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Creative Commons License All works on this site by Camille Diola are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License unless otherwise stated as belonging to their respective copyright owners.

ALL ANGLES

rasterize, rock, Rothko, rhyme, Rohmer

Sharing something humanly and spiritually uplifting before my silent hiatus.

Stop motion animated film by Jeremy Casper, Isaiah Powers and Stuart Bury tells the story of an old guy Cecil who lives in a seemingly hopeless, dreary town. He sets out daily to labor after making sure his bow tie is neat and presentable. He goes about his work quietly, full of hope and without complaints. In a remote, inconspicuous way he tries to reach out to the town's apathetic but equally impoverished folks. Thanks to his a day-to-day ordinary heroism, he changes their world.

Cecil is true to what a saint calls "our mission to transform the prose of this life into poetry, into heroic verse."

Story and message aside, the film's visual imagery is consistent and convincing, and the score splendid. Technique and level of professional quality are unquestionable, well-deserving of the Student Oscar it just bagged.

Alex Pushkarev on Vimeo put it as "fantastic. The atmosphere is so perfectly conveyed that my mouth went dry." Head on over to http://vimeo.com/5086128 to read comments of indie filmmakers and enthusiasts.

Till next time, guys! #

Many a gallery this month. I've been dying to blog all about them chronologically, starting from earliest I visited to the latest. But the time element's tricky in reporting, so I decided to write about this one-man, one-night exhibit last October 15 -- "Visions" featuring "surface wearable art" by Angelo Magno. The invitation says, "printmaker," but when I got to the the posh Shangri-la Place hall where his works were displayed, I wasn't quite sure I'd still believe that.


It's probably not my job to be an art pundit, but if it's for artists to challenge established definitions, then maybe I can object. First of all, Magno uses shirts and bags as his canvas, and paints directly on them (as far as I could tell). Nothing new in that, school kids going on camping express team spirit on their white cotton shirts. Still, the exhibit openly proclaims this as "printmaking." If it's not mediated by technology, then where's the "print" in that? Why not call it "usable painting" or something else? Unknowingly though, all this must really be part of the trick, the artistry of it.


The artworks show no coherence that the styles range from Kandinsky to Adarna children's books, except that they're all on textured, white surfaces. The one above, "Mother and Child," is one of my personal favorites. Being exclusively black, it stands out from among the colorful, varying other displays. Its pattern is almost abstract, but more characteristic of printmaking traditions. But if the criteria is if this would still look like a valuable piece when worn and taken for a bus ride, I doubt it would be noticed.


This one with the girl playing guitar is most attractive due to the vivid colors and pattern detail. The genius of it is in the close-up, when the viewer leans over and tries to appreciate its craft. But as an image, it's hardly moving, even emotionally neutral. It is, however, characteristically Asian, and that has credit for me. Many other displays also speak of Philippine history, at least from its captions, though I wish someone didn't write such lengthy descriptions.


I admire the idea of painting on an uneven fabric that loops, bulks and is crude, making the level of difficulty high for the artist and audience alike. The display above could have elicited bravos if it were covered all throughout and placed in the center of the room for audiences to view 360 degrees. That would be a real showcase of skill. Nevertheless, the attempt is of its own worth.


This is one work I can say that capitalizes on size, texture and "wearability" of the bag. The vertiginous imagery, especially when worn on the back, impacts the viewer with the intense colors and tempered lines.

"Visions" was organized by students of UA&P's Entrepreneurial Management program We've got to give it to those guys for pulling off a fleeting city cultural experience.

And by the way, the food was great, too. #
Elephant Sunset

Reviews generally rave about DisneyNature’s Earth as “beautiful” and “breathtaking.” Top critics commended its visually stunning portrayal of Mother Earth and her constituents, while audiences appreciate its matter-of-fact statement against climate change. The James Earl Jones-narrated film is a feature length adaptation of TV documentary series Planet Earth that follows three animal families of bears, whales and elephants in seasonal migration.

Boston Globe’s Janet Page, however, sees Earth as a picture without anything new to say, even though it presents “some newly entertaining ways of saying it.” Former journalist and blogger David Etlin also feels it is some quite old film hyped up as a novel spectacle. He writes, “the script and editing let the (photographers) down.”

