By Benjie de Ubago
Miguel Castro is a master storyteller. First, he told his stories on stage by his acting. Then he sang of stories of love wrapped with emotions that made you tingle. Then, he expressed his thoughts on paper through the art of paper cutting. And now, he tells stories of once upon a time with characters made of clay that he brings to life on his all new animation planet channel.
For Miguel Castro, creativity has no limits. He transcends all boundaries – from entertainment to the visual arts – Miguel has a story to tell. He’s a charmer blessed with good looks and he’s undoubtedly a class act in whatever he does. He’s a singer, songwriter, model, actor, a paper cut artist and now, he’s entered a whole new dimension – the world of Claymation and stop motion animation.
To add to his creative endeavours, he painstakingly shapes and moulds little characters out of clay and plasticine. Then using everything he can get his hands on – from popsicle sticks, to recycled gift wrappers to cloth remnants, he meticulously makes their costumes and builds the background sets for his newly created characters. Then, he sets the mood with music, gives them their voices and brings them to life in a stop-motion animation process. Every character, every set is designed and crafted with love. No detail is overlooked or spared. Then he tells of stories of once upon a time, of fables and legends lost, with a lesson to learn in the end. His characters come alive on the Animation Planet on You Tube. They’re amazing and absolutely delightful for all ages and even adults will find it entertaining. (See below some of his characters.)
Miguel has been in the Philippine entertainment industry for almost 2 decades. He was part of Arminda Siguion Reyna’s group “Aawitan Kita”- which revived the Philippines’ classic Kundiman songs. His amazing vocals have taken him on the international cultural tour circuit for the Philippines with the “Harana” Singing Group and the Philippine Opera Company. Ever versatile, he was also a part of The Four Tenors, a pop-classical singing sensation.
In 2019, he took on the plum role of Ibarra in the Australian musical production of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Noli Mi Tangere.” The show was a McFadden production staged at Parramatta Riverside Theatres, Sydney. Most recently, he landed the part of the husband in the ABC television series, “The Unusual Suspects.”
While in entertainment, he also explored the rare art of Paper Cutting. These are intricate, delicate, lace-like designs cut out of paper with utmost precision. His Paper Cut exhibitions have been exhibited in Germany, New Caledonia, the Philippines and Australia. Another exhibit was scheduled in Sydney but cancelled due to the pandemic.
And now he’s populating his very own Animation Planet with his own characters that he has artfully and craftily created. “I guess the Covid lockdown has forced us to dig into our deepest desires that we’ve held back for a while. I’ve been wanting to do animation for a while now. With this lockdown, I have the time to simply do it without interruption,” said Miguel.
“In the end, it’s all about personal satisfaction. I thoroughly enjoy what I do,” he adds.
So enter and inhabit Miguel Castro’s Animation Planet. The master storyteller has a story to tell!
Check it out and subscribe to Miguel Castro’s Animation Channel on You Tube.
15 September, 2021
