Talent and passion comes in the form of LA-based Pinoy multimedia artist Randy D. Rosario, who recently did a screening of his animated short film “The Panda Rabbit” at the Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery in Makati City.
“The Panda Rabbit” is Randy’s creation, a quirky and memorable character who is half-panda and half-rabbit, and does not fit in in a world of pandas. He isolates himself from the world, with his TV as his only friend, and soon gets sucked into the realm of television.
Photos by Nichelle Cueto
This concept has allowed Randy’s imagination to run wild in creating this panda world, where he’s also come up with panda celebrities and other notable figures who shun the lovable but different Panda Rabbit away. The style of art is comical, almost cartoonish, but Randy manages to set them apart with backhanded humor and outrageous pop culture references.
“The Panda Rabbit” was a year in the making, but don’t dismiss it as your ordinary 3D film. The 6-minute movie uses all kinds of techniques, from live action (many times it’s Randy himself in the costume!), puppetry, stop motion, and animation.
The movie is an adorably eclectic mix, blending the quirks and nuances of a Tim Burton cartoon with the hilarity and sheer cuteness of a Teletubbies episode. That being said, the heart of the movie is entirely its own character.
Even more impressive is the fact that Randy did all the work– from the animation, the puppetry, to the creation of props and costumes. Each element is so meticulously done that it’s hard to fathom how one person did it all, and wonderfully at that.
Postcards, stickers, story books and other The Panda Rabbit merchandise were sold at the event, with the proceeds going to The Dream Project, a non-profit, volunteer initiative that aims to help build the nation by shaping the dreams of the Filipino youth. The organization has created outside-the-box and creative projects targeted towards uplifting the Filipino youth
In any case, The Panda Rabbit makes for a good film, even for kids– and it looks great on a shirt, too.
The Dream Project
https://www.facebook.com/TheDreamProjectPH
