UVNS school veers away from traditional teaching

CEBU, Philippines -  â€œIn order to build a community, you need a home.”

This has been the mantra of the University of the Visayas School of New Media and Design (UVNS) that recently launched its one-year flagship program for visual design and digital filmmaking which will start next month in partnership with the Above the Line Productions.

Unlike the traditional approach of learning, UVNS school director Genesis Raña said that the new school is aimed to create a fun learning environment with no minor subjects, no grades, no lesson plans, and no attendance.

While there are universities who offer the same courses like UVNS has, the new school is focused on visual design and digital filmmaking without the hurdle to be distracted with other minor subjects.

Rather than taking a list of subjects that are irrelevant to pursuing a visual design career, Raña said that the educational curriculum of UVNS is based on outputs and skills that will serve as a content-driven portfolio for the students at the end of the course.

With its first semester to run from June to October, all basic programs are priced at P40, 000 for every five-month semester that is inclusive of the usage of the necessary equipment, state-of-the-art facilities, industry-standard Apple computers and art studio.

The flagship program is based on the Adobe curriculum, ‘Visual Design: Foundations of Design” which is a project-based course that develops career and communication skills in visual design.

“Unlike the classic and traditional approach, we only teach you what you need to learn. This is all about your passion, skills and fun. This is education revolution,” Raña stated.

With its ongoing application with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, UVNS is considered to be technical-vocational school that awards their students with certificates rather than diplomas at the end of the program.

UVNS teaches globally-accepted standards with internationally-acclaimed and award-winning industry practitioners as mentors who treat their students like professionals.

It is believed to be the first radical arts and design school in Cebu and in the Visayas.

Above the Line Productions production designer and UVNS mentor Kaloy Uypuangco noted that there has always been the gap between what the traditional schools offer and what the creative industry needs.

Instead of focusing on theories, he said that UVNS is designed to train students on the skills required of the industry through practical application.

He said that the huge market demand for the creative industry is driven by the active involvement of the society in communication in the form of social media, videos, blogs, promotions and advertisements.

“We are not teaching them creativity but we’re teaching communication.  If you want to become successful, you have to know how to communicate properly. We teach them the right way how to do it well. We train by doing,” he continued.

He added that the creative industry, at present, do not hire professionals to work for them because of their diplomas but of their skills.

Uypuangco cited that for the first semester, students have to come up with a music video and short film as desired outputs at the end of the first semester which will be then evaluated and criticized by industry professionals who will be invited by UVNS.

Such outputs, he added, could be sent to music channels or shown during film festivals in the country.

For the second semester, he said that the school plans to offer advanced specialization courses on filmmaking such as cinematography and production design.

Although Cebuano movies are not that much patronized by the mainstream audience due to lack of popularity, Uypuangco is optimistic that once the community built and initiated by UVNS will grow, Cebuano filmmakers will be recognized globally.

“We want to create a market, share what our passion is, and invite others to do the same,” he said, adding that it is high time for Cebuanos to take the stage as the next filmmakers.

Though they do not intend to compete with traditional schools, he projected that other academic institutions will shift into the revolutionized way of education five to ten years from now.

Meanwhile, mentor and brand strategist Ken Onozawa noted that there is a wrong notion on pursuing one’s passion and acquiring a diploma after college.

“The market is very huge and interesting. Change your mind set. Know what you want and do your best,” he said.

Since the school does not impose an age or academic background requirement, Onozawa said that anyone could enroll in the school’s program.

Course director John Henry Delfino further clarified that they are not forcing the young generation to stop enrolling to traditional schools but advised them to discover their passion.

“We do not tell you to stop. You can still continue your degree if you want to. But once you discover your passion and you have the drive to learn, you can go to UVNS. If education inspires passion, there would be no drop-outs,” he stated.

He cited that graduates of UVNS have the option to work locally or abroad after the end of the program.

Delfino added that they could also venture into freelancing and creative entrepreneurship.

During the summer season, UVNS began to offer three-month courses on visual design, photography and digital illustration and workshops on production design, basic cinematography, and comic book illustration as prelude courses to the school’s visual design flagship program. 

UVNS occupies the entire fourth floor of UV Gullas Medical Center along Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City. /JOB (FREEMAN)