12 minute read
Sherikka Sy
Aiden Gattud
WRITTEN BY GENESIS JACINTH TAN
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IF PICTURES are worth a thousand words, then the craft of video editing can put a life’s story into a number of beautiful minutes. Take a day spent with amazing people and sights, and you can immortalize the memory in the form of a short film.
For Kyle Aiden Gattud (4 BS AMDSc - M DSc), video editing is his way of taking a step closer to real life—a skill he refined in hopes of expressing stories and daily realities.
STITCHING THE TIMELINE
Aiden discovered video editing in the way some young students might have discovered their skills: Through sheer necessity.
Back in junior high, Aiden and his groupmates were tasked to create a short film for a video project. With his interest in learning new, unfamiliar skills, Aiden nonchalantly volunteered to learn video editing. He also learned how to direct and plan out the storyboard, which is a draft that visually tells the story.
Just like how some choose to jump right into a project without reading the manual, Aiden skipped the free, already available editing programs and jumped right into a more advanced one. Eventually, their project was chosen by the school to compete in a competition known as CinePambata—a nationwide competition with a one-minute video requirement.
“Na-introduce ako sa buong proseso dahil doon (I was introduced to the whole process because of it),” Aiden shares. Their entry ended up making it to the finals.
At this point, all Aiden could think of was how simple everything turned out to be. In his words: “Ah, ang dali pala (Oh, it’s actually doable).”
EXPORTING MEDIA
Though Aiden recognizes that the editing process of film rarely gets recognized nor praised by audiences, he still maintains that editing is a kind of storytelling art. He names creators like Sam Kolder and JR Alli to be some of his inspirations; additionally, he mentions that his favorite techniques from them involve cuts, seamless transitions, zooms, and montages. Kolder and Alli are known for their travel videos, and Aiden himself has even taken the time to edit trips he took with his friends, commemorating the time they spend together in short edited films.
Throughout college, he has worked in organizations like the Company of Ateneo Dancers and the Ateneo Mathematics Society, creating not only video edits but also posters and other graphic design outputs. Most of the time, Aiden works on motion graphics over video editing, mainly due to the transition to the online setting.
However, unlike creating posters, Aiden finds video editing to come more naturally to him. “Nakakatunaw ng mind iyong graphic design, pero kapag video editing alam ko naman paano i-navigate palagi (Graphic design melts my brain, but if it’s video editing, I always know how to navigate it).”
Regardless of the medium, Aiden emphasizes the importance of storytelling. In particular, for projects with a long timeframe, he points out that storytelling can in fact help maintain continuity of the project’s themes.
He shares, “Kahit na sapat lang iyong mga gimmicks at transitions, basta maganda ang flow and storytelling, maganda na iyon (If your gimmicks and transitions are barely enough, then as long as your flow and storytelling is nice, that’s already good).”
Now, Aiden works as a video editing intern for a company. On the side, he edits videos for a content creator on YouTube. out further than his math degree. “Sabi ko sa sarili ko na ayoko ng nag-aaral palagi na puro acads, kaya naghanap talaga ako ng way para magamitan ng oras. [Creative work] ang napuntahan ko,” he remarks. (I told myself I didn’t want to just study all the time, so I really tried to find a way to make use of my time. And I found myself in creative work.)
Now that he’s graduating, Aiden reveals his long-term plan: After graduation, he sees himself leaving to fulfill his two-year missionary service in accordance with his religion. Until then, Aiden intends to further build his portfolio.
Further on, Aiden sees himself coming back from his mission and going into a field that falls into an intersection of math and creative work. He is also open to the idea of going to an American university to obtain an arts degree. Regardless of what the future brings, Aiden seems to be aware of all the realities he will face in parallel to his philosophy on video editing.
“Ang dami nang nangyayari sa mundo. Ang daming stories na wala tayong chance na makita o marinig. Dahil sa video editing, kaya mong i-express yung mga realities na iyan,” he concludes.
