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After high school, I got into the Ateneo
              De Naga for their Digital Illustration and
              3D animation course. I met Artists just
              like me - people who knew more about
              painting  and  drawing,  who  have  seen
              more films, and have read more books.   Puppeteer Team: (Left to Right) Cjay Asedillo, John Aurthur
              I  believe  I  found  myself  through  the   Mercader, Song Moralde & Joshua Javier Raquitico
              people I met. Everything they brought
              into  my  life  through  their  art  and
              imagination  has  made  being  an  artist   me think of home. It made me think of
                                            how  much  talent  we  had,  how  many
              something to be proud of. We all had   stories are just waiting to be told and
              this  fire,  and  we’d  huddle  up  at  my
              apartment as we teach each other new   how much we brought to the tables of
                                            the  big  Hollywood  studios.  They  had
              things about Photoshop, After Effects,
              Maya, or whatever it was that we were   Filipino animators, artists and directors
                                            left and right - but no Filipino content.
              into.  Tutorial  videos  were  shared  and   We had no voice. I was bent on making
              passed on to people outside our circle.
              Everyone  grew  and  their  competition   sure that everything I did would be to
                                            help  create  Filipino  animation,  bring  it
              was  invigorating.  Everyone  wanted  to
              be  the  best.  Eventually  we  called  the   to  foreign  audiences,  and  hopefully
                                            inspire our talented artists to see that
              group  PUPPETEER,  with  a  promise   you don’t have to work in big Hollywood
              that we’d all keep the fire burning and
              that  our  art  would  make  a  difference   studios  or  triple-A  games  to  make
                                            something great. I want people here to
              someday.
                                            know that there is much more their art
                                            can do if we all strive to make OUR art,
              But  my  stay  at  the  Ateneo  was  short   our voice.
              lived.  I  got  the  opportunity  to  go  to
              Vancouver Film School and attend their
                                            And  that  is  what  Puppeteer  is  built
              3D animation course back in 2012. My
              parents  were  on  board  too,  so  it  was   upon, that is how we got started, and
                                            that is how we will keep on going. We
              a no brainer for me to go to Canada.   are  here  to  show  everyone  that  we
              Film  School  taught  me  so  much.  As
              an artist I grew exponentially in a year   can  make  Filipino  Feature  animation
                                            by  Filipino  Animators.  We  are  here  to
              than  I  would  have  in  five.  But  above
              all  else,  Film  School  taught  me  to  be   inspire every kid who’s got their head
                                            in  the  clouds,  their  pencils  on  their
              passionate  about  Filipino  animation.    papers, and their notebooks thrown out
              VFS was so diverse and everyone was
              so  well  versed  in  3d  no  matter  where   to  stand  up,  pick  up  your  notebooks
                                            and  create  animation  –  OUR  OWN
              they came from. Almost every country
              had  their  own  animated films, games,   ANIMATION.
              short films, novels, comics, and it made
                JOHN AURTHUR MERCADER  is  the  Founder  and  Creative  Director  of
                Puppeteer  Animation  Studios,  Inc.  His  Geo  won  the  Grand  Prize  Award,
                and his Anito won the Best Professional Entry at Animahenasyon 2015 and
                2016 respectively.
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