MEDIA-BASED ARTS AND DESIGN IN THE PHILIPPINES

INTRODUCTION
The previous quarter provided an overview of the phenomenal capabilities and possibilities of
the electronic or digital media now available in todays technology-driven world. These
have enabled amazingly innovative art forms to evolve far beyond traditional painting,
sculpture, and architecture. As quickly as technology is able to develop new devices,
gadgets, and techniques, modern artists and designers adapt them to enhance their creative
expression.

Modern Techniques & Trends

Photography
Film
Print Media
Digital Media
Product and Industrial Design

What is PHOTOGRAPHY?
In its early stages during the late 19th century, photography was viewed as a purely technical
process, that of recording visible images by light action on light sensitive materials. In fact,
its very name from the Greek photos (meaning light) and graphos (meaning writing)
states this process literally.
In comparison to the highly-regarded arts of painting and sculpture, then, photography was
not immediately considered art. But it was not long before the artistry of 20 th century
photographers elevated this light writing to an aesthetic form in its own right.

The Photographer as Artist

Focusing a camera at a subject and clicking the shutter is photography as process.
Discerning a significant moment or a unique expression, framing it in the camera viewfinder
with an eye for composition, and then clicking the shutter is photography as art.

Photography is the science, art and practice of creating durable images by recording light
or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or
chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.

Noteworthy Philippine Photographers

He is an award-winning travel photographer

who has won two Pacific Asia Tourism
Association (PATA) Gold awards, an ASEAN
Tourism Association award, and first place in
the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.
His highly-acclaimed work has been published
GEORGE TAPPAN in five travel photography books.

Some of Tappans Award-winning Photographs

Into the Green Zone

Tappans 1st place-winning
image in the 2011
National Geographic
Photo Contest
 Advertising and commercial photographer
extraordinaire, John is best known for his
technical excellence and mastery of
notoriously challenging photo shoots to the
delight of clients who envision the seemingly
impossible. With more than forty years of
experience under his belt, John has moved
J with ease from one genre of photography to
OHN K. CHUA another, earning local and international
awards along the way.

Some of the Award-winning photographs of Chua

Snake Island, Palawan Gulf of Davao

Stop Motion Photography

FILM
Another art form which has risen to tremendous heights within the last century is film or
cinema. As its early name motion pictures declared, film brought yet another dimension
into playthat of moving images. The possibilities of this medium created a new art form
that was to become a powerful social and economic force, and a legacy of the 20 th century
world.

A Technology-driven Art
Cinema, just as all modern arts, has been greatly influenced by technology. In the case of
cinema, however, it is an art form that came in the late 1800s with series photography and
the invention of celluloid strip film. This allowed successive still photos of a moving subject to
be compared on a strip of film advancing a single camera.

The need to view these moving images led to the rise of the Kinetoscope, a peepshow
cabinet with an eyehole through which these earliest movie could be viewed one person at
a time. A motor inside the cabinet moved the film strip along in a loop, with an electric bulb
providing one technological advancement after another. The French developed the
cinematographe, a handcracked camera, printer, and projector all in one that is
lightweight enough to bring outside the studio.

KINETOSCOPE
 The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition
device. The Kinetoscope was designed for films to be
viewed by one individual at a time through
a peephole viewer window at the top of the device.
The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector but
introduced the basic approach that would become the
standard for all cinematic projection before the advent
of video, by creating the illusion of movement by
conveying a strip of perforated film bearing sequential
images over a light source with a high-speed shutter.

First described in conceptual terms by U.S.

inventor Thomas Edison in 1888, it was largely
developed by his employee William Kennedy
Laurie Dickson between 1889 and 1892.
[1]
Dickson and his team at the Edison lab also
devised theKinetograph, an innovative motion
picture camera with rapid intermittent, or stop-
and-go, film movement, to photograph movies
for in-house experiments and, eventually,
commercial Kinetoscope presentations

The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking

What is filmmaking?
Who are involved in filmmaking?

Filmmaking, because of its technical complexity, involves entire teams of artists, writers,
and production experts, supported by technicians taking charge of the cameras, lighting
equipment, sets, props, costumes, and the like all under the supervision of a film director.

