Not your ordinary cosplay: Awesome fan-made short films

We’ve seen a lot of popular comics and cartoons these days turned into big budgeted live-action movies by Hollywood. Examples are of course the upcoming movie of the Avengers, Transformers, Superman and a whole lot more. Not anymore strange, since television in the 60’s had been already showing series about the Green Hornet and Batman. Also is a typical scenario in Japan, where the sequence begins with stories in manga form, turned into anime and lastly played in live form by local actors (Death Note, Beck, Sailormoon to name a few).

However, one can find greater delight in watching movies made by hardcore fans themselves. Not just the typical cosplayers on conventions doing a specific scene or portraying their character’s signature moves. I’m talking about fans (or a whole mob of them) who used their talents to create breathtaking independent short films based on their favourite cartoons or games. Watching their works can make you sense their passion and eagerness to bring into life the icons that are part of their lives. Even better, they spark more inspiration to their fellow fans.

I’ve picked out the best independent live action short films uploaded over the Internet. Thanks to YouTube, their works can be seen online and is going viral already, reaching other fans across the globe.



Naruto Shippuden: Dreamer's Fight (created by RivenX3i)

This is video that sparked the interest to write this article. It is just spectacular. At first I thought it was just centered on drama between Rock Lee and Naruto. But after the opening dialogues, and the fighting scene comes in, it just took my breath away. Brilliant martial arts sequence, superb camera angles, and special effects staying true to the anime style. And hey, that Rock Lee actor's really got the moves of Bushy Brows! Since the title says Part 1, expect more Naruto movies from the creators of this one.

Hungry for more? Check out more fan-made videos after the cut!

Mistress of Art: DAKIE SEGURA

Ever get that feeling of seeing artworks over the Internet so polished and neatly done, you think the artists behind them are already gods? Then and now, I still get excited seeing these fantastic artworks, even if I know a lot of my friends are on that kind of artistic level already. One of them I know is Darlene Segura, our featured artist for this edition of Mistress of Art, and even by staying simple, she can rock your world through her creative prowess.

I’ve known Darlene, or commonly known as Dakie to her friends, since around 5 years ago. We met online through the deviantArt community chat, she being a moderator for an all-Filipino chatroom and I was a beginner in the dA world. I then began visiting her exhibits and became friends, sharing interest not just on art but with music and other things. I’ve always considered her works as cute and colourful.  Or moreover, having a lot of that fantasy flavour. The characters on each of her creations are eye-candies for both kids and adults.

Dakie is not just an artist with a talent; rather, she has this large passion for almost anything creative: from simple doodles and graphic designs to photography to art with advocacies. She already has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in Advertising, and has worked, exhibited and did a lot of art gigs after college, but still, she pursues on discovering and going beyond her limit. Dakie is currently on her last year being a student again and completing her thesis in Multimedia Arts. If she can excite you with her vector works, wait till you get to see her traditional ones, being a skilled user of the watercolour medium. All I can see for her is a bright future ahead, full of more wonderful stuff akin to her wonderful works.

Presented here are some of her works I’ve personally picked from her dA account. Be sure to check out her other portfolios for more creative pieces!

Bakit kaya ang hirap magsulat sa sariling wika?

image via Philboxing.com

Bakit ang hirap magsulat sa Tagalog?

Ilang linggo kong pinag-isipan kung ano ang sunod kong ilalagay sa blog na to. Nagkataon kasi na dahil buwan ng Agosto ngayon, at kung huli ka na sa balita, ay Buwan rin ng Wika, at napagkasunduan na sa Filipino nakasulat ang mga ilalagay na post. Kaya para sakin, nadalian lang ako. Tagalog, diba? Sariling wika. Madaling magsulat gamit ang sariling wika.

Yun nga lang, mali pala ako. Inabot ako ng lagpas ng tatlong linggo kaka-isip ng magiging topic ng isusulat ko. At nang maka-isip nga, parang hindi ko masyadong ma-isulat sa Tagalog. Para bang masyado na akong nag-iisip ng Ingles kaya ngayon di ko mailabas sa sarili kong wika ang gusto kong sabihin.

