FOUR seminars opened the minds of students to innovate their skills in the fields of web technology, writing, digital arts and photography. An event titled “Empowerment 2015: Exploring beyond the Box”, presented and organized by TomasinoWeb, let the students think out of the ordinary and go beyond their horizons.
Web technology, worth the venture
Despite the modern world accustomed to smart phones, tablets, WiFi, and the Internet, let’s admit that Web Technology is something that will not catch everybody’s attention. However, speakers such as Aaron Baltazar, Maylene Macalino, Patrick Tulabot, Jed Herradura and Karl Salazar, all from iConcept Global Advertising Inc., proved this notion wrong as they shared insights about the basic principles of web design, content management system, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media marketing, implying that there is more to discover in the realm of web design.
Baltazar, equipped with a presentation made in HTML, said an aspiring web designer should start the trend with his/her own ideas.
“Wag mo sundin yung trend, minsan ikaw ang magsimula ng trend. Kunin mo muna yung idea ng trends ngayon para makasimula ng bagong trend,” Baltazar explained. “Ang idea, parang umiikot lang yan. May makakahanap na panibago, i-iimprove niya.”
Some part-time educators from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) like Marikit Valmadrid, Kristian Guevarra and Joseph Buluran also gave inspiring talks to students who wanted to pursue their careers in web technology.
Valmadrid, who is also a community manager at the Philippine Web Designers Association, emphasized that the fundamentals in web technology cannot be learned in a short time, saying that it is a continuous learning process. To make her discussion more appealing to the audience, she used Web design tips with one-liners that double as romantic innuendos.
Moreover, Potatocodes web designers Juan Miguel Alvarez and Mhariell Mosqueriola mentioned that “patience is a must when developing the web.”
“Do something that thrills you, not something that you have to do,” Mosqueriola said.
Writing to change the society
The youth today reside in the noisy, vast community of World Wide Web where all kinds of information are free- flowing and where almost everyone can be considered as a writer. Consequently, it would take some “exploring beyond the box” to come through and be heard in this sea of words and ideas.
Palanca awardee and UST professor Eros Atalia emphasized the present decentralization and democratization of the cyberspace, which weakens the power of taste-setters, canons, editors, teachers, and critics.
“Pwede na kayong magsulat nang hindi humihingi ng basbas ng mga gatekeepers. Pwede na kayong magsulat at magbahagi ng kwento na mas malaking parte ng daigdig ang magbabasa,” he said.
Business Journalism Awards recipient and Philippine Star reporter Alexis Romero also told the delegates that due to the availability of resources, news is being democratized, and we are all potential “news gatherers.”
“We have to go beyond those basic facts because we are now competing with mobile technology,” he added. “And by the time the news comes out, alam na ng mga tao ang basic, so we have to go beyond the blotter to become relevant in this information age.”
Likewise, multimedia reporter Natashya Gutierrez of Rappler believes that making sense of the noise is how a writer could advance the conversation. She also encouraged the audience to use all the means available, especially that in online, “the more skills, the better.”
Another Palanca Awardee and Philippine Star columnist Carlomar Daoana reminded the delegates that in feature writing, it’s advisable to use the creative approach.
Moreover, Jonathan Geronimo, fictionist and UST professor, refuted the common notion on personal essay writing and discussed the need to include significant insights in it.
“Basically, lahat ng baguhang manunulat, ganito ‘yung tingin sa pagsusulat: mag-express lang,” he said. “Ngunit sinasabi din na mero [itong] malinaw na point of view; may pananaw ang isang personal essay, hindi lang simpleng ekspresyon ng sarili. Dapat may insights.”
The Manila Times columnist and blogger Katrina Stuart Santiago, on the other hand, believes that a writer should read, engage, listen, and root to write effectively.
In this fast-paced world, it is important to bear in mind that change is inevitable even in the medium of writing. The need to convey critical matters are readily met in the most accessible way without barriers.
The realm of creativity
Aspiring art enthusiasts were opened to the highs and lows of being in design by distinguished guests from the creative pool.
Rian Gonzales, UST College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) alumna, advised the delegates to “post everywhere” and “make their online presence felt.”
Likewise, Jump Digital Inc. founding director Christian San Jose shared his experience of being discovered through social media, which paved way for his clientele-building, at age 16.
“Always design. Don’t spend a day not designing,” he said during his lecture.
Plus63 Design Co co-founder Dan Matutina, meanwhile, shared how he started as an artist during his high school days. He even showed his previous works and explained how it improved due to technology.
Rob Cham, who has illustrated for various publications such as the Philippine Star (Young Star) and Hinge Inquirer’s Scout Magazine, recounted how he discovered his own style by taking inspiration from other artists.
“Lahat ng influences na ‘yun, I started putting it into my art,” Cham said, stressing on the idea that “nothing is original.”
Scout Magazine art director Martin Diegor urged the delegates to keep making changes and to never stop improving in the field while National Digital Arts Awards-recipient Vincent Aseo stressed on perseverance as the key to be successful.
Aseo challenged the delegates to determine which sub-fields of design they want to specialize in, making mention of illustration, calligraphy and 3D animation.
Other speakers were art director for advertising company TBWA\SMP Terence Eduarte and Vector X Vexel Philippines Artist of the Year Jan Carlo Ramos.
Different fields and angles of photography
There’s more to photography than camera lenses alone. It’s a continuous relationship between determination, skill, and creativity that tops a good portrait and a photographer. Big names such as Aya Cabauatan, Alexis Lim, Art Oca, Jash Manuel, Paul Ryan Tan, Joseph Silverio, and Bjorn Bedayo shared their experiences on photography despite having varying genres and styles while a similar uniting factor is present, which is passion in what they do.
Getting a new and fresh perspective on the way things are seen is what Cabauatan shared as a step to define one’s style. Oca’s nightlife photography portrays a ‘moment’ at a quick-paced, jam-packed club or festival yet it gives a “boom” on these photos. Lim’s discussion explained the things about being resourcefulness and learning how to maximize your means partnered with continuous practice.
Moreover, Tan and Silverio’s affinity for Sports photography emphasized “timing” as a crucial part in taking shots while Bedayo and his stunning photographs about fashion created another dimension of a purely different take on stylistic forms and expressions.
It’s easy to call yourself a photographer once you actually own a camera. But what’s more challenging is to be branded as a photographer depending on the quality of photos you produce. It doesn’t just come with a hobby itself. It’s a constant learning process, experience, and good company.
The series of seminars took place on February 21 for web technology; February 28 for writing; March 7 for creatives and March 14 for photography.
