Biyernes, Enero 10, 2014

Blog Entry No. 4: Photography (Civilized VS Uncivilized)



Let us first differentiate civilized and uncivilized. Civilize is having a highly developed society and culture. Marked by refinement in taste and manners; cultured; polished and showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement; humane, ethical, and reasonable. Uncivilized are the complete opposite of civilize. It lacks culture or sophisticate. Not polished, have bad manners and shows evidence of immoral acts.


Here are some sets of civilized and uncivilized acts.

First Set:

"Save our Mother Earth"

The first set of my selfie was saving our Mother Earth. Many people nowadays our just throwing their trash whenever and wherever they want,suchs as on the roads,on the canals, on vacant lots, and etc, which creates pollution and unhealthy living to our society. Its impossible not to see a tiny trash in everywhere I go. These garbages can cause bad effects to our Mother Earth. So let us all save our Mother Eart together by doing just simple things like putting your garbage in the right place.

Second Set:




















"Taking action, getting results"

The second set displays a lazy and an industrious person. Many teenagers nowadays are more to computer games and social networks rather than cleaning their house, doing household chores, etc. Our culture as a Filipino is that we are “makalinga” and “masipag” when it comes to cleanliness and orderliness. But it seems to be that our youth right now fail to implement and prove it. They prioritize first their games and entertainment instead of doing their obligations inside their house. There are always consequences to every little things we choose to do, and that consequences will either make or break you.

Third Set:

 





"It's up to you!"

The third set displays a well-organized and unorganized person.  As I said a while ago, we are known for being “masipag”, meaning others expect us to have a tidy workspace or home. It’s about keeping your life in order, from your schedule to your chores to your thoughts and beyond. Sound like an overwhelming task? Consider the benefits: While getting yourself into a habit of being organized requires an investment of time and energy, once you’re in a groove you’ll reap huge rewards, including less stress, more efficiency, a sharper mind, and the knowledge that when you want to find something, you’ll know exactly where it is.



REFERENCES:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com

http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/home-food/8-habits-organized-people



Martes, Enero 7, 2014

Blog Entry No. 3 Part 2 - Indie Film "Paano ko Sasabihin"


As I searched for an indie film to watch, I chose Paano ko Sasabihin starring Erich Gonzaga and Enchong dee which is directed by Richard Legaspi and realeased by Cinema One Originals.

Synopsis: Two strangers find love in a chance encounter on the train to work. Meet Ehryl, a television writer, with a Deaf brother, and Mike, an art teacher for the Deaf. Thinking Mike was Deaf, Erhyl replies in sign language, making Mike believe she was also Deaf. And so they continue their charade, sharing their problems and dreams– all in sign language. Until Erhyl accidentally blows her cover. She keeps away, ridden by pain and guilt, only to be surprised by another truth in the end.

Paano Ko Sasabihin speculates the question how far would you go to keep appearances up for love’s sake? And would that love stand a chance in the face of the painful truth?

For Ehryl (Erich Gonzalez), a young TV soap writer, one of the strange pleasures of her otherwise humdrum daily commute from home to work is the opportunity to glance upon a handsome co-commuter who seems to have only one down side - he is deaf-mute. Lucky for her, because her younger brother is also a deaf-mute, she has become very adept in communicating in sign language. When the opportunity presented itself for her to get to know the guy who she believes is the mysterious man from her recurring dreams, she decides to pretend to be a deaf-mute, in the belief that the innocent deceit would facilitate what she wished was a blossoming relationship.

Mike (Enchong Dee), the commuter who Ehryl believes to be deaf-mute as well as the man in her recurring dream, as it turns out, can both hear and talk normally. He is a teacher in a special school for deaf-mute children. Believing that Ehryl is deaf-mute, he resolves to pretend to be deaf-mute. As their misrepresentations mature to become lies that are too complicated that they can only threaten the feelings that have slowly and surely developed between the two of them, they become entangled in a shared fear of being found out and eventually losing each other.


In WOTL Make your Own Indie Film Part 1, the elements cited are:

1. Artistic Director

The film was directed and written by Richard Legaspi. Richard Soriano Legaspi, a young graduate turned faculty member of the UE College of Fine Arts, has started making ripples in Philippine independent cinema. His short film Ambulancia was warmly received during its screening at the 2007 Cinemanila Film Festival held at the Gateway mall last August 17. Furthermore, he is one of only two Filipinos accepted to the 2007 Asian Film Academy to be held in Seoul and Busan, South Korea, as part of the Busan International Film Festival on September 27 to October 12.

2. Producer (low to moderate budget)

I guess the budget for this film was moderate since the two leading actors in the film are well-known and it was released by Cinema One Originals.

3. Shaky Camera 

The camera is a bit shaky since some of the scenes were located at train and jeepney. But overall, the camera is steady and stable.

