Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Animahenasyon 2014: The 8th Animation Festival from the Animation Council of the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Who doesn't love animation? I haven't met anyone who isn't interested watching one or two of those computer-generated graphics coming to life on any screen size may it be on TV, the cinema house or online. It's actually harder, more expensive and takes a lot of patience to make a blockbuster animated movie compared to a regular movie minus the special effects and the huge Hollywood paycheck of the celebrities.

All of the movie productions nowadays implement the use of digital graphics and animation to enhanced their movies, you can find the works of animation artists almost everywhere especially on mainstream movies. They can create animations that are almost life-like and could pass for the real thing.
Here in the Philippines, some of our local artists share the limelight with other foreign animation experts as they now could also apply the same techniques in our local movies, for example "Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles," which have used the art of digital animation for their special effects and background/foreground settings. The part 2 of the movie now called "Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2" also capitalized on the use of digital animation incorporated in the movie to make an outstanding array of special effects to improve the entertainment viewing experience.
The 8th Animation Festival dubbed as Animahenasyon (Filipino equivalent of Animagination which is a combination of animation and imagination) organized by the Animation Council of the Philippines in partnership with the iAcademy, gathers together experts and enthusiasts in one venue to give opportunities to the youth, and the young-at-heart, to discover and explore the art of animation. The event happened from November 25 to 28, 2014 at the new iAcademy building (formerly the Mondragon building) located along Buendia (Gil Puyat) Avenue.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Theatre at Solaire at the Solaire Resort & Casino proudly raised its curtains and is all set for stellar performances. Just a few days ago, it initiated the opening of its doors to the performing arts with a grand launch last November 26, 2014 led by Audie Gemora, Director for Entertainment.

Your friendly neighborhood pambansang blogger was among the select few who was invited to witness the unveiling of the spectacular fan-shaped lyric theater with a seating capacity of 1, 760 people. The theater is ideal for all forms of the performing arts - be it musical, opera, ballet, pop concert, concerto, awards night, competition, circus act, kiddie show or corporate event.

Boasting of the best light and sound equipment, it is the first theater in the country and among a few in the region that is equipped with the groundbreaking technology called Constellation Acoustic System (CAS) exclusively provided by Meyer Sound. The CAS combines patented algorithm, advanced digital processing, and miniature transducer technology to provide optimal yet flexible acoustics in building design. It enables the acoustical properties of a room to be altered to suit the nature of the event taking place in just a touch of a finger.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), returned to Manila in spectacular fashion, showcasing another night of world-class mixed martial arts action in front of a packed crowd at the MOA Arena. In the main event of the evening, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes submitted Dae Hwan Kim with a Rear Naked Choke to retain his ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship. Brandon Vera knocked out Igor Subora in a battle of heavyweights and Timofey Nastyukhin shocked the crowd with a knockout of hometown MMA hero Eduard Folayang.

ONE FC Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes retained his title with a submission win over Korea’s Dae Hwan Kim. Kim proved to be a live challenger as he tested Fernandes’ championship mettle in the first round with a display of lightning quick strikes that found their mark. In the second round, Fernandes turned to grappling as he quickly worked to secure Kim’s back after the Korean missed a punch. Moments later, Fernandes locked in a Rear Naked Choke, forcing Kim to tap out.

In the co-main event of the evening, international mixed martial arts superstar Brandon “The Truth” Vera of the Philippines defeated URCC champion Igor Subora of the Ukraine via spectacular knockout, sending the MOA Arena crowd into a frenzy. The fight started off with both fighters trading heavy blows. Vera caught Subora in a Muay Thai clinch and unleashed a couple of knees to the head. Towards the end of the round, Vera slipped a punch by Subora and countered with a straight left, dropping his opponent and throwing in two more kicks for good measure. The referee stepped in to stop the fight, awarding Vera with the victory.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Is Shabooya from 99 Percent already a dance craze?