Film directing it is the director, like the painter and sculptor in traditional art, who
envisions the final effect of the film on its viewers, visually, mentally, and emotionally. While
the painter and sculptor work with physical materials, the film director works with ideas,
images, sounds, and other effects to create this unique piece of art. He/she conceptualizes
the scenes, directs the acting, supervises the cinematography and finally the editing and
sound dubbing in much the same way as a visual artist composes an artwork. Clearly,
however, the director does not do all these alone.
Acting first and foremost, there was the art of acting for film. With live theater as the only
form of acting at that time, film actors had to learn to express themselves without the
exaggerated facial expressions and gestures used on stage. With the addition of sound in the
1930s, they then had to learn to deliver their lines naturally and believably.
Cinematography behind the scenes, there was cinematography or the art of film camera
work. This captured the directors vision of each scene through camera placement and
movement, lighting, and other special techniques.
Editing this was joined by film editing, the art of selecting the precise sections of film, then
sequencing and joining them to achieve the directors desired visual and emotional effect.
Sound editing was also developed, as films began to include more ambitious effects beyond
the dialogue and background music.
Production/Set design this recreated in physical terms through location, scenery, sets,
lighting, costumes, and props the mental image that the director had of how each scene
should look, what period it should depict, and what atmosphere it should convey. This
included creating worlds that did not exist as well as worlds that were long gone, designing
each production component down to the very last detail.
Film Genres
The public response to motion pictures was immediate and enthusiastic. From makeshift
nickelodeons (movie theaters charging a nickel for entrance) in 1904 to luxurious dream
palaces for middle class moviegoers by 1914, public showings of movies were a big hit. With
World War I over and the establishment of Hollywood as the center of American filmmaking in
1915, the movie industry was on its way to becoming one of the biggest and most influential
of the century. With financial success came the rush to release more and more films, in an
ever-wider variety leading to the many film genres we know today.
First there were the silent films starring Charlie Chaplin, and the slapstick comedy
films of Buster Keaton and later Laurel and Hardy. With sound still unavailable, these films
relied on purely visual comedy that audiences found hilarious. Then, there emerged the
gangster movie genre as well as horror and fantasy films that took advantage of the sound
technology that was newly available at that time.
Philippine Filmmakers
In the Philippines film scene, the American influence was evident in the pre-World War II and
Liberation years with song-and-dance musicals, romantic dramas, and comedy films.
Beginning with the turbulent 1970s, however, progressive Filipino directors emerged to make
movies dealing with current social issues and examining the Filipino character.
Lino Brocka
Laurice Guillen
Marilou Diaz Abaya
Maryo J. delos Reyes
Brillante Mendoza

PHILIPPINE FILM MAKERS

Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 May 21, 1991) is a Filipino film
director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and
significant Filipino filmmakers in Philippine cinema history. In 1983, he
founded the organization Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP),
dedicated to helping artists address issues confronting the country.
Brocka was openly gay and he often incorporated LGBT themes into his
films. He has directed landmark films such as Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
LI Kulang (1974), Maynila sa mga Kuko ng
NO BROCKA Liwanag (1975), Insiang (1976), Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (1984),
andOrapronobis (1989). In 1997, he was posthumously given the National
Artist of the Philippines for Film award for "having made significant
contributions to the development of Philippine arts."

Mike de Leon

Ishmael Bernal
 Guillen studied at St. Theresa's College, Cebu City, earned an AB English
degree before finishing an MA in Communication at Ateneo de Manila
University, followed by a television production course under Nestor Torre,
in 1967. She then began work as an actress, starring in productions
of Mrs. Warren's Profession, before crossing over to film and television
work, playing a seductress in Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, and Corazon
Aquino in the drama A Dangerous Life, In 2009 she accepted a role in the
indie filmKarera, her first role in an independent production. Other credits
include in the film Sister Stella L and Moral. However, it was on television
LAURICE GUILLEN
that she became a household name when she joined the cast of "Flor de
Luna" in 1978 as Jo Alicante, Flor de Luna's temperamental step mother.
She went on to portray the role until the mid-80s when the show folded.
(March 30, 1955 October 8, 2012) was a multi-awarded film director
from the Philippines. She was the founder and president of the Marilou
Daz-Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center, a film school based in Antipolo
City, Philippines. She was the director of the 1998 film Jos Rizal,
a biographical film on the Philippines' national hero. 1998: Jos Rizal,
written by Ricky Lee, Jun Lana, produced by GMA Films; starring Cesar
Montano, Jaime Fabregas, Gina Alajar, Jhong Hilario, Gloria Diaz, Pen
Medina; multi-awarded by the Metro Manila Film Festival (1998), Gawad
Urian, Star Awards, FAMAS; commercially released at the Iwanami Hall,
Marilou Daz-Abaya Tokyo (2000); exhibited at the film festivals of Berlin, Munich, Dsseldorf,
Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Pusan, Montreal, Vancouver,
Guggenheim Museum of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
San Diego, Hawaii, and others.
a film and television director from the Philippines. He began his
career in the 1970s.
Magnifico is a 2003 Filipino FAMAS Award-winning drama
film directed by Maryo J. De los Reyes, written by Michiko
Yamamoto, and starring Jiro Manio, Lorna Tolentino, Albert
Martinez, Gloria Romero. The film was shot in the province
ofLaguna and is based on the grand prize-winning piece from a
Maryo J. de los Reyes
2001 national screenplay writing contest sponsored by theFilm
Development Council of the Philippines.
Brillante Mendoza is a Filipino film director. He was born and
raised in San Fernando, Pampanga. He took Advertising Arts of the
then College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of
Santo Tomas. He has directed sixteen films since 2005.

