ARTS 10

QUARTER 3
Media-Based Arts and Design in the Philippines
Week 3-4

I What do I need to know?

In this modern times, media arts and design are one of the trends not only in our country but also
around the world. Since we are in the era of technology, arts and design are also developing. In this module,
you are expected to:

• identify art elements in the various media-based arts in the Philippines (A10EL-IIIb-1)
• identify representative artists as well as distinct characteristics of media-based arts and design in the
Philippines (A10EL-IIIa-2)
• discuss the truism that Filipino ingenuity is distinct, exceptional, and on a par with global standards
(A10PL-IIIh-1)
• discuss the role or function of artworks by evaluating their utilization and combination of art elements
and principles (A10PL-IIIh-2)
• use artworks to derive the traditions/history of a community (A10PL-IIIh-3)
• create artworks that can be assembled with local materials (A10PR-IIIc-e-1)
• explain the characteristics of media-based arts and design in the Philippines (A10PR-IIIc-e-2)
• apply different media techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories (the
use of software to enhance/animate images like Flash, Movie Maker, Dreamweaver, etc.) (A10PR-
IIIc-e-3)
• evaluate works of art in terms of artistic concepts and ideas using criteria appropriate for the style or
form of media-based arts and design (A10PR-IIIf-4)
• mount a media-based exhibit of completed artworks (A10PR-IIIg-5)

Pre-test
Directions: Read the statement carefully and identify what is being described. Choose the letter of the answer
and write your answer in your answer sheets.
1. 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.
A. Film Directing B. Acting C. Editing D. Set Design

2. It includes large-scale publications such as newspapers, magazines, journals, books of all kinds, as well
as smaller-scale posters, brochures, flyers, menus, and the like.
A. Comic Book B. Advertising C. Print Media D. Digital Media

3. A director who captured the attention and respect of the viewing public with powerful films such as Jose
Rizal (1998), Muro-Ami (1999) and Bagong Buwan (2001).
A. Laurice Guillen’s Salome C. Mike de Leon
B. Marilou Diaz Abaya D. Lino Brocka
4. The following are movie genres except:
A. Horror B. Comedy C. Fiction D. Surroundings

5. It is is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to create an identity for the Philippines within the
animation industry, making it one of the preferred sources for animation services worldwide.
A. National Animation Association of the Philippines C. National Council on Animation
B. Animation Council of the Philippines D. Animation Association of the Philippines

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 D Development
What is it?
1. 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 20th century photographers elevated this “light writing” to an aesthetic form.

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. That discernment and that eye for composition are the factors
that elevate a photographer from a mere recorder of images to an artist.
In a pictorial shoot, the photographer may position lighting, modify the lens setting, or use filters to create
an effect he or she has conceptualized beforehand. The tools and techniques may not be those of the traditional
artist, but the aesthetic principles are the same. For today’s photographers, the process goes even further. They
may take the exposed film into a dark room or subject the digital images to their photo editing software—and
there manipulate the images with the myriad of photo enhancement techniques and tools currently available.
Whether left untouched from the instant the image was captured or was digitally or manually altered, the
resulting photographs can be startlingly impactful. It becomes clear how the photographer has captured the
elements of form, color, light and shadow, texture, and composition to create a true work of art.

Photography as Communication
Being a modern art form means that photography is now viewed as being more than just beautiful. It is
also considered one of the most powerful means of communication.
Next to the printed word, the photographic image is today’s most important means of conveying
information and ideas, expressing emotions, even championing causes.
This power comes from two distinctive characteristics of photography: immediacy and detail. An image
recorded by a camera has a sense of authenticity. Because the lens captures the image objectively, the resulting
photograph is regarded as ‘true to life’ and ‘of the moment.’ At the same time, the camera takes in every detail
of an image. Thus, the photograph has a sense of completeness.
For these reasons, photographs are vital tools in communication fields such as journalism, advertising,
education, and even in courts of law. They have also been used to eloquently speak out against social and
political issues.

Noteworthy Filipino Photographers

The Philippines has joined the rest of the world in applying the wonders of modern photography to every
aspect of life—from personal to professional to national to global. And with our country’s natural beauty, a few
local photographers have taken on the Philippines and our people as a major focus of their lenses. Among these
are George Tapan, John K. Chua, Manny Librodo and many other talented members of the Federation of
Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF).

George Tapan 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 in five travel photography books.