Even with Darth Vader’s voice commenting on live animals in their natural habitats treated anthropomorphically in description, Earth broke new ground in visual storytelling and in effectively presenting an environmental advocacy known to all but envisaged by only a few.

Photo by DisneyNature




Jason Chatwin in Dragonball

Newcomer Justin Chatwin stars as Goku, a young martial artist, in a quest for the seven dragonballs that possess the ultimate power of the universe. He teams up with master Roshi (Chow Yun Fat) and friends to save the world from evil Piccolo who is also in search for the legendary dragonballs to destroy Earth. Adapted from iconic Japanese animation franchise Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, Dragonball Evolution fails fans outright, even months before its theatrical release, with the exception of a handful of people who hoped for its faithfulness.


Sarah Cada, a blogger, gives it some credit in saying it is actually more enjoyable and comedic than it is a terrific movie. Too comedic maybe, that even the serious parts are funny, she says. Another blogger writes, “At least the kids in the theater enjoyed."

But it still sounds as if it never really satisfies. Zac Berthschy of AnimeNewsNetwork.com highlighted its “cheesy” dialogue (calling it an “absolute, unmitigated disaster”) and “nonsensical” storyline (“Kids aren’t dumb enough to fall for this.”).

Those outside the circle of followers of the original series also say that even if the audience knows nothing about the original material, it still “stinks” as a movie, “in pretty much all areas." #

Photo by 20th Century Fox


Some postcard I made for a university. I don't think it's ever going to be used--change of minds--so I'm posting it here instead and adding to that abandoned portfolio.

Those Dante tickets were a lot of work, but my favorite item is the dragon pennant. While working on this, I discovered the easy advantages of using the Burn Tool to make surfaces realistic. Also really put a lot of thought into those shadows, but I'm still not happy with the auditorium Polaroid photo flap which looks a little fake. #
After a heavy previous post that scrolls down a mile, here's how I recommend we take a break from long hours in front of the office computer and from heartbreaking news from the wires.

A few months into the job, this worker bee has found her occasional solace at the roof deck where it's closer to the heavens and far from the bustle of mankind.







Cityscape photography only rarely beats the natural aesthetic of landscapes. But if the view outside your office window is like these, who's to complain?
* Reposted from TwentyFourProject by Camille Diola, Claire Jiao and Jovan Cerda

There is no such thing as overtime in her line of work. Twelve hours in the office is a daily affair, even on weekends and holidays. There is also no such thing as illegitimacy. After all, times are hard.

“It’s for the kids,” said Airah, a mother of six, who wakes up at seven in the morning and works from 9 AM to 9 PM. Every day, she sets up stacks of pirated DVDs and groups them into the most recent releases and the high quality, Blu-ray versions of classics and months-old movies in her stall at the Metrowalk.



"We always have time here, at home we don’t,” Airah, who is fluent in Maranao, said in Filipino. For others with a regular job, working until 10 in the evening is beyond overtime, but it has been a way of life for her. Vacation time? Airah hardly has one.

“We only close when all other establishments (in the area) close,” she said, explaining that she only gets to rest whole days once or twice a year.

Not only is her work schedule tight and demanding, her meals are also irregular. Airah has breakfast and lunch at noon with four of her relatives who also man the booth. They take turns in entertaining customers who usually arrive two hours after the open for business. They end the day with a quick dinner before finally heading home.

“My husband, who has another job, takes care of the kids until I get home,” Airah said. She cleans the house for the next day before she goes to bed if her family doesn’t watch DVD movies first.

Airah’s youngest child is four years old, and her eldest is 13. Only three of her six kids go to school though, while the rest alternately help her in the store and take care of house chores.

Given rather difficult circumstances and economic conditions, Airah finds selling bootlegged videos – technically a criminal offense in the country – a safe and a profitable means of livelihood.

“Whenever we hear we are going to be apprehended (by authorities), we always discover beforehand,” Airah said. These unnerving instances only happen rarely though, in fact they are considered contractual concessionaires.

“We pay for our posts here, and we have a management,” said Airah. She explained that all other DVD storeowners in the area purchase from a common supplier and pay monthly fees for the space. “(Retailers) actually don’t have competition here because we’re all similar (in endeavor).”