Brillante Mendoza

ANIMATION

Animation is the process of creating motion and shape, change illusion by means of the
rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other. The
illusionas in motion pictures in generalis thought to rely on the phi
phenomenon. Animators are artists who specialize in the creation of animation.
Animations can be recorded on either analogue media, such as a flip book, motion picture
film, video tape, or on digital media, including formats such as animated GIF, Flash
animation or digital video. To display animation, a digital camera, computer,
or projector are used along with new technologies that are produced.
Animation creation methods include the traditional animation creation method and those
involving stop motion animation of two and three-dimensional objects, such as paper
cutouts, puppets and clay figures. Images are displayed in a rapid succession, usually 24,
25, 30, or 60 frames per second.
 Many TV shows today use animation and animation gives them that more of a unique look,
allowing them to do more than what they could do with actors.
Philippine Animation Studio, Inc.
The Philippine Animation Studio, Inc. (PASI) was established in 1991 and has since
collaborated on numerous animation projects and series with foreign partners. Among
these have been Captain Flamingo, Producing Parker, Groove High, and Space
Heroes Universe.

Among the other exciting milestones in the fast-emerging Philippine

animation industry was the creation in 2008 of Urduja, an
animated film adaptation of the legend of the warrior princess of
Pangasinan. Produced by APT Entertainment, Seventoon, and
Imaginary friends, Urduja is recognized as the first fully-animated
Filipino film, created by an all-Filipino group of animators using the
traditional (hand-drawn) animation process with some 3D effects.
Another released in 2008 was Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia,
said to be the countrys first all-digital full-length animated feature
film. Produced by Cutting Edge Productions, the film presents
Philippine mythical creatures as heartwarming characters in a
young boys adventure.
Another breakthrough was the first Filipino full 3D animated film,
RPG Metanola, co-produced by Ambient Media, Thaumatrope
Animation, and Star Cinema in 2010.

Print Media
One major field that still relies heavily on print media is advertising. Despite the soaring popularity and
seemingly limitless possibilities of online advertising and social media, Philippine artists are still called
upon to create advertisements that will be physically printed. These appear in newspapers,
magazines, posters, brochures, and flyerseach with their specific target readerships and markets,
and highly-specialized approaches for reaching these target groups.
Advertising
One major field that still relies heavily on print media is advertising. Despite the soaring popularity and
seemingly limitless possibilities of online advertising and social media, Philippine artists are still called
upon to create advertisements that will be physically printed. These appear in newspapers,
magazines, posters, brochures, and flyerseach with their specific target readerships and markets,
and highly-specialized approaches for reaching these target groups.
Comic Books
Another field of print media that highlights the artistic gifts of Filipinos is that of comic books, or
komiks as they are locally referred to. The popularity of Philippine comics began in the 1920s when
Liwayway magazine started featuring comic strips, such as Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy (The
Misadventures of Kenkoy) created by Tony Velasquez went on to be recognized as the Father of
Filipino Comics.

With the coming of the Americans to the country, local comics were clearly influenced by popular U.S.
comics with superheroes as the main characters --- resulting in local counterparts such as Darna and
Captain Barbell.

Innovation in Product and Industrial Design

Yet another breakthrough arena for Filipino imagination, ingenuity, and innovativeness in
recent decades has been that of design. Specifically, this encompasses product and industrial
design as applied to furniture, lighting, and interior accessories, as well as fashion from haute
couture to bridal ensembles to casual wear. As a result, a number of Filipino designers have
risen to superstardom both locally and internationally.
 Kenneth Cobonpue is a multi-awarded furniture designer and manufacturer
from Cebu. He graduated in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York
with highest honors and subsequently worked in Italy and Germany.
Integrating locally sourced materials with innovative handmade production
processes, Cobonpue's brand is known around the world for its unique designs
and roster of clientele that include Hollywood celebrities like Brad Pitt and
members of royalty.
Awards to his credit include 5 Japan Good Design Awards, the grand
prize at the Singapore International Design Competition, the Design for Asia
Award of Hong Kong, the American Society of Interior Design Top Pick
selection and the French Coup de Coeur award. Several of his designs were
selected for several editions of the International Design Yearbook published in
Ken London and New York. Phaidons book entitled "& FORK" underscores
neth Cobonpue Kenneth's position as a leader of a new movement incorporating new
technologies with crafts. Recently, Kenneth was named the Designer of the
Year in the first edition of Maison et Objet Asia held last March 11, 2014 in
Singapore. He has appeared on European television, countless international
magazines and newspapers around the world.

