PilDesign Meeting Feb.11,2008

Raymond Virata's Demo reel

This is my animation demo reel. It was last updated in 2000. I haven't animated in while. I just dug this up and had to convert it from S-VHS to DVD to quicktime. I'm also digging up my other old projects for people to watch and enjoy.

The song "Good Thing" is by Fine Young Cannibals. The animation is by Raymond Virata. This video is for demo purposes only.

More stuff on http://www.youtube.com/woodcutart

The Filipino Approach

Here are more quotes from the book, Advertising in the Philippines: Its Historical, Cultural and Social Dimensions by Visitacion R. de la Torre, which may apply to our exploration on Filipino Design.

“Advertising has no nationality

As a marketing discipline, advertising it should be noted, assumes no nationality, geography, race or creed. It is the product, service, person or institution being advertised that is subjected to such characterization. Thus there is no thing as American advertising, French advertising, Japanese advertising or Filipino advertising, save perhaps, on the onset, in look and language.

The Filipino Approach

A Filipino ad? Is there such a thing? Frankie Lacambra, a creative man who now heads Link Advertising, Inc. holds, “A good ad has no nationality because a good idea is universal-simple, powerful, timeless and it belongs to the world. But a Filipino look is always welcome… Employing a Filipino approach means using a concept and theme that is Filipino and articulated the way a Filipino would… A Filipino concept or theme revolves on core or basic Filipino values, ideals, customs, traditions, even idiosyncracies and set in a Filipino environment.”

The Book

Advertising in the Philippines: Its Historical, Cultural and Social Dimensions by Visitacion R. de la Torre is a comprehensive volume on the Advertising Industry in the Philippines. It examines in detail the industry’s birth during the Spanish era (turn of the 20th century) and how it acts as a barometer and instrument of change in Philippine society.

Interesting notes from the book:

Just like today, the ad biz is just as competitive as industry practitioners “heckled and harassed each other in an attempt to outdo each other.”

Towards the later half of the 20th century, Filipino advertising took its on its own identity as it started shifting from being American clones to one reflective of the Filipino culture and times. Despite coming up with world-class campaigns, the industry still suffers from “syndicated thinking,” where creatives still “copy” American campaigns.

“Sensitivity to local market conditions stunted the growth of advertising creativity.”

In 1987, when the People Power Revolution of the previous year prompted a new constitution, a provision characterized the industry as “impressed with public interest and shall be regulated by law for the protection of consumers and general welfare.” The law recognizes advertising as a powerful medium, apart from its business of selling, must be socially responsible, “promoting common good and self-reliance.” The constitution limits the ownership of agencies to no less than 70% ownership by Filipino nationals, “to protect the public from an indiscriminate and unhampered flow of ‘colonial’ advertising since most of the country’s largest advertising agencies are multinational corporations. Management is also limited to Filipino citizens."

“Direct comparison (of brands) is not allowed.” I remember years ago with I was in Marketing research, Filipinos are not comfortable with direct comparison ads. It has something to do with the cultural trait of being non-confrontational.

“That shall be the day when more Filipino advertising men and women would overcome their ‘Puwede na yan’ (that is good enough) attitude, that temptation to be content with mediocrity… As it is, there is this lack of consistency in the quality of completed ad material; for example, some commercials and print ads are very well made but most suffer from poor art direction or bad directing and acting or unsatisfactory reproduction. With better funding also, better facilities and equipment as well as better trained staff shall not be difficult to come by”

More to follow...

When I grow up, I want to be in Advertising...

True. So true. Someone must collected responses from a team building session.

Advertising in the Philippines

Links to Advertising in the Philippines

Introduction to Advertising in the Philippines from the Philippine Information Agency

http://www.pia.gov.ph/philinfo/phadv.htm

A forum on Philippine advertising in Skyscraper City.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=314033

Interesting question "What if your client’s product does not perform, can the ad agency be held accountable?" Though the article's author gives a textbook answer in defense of the agency, some clients I know would pull their advertising. In a results oriented business and a world of tightening budgets, the first to go is advertising.

http://money.inq7.net/features/view_features.php?yyyy=2005&mon=10&dd=07&file=1

Adding lumpia to your copy...

This ad is running in the March issue of Filipinas Magazine. Try using lumpias and tubaws in your ad. Heheheh!

