SALAMAT AGOSTO

Thank you August, for being a wonderful month. We may have started the rough way but everything else pushed through as expected, as daily blessings. Thank you for a wonderful celebration of my quartermark - for a wonderful session with my students, for a much-deserved dinner with a childhood friend, for overwhelming greetings of unconditional love and support from my special people, family and friends encompassing.
As I greet the new month, I will always cherish you, my birth month. Thank you for the blessings and the wonderful memories. See you next year. Salamat Agosto.

CREATIVE SPEAK: DON SEVILLA III

30secondTHOUGHTS: COCA-COLA

This is how...

...you share a Coke in Australia.

Ad Title: SHARE A COKE
Ad Agency: Leo Burnett Australia
Client: Coca-Cola

Then...

...this is how you share happiness in Marikina,

Ad Title: THE COCA-COLA HAPPINESS TRUCK
Ad Agency: McCann Worldgroup Philippines
Client: Coca-Cola

...cultivate friendship in Buenos Aires,

Ad Title: THE COCA-COLA FRIENDSHIP MACHINE
Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Buenos Aires
Client: Coca-Cola

and give a huge hug in Singapore!

Ad Title: THE COCA-COLA HUG MACHINE
Ad Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Singapore
Client: Coca-Cola

And since the world is smiling,

...why not buy her a Coke as well?

Ad Title: HILLTOP RE-IMAGINED
Ad Agency: Google Creative Lab
Client: Coca-Cola


Share the happiness. 
Share Coke. : )

30secondTHOUGHTS: NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE PRINT

This is how Luna paid tribute to the man who first made that giant leap.
Fly high, Neil Armstrong.

Copy reads: On behalf of all of us, thank you for taking that first step.

Ad Agency: Carmichael Lynch, USA
Client: Denver Museum of Nature and Sciences

30secondTHOUGHTS: COKE HANDS

Ad Title: Coke Hands
Ad Title: Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai
Client: Coca-Cola

No copy is needed for this Cannes-winning print ad. Its simplicity effectively delivers the message of sharing a Coca-Cola and its branded happiness.
The press was designed by 20-year old (you read 20, alright) Jonathan Mak, the young creative who first made design waves by creating a tribute logo after Steve Job's passing (picture below).

Excellent press. Brilliant and young creative. Expect a lot more from Jonathan Mak.

30secondTHOUGHTS: AMBULANCE, ECG

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The cellphone keypad beep slowly shifts into another sound, a hurried beep from an ambulance or the haunting beep of an exhausted lifeline.
An auditory symphony relaying a deep message - do not, never, text while driving.
Or else.
Beeeeep. Beeeep. Beeep. Be. B. Bbbb....

Ad Title: AMBULANCE, ECG
Ad Agency: Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila
Client: Toyota

30secondTHOUGHTS: SLURPEE BYO CUP DAY

Ad Title: SLURPEE BYO CUP DAY
Ad Agency: Leo Burnett Sydney
Client: 7/11

My students surely enjoyed this direct marketing execution. I wonder if 7/11 will have a Metro Manila installation of the similar campaign. It would be great to see the creative wonders one imperative remark Slurpee will give to its loyal consumers - BRING YOUR OWN CUP!

MIDNIGHT SYMPATHY

I am the moon, and you, my earth. 
I rotate around you, my gravity moves because of you. 
I see you every day, as I explore the boundaries 
of your farthest skies and deepest blues. 
I move around you every second, but you do not notice. 
You only see me in the darkest of the night, 
as I shed light on your loneliest hours. 
And that will be our system. 
And that will be our story...





In memory of Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)
Spaceman. History maker. Great leaper.
Thank you for reaching that moon, that once impossible dream.
Tonight, Luna will shine her brightest.  

INDEPENDENT FILMS: ART FOR ALL

By: Betina Libre and yours truly (as published in The LaSallian)

Perception

The recent death of Dolphy, the King of Comedy, has left movie critics and filmmakers gunning after the restoration of Philippine cinema’s former glory.                                                                        

All this comes on the back of renewed soul-searching in the film industry. Searching for memories of a long gone (or perhaps non-existent) golden age, we hark desperately back to those days when the Philippines was dubbed the capital of Asian cinema.                                                                 

A National Statistical Coordination Board study released in February this year revealed sobering news, to say the least. The data has confirmed what many Filipinos have thought for a long time; the local movie industry has declined. The number of films produced in the country has dropped by half over the past ten years. In nearly half a century between the 60’s to the late ‘90s, the Philippines had churned out an average of 140 movies a year, taking 20 percent of the domestic market.                              