Into the Green Zone, Tapan’s 1st place-winning image in the 2011 National
Geographic Photo Contest

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 John K. Chua is best known as an advertising and commercial photographer, with
over 40 years of experience in this field and numerous local and international
award for his work. At the same time, he has applied his photo artistry to
showcasing the beauty of the Philippines.

Snake Island, Palawan

2. 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 play—that 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 20th century to the 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 into being because of technological advances. The transition from still
photography 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 captured on a strip of film advancing through a single
camera. This was the seed of the highly advanced film medium we enjoy today.
The need to view these moving images led to the rise of the Kinetoscope, a peepshow cabinet with an
eyehole through which these earliest “movies” 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 illumination from beneath.
In the meantime, European and American inventors were providing one technological advancement after
another. The French developed the “cinematographe,” a hand- cranked camera, printer, and projector all in one
that was lightweight enough to bring outside the studio. By 1901, the earliest motion pictures were rapidly
progressing from one-scene, studio films to multiple-scene narratives filmed outdoors. Driven by these and many
more advances, the art aspect of filmmaking was born.

The Collaborative Art of 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 or 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. Through the years, the complexity of filmmaking gave rise to numerous allied arts
that did not previously exist.

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 director’s 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 director’s desired visual and emotional effect. Sound editing was also developed, as
films began to include more ambitious effects beyond the dialogue and background music.
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Production/Set design - Underlying all these was the art of production and 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.
Sound plus color then allowed for further development of animated feature films, as well as what
became the major American genre of the 1930s—the movie musical. Here, the spectacle of theater productions
was brought to the movie screen, incorporating singing, dancing, and elaborate production numbers enhanced
by emerging film techniques.
Further developments in cinematic and sound technology led to even more genres: war and disaster
films, westerns or “cowboy movies,” thrillers or suspense films, historical or biographical films, film
epics, and film adaptations of literary classics. In a similar way, the tremendous advances in computer
technology in recent decades have fueled the rise of futuristic or science fiction films, as well as special
effects movies featuring live actors, animated characters, or live actors and animated characters together.
Documentary films, a non-fiction genre, were made using real-life footage as well as file materials, in
many cases to present an issue. Finally, a special genre known as art films (“indie” or independent films) caters
to a small group of viewers and critics, consciously concerned with the artistic merits of a motion picture.
Filipino Filmmakers
In the Philippine 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.
Among them were Lino Brocka (Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, 1974; Maynila, Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag,
1975), Mike de Leon (Itim, 1976; Sister Stella L, 1984; Bayaning 3rd World, 1999), Ishmael Bernal (Himala,
1982), and Peque Gallaga (Oro, Plata, Mata, 1983).
Outstanding female directors have likewise made their mark in Philippine cinema. Among them are
Laurice Guillen and Marilou Diaz Abaya.
Laurice Guillen’s Salome (1981) earned international acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Her more recent films, such as Tanging Yaman, (2001) which won Best Picture in the Metro Manila Film Festival,
American Adobo (2002), Santa Santita (2004), and Sa ‘Yo Lamang (2010), all gained her recognition among the
current generation of Filipino moviegoers.
Marilou Diaz Abaya captured the attention and respect of the viewing public with powerful films such as
Jose Rizal (1998), perfectly timed for the centennial celebration of Philippine independence; Muro-ami (1999),
which bravely exposed the deadly practice of using child-divers to pound for fish in the Philippines’ coral reefs;
and Bagong Buwan (2001), which dealt with the human cost of the Muslim-Christian conflict in Mindanao.
Crossing over easily between projects for television and for the big screen is veteran film director Maryo
J. delos Reyes. The heartwarming drama film Magnifico won for him the Best Director distinction at the 2003
FAMAS Awards and garnered other local and international film awards as well. Delos Reyes continues to be
active in both film and television media, having become known for well-loved teleseryes (television drama series).
Another Filipino film director who has brought the country to the cinema world’s attention is Brillante
Mendoza. Mendoza was originally a production designer for films, commercials, and music videos, and started
directing films in 2005. But in just four years, his film Kinatay (The Execution of P) won for him the Best Director
award at the highly prestigious Cannes Film Festival of 2009.

3. Animation
In recent decades, a whole new career opportunity has emerged for creative Filipinos via the field of
animation. In fact, Filipino animators have been involved in the creation of some of the best-loved—and
technically challenging—animated feature films produced in the last few years. Among these are Toy Story, Up,
The Incredibles, Monsters University, Cars, Finding Nemo, Planes, Brave, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and more.
Such recognition of Philippine talent abroad has, in fact, spurred the development of the local animation industry
as well.