(A lot is happening in the world. There are many stories we don’t get the chance to see nor hear. Because of video editing, you can express those realities.)
Alyanna Arches
WRITTEN BY ALLIANZA O. PESQUERA
Design without empathy is just an aesthetic.
THE CURRENT trend in design is minimalism— as seen in the rebranding efforts of companies over the years. While minimalist design has its own merits, plenty of graphic designers prefer creative and exciting elements for their color palettes and typesetting.
Alyanna Arches (4 BS COMTECH), for one, works to keep her designs fun, bold, and centered on the human experience, no matter what medium her art takes its form in.
FINDING INSPIRATION
Like many adolescents in 2011, Alyanna dabbled in creating fan edits and Wattpad cover art. Notably, her first design was dedicated to the “Percabeth” pairing from the Percy Jackson series. Realizing that she enjoyed the design process, she taught herself how to manipulate photos on Adobe Photoshop with the help of YouTube and Tumblr tutorials.
“I taught myself how to make edits ‘cause— wala, ang saya lang (it’s just fun). And after that, I just [kept] going and [made] fan edits [for my] latest obsessions, so I couldn’t stop doing it. So now, I’m still here in design and now it’s my career,” she shares. personal branding as colorful as she gravitates toward using bold colors and incorporating witty puns in her designs.
Taking inspiration from pop culture, she has also steered her art style towards something funky or retro-looking as she became more confident in creating her own elements through Adobe Illustrator.
THE JOY OF CREATION
Though she enjoys making art, Alyanna mentions that it also makes her happy to see people not only enjoy what she makes but also be impacted by it. She shares, “Kasi sa YouTube videos ko, I always put [clips of] me making art tapos nakikilig ako (it thrills me) whenever [my viewers] comment, ‘Oh, because of you, I tried graphic design.’ So, yes, parang naging Tumblr na ako (It’s like I’ve become Tumblr).”
As of writing, Alyanna has over 88,400 subscribers and 7,125,195 views on her YouTube channel. Known for her creative intros and study vlogs, both she and her audience enjoy the pop culture references she integrates into her videos. That said, Alyanna sees YouTube as a hobby to document her memories and not as a career, adding that she will be focusing more on work after graduation.
In line with equipping herself with the skills for a career, Alyanna shifted from BFA Information Design to BS Communications Technology Management because she wanted to expand her skills outside of design—all while honing her design skills through extracurriculars, youth organizations, and internships.
Notably, what helped her concretize her career aspirations was Junior Fellowship for Financial Literacy. As the Creatives Head, she was able to head projects and execute her own ideas for once.
She also notes that the Ateneo’s focus on the humanities has been a helpful reminder to think beyond herself—or to not be a capitalist, as she jokingly says. Besides that, Alyanna says that the University’s hustle culture also pushed her outside of her comfort zone to try out new things.
“I went from photo manipulation to graphic design, to illustration, to packaging, to branding. So, I can learn what I want to learn if I just push myself to do it and get out of my comfort zone,” she says.
She not-so-jokingly adds that if it weren’t for the Ateneo’s hustle culture, she would have stayed in the same sphere all her life.
DESIGN WITH EMPATHY
Alyanna goes on to say that after interning for Par Vous Designs, Humble Sustainability, and Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation, she realized that she wanted to focus her efforts on branding. This is because she likes the challenge of creating something unique and enjoys the process of conceptualizing and ideating before executing.
“I think branding is about being able to communicate effectively what you’re all about: Your values, your personality as a brand, and what you’re doing [...] through just visuals and without saying a lot,” she explains.
That being said, Alyanna emphasizes that social advocacies matter to her when considering companies or organizations to work for. “I want my skills in design to have meaning. I want to put it to good use in something that is relevant today,” she adds.