Today that figure has dropped to 73 per annum, or 11 percent of the market. In 2011, only 78 films were made.  The reasons? Piracy, competition from abroad, and a lack of local support.                                  

The study’s lead author Gerald Clarino explained, “There are many factors causing the fall. There is piracy and competition from foreign movies. Local movies are also not given as much support from the public.”   

In contrast to customary policy in the rest of the world, our local film industry does not receive any sort of concrete support from the government.                                                                       

Since local filmmakers cannot keep up with foreign films that have multimillion-dollar budgets, they settle for cheap brass and not-so-special ‘special’ effects, a stereotypical cast, a concourse of celebrities, and unimaginative plot lines that leave viewers slightly entertained and laughing their asses off… straight out of the cinema.                                                                                                           

At this point, is there any chance for their native kin to pick up where they left off, and restore their former glory?                                                                                                                              

Maybe, if they all go indie.                                                                                                      

Independent films are gaining widespread attention these days. Students, artists, and every day Filipinos alike want their stories told through a different lens and through films made with creativity beyond the demands of commerce.            

For advertising major Queenie Ong, the first words that come to her mind when she thinks of independent films are “liberated and bold.”

“The directors, writers and the creative behind these films express realities and issues of our modern society in a fresh, bold perspective, following no limitation and restrictions. In indie films, freedom of expression is greatly emphasized,” Ong said.

On a more positive note, the NSCB study also found that while mainstream filmmaking has been on a decline for years, more recent independent films now account for more than half of the total production in the country; 45 films in 2010, and 44 in 2011.

Directors of these films, including Brillante Mendoza, Pepe Diokno and Jim Libiran, have also consistently won foreign film festivals over the years, despite rarely landing the big box-office back home.                                                                                                                                      

All this has been made possible by the ‘democratisation of 21^st century media’ and the advent of digital technology, which tends to be cheaper and easier to use than the clunky studios of yore.

Another reason is public weariness with formulaic—flat plot lines typical of contemporary mainstream movies – designed to amass the largest possible audience, and thus attract the most money. These tend to be light, romantic comedies that, while continuing to attract a hefty share of viewers, are starting to look rather dull. But if the rise of independent media is a sign of a growing trend, then this strategy of profit-through-dumbing-down-the-masses appears to have failed.

Unfortunately the independent film sector is suffering the same problems—lack of funding and public support—faced by their commercial counterparts. A skeleton crew, limited lighting set-up and props, and lack of high-end video equipment are evident limitations caused by the film’s financial constraints.

Vis-à-vis commercial films

Coughing up cash is never easy. This is a struggle faced by any filmmaker seeking art over profit. The film industry’s gatekeepers, the distributors, often agonize over such questions as the film’s title – is it catchy enough? The actors and actresses who star in the film – are they famous enough? The plot – does it fit our definition of an epic hit, enough to rake in a solid profit? Only a handful of studios or distributors are willing to shell out cash, and take the risk of spending on an indie film. The flimsy budget then bleeds into the end-product, as viewers compare it to commercially-produced films.

“I prefer commercial films than indie films,” shared sophomore student Sidrick Cabatingan. “In commercial films, the overall quality is better, storylines are clearer, climax could be easily determined, and endings are made properly albeit predictable. Unlike that of the indie films, the camera angles are handled more professionally.”

“The government should allocate more budget in producing and in preserving the culture and the arts, the independent films for example. These independent films display the talents and creativity of local directors,” added Cabatingan.

“Through independent films, we as a nation can share the history and culture of our country,” said business student Gabriel Obligacion.

On mass-production

Due to its limited distribution channels, independent films are only showcased in a specific venue and schedule – The 8th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for example, was only a 10-day event with films shown mainly at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) with satellite cinemas in Greenbelt and Trinoma. Evidently, only a select group of the cinema market – communication students, film enthusiasts, and patrons of the culture and arts, in particular – are able to watch these independent films, leaving the larger mass market unable to view these artistically-inclined movies.

Obligacion, however, believes that independent films should be part of the regular rotation in cinemas. “A week-long event is clearly not enough for filmmakers to gain opportunity and exposure. Moreover, I think people are longing to find a new perspective, something indie films clearly offer.”

