Quarter III: Media-based Arts and Design in the Philippines - Today’s photographers they may take the exposed

ke the exposed film into a dark room

or subject the digital images to their photo editing software – and
Introduction manipulate the images with a myriad photo enhancement techniques and
In this quarter, the modern techniques and trends in photography, tools currently available.
film, print media, digital media, and product and industrial design will be - Whether left untouched from the instant the image was captured or was
explored. Most notably the talent, creativity and quality workmanship of digitally or manually altered, the resulting photographs can be startlingly
Filipino artist and designers in all these fields will be recognized and impactful. It becomes clear how the photographer has captured the
celebrated. Not only have these brought Philippine artistry to the world’s elements of form, color, light and shadow, texture, and composition to
attention: they have also opened up an entire range of opportunities for create a true work of art.
young Filipinos to develop and apply these talents – and earn a living doing
Photography as Communication
so.
- Net to printed word, the photographic image is today’s most important
Technological advances continue to be a major driving force in
means of conveying information and ideas, expressing emotions, even
the directions that each and these art forms has taken. Among the results
championing causes.
have been exiting innovations in materials manipulation, coloring and
- There are two distinctive characteristics of photography: immediacy and
embellishment techniques, and creation and production processes applied
detail.
to all today’s media – whether physical and tangible, or virtual in cyber
- An image recorded by the camera has sense of authenticity. Because the
space.
lens captures the image objectively, the resulting photograph is regarded
Photography as ‘true to life’ and ‘of the moment.’ The camera takes in every detail of an
image. Thus the photograph has a sense of completeness.
- During the 19th century, photography was viewed as purely a technical - Photographs are vital tools in communication fields such as journalism,
process, that of recording visible images by light action on light sensitive advertising, education, and even in courts of law. They are also use to
materials. speak out against social and political issues.
- It comes from the Greek word “photos” (meaning light) ang “graphos”
(meaning writing). Noteworthy Philippine Photographers
- In comparison to painting and sculpture during that time photography was
1. George Tapan is an award-winning travel photographer who has won
not considered as art.
two Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA) Gold awards, an ASEAN
- Not long before the artistry of 20th-century photographers elevated this Tourism Association award, and first place in the 2011 National Geographic
“light writing” to an aesthetic form. Photo Contest. His highly acclaimed work has been published in five travel
The Photographer as an Artist photography books.
2. John K. Chua is best known as an advertising an commercial
- Focusing a camera at a subject and clicking the shutter is photography as photographer, with over 40 years of experience in this field and numerous
process. local and international awards for his work. At the same time, he has
- Discerning a significant moment or a unique expression, framing it in the applied his photo artistry to showcasing the beauty of the Philippines.
camera viewfinder with an eye for composition, and then clicking the 3. Manny Librodo is a highly decorated photographer. Specializing in travel
shutter is photography as art. and people, glamour and fashion photography. He is a native of Lambunao,
- In a pictorial shoot, the photographer may position lighting, modify the Iloilo. His popularity among photographers and photography fans is evident
lens setting, or use filters to create an effect he or she has conceptualized through more than 27 million hits in his Pbase account alone and more
beforehand. The tools and techniques may not be those of the traditional than 120,000 followers he has on his Facebook personal and fan pages.
artist, but the aesthetic principles are the same. He also collaborated with countless number of models including
international beauty pageant winners and many more.
Animation adaptation of the legend of the warrior princess of Pangasinan. Produced
by APT Entertainment, Seventoon, and Imaginary Friends, Urduja is
In recent decades, a whole new career opportunity has emerged for recognized as the first fully animated Filipino film, created by an all-Filipino
creative Filipinos via the field of animation. In fact, Filipino animators have group of animators using traditional (hand-drawn) animation process with
been involved in the creation of some of the best-loved – and technically some 3D effects. The characters were voiced by an all-star cast of actors
challenging – animated feature films produced in the last few years. Among from Philippine cinema and television, with the screenplay written in
these are Toy Story, Up, The Incredibles, Monsters University, Cars, Filipino.
Finding Nemo, Planes, Brave, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and more. Such
recognition of Philippine talent abroad has spurred the development of the Also release in 2008 was Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia, said to be
local animation industry as well. the country’s first all-digital full-length animated feature film. Produced by
Cutting Edge Production, the film presents Philippine mythical creatures as
Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. heartwarming characters in a young boy’s adventure. The production
An Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI) is a nonstock, involved over 500 local animators and featured a “tra-digital animation”
nonprofit organization that aims to create an identity for the Philippines technique. Its characters were rendered in 2D animation, while the
within the animation industry, making it one of the preferred sources for backdrops were created using 3D animation. Dayo was also the first-ever
animation services worldwide. The organization works hand in hand with animated movie to be screened during the Metro Manila Film Festival, as it
participating colleges and universities, the Technical Education and Skills was entered in the 34th MMFF in December 2008.
Development Authority (TESDA) and other government agencies, and local Another breakthrough was the first Filipino full 3D-animated film, RPG
government units to develop animation as a promising career option for Metanoia, co-produced by Ambient Media, Thaumatrope Animation, and
Filipinos. In 2013, TESDA and ACPI began offering 2D an 3D Animation Star Cinema in 2010.
Scholarships to interested high school graduates, between the ages 18 and
45.
The showpiece of the ACPI is Animahenasyon, an annual festival and Innovation in Product and Industrial Design
competition featuring the works of Filipino animators. Apart from this major
project, the ACPI grants the annual “Outstanding Emerging Artist in Yet another breakthrough arena for Filipino imagination, ingenuity, and
Animation Award” for outstanding young and fast-rising cartoonist and innovativeness in recent decades has been that of design. Specifically, this
animators in the country. It also confers the Animahenasyon’s “Lifetime encompasses product and industrial design as applied to furniture, lighting,
Achievement Award” on notable animators and other contributors to the and interior accessories as well as fashion from haute couture to bridal
Philippine animation industry. ensembles to casual wear. As a result, a number of Filipino designers have
risen to superstardom both locally and internationally.
Philippine Animation Studio Inc.
Kenneth Cobonpue
The Philippine Animation Studio Inc. (PASI) was established in 1991
and has since collaborated on numerous animation projects and series with Cebu-based Kenneth Cobonpue is a multi-awarded designer and the
foreign partners. Among these have been Captain Flamingo, Producing creative director of Hive, a design and manufacturing facility for designers
Parker, Groove High, and Space Heroes Universe. For this last cartoon, of interior accessories and lighting. Cobonpue’s fresh and exiting concepts
PASI was tapped by a children’s entertainment company based in Sydney, and excellent craftmanship have earned him the acclaim and the patronage
Australia and went on to win the Best Animation Category in the 2012 Pixel of discerning clientele the world over – including prominent Hollywood
Awards. celebrities.

