Filipinos love Dante Gulapa, the former macho dancer, viral meme, and current national icon. From macho dancing videos to a recent Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho feature, we are obsessed with the “Philippine national dancing eagle.” But not as obsessed as these group of animators called the B.E.A.T.L.O.G. (Band of Enthusiastic Animators & True Lovers Of Gulapa).
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Rocketsheep Studios, the makers of Saving Sally, made a pet project in homage to Dante Gulapa. And to be clear: It is not your average fan AMV. In collaboration with 25 animators, they animated a minute of Dante’s viral dance video frame-by-frame. Every frame is a different art style from the animators involved. They are the following: @kebkeba, Joshua Panelo, Jether Amar, Ariel Mantaring, Eko999, Oko Francisco, Arkin Bello, KWAN, Sherluck Denise Dee, Gleennnn, Avid Liongoren, Paolo Crisologo, Rob Cham, Mauricé, Risulmí Art, Patty Pura, Notxela, Kim Samson, Ara Chawdhury, Recycle Bean, Jaye Jacinto, @creativepieceofblob, Straight from the Archives, Toto Madayag, Mervin Malonzo, and Jethro Razo.
“It started with fan art by our head artist Jether Amar. That’s when we all started making our own versions, but a drawing does not fully showcase his glorious movements. So we decided to make fan animations too and reached out to like-minded Gulapanimators,” Avid Liongoren of Rocketsheep Studio explains.
“There are a total of 25 B.E.A.T.L.O.G artists. 24 Artists made roto animations for the collab and we used an existing animation for the end frame. Logistics were easy-ish because we just reached out and said to give us their interpretations after two weeks. A few people were delayed but we waited for them for a couple of days.”
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But hell, we have to ask: Why go through the painstaking effort of pulling this off? “It was all for fun and everyone was game, for the Glory Of Gulapa!”
Though it is all for fun, they do genuinely look up to Dante, as a dancer, and as a genuine human being. “If you try his dance steps you will see how hard they are and how much strength & muscle control is needed. The man is a legit talent & based on interviews we have watched—a genuinely good guy as well who just wants to provide for his family. Our hope is that he earns from his fame soon and that he sets up a Patreon or GoFundMe so us fans can contribute directly to his livelihood,” he says.
Somewhere, somehow, Dante Gulapa’s heart must be slow dancing out of joy after seeing this fan video. It’s made out of pure love and adoration after all. The intention is as wholesome as the viral sensation himself. And for that, our Monday blues have been busted by the Philippine dancing eagle himself and his talented Gulapanatics.
Photo from Rocketsheep Studios