Cabatingan shares the same sentiment. “Indie films are for everyone to enjoy and to relate to. It is, after all, an entertainment medium per se. To exclude the mass market from experiencing these films will be pure discrimination.”

On the other hand, Ong cautions over such a move for independent films to be mass-produced. “I don’t think that the mass market in general will appreciate independent films instantly. These films are more complicated than commercial ones, with plots and techniques different from the usual story-telling the masa is used to. I’m afraid these independent films might not generate the needed attention and support from the general public.”

Ong wishes that “the filmmakers would consider that not all the audience are art critics or scholars to understand every detail of the piece. Some independent films are too vague and complicated. I wish the creative team consider that the normal viewing public, including students like me, are watching and analyzing these independent films as well.”

Digging deeper, issues raised

Too high brow? Indie films, by definition, have always found it difficult to reach the mass market. “Exclusive” venues and airing schedules limit audiences and feed into public perceptions of these films as catering only to a select, elite group.

Communications graduate Ogy Yap added, “There have been efforts to give awareness to Independent cinema, but these have not been successful. Robinsons Galleria has dedicated a theatre for independent cinema, but ticket sales are less than impressive. The duration of the film’s showing is also not as long as those in the mainstream world. “

But shouldn’t Indie films, like Art in general, be free for all? Moving toward a more open society where culture could flourish?

Perhaps taking a grassroots approach, airing the films in places like city halls, barangays, or even basketball courts would make a difference.

On growing popularity “required”

At Cinemalaya every year, throngs of students gather to watch the independent films usually after their professors require them to write reaction papers and reviews.

Ong agrees, but quipped that her desire to watch independent films came naturally. “I voluntarily watched the film festival because I am really interested in the realities of our society and the creative execution in cinematography, video editing by our local filmmakers

“Students will look for opportunities for individual artistry even in the smallest or unrecognized people, something present in Cinemalaya,” expressed Obligacion. “Additionally, an indie film is interesting if the topic or them directly relates to a target market. For example, a film talking about the complexities of a teenage relationship will definitely attract a lot of the young generation.”

At any rate, indie films are an eye opener, giving youth a better appreciation and understanding for art.

30secondTHOUGHTS: THE LEGO STORY

For eighty years to date, Lego has been in the forefront of honing children's imagination, literally allowing generations of kids to build bricks and create a make-believe world of boundless possibilities. In celebration of the toy brand's birthday, the Lego Group recently released a 17-minute short animated film that narrates the company's history - its humble beginnings as a carpentry workshop set by its founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, the origins of the brand name, the trials of the start-up company, and Lego's eventual transition into a household name for children's toys.

Ad Title: THE LEGO STORY
In-House: The Lego Group

My first Lego was a ten-piece miniature set given as a freebie from a Jolly Kiddie Meal. Back then, it was a big thing for me to own a Lego. I vividly recall that I had to constantly remind my mother that I have to complete the set - a request which, being that at that time I was the (slightly spoiled) only child, my mother granted.

So I had the complete transportation Lego freebies - the battleship, the airplane, the automobile. I played with the Lego set together with my other toys for hours. I would experiment with the bricks and transform them into an accumulated mass of a make-shift building, a customized Power Rangers Zord or whatever my playful imagination dictated. For an adult, Lego was a just a group of play bricks placed together but for the younger self, it was the physical equivalent of the object that was represented inside my mind.

I also had this habit that every new toy purchased had to sleep by my side during that first night - sort of my puerile version of the "first night together as a couple", albeit platonic.  And the Lego set was no exception.

Ad Series: IMAGINE
Ad Agency: FCB South Africa
Client: Lego

Looking back, I have to say that Lego did play an important role into shaping the way I see things now - how I visualize images more than the physical, how I interpret the arrangements of the universe more than its literal sense, how I imagine.

Thank you Lego! May you continue to inspire countless generations to imagine and to become creatives in their own rights. Thank you Lego for letting me...

...Imagine!

BUHANGIN

---
Puerto Princesa Circa 2009, Pre-Mohawk

BARAS

---
Buhangin, translated to Cuyonon, a local dialect in Palawan

Circa 2009, Pre-Mohawk

MY QUARTERMARK IN SCRIBBLES AND SNAPSHOTS

25 is a promising number. It is a digit full of blessings, mistakes, and faith. It is a culmination of a quarter that has been and a promise of years that will be. Cheers to more years of magic! 

