If Rizal were to live in today’s time, he would definitely have directed his very own films as a man of arts and science. Students from JRU may not have been Rizal himself but they are Rizalians who took on the task of revealing the world’s very essence and life through film animation. Hex Production Studios and Cool2 Studios have shown in local and international landscapes that they certainly have what it takes to be seen and heard for what they dare to share.

Hex Production Studio’s Guhit is a story of reality, inspiration, and hope. Mirroring the woes of society throughout pandemic, Hex Production reflected the struggles that came with surviving distance learning along with its mental and physical strains. Dionisio Bacudio III, the director of Guhit, detailed, “[at the start], Miko lacked motivation for school because of pandemic and financial problems.” He continued, “but when his drawing of the school building comes to life and takes him on a short journey as to what his future could look like, Miko continues to reach for success [through staying in school and studying.”

On another note, Cool2 Studio’s The Collector is full of meaning, transformation, and life as it follows a grim reaper’s early stages in life—or should death be more appropriate? You have got to love Cool2’s fervent efforts to depict how the world changed the lord of death’s values as he experienced life among the living. “I want my audience to have a wider perception of death, and the value and meaning of souls because sometimes, what’s always been in front of us suddenly means differently the more we understand its value,” shared by The Collector’s director Gerry Garcia.

Although the short films were made for academic purposes, there was more to their creation. “I wanted to have something to offer the world—a story to tell,” said Garcia. It started off with writing a script with a central theme that would appeal to their target audience. After all, having a character that connects with people is essential to storytellers whether through film or paper. Garcia even prompted, “making animations allow me to reach out to my audience and resound my inner voice through the art of filmmaking.”

Bacudio resounded the same sentiment as he stated, “Guhit is dedicated to all students out there that are lacking a bit of motivation to continue their studies or reach their goals,” and that they hope to raise awareness and understanding that “there are a lot of youth that were affected by the pandemic physically, emotionally and financially.” It intended to inspire and motivate its audience, particularly the students as well as the other members of educational institutions, yet it also emphasized parental guidance and teachers’ assistance regarding student decisions, especially during such vulnerable times.

Bacudio said, “it’s a story for our thesis in JRU, where we want to show our strengths,” that despite the original intention of completing an academic requirement, it is undeniable that they have fully utilized their learnings. “Using both 2D and 3D animation techniques was a choice made by the creators [Hex Production Studios] to take the film to another level,” as he added. Despite that, it was also their biggest challenge as Bacudio answered, “learning new programs that are more advance and used by professionals [was the hardest]. A lot of procedures were done to reach this level of quality that Hex Productions was aiming for.”