Mango Madness: The Fusion Art Show

From Feb. 20 to Mar. 4, 2006,Group Hug Productions featured my shadowbox work at Cafe Infusion in San Francisco as a fundraising effort for art education.

I met Jesse Ford six years ago when he was looking for animation interns for GHP's "The Dawg" project. We got together with other computer animation students from the Academy of Art College and San Francisco State University. Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish the project because students had different schedules and people just came and went.

Jesse saw my shadowbox work at PilDesign's P2:Independence show at the San Francisco Public Library in 2004. He wanted to set a series of art fundraisers in a cafe setting. Along with my work, the exhibit will feature GHP's past and current projects and the work of Tom Klump, who designed GHP's promotional material. Cafe Infusion housed our work and sold mango smoothies and fruit omelets which part of the proceeds went to the benefit.


(L-R) Graphic Designer Tom Klump, Artist Raymond Virata, Groug Hug Productions' Founder Jesse Ford... this picture is so... Benetton!

Spike, Better with Wine

Foo for Thought from the P3 Forum

Getting together after the panel talk, Dec. 21, 2005: (Bottom Row L-R): Raymond Virata, Al S. Perez (Middle Row): Gloria G. Galang, Bren Bataclan, Estela Manila, Gerard Talampas (Top Row) John "Spike" Lomibao, Eduardo Datangel, Alberic Rivera

We would like to thank everyone who joined us for our panel talk and reception! We're looking forward to seeing you again at our next show!

P3 Opening Statement (Dec. 21, 2005) by John "Spike" Lomibao

P3: Our Ongoing Journey in Pilipino Design Aesthetics

A diverse collection of graphic and fine art, “P3” seeks to provide snapshots of evolution in the artistic journeys of 6 creatives. Third in a series observing common themes found in Pilipino American design, this exhibit furnishes additional material from which one can gain further insight into the basic attributes of the design aesthetics.

Pilipino design aesthetics are not subtle. The colors are often loud, the hierarchy not so obvious, and it appears much more organic or hand done. At first glance, it may seem too busy. It is quite different than a minimalist Swiss design. Surprisingly, given time and careful examination, the aesthetics become identifiable and begin to make sense. Reflecting life driven by necessity, the overall Pilipino look-and-feel is the product of the challenges and promises of an emerging country. The cultural vibrancy of the Philippines can be attributed to its numerous influences of other cultures over the centuries, including Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.

American aesthetics with respect to design also reflect themes experienced by its people: freedom, diversity, opportunity, multiculturalism. Coupled with Pilipino sensibilities, these themes give rise to a new and distinctive aesthetic starting with ethnic roots and ending in something quite different than either culture by itself.

For the Pilipino American designer, the fusion of both cultures often brings about an interesting work ethic: it is a circuitous oscillation between stability and clutter, but the resulting art of such tension is positively eclectic. Often the art reflects constraints in resources, yet the quality and execution in the finished piece is kept at a high standard. All of the different historical and cultural experiences of Pilipino American designers culminate in art that is intriguing because of its ever-unpredictable order within chaos.

Though each artist has experienced a unique path in stylistic development, common threads are noticeable. Woven into the fabric of an artist's work are techniques and sensibilities learned along the way, but it appears there is also a somewhat "tribal" quality—originating from cultural imprinting established over many previous generations—that serves as the basis of all creative endeavors.

As a testament to this ancestral pull inherent in our design, a special poster campaign was produced specially for the P3 collection. Starting with tourism as a theme, each artist was to create a travel advertisement, with the intention of enticing Pilipinos to visit the Philippines. Whether that meant a return back or a first-time visit was of no consequence—both of them effectively meant "going home." The assignment visually expresses not only geographic journeys but the influence of internal journeys of the designers on their art today.

Pildesign is happy to celebrate its five year anniversary and grateful to Estela Manila and the San Francisco Public Library for the invitation to exhibit its work for the third consecutive year.


Meeting at the San Francisco Public Library discussing future PilDesign projects, Jan. 2006 (L-R) Gerard Talampas, Raymond Virata, Gloria G. Galang, Cynthia Tiangco, Bren Bataclan.

Comments from the P3 Forum

"Would mainstream clients be interested in Filipino Design?"

"There are not enough Art critics back home."