Kahit ngayon, nahihirapan pa rin akong buuin ang artikulong ito. Masyado akong nag-aalala. Tama ba ang ginagawa ko? Ewan. Teka ano nga ba ang gusto kong sabihin?

Bakit ang hirap magsulat sa Tagalog?

O siguro kulang lang ako sa praktis. Sa tingin ko rin, hindi lang ako ang nagkakaganito. Malamang marami rin ang dumadaan sa ganitong pagsubok. Nung bata pa ko, madali lang magsulat pag sinabi ng guro ng Filipino. Sus, kayang kaya. Pero ngayon, patay. Mukhang babagsak ako sa asignatura. Kasi naman, sa kakaisip ko at kakawika sa Ingles, natabunan ang pagiging natural na Filipino-speaking ko. Or writer. Minsan din kasi kapag sinabi sakin na magsulat ako sa sariling wika, hindi ko alam kung papano. “Pwede po bang pagsalitain nyo na lang ako?” Isa pang nagiging problema kapag nagsusulat ako sa wikang Tagalog, di ko maiwasang gumamit ng malalim na mga salita. Dahil pa sa tubong Batangas ako at ang pag-bigkas at pagwika namin doon ay talaga namang kalalim, ah ah. Kapag nagsimula akong magsulat ay mga malalalim na salita ang mailalagay ko, na kahit sarili ko’y hindi ko maiintindihan. Kaya rin siguro marami ang nawili nang lumabas ang mga libro ni Bob Ong dahil bukod sa nakakatawa ito ay simple lang ang mga nakalagay na salita. Hindi pang-zarzuela level. Pero papano na siguro sa hinaharap? Mawawala kaya ang pagkalalim ng mga salita natin? Hindi naman siguro. Marami pa rin ang magtatanggol para mabuhay ito.

Mistress of Art: MAI EVANGELISTA

For avid Internet users, everyday would be like an unexpected treasure hunt. In my case, I have this habit of clicking anything worth viewing, mainly on the art section. I check on various images on a lot of websites to start the morning and to inspire me to be creative throughout the day (mostly haha). Good thing Tumblr was invented, because it was the best site to keep track on a lot of creative people on the web, much less to discover pure Filipino artists as well. And there I discovered the first to be featured on this Mistress of Art topic. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the pop-fazed wonderful artworks of Mai Evangelista.

To be honest, I have zero knowledge about the artist. When I landed upon her Tumblr blog, I just let the images do the talking. I was mesmerized, so to speak. I’ve seen quite a few artists from my country with this caliber of talent and creativity, and her works are just as inspiring as it can be. It’s vector art but not just plain vector art. Viewers and visitors can really see the details and effort on each piece. I myself find stories on most of her works. Mai Evangelista sometimes includes vignettes about how she made or what was the inspiration behind a piece. I guess that’s how she captures a lot of audience and inspire them. Simple yet elegant artworks.

So as I said earlier, let the images do the talking. Here are more of her works.

An interesting story about Mr. Nobody

Mr. Nobody (2009)
Movie Review

What if you have been given the gift to see the future of each life-altering decision before you decide? What if you can experience them all first before picking the right one? For a certain man named Nemo Nobody, it wasn’t a gift he asked for. He never wished for the power to see the future. Like everybody else, he just wanted to love, and live a happy life.

He did get what he wanted, although the life he lived was a tough one. Welcome to the complicated world of Mr. Nobody.

The movie: Mr Nobody is a 2009 science fiction movie by Belgian director Jaco Van Dormael, and features Jared Leto playing the title character. Diane Kruger plays Anna, one of the three love interests of Nemo (and the one he truly loves), along with other actresses Sarah Polley and Linh Dan Pham. The story opens in the year 2092 where we see Mr. Nobody as an 118 year-old man, and the last living ‘mortal’ as all the people in the world have been ‘telomerized’, explained as making a person quasi-immortal and living with ageless beauty. As Nemo is being interviewed by his doctor, and then with a reporter later in the movie, he recounts his life from three major stages in his life: at aged 9, while 16, and at 34 years old, with a non-linear sequence in the movie. As it progresses (and while the watchers of this film go confused at why the events are happening), the main purpose of Nemo’s existence will be revealed. The film also integrates its views on scientific elements like the Big Bang Theory, parallel dimensions, etc and how it is related to Nemo’s life as it ages.