30secondTHOUGHTS: NATIONAL SURPRISE PARTY

Ad Title: NATIONAL SURPRISE PARTY
Ad Agency: Dallas Antwerp
Client: Joe FM

This ad tells it all, what this day means to me. No explanations needed. Smiles.
#Grateful #Blessed #QuarterMark #ThankYouLord #FriendsFamilyFaith

KAGANAPAN: YABANG PINOY FESTIVAL

Anong maipagmamayabang mo bilang isang Pilipino?

Sa Ika-16 ng Agosto 2012,
Inihahandog ng 66th ENG, BLAZE2011 at FOCUS2011 Batch Governments ang:

YABANG PINOY FESTIVAL: Rated YP Goes to DLSU!

Ang Rated YP ay isang proyektong inilunsad ng Yabang Pinoy upang matulungan ang mga lokal na direktor, mas lalo na ang mga “INDIE” o mga nagsisimula pa lamang, na mapanood at mapagmalaki ang kanilang mga natatanging gawa. Itinatampok na Pelikula: SENIOR YEAR ni Jerrold Tarog. Tungkol saan ito? Manood upang malaman!

Tampok ang mga naggagwapuhan at nagagandahang kandidato ng Ginoo at Binibining BLAZE2014! Sino-sino kaya ang hihirangin?

Sa halagang P150, ating tunghayan ang kagandahan ng Sineng Pinoy. May libreng ABACA BRACELET ka na, May FASHION SHOW at games pa!

EARPLUGS: ANG NAWAWALANG SOUNDTRACK

My ears are currently plugged to "Ang Nawawalang Soundtrack Volume 1", a compilation of choice indie soundtracks used in my favorite Cinemalaya 2012 movie, "Ang Nawawala." The volume includes music from Tarsius, Ang Bandang Shirley, Outerhope, Hannah + Gabi, The Strangeness, and Ciudad. 

The playlist is the perfect background the moment you step out of your dormitory dorm, the radiant glow of the morning greeting your tracks. It provides a soothing melody while walking on the streets, alone, while observing the walking kind make second exchanges with fellow strangers or while one marvels at the synchronized movements of bus and streets lights and the abstract dance created by belching smokes and polluted noise. 

In short, pang-emo siya.

 

IMPACTED TOOTH: THE CHIEF CREATIVE INTERVENTION

      Yesterday, I had my dentist extract my impacted tooth - a literal adjective for having one's problem removed. It was the most expensive (and most painful) pre-birthday gift I have given myself.

       I was supposed to schedule the particular surgery by September when I will be in Dipolog for the term-break. However, I decided that I do not want the on-off pain and discomfort, which affected my left ear and trigeminal nerves, to interrupt my celebration of my will-be quarter-mark.

       And the Higher Dentist Above, through Don Draper, intervened.

       While I was watching the finale of Mad Men's fifth season, I saw a sign that it was the proper time to have my impacted tooth extracted the soonest time possible - Don Draper had a toothache and at the later part of the episode, he visited the dentist and had the annoying tooth removed.

      After five seasons of watching the fictional advertising-centered drama series in marathon, I am in awe of Don Draper's genius. His words of advice equal that of Ogilvy's, full of wisdom, insight, and idea. Except for his philandering ways, Don Draper is a personal role model, a vision of success I want to achieve in that advertising world. I will do whatever it takes to be like him...

    ...and yes, that includes having a tooth extracted because the Don had one too.

Ad Title: "ROME" "EGYPT"
Ad Agency: JWT Shanghai
Client: Maxam


     The surgery took less than an hour but preparing the self for the actual extraction took hours - I am, after all, a self-confessed nerbyoso. To calm the nerves, I did three things. First and of course, pray. I knew that the Higher Dentist Above will guide my dentist's hands into a successful extraction. Second, I had a call from my mother. Nothing beats the voice of a mother calming his son, knowing that everything will be okay (and that even though you're a grown up now, you'll always be mama's little boy). And third, I had a mental note that made the inner Draper fan braver - in repeat, my mind was shouting, DON DID THIS, DON DID THIS, LET'S DO THIS!