If not, well maybe after watching this video, it will soon become a viral video. I've personally witnessed how these popular celebrities rehearsed the steps pertaining to the dance, and enjoyed every minute of it. The dance encourages all participants in the group to do individual freestyle dancing while the rest of the group cheer on.

Shabooya is said to be a song from 99 Percent and used at the Bring It On 3 movie and is a part of a certain cheer routine to introduce the squad; also known as scatting.

Seen below are the lovely cosplay queens Alodia Gosiengfiao and Myrtle Sarrosa who were part of this dance show-off after the Amazing Stories of Yexel's Toy Museum grand launch. Yexel Sebastian danced with the two cosplay queens together with other amazing and cool friends like Eric Ejercito (Alodia's boyfriend), Brian Poe Llamanzares, Moymoy Palaboy, Roadfill Sparks, Chicser and, of course, the adorably sweet and lovely girlfriend of Yexel, Mikee Trixia M. Agustin. Eric Ejercito was acting as the choreographer of the group who patiently taught everyone the steps.

What is amazing about these teens is that they were able to easily and quickly learn in such short tutorial session. More videos of the rehearsal at the Wazzup Pilipinas YouTube channel.

The newest life-size toy museum dubbed as "Amazing Stories of Yexel's Museum" is located at the 2nd level of the Manila Ocean Park alongside its other equally amazing attractions, is bound to attract the attention of many people especially this holiday season.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Eat Out Manila, the Philippines' first restaurant reservations app, expands its reach even further with the Android version, and now brings its convenience to users of the two leading mobile operating systems. Launched on the iOS platform initially when it came to market just middle of 2014, Eat Out Manila is now available to all Android users via the Android app store.

The premier restaurant reservations application in the Philippines is making eating out a more fun experience for Filipinos who love to dine out. Diners can now easily reserve seats at their favorite restaurant and even gain benefits from doing so as Eat Out Manila also offers exclusive deals including discounts, gift certificates, and freebies from its top-notch partner restaurants.

“This app is borne out of our frustrations on our personal experiences with manual restaurant reservations. When we first came up with the app, our goal was to bring it to as many users as possible. We’re very happy to introduce it to Android users and see what they think,” said Iñaki Lamata, Co-Founder, Eat Out Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Amazing Stories of Yexel's Museum just had its grand launch last December 5, 2014 and your friendly neighborhood pambansang blogger just had to be there to cover it myself.

I'm a fan of Yexel Sebastian's work, as well as avid followers of his guests like Alodia Gosiengfiao, Eric Ejercito, Myrtle Sarrosa, Brian Poe Llamanzres, Moymoy Palaboy, Roadfill Sparks and even Chicser....seriously! Yexel's other museums are equally incredible especially the one in Las Pinas with the giant Optimum Prime bust! This one at the 2nd level of the Manila Ocean Park is indeed a venue where amazing stories can be forever told.

A truly family-friendly attraction where even the kids-at-heart can marvel at the fascinating life-size replicas of famous very and familiar characters form the movies and comic books, plus lots of other stuff on display at this incredible toy museum where learning comes natural as children and adults immerse themselves to the world of fantasy and movie magic.

An interview with a Manila Ocean Park official said the museum is a collaboration between them and Yexel. They initiated the arrangement to come up with this truly amazing display of sculptures mostly made from styrofoam and other light materials. Though the creations are images taken from the movies and comic book characters we all loved, Yexel personally created them with love and passion. You'll be amazed at the life-size sculptures of the cute Chipmunks, the adorable Minions room, of Spiderman, the Lord of the Rings including Ganfalf the Wizard, the Star wars with Lord Darth Vader, and most especially the Ironman room with all the intricately-designed Ironman suits on display.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

My kids call me the pancake master at home because I am the only one who can cook pancakes with very little flaws. Perfect they would say, for I can quickly come up with a batch of great smelling buttered pancakes that's a little crispy at the edges and in almost perfect circle shapes that no one could resist. I would sometimes include some other ingredients like cheese, raisins and chocolate bits as a decorative and taste add-on. They would quickly eat them all up before you could say "Pass the maple syrup."