New Music Discovery: Happy Boy + LEO37 + Balance and the TravellingSounds

I was planning to write this piece last weekend but due to the current situation of Japan where I am right now, things kind of got off schedule. So before things get worse, I’m going to post this one already! The last week was full of new discovery on arts, music and designs, and for now I’ll be sharing these wonderful artists I found out while flying out on the Internet cyberspace. These are sure tune-shakers! Check ‘em out!

Happy Boy
Manila, Philippines

One talented music-man I found shared on the Facebook dashboard by a friend of mine. I clicked the link, played the button on soundcloud, and what came next was bliss. It was heavenly. I don’t even know this guy’s real name, but it didn’t matter. His samples are great. Amazing. I got fond of lyric-less music when I started listening to Caspian and El Ten Eleven, and this music creations of Happy Boy gave me a smile. Simple tunes, simple beats, simple cutesy notes. Perfect when you want to relax and want to travel in space or swim under the sea while lying in bed. Treat yourself also to some poetry reading on some of the tracks.

Here’s a sample from one of his creations. Check all of his tracks on his Soundcloud account. You’ll also get to download some of them for free.

Let Darna fly once again!

Darna Lives! via darnalives.blogspot.com

Darna Lives!
darnalives.blogspot.com

It was only last week that I came across this blog about a one-shot resurrection comic for the iconic Darna, the Philippines' famous classic super heroine. At first, I was hesitant to look into the fan fiction since media had already given me a bad impression of Darna through the recent years (will talk about this in a while). But knowing that it's a project by two of these generations' comic foundations, Gerry Alanguilan and Arnold Arre, one must not ignore the treasure they are digging and bringing back to us.

A quick rundown on its history: Darna is a fictional character popular in Filipino comics, created by komiks legend Mars Ravelo. It is a story of a girl named Narda who, after swallowing a magical stone from outer space, becomes  the amazon-like super heroine Darna. Along with her sidekick Ding, she fought numerous evil embodiments including the serpent-headed Valentina, some aliens and some bad guys. She first appeared in print in 1950. Since then, it was adapted into new forms of media, from comics to television series and movies. Notable actresses that played the super heroine were Vilma Santos, Lorna Tolentino, Sharon Cuneta and Anjanette Abayari.

7 Tips to Having a Hangover-free Morning After a Party

Tagay na mga brad! via bargainmugs.com

For the party-lovers out there like me, how typical is this scenario: You and your friends attended a party where there was loads of booze which you drank the entire night, and also hit on those nachos and pizzas served on the table while playing around. Indeed it was a fun night, everyone got drunk, and everyone had a blast. You were so happy you eagerly slept already to preserve the memory. Turns out, you woke up in the morning not recalling what happened the night before, and instead ended up with a throbbing ache running around your head. You’ll then recognize you’re under the punishment of the hangover.

Everyone probably must have experienced the agony of a hangover scene (or if you haven’t and want to see the major consequences, watch the Hangover movie). We know it’s a headache (figuratively and literally), but we still want to enjoy and have fun when there’s alcohol around. I too have the same dilemma, so what I did was to ask around for the best tips to lessen or even not to get any hangover by the morning. I’ve collected a handful of tips to bust that hangover before it even hit you. See if it can help you deal with it.

Drinking lots of water. This was the most suggested answer from the survey I made. In case you haven’t noticed, drinking beer and alcohol will leave you totally dehydrated. And thus, the best way to keep hydrated is to drink plain water. It smoothens your throat, keeps the oxygen pumped up inside your body, and your blood circulating. This is your best bet to a hangover-free morning the day after. I drink 2-3 glasses of water before dozing off.

How to: Be Inspired and Where to Get Ideas

Finding inspiration to sky dive! (image via flickr)

We can’t deny to ourselves that every once in a while, we need to find some inspiration to jumpstart our boring moments. Some people rely on finding an extraordinary feat before having some fuel to work, while others need little amazing things to keep them awake. As for me, being a designer, I need to look for things that can make a good element or basis for my craft. And so for a long time, I found different ways to get my creative mind running. I weren’t a firm believer of the “1% inspiration, 99% perspiration” policy since back then. Keeping it balance was, and still my killer formula.