Around 80 discs are sold on a good day. With each DVD costing Php40 to Php50, Airah and her team earn around P3,500 daily. They divide this sum between the five of them and contribute equally in paying the P6,000 rental.

Long hours on the job are highlighted by loyal customers who buy 10 to 20 titles all at once and doubtful ones who complain about their last purchases. Airah encounters different personalities and consumer behaviors each day, and her cheerful disposition helps her deal with them.

“We try to be understanding,” Airah said. Knowing some of the copies she sells might be defective, she accommodates her customers’ requests to exchange as often as possible. “If they are rude, we wouldn’t sell to them anymore. Sometimes we give their money back, depending on their attitude. If they are nice, we readily return the money.”

Being a businesswoman, albeit an illegitimate one, she makes sure she gains the trust of consumers. She offers to demonstrate selected DVD titles with a television set and a disc player to new costumers to ease their doubts.

“Loyal costumers don’t try the DVDs anymore, they only return the copy (when it has defects),” she said.

After all, Airah is also a costumer. Every two weeks, they order titles from a bulk supplier and acquire ones. Titles of new movies are sold to them at P10 a piece while copies of original DVDs cost P20 to P30 each.

Some new copies are recorded from cinemas but despite their poor quality, people still buy them. “There are really those who can’t wait for better copies,” she said. In any case, Airah is not the kind of seller who recommends titles to the indecisive ones. Lying, for her, is a business strategy.

“When they ask if a film’s good, of course we say yes,” Airah said. “In the end, we just want it sold.” #

photo by Andres Rueda on Flickr
Okay, so that's such a pathetic title.

After roaming around a whopping number of four art galleries today, I realized, and this is some splayed consideration, that I have several short feature articles in the past that can be uploaded in AAAoAAoA. After all, it's disguising to be a culture blog run by some rookie. This gives us an opportunity to widen our horizons, speak in the third person, and be read in a more detached fashion.

Gets? Never mind. We're starting today with a review of a book my boss in a tech firm I used to work for asked me to read in a week.



Book review: Changing the Channel
by Michael Masterson and Mary Ellen Tribby
Agora Publishing

Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business covers 12 of today’s most influential marketing channels in detail, describing how each one can be used to deliver messages that bring clients and consequent profits to businesses. From traditional channels such as the radio, television and public relations to new media like online social forums and e-mail, Masterson and Tribby's hardback discusses how to execute successful multi-channel marketing campaigns by not only creating effective sales offers but by building relationships with potential customers.

The book, however, insufficiently presents the disadvantages and needed investments in each marketing channel, and fails to even succinctly include crucial ethical practices concomitant with its use. As suggested by its kicker title, the book evidently upholds the accumulation of profit as the end goal of marketing campaigns, with occasional insinuations on the so-called value of downplaying truth behind media messages to maximize outlay and attract leads.

Changing the Channel, on the whole, is an accessible, handy reference in studying how business-to-customer relations have shifted with the dawn of the Internet and Web 2.0 in the 21st century. #
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About Me

ART AS A PEDESTRIAN

Hi, I'm Camille, and I'm a real journalist from Manila. Without claiming expertise on the subjects, I try to write about my artistic and cultural encounters on this 17-year-old spot.

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      • Hooked and bootlegged: Story of a piratess*
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      • Hope and ordinary work in 6 minutes
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Whut!

We will have but one option: We will have to adapt. The future will present itself with a ruthlessness yet unknown.
~Michelangelo Antonioni, filmmaker

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness ...
~first lines of Charles Dickens' The Tale of Two Cities

Culture is to know the best that has been said and thought in the world.
~Matthew Arnold, cultural critic

The only way to really change society is through culture ... it's not through force, it's not through armies, it's not through politics (but) through freedom.
~Dony McManus, artist

You are a fine person, Mr. Baggins ... but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!
~Gandalf in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

"I find television very educating. Every time someone turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."
~Groucho Marx, actor

Don't laugh at a youth for his affectations; he is only trying on one face after another to find a face of his own.
~Logan P. Smith, essayist

God is in the details.
~Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, architect

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