But I guess I need to step aside now because I've just seen a real artist when it comes to mastering the art of pancake cooking. Imagine pancakes in all shapes, sizes and color neatly mixed or arranged together to produce an artwork that is so appealing. They say it's bad to play with your food but you will surely make an exemption the moment you experience being in front of international all-day breakfast joint Slappy Cakes special pancake cooking grill.

Slappy Cakes recently introduced its Christmas offerings which are specially designed for kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy this season. Let us present to you the seasonal Gingerbread Batter that's perfect for the holiday season. All brown and gooey but once you've cooked it to a pancake and put on top some sweetened apple bits (apple compote), whipped cream, plus the basic syrups, you'll wanna do it all over again.

Google Announces Online Resources for Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) is currently an extremely powerful tropical cyclone approaching the eastern part of the Philippines, which is also the most intense tropical cyclone of 2014 in terms of sustained winds.

In this regard, we would like to share a very important message from Gail Tan, Google Philippines Head of Public Affairs and Communications, that might be of big help for the coming typhoon Ruby (international name Hagupit)

Google has announced that is has activated several resources for typhoon related information.

Public Alerts- real-time updated information from Pag-asa and other information on the typhoon and its route and expected effect. On the right side, you'll find a Google Crisis Map for Ruby. This map contains information on shelters, evacuation centers, and the track of the cyclone.

Crisis Landing Page houses our Person Finder and a lot of emergency contact numbers.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Visiting the Phil-Bike Expo 2014 brings back memories when I still had plenty of time to ride a bicycle. With my new line of work as online media, I would be out most often attending press conferences, media previews and launches and would often just sit down infront of the computer and forever type away until the end of the day. Well, I had my reasons why I stayed away from biking, but this expo made me want to dust off my mountain bike and start riding again.

The event was held at the World Trade Center (WTC) last November 15 and 16, 2014 with lots of fun activities, promos and discounts, raffles and performances for the entire family to enjoy! Many folks from all demographics visited the WTC for a feast of two-wheeled wonders.

I had my first bicycle, with training wheels, when I was still at a very young age of 3 and still could not forget about it ever since I saw my back and white vintage photo together with the bicycle. I don't remember my experience with the bike but the photo was evidence that I do adore riding a bicycle during those times. The more memorable moments in the past was when we had an accident while riding a bicycle with a side car. We were all so eager to try it out when our father gave it to us as a gift that my brothers and I (all five of us) rode it immediately on the neighborhood streets. However, due to the heavy load, the bicycle flipped over.

But that didn't stopped us from continuing to love biking especially when our parents gave each one of us our very own bicycles. Wow! We were roaming around the streets of our neighborhood like we were a bike gang. The fun part was there were so huge open spaces back then, and wide field where we can safely ride away without fearing being struck by a vehicle.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

PLAY 2D BEAT was a variety show which main purpose was to celebrate PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION's 2nd Year Anniversary by discovering new talents through a healthy competition of KPop cosplay and open dance categories.

The event was dubbed as PLAY 2D BEAT: An Open Dance Competition and was held last October 31 (Friday), 5-9PM at CAP Auditorium, CAP Bldg., Amorsolo Street in the city of Makati.

PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION is a full production house with indoor and outdoor studios, shooting equipment, talents, event management and story conceptualization experts and production staff. They offer event/talent/product or service publicity, marketing and advertising as well as event coverage and online media partnership.

There were three featured KPop cosplay contestants who all strut their way on stage in the tune of their favorite KPop artists' music.

The declared winner of the night was Pielle Coscolluella in the said category.

As for the open dance competition, the rankings are:

Champion - Four One Seven
1st runner-up - J.Crisis
2nd runner-up - Autonomicass Crew (AC)