Among the other exiting milestones in the fast-emerging Philippine

animation industry was the creation in 2008 of Urduja, an animated film
Monique Lhuillier cycled scrap cloth, organic materials, and indigenous fabrics. Today,
Rags2Riches has evolved into an eco-ethnical lifestyle brand.
Also hailing from Cebu City, Filipina fashion designer Monique Lhuiller
first rose to prominence for her exquisite wedding gowns. But she has Lulu Tan Gan
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 Known for her fashionable knitwear lines since 1985, Lulu Tan-Gan had
award shows, as well as to their own weddings. been dubbed “The Queen Knitwear” in the country. That specialty has
since evolved into a new hand-woven line, called Indigenous Couture, that
Lhuiller studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in blends Philippine artisan crafts, fabrics, fibers, and other local materials
Los Angeles, and Now has her own retail boutiques in that city and in New with Tan-Gan’s signature contemporary lifestyle dressing.
York. Her collections include bridal and bridesmaids’ dresses, ready-to-
wear, evening gowns, linens, tableware, stationery, and home fragrances. The designer’s vision is to encourage the use of stylized indigenous and
traditional wear, as she draws inspiration from the rich textile and
Jose Natori embroidery traditions of the Philippines and interprets these in modern
styles and silhouettes. Further, each Tan-Gan creation is 95 percent hand-
Another name that has a prestigious place in the New York fashion made – hand-loomed (knitted and woven) by Philippines artisans. S
Industry is that of Jose Natori.
Dita Sandico-Ong
Born Josephina Almaceda Cruz in Manila, this Filipino-American fashion
designer began her career as an investment banker before she made the Another Philippine designer who has been advocating the use of local
dramatic shift to creating her own lines of lingerie, resort and lounge wear, weaving techniques and natural fibers is Dita Sandico-Ong. Known as the
as well as semiformal and casual attire. “Wrap Aritiste” of the Philippines for her famous bold-colored wraps,
Sandico-Ong first experimented with the local weave of Ilocos Sur, known
She went on to establish the Natori Company that has built up a lifestyle as inabel, as well as pineapple fibers blended with Irish linen, dubbed
brand that today includes four lingerie lines, the Jose Natori ready-to-wear piñalino.
collection, home accessories, fragrance, and eyewear.
From there, she tried other local fibers, particularly abaca which she
Rajo Laurel was introduced to by the weaver and entrepreneur Virgilio Apanti. Sandico-
Probably best known to the general public as a judge on the television Ong has since been working with a multipurpose cooperative in
series Project Runway Philippines, Rajo Laurel is a much-admired Filipino Catanduanes, training them in natural dye extraction and advance weaving
fashion designer with a number of national and international awards to his techniques for abaca.
name. He trained at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and at Today her collection includes wraps or panuelos, as well as boleros,
Central Saint Martin’s in London. jackets, and long tunics of banana fiber and abaca. Her designs are
Laurel is also a savvy entrepreneur, establishing House of Laurel and presented in fashion shows around the world and are sold in high-end
Rajo Laurel Enterprise. His creations maintain a Filipino sensibility, shops in major international cities
incorporating embroidery, beadwork, and hand-painted prints, while also
offering the prestige of limited-edition pieces. Thus, he has gained a loyal
local following and the attention of the international market.

Laurel also co-pioneered the social enterprise known as Rags2Riches.

This organization enables women from poor communities across the
country to earn through creating fashion and home accessories out of up-