Letran SHS Fourth Estate joins UPLB Perspective’s First Open Workshop for Paaralang Roger Sese on Visual Design Making and Audio- Visual Storytelling
OCTOBER 30, 2021Kiersten Dane Olivas & Charles Kirby Manuyag
Letran SHS Fourth Estate joins UPLB Perspective’s First Open Workshop for Paaralang Roger Sese on Visual Design Making and Audio- Visual Storytelling
OCTOBER 30, 2021Kiersten Dane Olivas & Charles Kirby Manuyag
SATURDAY, October 30, 2021 - The UPLB Perspective, the University of the Philippines Los Banos' official student publication, kicked off its first open workshop for Paaralang Roger Sese, a weekly journalism training series with back-to-back lectures on two interesting topics: Visual Design (1 PM) and Audio-Visual Storytelling (4 PM), held via Zoom conference and Facebook Livestream, and attended by various organizations and school publications.
The masters of the ceremony, Ms. Phoebe and Mr. Mich, welcomed all the participants both in Zoom and Facebook Live, followed by the opening remarks of Mr. Mark, the Editor in Chief of UPLB Perspective.
The hosts then introduced the first speaker, Mr. Ian Lopez, the Editor in Chief of Forwarding, former production and layout editor of UPLB Perspective, and a B.S. Development Communication student at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños.
Mr. Ian started his discussion by defining what visual design is. He stated, "It is inseparable from your content, it does not take away from the content on the page, or its intended functionality."
Furthermore, he highlighted its significance in making the newspaper simple to read and defining a publication’s identity. He mentioned the "grocery wrapper test" as an example, in which a person tries to guess whose newspaper the paper used to wrap vegetables and other things came from based simply on its layout.
“Iyong mga publication kasi may specific na font, style, and so on. So, from afar malalaman mo agad kung saang publication galing ‘yon,” Mr. Ian said.
Moreover, he highlighted that a good visual design would make readers otherwise not inclined to read it. "Good visual design should make your publication easier to make sense of. It should help readers find what they need to read in the least amount of time possible," he added.
Before ending his discussion, he mentioned and explained five questions to ask yourself whenever designing or redesigning: (1) What are we as a publication? (2) What are we particularly good at doing? (3) What is lacking? (4) Can we blend in with our environment? (5) And what are our limitations?
After the lecture, the audience was given a chance to ask Mr. Ian questions regarding the discussion and held a photo opportunity to formally conclude the first topic.
Moving on with the discussion about Audio-Visual Storytelling, Mr. Dean Valmeo was introduced. He is a freelance writer/researcher for T.V. & Digital content, Production Assistant/Staff at Tilt Studios, and studies B.S. in Development Communication at UP Los Banos.
Mr. Dean Valmeo kicked off his lecture by highlighting media production as more of media storytelling. He also noted that the discussion is only to streamline and to be quick but insightful.
Moreover, he also discussed the definition and the importance of audio-visual storytelling. He stated that the context of audio-visual storytelling is very journalistic. It's neither a fairy tale nor a K-drama, but it's truthful, factual, and non-fiction.
He then tackled the application of audio storytelling. Mr. Dean indicated that it starts with finding a story, associating emotions in creating a story, traveling without destination, curiosity in the minor things, and the problems that can also arise anywhere that can make a story.
Upon finding a story, he stated that one must find a rationale, treatment, and objectives as a foundation to make a documentary series or a film. He noted that credible sources and strict deadlines are a must. He also gave examples of an RTO, a shot list that is also a must for indicating the camera angles and shots, and a trailer along with the given working script.
Next, he discussed the pre-production, production, and post-production process for a story to air. He noted the importance of revising and fact-checking to avoid exploiting media workers and respecting colleagues while maintaining professionalism.
Mr. Dean also promoted "The Seat of Power," a classic documentary series that he wrote and is available in TrueID Philippines, which the public can watch for free.
To formally conclude his lecture, Mr. Dean selflessly advised participants, "Just keep on writing and producing stories for the people."
For the participants to have a short break, the hosts presented an infomercial showing the official relief arm of UPLB's University Student Council: "Serve the People Brigade-UPLB."
The hosts then opened the floor for the Q&A portion of the 2nd topic, to which the participants actively engaged. As Mr. Dean Valmeo fulfilled their questions, he also gave tips and advice during the Q&A portion. He thanked everyone and advised them to keep on writing.
The open workshop will continue on the next four saturdays until November 27, 2021.