With that, she remarks that “design without empathy is just an aesthetic” and it’s ineffective when it’s not human-centered. She further cites one of her mentors for teaching her that designers are powerful because they push people to act. “Design has a powerful way to shift one’s perspective. I like that part of design na you’re able to shift the perspective of the audience and you’re able to inform people through your design.”
Sherisse Sy
WRITTEN BY ANDREA MIKAELA LLANES
“WHEN I do something, I usually like to be sure of myself—but right now, I’m scared,” Sherisse Myka Sy (4 BS LM) candidly admits. Recognized more by her stage name She, the firecracker musician in a business-inclined course knows better than anyone else that her path is unconventional.
Regardless, She still dreams of producing music that brims with heart and vulnerability. Having been recognized as a recipient of the Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts for Music Performance, She now hopes to release music that reminds people of just how important sincerity is during these trying times.
TO PLAY BY EAR
Music had been a big part of She’s life since childhood, influenced in particular by her grandfather. Having been a performer himself, She’s grandfather was the driving force that encouraged her to seriously consider exploring the craft. “One of the last things we spoke about before he passed away was his wish for me to be happy with what I do, and he really mentioned na he wants me to pursue music kasi he saw na that’s what made me happy,” She shares.
However, She found that her lack of selfconfidence was her biggest enemy. Initial attempts at learning music were made difficult by frustrating self-consciousness. Come high school, though, She was able to carve out spaces that made it easier to learn more about her own musicality.
Most notably, she found herself part of Immaculate Conception Academy’s Glee Club, as well as the alternative pop-rock musical collective Pugfish. While the Glee Club equipped her with the technical skills on mastering music, performing with Pugfish helped her grow more familiar with the stage.
She eventually realized that she wanted to try her hand at making music of her own. This entailed sharpening her abilities at songwriting and collaborating closely with others to professionally produce her works. She speaks highly of Tristan Jay “TJ” Ng (4 BS ITE), who provided her invaluable support in music production.
“We’ve agreed that we want to continue doing music even after college,” She says. “Our music right now is a work in progress. Right now, we’re just trying to find time. But the targets and plans, they’re all there.”
CHANGE OF TUNE
Despite needing to balance the demands of being a working student, She has brought to life a good number of her plans as a solo musician. Currently, she has two songs released across various streaming platforms: darling, you and Walkthrough.
“For ‘darling, you’, I wanted to be vulnerable. I just wanted to express myself,” She shares. “For ‘Walkthrough’ naman, I think it’s one of the songs that— for the first time– I’m really proud of. It will always have sentimental value for me, [because] it captures the feeling of wanting to get to know more about someone.”
Though both songs shine with She’s nostalgic nature, she also knows that they are a far cry from what more she can offer. “My favorite part about being [an] artist is when people get to relate to the music… I want my music to help [people] find a safe space to be vulnerable,” she says. There are inevitable downsides to building oneself up in the industry. She cites struggles of finding her footing in the music community, alongside the need to deal with criticism from those surrounding her. Sometimes feeling stuck in a rock and a hard place, She nonetheless sees herself pushing for a career in music post-graduation.
“As much as I like expressing myself through music, I also want the music I make to be a platform for talking about issues like mental health [and] intergenerational trauma. I want my music to act as an empowering source for others. I want to make people feel like they’re not alone,” She says with conviction.
ALL THAT JAZZ
What awaits She in the future lies right on the other side of her fear. “All I can do right now is keep putting myself out there,” she says, noting that her priorities involve perfecting her technique, working through the genres she’s comfortable with, and collaborating more actively with TJ.
As of writing, She divulges that there is a music video for Walkthrough in the works—and a prospective extended play to drop anytime soon. “I’ve learned that you can’t please everybody,” she shares about her creative process. “When you’re making your own music, before anyone else, you should feel satisfied about the way it sounds.”
When asked what She thinks her sound is about, she answers in a heartbeat: “I’d like to be a voice that reminds people that it’s okay to be themselves.”
With reports from George D. Kho and Allianza O. Pesquera