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 Animation Council of the Philippines the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) is a non-stock,
non-profit organization that aims to create an identity for the Philippines within the animation industry, making it
one of the preferred sources for animation services worldwide. The organization works hand in hand with
participating colleges and universities, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and
other government agencies, and local government units to develop animation as a promising career option for
Filipinos. In 2013, TESDA and ACPI began offering 2D and 3D Animation Scholarships to interested high school
graduates, between ages 18 to 45.
The showpiece of the ACPI is Animahensayon, an annual festival and competition featuring the works of
Filipino animators. Apart from this major project, the ACPI grants the annual “Outstanding Emerging Artist in
Animation Award” for outstanding young and fast-rising cartoonists and animators in the country. It also confers
the Animahenasyon's “Lifetime Achieve- ment Award” on notable animators and other contributors to the
Philippine animation industry.

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. For this last cartoon, PASI was tapped by a
children’s entertainment company based in Sydney, Australia and went on to win the Best Animation Category
in the 2012 Pixel Awards.
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. The characters were voiced by an all-star cast of actors from Philippine cinema and
television, with the screenplay written in Filipino.
Also released in 2008 was Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia, said to be the country’s 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 boy's adventure. The production involved over 500 local
animators and featured a “tra-digital animation” technique. Its characters were rendered in 2D animation, while
the backdrops were created using 3D animation. Dayo was also the first- ever animated movie to be screened
during the Metro Manila Film Festival, as it was entered in the 34th MMFF in December 2008. Another
breakthrough was the first Filipino full 3D- animated film, RPG Metanoia, co-produced by Ambient Media,
Thaumatrope Animation, and Star Cinema in 2010.

4. Print Media
Alongside the digital media forms discussed above, there remains the more conventional form known as
print media. Included here are large-scale publications such as newspapers, magazines, journals, books of all
kinds, as well as smaller-scale posters, brochures, flyers, menus, and the like. Of course, all of these now have
their digital counterparts that may be accessed and read on the internet. However, there continues to be a
demand and a purpose for the actual printed forms of these materials. And whether printed on paper or viewed
on the web, these materials once again involve and showcase Filipino artistry.

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, maga- zines, posters,
brochures, and flyers—each with their specific target readerships and markets, and highly-specialized
approaches for reaching these target groups.
Along with the advertising copywriters who provide the text for titles, taglines, and body copy, an entire
team of modern-day art professionals creates the look of each ad. These range from art directors to
photographers to graphic designers to illustrators. If the ad subject requires it, the team may further include food
and product stylists, fashion stylists, hair and makeup artists, set and lighting designers. All for the purpose of
creating an advertisement that will appear on a printed page or in a format that will be handed out to potential
customers.

Comic Books
Another field of print media that highlights the artistic gifts of Filipinos is that of comic books, or komiks
as they are referred to locally. 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. 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.

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 Even decades before, however, komiks creators had already introduced characters, themes, and story
lines from Philippine folklore, mythology, and history. With books and libraries not yet readily accessible to most
of the Filipino public, comics became a major form of reading material around the country, avidly read and shared
by young and old alike.
Filipino comics artists also became recognized for their talents, both locally and overseas. Thus, from
the 1960s to the 1980s, Filipino artists were recruited to work for foreign comics publishers—among them the
highly popular DC Comics. A more recent development in the Philippine comics scene has been the rise of
comics series reflecting or commenting on current political and social issues or on the Filipino character in a
humorous way. One such series is the long running Pugad Baboy, created by Pol Medina, Jr.
With the phenomenal rise of digital media in recent decades, however, the local comics industry seemed
to take a backseat. But there is a current resurgence of interest, not only among comics readers and collectors,
but among Filipino artists and illustrators creating original concepts and experimenting with exciting new styles.
There is now an entire range of subjects, characters, formats, and artistic treatments available for aspiring young
comics artists to bring to life. The following are just a sampling of the possibilities.

Book Design and Illustration

Yet another extremely rich and promising area for young Filipino artists is the field of book design and
illustration. Thanks to the visionary mindsets of progressive Philippine book publishers such as Bookmark, Anvil
Publishing, Adarna Books, and Tahanan Books for Young Readers (now Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing), local
book designers and illustrators have been given the professional stature they deserve and the creative freedom
they need to truly showcase their talents.

