By Kristian Escoto
Students from Sisler High School’s CREATE Program teamed up with the Winnipeg Jets production team to design the in-game visual experience at the first Filipino Heritage Night, held on November 8, 2022, at the Canada Life Centre.
With ‘Filipino fiesta’ as their central theme, 2D Animation students and Motion Graphics & Film students collaborated to create stadium display assets celebrating many aspects of Filipino culture and heritage. With only one month to complete the project, 30 student volunteers worked after school hours to deliver such a spectacular display.
“It was very different from the work we normally do with animation and film studios. The Jets were our first big client, so there was pressure to execute well. To get the heritage right and not represent it wrong,” said Sam Balanial, a post-high 2D Animation student. “We did extensive research, consulted our parents, and pulled things from our own childhood to produce something that everyone can enjoy.”
The Motion Graphics & Film students worked on the jumbotron images, ice display, and 360 display graphics, while the 2D Animation students mainly focused on the ice projections. By accomplishing such a feat, they exhibited the Bayanihan spirit – a unique mark of Filipino culture and values where people come together as a community and pull all their resources together to reach a common goal.
“I was born and raised here in Canada, so getting the chance to explore and dig deeper into my heritage and expressing it to everyone is a validating and fulfilling experience!” said Shaina Maralit, a Motion Graphics & Film student.
“Our department wanted to take people back to the Philippines – showcase the jeepney and famous landscapes like the Chocolate Hills and the Rice Terraces,” said Francine Dulay, a Motion Graphics & Film student. “Seeing it up close and in person was surreal, and I felt a huge sense of relief.”
The boodle fight scene – an iconic Filipino communal meal where food is laid and eaten on banana leaves using bear hands – took the longest time to finish. Daphne Dizon, one of the twenty 2D Animation students who worked on it, shared her insights. “The most love and care went into that boodle fight scene (kamayan). We created an insane amount of assets and it took a long time to lay out that table. We refined the details of every dish, made the lechon (roasted suckling pig) look cute, and it paid off.”
Experiential learning opportunities allow students to gain real-world experience while in school. Bernard Alibudbud, a Sisler CREATE teacher who is a hockey fan of Filipino heritage, was stoked when they were approached with this project.
“It was a great opportunity for our two worlds to blend – we showed Filipino cultural elements like the dances and the boodle fights at something so Canadian and culturally-significant like a hockey game.” Alibudbud shared with beaming pride.