      So while the dentist was performing the extraction, maneuvering the surgery while my mouth remained pronounced in a silent and prolonged scream, I just imagined I was in the same dental clinic as where my personal idol had his extraction. In that, the pain become less painful; and the aspiring creative, braver.
   
     Such imagination, I know. At most, the illusion helped me through the process.

     I will be completely healed in a matter of days, just in time for the celebration. The early extraction was indeed His pre-birthday gift, a sign that He really wants me to celebrate the quarter-mark in complete glee and consolation, without the unnecessary discomfort from the bothering tooth. And although I initially wanted to have the tooth removed at a later period, He intervened and scheduled for a sooner date. Not my plans, but His will always prevail. He is, after all, the Higher Dentist and Chief Creative rolled into one.

THE NAMELESS FLOOD AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media has once again proved to be a reliable ally in times of natural calamities as torrential rain has caused widespread flooding across Metro Manila in the past few days.

Twitter, for instance, has become a virtual emergency hotline where rescue and relief concerns are voiced in 140 characters or less. #ReliefPH is the primary hashtag for relief aid while #RescuePH is used for rescue requests; #FloodsPH and #PHalert are used for breaking news about floods and government alers, in that order.

On the other hand, Facebook newsfeeds have been recently filled with photos demonstrating the resilient character of our fellow Filipino citizens, the flood victim in particular.

If you desire to donate or to volunteer, kindly search the Google Donation Center Map for the nearest donation and relief center nearest your vicinity.

#PrayforThePhilippines

MOHAWK SOCIETY: NASA MOHAWK GUY

Brothers of the Mohawk Society, hail ye our fellow comrade.

Bobak Ferdowksi, a NASA flight director, is part of the team responsible for giving the Planet Earth her first authentic glimpse of the her fiery neighbor Mars' surface.

Amongst the NASA team maneuvering rover Curiosity towards the red planet, Ferdowksi caught the attention of viewers with his mohawk of red and blue stripes with yellow stars marked on the side, a unique interpretation of Uncle Sam's patriotic flag. So much so that social media community has christened him the "NASA Mohak Guy" with an unofficial tumblr page created in his honor.

Well, NASA Mohawk Guy. Job well done. You are a living proof that the Brothers of the Mohawk Society is not only a fraternity of unique and well-structured heads but also a community of service for the fulfillment of humankind's space frontiers.

To Mars and beyond.

30secondTHOUGHTS: RH BILL PRINT ADS

Nothing spells Pinoy teleserye other than the Reproductive Health Bill. For years, the Bill has become the center of national drama and has placed a demarcation line that separates two opposing factions - the Pro and the Anti, much like the classic Crispa-Toyota basketball rivalry or the epic clash between the Noranians and Vilmanians. Pinag-uusapan, walang-kupas.  
But the issue is more than a mere case of fanaticism or a support out of subjective liking. Your stand - either for or against - towards the bill has become a de facto indication of how society, more so the Church, labels your morality. Susuporta ka sa RH Bill? Para ka na ring nakapatay ng bata niyan. 
It is too obvious that the Church holds much bearing, or voice, on whether the RH Bill will eventually become a law. Nothing is new. Every time we hear agenda of political nature - divorce, gay marriage, prostitution - we will always hear the opinion of a clergyman insisting that their statements should be followed by the state, or else. Or else. Or else. Or else.
As if the Philippines, with its constitution and mandates, does not have a mind of her own. As if in that constitution there was not a clause, something about "separation of the Church and the State" or something to that effect. But the Philippines has forgotten about that because the Church's voice has become overpowering, somewhat demanding.
Do not get me wrong though. I respect the Church.
I am a Roman Catholic after all.
But I am still a Filipino.
And as a Filipino, I demand that the Philippines, bilang isang malayang bansa, will make her stand towards the RH Bill independently, devoid of the voices and the inclinations she has to consider.
An objective stand, that is what I demand from her. As a Filipino.
----
I initially wanted to write only three sentences for this series of RH Bill-related print ads. And then, my freedom of expression wanted to express, to tell something - hence the statement above.
So here you go, without further delay. A collection of RH Bill prints gathered from the internet.

PRO-RH BILL

ANTI-RH BILL

THE NEUTRAL

                    (Copy: The Reproductive Health Bill. Women should represent themselves)

                    (Copy: The Reproductive Health Bill. Don't let someone else decide for you.)

                         (Copy: The Reproductive Health Bill. Don't let someone else speak for you.)