I compiled a small list sharing all the best and the craziest (take note, craziest, so expect something unlikely included in this) activities to get my ideas and inspirations from. Hopefully, some of you might be getting yours the same way I do!

5 Portfolio Websites from the Philippines

Hora! Last time, I featured some wonderful websites and blogs dealing on industrial design from the international scene. I’m still researching on Philippine-based ID firms with wonderful works, so for the meantime, I’m sharing to you these 5 portfolio websites on creative media which you probably didn’t know or haven’t seen yet. Be proud, these Filipino creative media artists really rock!

Happy Garaje
http://happygaraje.com/about-hg/

Happy Garaje is a design and illustration studio from Cebu, Philippines. As how they said about their work, they “like to create things and tell stories.” Indeed, you can see that their works are loosely based on imagination and are out of this world. Click on the Accolades page on their site and you’ll be amazed by how many art awards and recognitions they have received.

Electrolychee
http://electrolychee.com/

The first time I came across the dynamic art duo of Electrolychee was on my 3^rd year in college (some three years ago) when they were invited to talk about their works by our art organization. They seem to be having a lot fun doing what they love from how they share their achievements over the years. Their works consist of different styles ranging from cute colors to minimalism to doodles and many more.

Designers should be Objectified

Objectified movie poster, image from http://www.wired.com

For the past days since starting this Extra Kanin blog, I was trying to write an article that will give our readers the basic definition of industrial design. Many people don’t even know what industrial design is and what the profession is for. We always come across friends and acquaintances back in college asking us what we do, and what makes us different from more popular courses like architecture, interior design and fine arts. From a point of view of an outsider, industrial design is an unknown degree with no solid future. However, for those who practice it, the profession is prestigious.

Just last night, I finished watching this 2009-released documentary about industrial design (much thanks to Nian Suministrado for referring this to me). The movie is entitled Objectified, directed by Gary Hustwit, the same man who created the Helvetica movie (next on my to-watch list). For the people who don’t have a clue, now you will get the chance to better understand the nature of our profession. Objectified is the 90-minute tour to the world of simplicity, common sense, modernism and creativity as ingredients for design.

Every Guitar Has A Story

It Might Get Loud (2010)
Music Documentary

Every guitar has a name, and every name has a story behind it. Stories of adventure through music land, of clashing notes and sweet riffs. What’s more amazing are the musicians behind them, their masters, the geniuses that make the guitar moan and cry. It doesn’t matter how loud it gets, because that’s not the sole purpose of it. Just music and music alone.

One day in January of 2008, three of the greatest rock guitarists of this modern time came together to discuss the electric guitar. One came from Dublin, one from Tennessee, and the most veteran came from London. The Edge from U2, Mr. Jack White of White Stripes and The Raconteurs, and Mr. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds, respectively. When this kind of men come together to talk about the one passion they all share, you know stories of inspiration and motivation will surface and amaze you. I know, because that’s how it turned out for me.

Flipped: Love As Told From Both Sides

Flipped (2010)

Flipped poster. from www.tribute.ca. 

It all started on their first meeting, when second-grader Julianna Baker instantly fell in love with second-grader Bryce. What comes next was predictable to tell, but after watching both sides of the story, you may want to think over those memories you had in your childhood puppy love years.

Here’s the quick rundown on the story (skip if you have plans on watching the it first): Bryce and his family moves in to a new house in the village, where Julie lives across the street. He felt annoyed on the troublesome girl, but on the girl’s side, it was love at first sight. First time I saw him, I flipped, she said. Right then on, Julie never ceased to express her love for young Bryce. It became her ultimate goal to have that special kiss from her first love. Bryce on the other hand tried everything to keep the girl out of the way. That lasted for the next few years, until Bryce committed some foul mistakes that hurt Julie. Then the story, umm, flipped. Now the boy began going for the girl, and that made little Miss Julianna confused over her feelings. It even made her angrier at some point. There came a moment when the anticipated kiss was almost there, but then it was all wrong timing. Then she walked out away. Then there were tears. Then there was a tree planted in the front yard of the Bakers. They were smiling. End of story. Haha, just go watch the movie. Reserve the sweet feeling and know why you should feel it after watching the flick.

