Egg (2005)

The white egg shell is the protagonist of the animated short, "Egg".

Premiered in February 6,2005 on GMA, another animated short appeared venturing to the world of Pinoy Animation. This animated short created by Ramon Del Prado has a long history of producing it. When the first time I saw this in "Pinoy Anime" series, thinking the title "Egg" as a simple title but the content has it's own valuable meaning. For whatever reason, Ramon Del Prado made a good story for this cartoon after all. He mentioned that his animation "Egg" originally was his "thesis" in Communication Arts back in the year 2003. Also, he is the first student in De La Salle University (where he took up college) attempted to make a computer-generated animation of this cartoon.

Based on this synopsis of this cartoon, "Egg" tells about a chicken (egg) is misplaced as a balut egg that even other eggs avoid him because of it's different appearance. The situation in every balut egg inside the factory worse when one of them told him that having the different appearance has a disease. So the chicken egg escape from the factory and set off his own journey. He met sorts of other creatures and EGG has to discover a proof that there is something for what thought having disease, but the journey's finding one itself. Looking back to it's story it has it's meaning about discrimination such as the other balut's avoiding the white egg is an example. Lucky for that EGG, he manage to escape from the balut factory or else he will be cooked along with other many balut. It has also a "Ugly Duckling" theme which you'll know the ending (which this cartoon have similar ending). As a computer-generated animation, "Egg" gives itself a colorful movements which pictures that there are trials and adventures of the main protagonists that is related to the real world. The voice acting in every characters in Filipino with English subtitles which seems to be fine as if you can tell it is an indie film.

Ramon's Del Prado's thesis gives itself big rewards in the same year to 2004. Before "Egg" premiered on GMA Network, this 26-minute animation was awarded by the De La Salle University in September 2003 as an "Outstanding Thesis Award" and being the finalist of Catholic Mass Media Awards in the same year. Del Prado said during the awards in De La Salle, said he attempted to make a short-animation came up that there should be something that will "tackle" a problem with a mix of children's interest of cartoons. In 2004, other awards and events for the film included being on Exhibition at the Cinemanila International Film in Greenbelt 1, Finalist Gawad CCP for best Short Film, Grand Best Picture Award in the UP Indeo Film Festival and 1st place in the 5th annual UP Video and Film Awards in Animation. Then in 2005, the awards of "Egg" bring a soar honor for being a Pinoy animation. The exhibition of this film in the same year became a part of Anime Explosion Phlippine Animation Festival, MOV International Film Festival and Imaginasian New York for Asian/Filipino Film Festival. Then finally, "Egg" aired on GMA Network. I wouldn't even imagine for getting tons of rewards by just having an indie film.

Aside for having Ramon Del Prado's first animation that premiered in the Philippines, it also made many deserving rewards as a part of Pinoy Animation. The De La Salle University also opened the course for animation in 2004 in order to follow the steps to become an animator like Ramon. With Ramon's imagination and also a modified theme, "Egg" is his first step for pursuing career as an animator that will help strive the industry of Pinoy animation. Del Prado also became a director of Tuldok Animation's "Libingan" in 2007 but as of now, he is also working as a teacher and a freelance filmmaker. For more information about the creator and his works, visit his official website here. A news article including the interview about Del Prado can be available here.