4. Poor lightning and sounds

The lightning and sounds are good enough to satisfy the viewers of the film.

5. Focus Framing

There are some focus framing on the scenes inside the train for the viewers to fully understand the film’s perspective.

In the WOTL Make your Own Indie Film Part 2, the elements cited are:

1. Prostitute and Callboy
2. Gay Element

There were no prostitute, callboy and gay element involved in the film.

3. Poverty Porn

Even though it’s not much specified, Eryhl’s family is living on a decent house but somehow near a slum areas.

4. Amateur Actors(raw talent)

The two well-known leading actors are Erich Gonzales and Enchong Dee. The other cast are amateur since they are not famous, such as Geraldine Tan, Johann Alcantara, Mikhail Hirang, Max Balatbat, Ian Victor and Zernan Mataya.

In the WOTL Make your Own Indie Film Part 3, the elements cited are:

1. Subtitles 
2. “Taong Grasa” 
3. Well-known Indie Film Actors

There was a subtitle included in the film but no “Taong Grasa” involved. The well-known Indie Film Actors were also not involved but the two leading actors are famous and well experienced on doing different kind of films.






LINK TO THE FULL MOVIE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvUyvgv_f9I


REFERENCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paano_Ko_Sasabihin_(_Film_)
http://www.agimat.net
http://twitchfilm.com/2010/04/how-do-i-tell-you-review.html
https://www.ue.edu.ph/manila/uetoday/index.php?nav=12.htm&archive=200705



Blog Entry No. 3 Part 1 - MMFF Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy by Wenn V. Deramas


The Metro Manila Film Festival-Philippines(MMFF-P) is an annual film festival held in Manila. The festival, which runs from the 25th of December to the first week of January in the following year, focuses on locally-produced films. During the course of the festival, no foreign movies are shown across the Philippines (except in 3D theaters and IMAX theaters). Moreover, only films approved by the jurors of the MMFF are shown. One of the festival highlights is the parade of floats during the opening of the festival. 


Every year, it is our routine to watch at least one movie from the MMFF to fully support and embrace the Philippine movies. It is the time where Filipinos directors are showcasing their talents together with our aspiring actors and actresses.




In this year, since I’m a huge fan of Vice Ganda’s punchlines, we chose Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy which is directed by Wenn V. Deramas. I have no doubts on choosing this MMFF entry because Vice Ganda’s previous films are always a top-notcher movie and absolutely humorous.


STORY:
The movie tells the story of quadruplet siblings played by Vice Ganda which the girl and the boy grew in the custody of their rich father while the "bakla" (Mark) and "tomboy" (Panying) grew in their poor mother. A comedic riot ensues when health issues force their parents to reveal their family’s secret.
The movie is supposed to be a typical drama because of the tragic events that happened in their family, but cheers to Vice Ganda for he made the movie so fun to watch and hilarious.

DIALOUGE:
Good dialogue is essential for a movie to be perfect, but a good dialogue can also make a poor story entertaining. The dialogue of the movie is good since it very well express on what is happening in every scene. It gives life to every scene and there are no dubious script on the movie . The scripts are funny and there are no dull moments. There are some predictable gag lines, but still I still laughed at it.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The nicer a movie looks, the better. If all the other elements are okay (not great), cinematography can decide if I like watching a movie or not. The framing on the movie is sufficient for the viewers to discover every viewpoint on every scene of the movie. The camera angles are great to capture every significant scene in the movie, and to show the viewers every perspective of each character depending on the scene. The camera is steady all the time and the movement is all decent.

ACTING:
I really admire Vice Ganda for portraying the four characters very well. For the record, he is the first Filipino who portrays four characters, known as Girl, Boy, Bakla, and the Tomboy. He really convinced us that there are really different actors who are portraying that different characters.
In the cast there is also Maricel Soriano who won the Best Actress Award. I think she really deserved it because of her influential acting since I almost cry during the scene when she met her daughter, Girlie and some other scene in which for a second turned the comedy film to a drama film.
To top off the movie’s great casting, Kiray Celis, Xyriel Manabat, JM Ibanez, and Rhed Bustamante who all play Maricel’s adopted children, prove they are also quick on the draw, exchanging witty lines among themselves or with any of Vice’s characters.

SOUNDTRACK:
While music or sound is not completely necessary it certainly adds something to the movie watching experience. Music can add a certain mood, tension and suspense to scenes that could otherwise be quite insipid.
The soundtrack matches the theme of the movie. Since it is a comedy film, the music of the movie is happy, which brings good mood to the viewers inside the cinema. It is also realistic and expressive.


In a nut shell, I enjoyed watching the movie and I was very impress on how Vice Ganda portrayed the four characters. The movie shows that the true spirit of the Christmas is giving, sharing, forgiving and loving.



REFERENCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org 
http://top5movielists.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-5-most-important-elements-in-movies.html
http://www.pep.ph/guide/movies/13133/girl-boy-bakla-tomboy-review-suspending-comic-disbelief



Lunes, Enero 6, 2014

Blog Entry No. 2 - "GROWN UPS"

Individual Portrait Title: "MILESTONES"





Group Exhibit Title: Grown Ups

Location: San Beda College Sabater's Court

Members:
Delgado, Jessa Marin
Nacua, Francis Kyle
Rivas, Pamela Antoinette
Rodriguez, Jana
Villamanga, Ernesto Marie


Blog Entry No. 1 Essay 2 – Veejay Villafranca : Display Earth Project



     


     When we visit the Pamanang Bedista  last December 12, 2013, an art gallery inside San Beda College campus, we are instructed by our professor to select an artwork all throughout the gallery. As I’m searching for an atwork,  one artwork with a lightbox has caught my eye, Veejay Villafranca’s Display Earth Project. 


Veejay started out as a staff photographer for the national news magazine the Philippines Graphic before venturing into freelancing. He also worked with several international news wire agencies before concentrating on his documentary projects in Asia.Through photography, Veejay questions human condition within an hostile environment, and documents particularly the process of transfiguration of the youth in Asia.
  


       In the artwork, the affected families from different areas in Laguna take temporary shelter in an abandoned cola plant as they wait for the floodwaters to subside during the height of the monsoon season in 2011.

According to Veejay Villafranca, “This project aims to illustrate different scenarios caused by severe weather patterns (El Nino & La Nina). These photographs focus on communities displaced due to the danger of, or caused by, massive flooding. It also shows farming communities in nearby provinces that are greatly affected by drought. This project also aims to give a face to those who are greatly affected by climate change and who live under the continuous threat of severe weather events. Like a follow-up on the lives of the people who were displaced, the personal, close-up view is something often overlooked in the reportage of the long-term effects of disasters. ” 

In the elements of art:
               • Space – There is a wide space between the individuals in the picture. For me, I think it depicts lack of unity in our country. 
               • Color – The color of the artwork is Black and White. Black, and its opposite white, represent polarities. Black absorbs all aspects of light. While white reveals, black conceals. It has come to mean hidden, fearful or bad experience. It is linked to the unknown or the unseen.


Why is the artwork made? I think the artwork was made to enlighten not only our government officials but also the individual citizens of the Philippines to make their move to prevent further calamities and misfortunes that will affect and cause distress to our county.




REFERENCES:
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/332494/opinion/photos-displaced-earth-climate-refugees-in-the-philippines
http://www.photo-festivals.com/veejay-villafranca/
http://www.veejayvillafranca.com
http://crystal-cure.com/black.html



Blog Entry No. 1 Essay 1 - The Battle of Camperdown 1799 by Phillip James De Loutherbourg

 




While browsing the Google Art Project (http://googleartproject.com), The Battle of Camperdown 1799 by Phillip James De Loutherbourg is the artwork that caught my attention. The artwork itself is somehow telling its story:

By 1800, de Loutherbourg was celebrated for his dramatic depictions of maritime disasters and sea battles. The subject here is the decisive moment in the battle of Camperdown, off the Dutch coast, in 1797.

This artwork must be considered and art because it has a human intervention. It has a subject, theme, there is a medium and technique used, and there are compositional elements in the painting.


In the painting, you can see that there are numerous ships which are filled with people and some wrecked part of the ships with sailors begging for help. According to my research (Tate.org) , the subject of this large oil painting is the Battle of Camperdown, a major naval encounter which took place on 11 October 1797 between a British fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and the Dutch fleet, who were then allied with the French. The battle was the most significant conflict between British and Dutch forces during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and resulted in a resounding victory for Duncan.  De Loutherbourg shows the decisive moment when the British flagship Venerable, to the left of centre, fires its last broadside at the Dutch flagship Vryhied.  The prominence given to the shipwrecked sailors in the foreground offers a human perspective on the conflict.
The medium used on this painting is, Oil on Canvas which means a painting done in oil paints. His picture was said to express 'the horror and devastation attendant upon a conflict disputed with such obstinate bravery'.

To summary the story , The British attacked in two columns with Duncan leading one line in Venerable and Vice-Admiral Richard Onslow leading the other in Monarch. The British attacked quickly to prevent the Dutch ships from reaching the protection of shallow waters near the coast. Venerable broke through the Dutch line and engaged de Winter's flagship, Vrijheid and several other British ships broke through as well. After a close action several Dutch ships managed to flee east; 11 were captured including the flagship, Vrijheid, but the British ships were too damaged to pursue. British casualties were 220 killed and 812 wounded; Dutch casualties were 540 killed and 620 wounded. Admiral de Winter, taken prisoner when his flagship, dismasted and with over half her crew killed or wounded, struck attempted to hand his sword to Duncan who refused and shook his hand instead.


REFERENCES: