Technology: Boon or Bane?

Before I start my assessment whether technology is a Boon or Bane, first let me give you the excerpt of former president of the Philippines Fidel Valdez Ramos’ speech on the 6th SEAMEO INNOTECH International Conference in Manila, Philippines on November 11-12, 1997 (from the book Educational Technology p.22)

“Technology can be fascinating and mind boggling in what we can do. It can bring distant places and people together, establishing invisible but powerful connections. It can transform societies, economies and cultures by opening them up to other ideas and other options, raising new expectations and creating new needs.

          ….For one thing, the pervasiveness of technology has created learning environment we never even imagined just a few decades ago. Learning has no more geographic boundaries. It is no longer confined to the school campus. The learner now acquires knowledge anywhere, anytime , in home, in workplaces, in recreational areas, in the streets, the learner has become his or her own investigation seeking knowledge. And the teacher? He or she is no longer the sole provider of instruction.”

– Former president Fidel V. Ramos –

With regards to former president Ramos’ words almost 19 years ago, there is already a huge advancement of technology that we can see right in our own eyes.

One of those technological advances are the development of the the video-chat/call features of the Skype and the Viber application in this recent times, aside from the electronic mail or email technology that started approximately during the late 90’s.

With the advent of video calls, even the two people who are separated by two continents can see and talk to each other real-time. Having just an Internet connection and a few keystrokes in your computer and in one-click, you can easily access this technology. This kind of communication seemed too impossible way back then but as mankind progresses, so as the means of communication that we people are using. That new technology had enabled the people from all the nations and continents across the world to connect in just a blink of an eye.

Because of video-chat/call/conference, new teaching methods like online teaching became available in the arsenal of educational technology. For example in 51-Talk Philippines, one of its aims is to teach foreigners on how to speak English. This another method is a great help to foreigners who cannot afford to travel abroad just to learn the English-speaking skills.

In social networking/media sites such as Facebook, video-chat is also available.

But video chat is not the primary reason of Facebook’s popularity–it is mainly the liking and the commenting functions.

It allows the users to engage in discourse on a wide-variety of topics (not just entertainment but in political discussions as well).

As social media become prevalent nowadays, the volume of the information that is being shared became unprecedented; from news, current events, entertainment to academic concerns, Facebook actually became a platform to bridge the gap between people.

Now, I cannot tell you exactly if the technology is boon or a bane because it has both downsides and advantages.

I’ve experienced both the good and the bad side of technology during my later years in high school and during my entire college days.

It is always necessary to utilize the advantage of technology especially in improving the education here in our country. However, we must NOT be too dependent in technology either.

It is a boon if we use it properly, and it will be a great bane if not.

If you as a student is too dependent on the Internet, to the point that you are just doing a copy-paste method in completing your school works, that is a very big problem.

We need to balance things here. In education, the so-called “old” methods is still useful. And modifying it (like adding a little bit of technology) will improve things.

Again, is technology a boon or bane? For me it is neither of the two. It is how you utilize the technology itself.

REFLECTION ON THE MOWELFUND TOUR

During our class field trip on the headquarters of Mowelfund last September 27, 2013, we learned a lot from it, although we did not absorb all of the information that Mowelfund has provided us.

Mowelfund, or the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, is an organization that aims to provide and promote welfare among film crews in the film industry.

It was formed during 1974 as a Non Government Organization (NGO), with the purpose of supporting film workers who are experiencing more hardships that the lead stars.

Mowelfund is founded by Joseph Estrada, then Mayor of San Juan.

As of 2011 data, Mowelfund has more or less than 4,500 members. The foundation maintains an archive of old Filipino movies.

In adddition, Mowelfund provides financial support for the hospitalization, surgery, medical fees and death benefits, and helps with housing and employment of the film workers.

The current President of Mowelfund is Ms. Boots Anson-Roa.

Mowelfund opened a museum during 2005.

The museum, which is located at No. 66 Rosario Drive, Cubao, Quezon City, houses memorable artifacts and information relating to the development of cinema in the Philippines from Spanish Period up to present times.

The artifacts and other memorabilias of Filipino stars like Dolphy, FPJ, Erap, Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos etc. is very informative to us students, since not all the information that we got from the Mowelfund museum is present on the internet.

As class president, me and my other officers coordinated our section days before this field trip in order to organize our classmates attendance.
I want the majority of my classmates, if not all, to attend this tour because this is an important requirement for CNM 101.
I personally went to Mowelfund exactly three days before Sept. 27 to talk directly to Sir Alfie Macadangdang, one of the main contact person of the museum, and to pay ahead for the entrance ticket and get it for my classmates prior to the tour, to avoid unforeseen hassles.

Overall, the field trip of my section and other masscomm students at Mowelfund is a success, with my section MC1131 garnering the most number of attendance on that September 27 tour, the highest among the other 2 or 3 classes handled by Prof. Jamal Abbas.