Digital Media
All the artistic skills and techniques that go into producing books like those just presented, of course
have their counterpart in the ever-growing world of digital media. This means that books that were originally
available only in print are being gradually converted to digital format, while new books are now conceptualized,
written, designed, and illustrated precisely for these online media.
This also means that how today’s readers can find, access, and enjoy these electronic books (or
‘ebooks’) is via digital media tablets, ebook readers, and other handheld reading devices. One such device that
is available locally is the ebook reader called Kobo, which features international as well as Philippine titles.
Likewise gaining in popularity are social media-based publishing sites, like Wattpad, that serve as
communities for millions of budding writers to share their original stories online. This phenomenon, along with
the rise of electronic distribution platforms, such as Flipreads, which provide access to the works of Filipino
authors and publishers, is also opening exciting new opportunities for young artists to do the digital design and
illustrations for all these upcoming titles.

E Engagement
What is more?
Learning Task 1: MODIFIED TRUE OF FALSE
Write True if the statement is correct otherwise change the underlined word/words to make the statement
true. Write your answer on your answer sheets.

1. Marilou Diaz Abaya directed the film Muro-Ami which bravely exposed the deadly practice of using child-
divers to pound for fish in the Philippines’ coral reefs.
2. John K. Chua 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.
3. Behind the scenes, there was the production or the art of film camera work. This captured the director’s vision
of each scene through camera placement and movement, lighting, and other special techniques.
4. Brillante Mendoza is a Filipino director behind the film Kinatay (The Execution of P) where he won the Best
Director award at the highly prestigious Cannes Film Festival of 2009.
5. War and disaster films, westerns or “cowboy movies,” thrillers or suspense films, historical or biographical
films, film epics, and film adaptations of literary classics are some examples of movie genres.
6. Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia, is said to be the country’s first all-digital full-length animated feature film.
7. The Philippine Animation Studio, Inc. (PASI) was established in 1997.
8. Laurice Guillen’s Salome (1981) earned international acclaim at the Metro Manila Film Festival.
9. Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy (The Misadventures of Kenkoy) was created by Paul Medina Jr.
10. Documentary films, a non-fiction genre, were made using real-life footage as well as file materials, in many
cases to present an issue.

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Reflection
In your answer sheet, complete the following statements:
In this lesson, I learned that ________________________________________________________
I felt that _______________________________________________________________________
The topic I really enjoyed was/were __________________________________________________
I had difficulty with________________________________________________________________

What have I learned?

Performance Task: A Representation of Media-based Arts and Design
In an Oslo Paper, create an advertisement that would raise awareness about “Coping Up with the
COVID-19 Pandemic.” Explore as many concepts as you can and choose one that will best show your
thoughts about the theme. You may use any available coloring materials to enhance your work.

Criteria for Grading

Creativity and originality (40%)

Interpretation and clarity (30%)
Quality of artistic composition (20%)
Overall impression of the art (10%)

ASSESSMENT

Directions: Read each statement carefully and identify what is being described. Choose the letter of the correct
answer and write it your answer on your answer sheets.

1. The following are some of the known Filipino local photographers EXCEPT:
A. George Tapan B. Mike de Leon C. John K. Chua D. Manny Librodo

2. This captured the director’s vision of each scene through camera placement and movement, lighting, and
other special techniques.
A. Film Directing B. Acting C. Cinematography D. Editing

3. It is the art of selecting the precise sections of film, then sequencing and joining them to achieve the
director’s desired visual and emotional effect.
A. Film Directing B. Acting C. Cinematography D. Editing

4. New books are now conceptualized, written, designed, and illustrated precisely for these online media.
A. Advertising B. Comic Book C. Book Design D. Digital Media

5. The following are the movies directed by Laurice Guillen Salome EXCEPT:
A. Kinatay B. Santa Santita C. Sayo Lamang D. Tanging Yaman

6. It was viewed as a purely technical process, that of recording visible images by light action on light-
sensitive materials.
A. Digital Arts B. Media C. Photography D. Film Making

7. It is a movie genre that caters to a small group of viewers and critics, consciously concerned with the
artistic merits of a motion picture.
A. Documentary Films B. Art Films C. Comedy Films D. Silent Films

8. It 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.
A. Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia C. Muro-Ami
B. Bagong Buwan D. Urduja

9. He is the Father of Filipino Comics.

A. Tony Velasquez B. Lino Brocka C. George Tapan D. Paul Medina Jr.

10. It is an annual festival and competition featuring the works of Filipino animators.
A. Animasyon Digital B. Animahinasyon C. Imahinasyong Digital D. Animasyon Pilipino
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