Some works of
Kenneth
Cobonpue

is a fashion designer most prominently known for bridal wear. She

owns a couture fashion house based in Los Angeles, California, as
well as another store on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
She first rose to prominence for her exquisite wedding gowns. But
she has since become one of the darlings of the Hollywood celebrity
set, with several A-list stars having worn her couture creations to
gala events and award shows, as well as to their own weddings
Lhuillier studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in
Los Angeles, and now has her own retail boutiques in that city and in
MONIQUE New York. Her collections include bridal and brides maids dresses,
LHUILLIER ready-to-wear, evening gowns, linens, tableware, stationery, and
home fragrances.

Some of
Monique
Lhuilliers
Designs

Josie Natori, (born Josefina Almeda Cruz) is a Filipino-

American fashion designer and the CEO and founder of The Natori
Company. Natori served as a commissioner on the White
House Conference on Small Business. In March 2007 she was awarded
the Order of Lakandula, one of the highest civilian awards in the
Philippines. In April, 2007, Natori received the "Peopling of America"
Josie Natori Award from the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation.

Some of Josie
natoris Designs
 Raymund Joseph "Rajo" Teves Laurel (born May 19, 1971) is a fashion
designer in Manila, Philippines. He began his professional career in
1993, holding his first international exhibition the following year. In
2000 Rajo Laurel founded House of Laurel with his sister. A winner of a
number of national and international awards over the course of his
career, Laurel is best known as a television personality as a judge
on Project Runway Philippines.

Rajo Laurel

Lulu TanGans name has been synonymous with beautifully crafted

knitwear fashion since 1985. Hailed the Queen of Knitwear, Lulu
continues her design evolution with her extended handwoven line,
Indigenous Couture merging the old-world sophistication of
Philippine artisan craft with contemporary design. The result is a
mastery of construction, current yet ingenious lifestyle dressing, and
a distinctive feminine sensibility.
The first two decades of Lulus career is marked by her iconic
knitwear, which redefined the versatility of knits for the local fashion
industry. A favorite of expatriates, tourists, and the jetset crowd,
Lulus knits continue to receive praise and accolades for its sleek
lines, custom-dyed threads, and fluid, flattering forms.
A fine arts graduate, Lulu has always been driven to find aesthetic
design solutions for material challenges. In what she considers the
second phase of her career, she takes on the challenge of
integrating native fabrics such as pia and silk into her knits
collection.
Lulus clever play on fashion and function is evident in these
signature knit variations, which evolve the use of indigenous fabrics
Lulu Tan Gan as native costumes to become fashionable, wearable collectibles.
The indigenous pias golden patina deepens over the years,
creating modern heirloom pieces that become even more beautiful
with time. Reaffirming her mastery of materials, the modern
heirloom collectibles are feats of color, construction, texture, and
fall.
Lulus vision is to encourage the use of stylized indigenous and
traditional wear, and in so doing, promote distinctly Filipino fabrics,
traditional crafts, and design. The designer draws inspiration from
the rich textile and embroidery traditions of the Philippines from
the geometric patterns of traditional tribal woven cloths to the
exquisite embroidery and beadwork and interprets these on her
modern silhouettes
Another Philippine designer who has been advocating the use of local
weaving techniques and natural fibers is Dita Sandico-ong. Known as the
Wrap Artiste of the Philippines for her famous bold-colored wraps,
Sandico-Ong first experimented with the local weave of Ilocos Sur, known
as Inabel, as well as with pineapple fibers blended with Irish linen, dubbed
pialino.
From there, she tried other local fibers, particularly abaca which she was
introduced to by weaver and entrepreneur Virgilio Apanti. Sandico-Ong has
since been working with a multipurpose cooperative in Catanduanes,
training them in natural dye extraction and advanced weaving techniques
Dita Sandico- for abaca.
Ong Today, her collection includes wraps or panuelos, as well as boleros,
jackets, and long tunics of banana fiber and abaca. Her designs are
 presented in fashion shows around the world and are sold in high-end
shops major international cities.

Some of Dita
Sandico-Ongs
Fashion Designs