Industrial Design Websites For Your Inspiration

As an industrial designer, it has always been a part of our design process to include research as a partner of every step. There is research done before the project starts, while idealization commences, laying out the mechanism, internal functions and the ergonomics of the initial design, the marketability of the product, and even the right way to deliver the product’s message. The hardest way of dealing with this is the lack of visuals and commentaries about how the ideas will run and be born. So the quickest place to go for a design study besides the library is the Internet, although industrial design is still not that popular of a topic to look for on the web. As to help the students and others of the same profession, I compiled a list of wonderful industrial websites that will give any designers ease on where to get ideas, backgrounds, methods, and of course motivation and inspiration while working on their designs.

CORE77
http://www.core77.com/
http://challenges.core77.com/

Every industrial design student knows about Core77. It’s like the “House of ID”, the one website where every design ideas converge. And that’s exactly how the website presents its contents. Core77 shows the readers what they need to know, in terms of latest designs, commentary columns, news, information, hotlinks, what’s coming, and a lot more. Designers that write about designs, so you can be sure of what you read were experienced firsthand and understood by the writers. Plus, they hold competitions in what they call the Design Arena for amateurs and professionals to participate in (with most cash prizes enough to make you start a business or design firm already). It is truly a haven for us industrial designers.

Three Sundays of Summer

Sunday Morning I

A red car. We were sitting inside the red car, on which the doors were flung open for the 2AM breeze to blow in. A red car under the large mango tree, the mango tree under the vast starry sky above. It was a very fantastical scenario.

We were sitting inside the red car. Me and her. I was on the passenger seat, and she was at the back, probably curled up to lay. Or was sitting, perhaps. I wasn’t looking at her, I was just amazed at the star-dusted velvet blanket. We were talking of stuffs. Candid, sensual, funny stuff. If you think this is a love story, then you guessed wrong. This ain’t another 500 days of summer-theme as well. Though I was busy spotting the different alignment of the heavenly bodies, I was listening to her story. Her love story.

Oh wait. Excuse me. His love story.

Bad as it may seem, but we were having delight talking about this guy who’s silently courting her. Yet we can’t judge situation. I on my part had no right to judge as well. She, perhaps can, but it was heartbreaking too to break another heart. And seemingly, the breezy evening was not paying attention either.

“Victoria. Your choice, your life.“

The doors were flung open for the 2AM breeze to blow in. A cold summer mid-morning.

Malaysia on Film - July 2010

Photos from Malaysia trip last July 2010.
from my Flickr account.

Love Theory According to Writer Lucas

Para Kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin)
Ricky Lee, 2008

A friend of mine showed me her latest collection of newly bought books one August night. One of the items had the faded red and some caricatures as a book cover. She told me it was a Filipino novel. I was expecting it to be something serious, since all Filipino novels I come across on bookstores are hardcore literary-fancy books. Well this one was something new. Para Kay B, written by Ricky Lee, it says. So it was Ricky Lee’s new book. Oh, Ricky Lee the infamous scriptwriter? My friend said yes, and also told me it was a light comedy kind of novel. So it intrigued me more. The last time I read something from Ricky Lee’s written stuff was almost a decade ago, when I was still drooling over Trip to Quiapo and almost serious in choosing Journalism as a course just to write scripts. And the last time I read something light and comedy in Filipino literature was the Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas-Bob Ong days more than five years ago. So why not give it a try, I thought, and maybe I’ll be having a good laugh from this book. Or some few tips for a more exciting love affair. Set aside those Stephen King books and dwell on funny slice of life stories.

Pinback and Their Simple Magic Tunes

PinbackGenre: Indie Rock
Years Active: 1998-Present

Pinback: Armistead Burwell Smith IV (left), Rob Crow. Image from aweekatthemost.com. 

If you’re aiming for a smooth Friday night with melodic and clean rock sounds on the background, then this band’s music is definitely right for you. Pinback is an indie rock band from San Diego, California formed in 1998. According to Wikipedia, The band's moniker is a reference to a character in the sci-fi horror film Dark Star, directed by John Carpenter. So far, they have released four studio albums, a couple of EP's through the years, and one compilation.