance big emotional moments and to help build up to the emotional climax. For those big moments we expand the 3D. We put more of the three-dimensional effects into it. For the ballroom scene it was vital to have the right sense of scale. We had to show the grandeur, the majesty of this ballroom. The key to it was to enforce the sense of perception of scale.”

Neuman further explains that the “Be Our Guest” number was especially suited to 3D. “Although it was a bigger challenge than the ballroom sequence because there were shots that had hundreds of levels and every level of artwork requires dimensionalizing, if you look at the original staging, the way the things are blocked and choreographed, you see that it already has a sense of dimensionality.”

The filmmakers agree that the techniques that enabled them to create “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D is so new that this could not have been done just five years ago. “The first time we ever did a dimensionalization was on ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’” Don Hahn says. “It was hard, very labor-intensive work. The results however were great, but it took a long time and was very expensive. It still takes a long time and it’s very expensive!” Hahn says.

“Beauty and the Beast” was the first hand-drawn film to be dimensionalized into 3D. Disney is the leader in the new technology and regardless of how sophisticated it is, as Hahn says, “It’s important for people to know that it’s not as simple as pushing a button or putting a quarter in a machine and a 3D movies out. It’s all about great artists like Robert Neuman and his crew who must make important creative decisions.”

Opening February 22 across the Philippines, “Beauty and the Beast” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.