“TANGKILIKIN ANG PELIKULANG SARILING ATIN!”
“MABUHAY ANG PELIKULANG PILIPINO!”

PHOTOS OF THE TOUR

Fernando Poe Jr.’s picture at the FPJ Hall at Mowelfund

The magical sword of FPJ’S PANDAY.

Mowelfund compound, Cubao, Q. C.

REFLECTION ON THE 1974 FILIPINO FILM “TINIMBANG NGUNIT KULANG”

First of all I would like to congratulate the cast and crews of Tinimbang Ngunit Kulang for the job well done.

 

I am do not usually watch Filipino drama films because I am more inclined in viewing action films, especially those that is starred by Fernando Poe Jr., Phillip Salvador, Bong Revilla etc.

But these film is one of the few Filipino drama movies that really entertains me.

Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang is a film directed by the one and only Lino Brocka and starred by Christopher “Boyet” De Leon, Hilda Koronel, Laurice Guillen, Lolita Rodriguez, Eddie Garcia and many other promising and veteran actors and actresses of that time.

One of the film’s important part is about a woman named Kuala, who lost her baby through abortion and became insane afterwards, but slowly gains her mental health when a ketongin or leper man named Mang Berto took care of her.

Other parts of the film’s story is the teenage love about the characters of Christopher De Leon, Hilda Koronel and Laurice Guillen.

In the middle part of the film, Junior (Christopher De Leon) befriends Mang Berto. The two have become close friends, as Junior consults Mang Berto about his love problems in school. Mang Berto offered Junior a lot of generous and important advices.

At the same time, Junior also became friends with Kuala, who later became romantically involved with Mang Berto and became pregnant (with Mang Berto as the baby’s father). She is later taken by a Christian Association of their town’s church, in an effort to prevent Mang Berto from being with Kuala again.

As the story progresses, Junior found out that his father (Eddie Garcia) has a former romantic relationship with Kuala. Because of this, Junior did seek to abandon their house.

At the climactic part of the film, Kuala confirmed that Junior’s father is the one that forced the abortion that killed her first child. Sadly, both Mang Berto and Kuala died (Mang Berto is shot by the police and Kuala lost large amount of blood after giving birth to her second child)

The film was very good, me and my classmates have enjoyed watching it.
Kudos to Lino Brocka and to the cast and production crews of Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang.

COMMENTARY ON THE DOCUMENTARY ENTITLED “FROM THE EDGE OF HOLLYWOOD”

Since the decline of the studio system during the 1960s to 70s, stars especially film directors began to move on their own.

The main reason why these people bolted from the major studios ( Fox, Universal, Warner Bros. etc.) is because of the fact that director, and stars, feels that the studios are “dominating” them too much. With these sentiment, they decided to be free.

After this, the so-called independent films sprung-out inside and outside Hollywood.

According to my own understanding of independent film based on my research and on the documentary that I’ve watched recently, an independent film is a kind of movie that is not financed by big studio. Independent films has a lower budget compared to the so-called “blockbuster” or big budget films.

Most of the time, these independent films are financed by the director only without the massive funding from the major studios.

Because independent films are “free” from the domination of the big studios, a director of these films can experiment and do what he/she wants in the film. The directors can create their own “formula” in making films, just like what happened in the French New Wave in Paris, France.

Obviously, independent films can break or not follow the Classic Hollywood Style. An independent film may not be in a narrative form anymore.

But despite of the decline of the old film studios and the independence of the directors and stars, the two factions at some point are collaborating to create a more successful movie. An example of this is the collaboration between Francis Ford Coppola and Zoetrope Studios to do the film Apocalypse Now (1979).

He and the other film makers helped the old studios in recovering from financial ruin by giving them “new” formula for success.

These film makers are dubbed as “The New Hollywood”.

These “New Hollywood” generation is also called as independent film makers.

 

For further reading:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/amateur-filmmakers-beat-hollywood-to-make-first-edward-snowden-thriller-movie-8736732.html

http://blogs.indiewire.com/anthony/why-indie-films-must-resist-hollywood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FILM NOIR AND GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM

Film noir and German Expressionism are somewhat related to each other. But before we tackle the connection between the two, let us define first what is the meaning of film noir.

Film Noir is a cinematic term used to describe stylish Hollywood crime films, which deals with cynical and sexual attitudes of characters in that movies.   

The term film noir (which means “Black film” in French) is first applied by Nino Frank, a French movie critic, during the year 1946.

However, most American film industry professionals of that era failed to recognize it.

Second, let us define German Expressionism.

German Expressionism refers to a number of creative movements in Germany before the advent of World War II (1939-1945) which reached its zenith in Berlin during the 1920s.

The German Expressionist Movement was isolated only in Germany due to the isolation of the country after the First World War.

Films about German Expressionism at that time became popular. And by 1922, the international audience began to appreciate German cinema, as anti-German sentiments declined in the aftermath of World War I.

Now, how film noir and German Expressionism are related?

Film noir is directly influenced by German Expressionism. The aesthetics of this film genre is inspired by the latter.

With the emigration of numerous German film makers especially when the Nazi party takes over in Germany, the booming Hollywood film industry absorbs these talented German film artists.

In that case, film noir becomes popular in Hollywood.

 

German Expressionist film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)”

An example of an American film noir, “Crack-up (1946)”

THE STUDIO SYSTEM

This studio system is a process of film production and distribution, primarily by a small number of major studios in Hollywood.

Historically, the term studio system is the reference to the practice of large movie studios between the 1920s and 1960s of the following:

(1) Producing movies primarily on their own film making lots with creative personnel under often long-term contract, and

(2) Dominating exhibition through vertical integration, i.e., the ownership or effective control of distributors and exhibition, guaranteeing additional sales of films through manipulative booking techniques.

The studio system was challenged under the anti-trust laws in the United States vs. Paramount Pictures case filed in the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled in 1948 which sought to separate production from distribution and exhibition and ended such practices, thereby hastening the end of the studio system.

By 1954, the era of the studio system ends.

The period stretching from the introduction of sound to the court ruling and the beginning of the studio breakups, 1927-1929 and 1948-1949, which is referred to by film historians as the Golden Age of Hollywood.

 

THE STAR SYSTEM

In Classical Hollywood Cinema, the so-called star system is a process and method of creating, promoting and exploiting movie stars.

This star system is also considered as an important part of the Studio System.

In this process, the studio would choose promising young talents, then it glamorizes and creates persona for them.

In star system, the studios were inventing new names and new backgrounds of artists in Hollywood.

Image is more important when it comes to star system, rather than the actor/actress skills in acting. Men were expected to be seen in public as a gentleman, and ladies were also expected to act like a lady.

As years passed by after the establishment of the star system, many actors and actresses decided to bolt from the studios that made them a star. Among these artists were the following: Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith.

These said stars established their own company, the United Artists, in order to gain independence from the control of the big studios.

Little-by-little, the star system declined. And by 1960s, it ended.

 

 

REFLECTION ON THE 1960s FILM “ROMEO AND JULIET”

First of all, I would like to congratulate the efforts of this 1960s film for their job well done. I can say that this film is much better than the remake version starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The story of the film was well presented and well organized. Though I have some difficulties in understanding the Shakespearean language that is used on that film, the actions, at least, helped me to understand the whole point of the film.

I would appreciate the film more if they put English subtitles in order for us, especially people who is not very familiar with the Shakespearean way of speaking English, to understand the dialogues and conversations in that movie.

When it comes to the film’s story, I am quite disappointed in the actions of Romeo, and especially the very young Juliet. Their aggressiveness in love is too much indeed. In the final part of the film, both of them have shown extreme stupidity by killing themselves. I don’t like that.

If I were Juliet’s mother, I will cut all of her hair, making her kalbo so that she cannot flirt with Romeo anymore and as a punishment for her aggressiveness as well. 

When it comes to the types of shot, I noticed that the film uses only few types. The cinematographer should’ve been thought earlier to use many kinds of shots in the film, so as to prevent boredom among audiences. Furthermore, adding many kinds of shots is necessary for the film.

That’s all folks! Thank you very much.   

Check out the whole film at YouTube.

Great clip from the 1968 movie.

THE FRENCH NEW WAVE

( A summary of pages 461-463 of the book Film Art by Bordwell and Thompson)

During the late 50s and 60s, new generation of filmmakers around the world sprung out. In every country, directors emerged that is born during World War II (1939-1945), and grown in the postwar period and prosperity.

The novelty of film directors like Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and others prompted journalists to nickname them la nouvelle vague— the New Wave.

The said directors have made over 32 feature films from 1959 and 1966.

The most obvious revolutionary quality of the New Wave Films, according to the book Film Art by Bordwell and Thompson, was the casual look.

The New Wave directors have admired the Neorealists.

The New Wave also changed cinematography. The New Wave camera moves a lot, tracking and panning to follow characters or trace out relations within a locale.

With the recent development of that time: the invention of the handheld camera, the New Wave films were intoxicated with the new freedom given by that camera.

According to Film Art, one of the New Wave’s most salient features is its casual humor, as shown in the movies of Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.

The films of the New Wave further pushed the Neorealist experimentation with plot construction.

The film also lack goal-oriented protagonists, with heroes aimlessly drifting and spending their time drinking cafe and watching movies.

One notable aspect of New Wave films is that it typically ends ambiguously (which is shown in the film Breathless).

Lastly, the New Wave offered several original and valuable films, and demonstrated that the renewal in the film industry could come from creative and talented young people motivated by their love for cinema.

For further reading:

Bordwell, David and Thompson, Kirstin (2008). Film Art: An Introduction (Eight Edition). McGraw-Hill Companies.

For more info, please watch this video.

Hasta la vista, baby!

T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) aims his hand gun towards his enemy in the final part of the film “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.