LeapOut took the opportunity to attend Graphika Manila 2024, the Philippines’ premier gathering of graphic artists and creatives. Held last February 17 to 18 at SMX Convention Center, this event highlights 12 creative professionals leading in their respective fields. They are among the people who run the P1.6-trillion ($25.6 billion) local and $2-trillion global creatives sector.  

Our Content Team, composed of graphic design and web content, took part in the two-day affair with high hopes and expectations. After the two-day affair, the team got inspired and refreshed, ready to work on existing and new creative tasks with a fresh perspective and renewed motivation.

Courage and Dedication to Create

One of the key takeaways of the team is creating inspiring artworks requires courage and risk-taking. Jam Melendrez, LeapOut graphics specialist, expressed this emphatically in LeapOut’s Snack and Learn session about the teams’ learnings about this event.

“Don’t be afraid to produce art despite being afraid to make mistakes because you will learn from what you have done.” she said.

Besides courage, another virtue that resonated in the minds and hearts of the team is persistence and dedication to the craft. 

Greg Solijon, another graphics specialist, told the story of Ryan Serrano, one of the event’s speakers. Greg expressed his admiration to Ryan’s laser-focused drive to become a successful 3D modeler after attending Graphika Manila ten years ago. 

“For aspiring designers, they need to be consistent in the process that they do throughout their careers,” Greg recited when asked about the lesson that resonated in his thoughts the most.

From Sketches to High-Quality Designs

For Jennica Manalang, LeapOut graphics specialist, the speech of Ivan and Pauline Despi, the couple behind Acid House, had the biggest impact on her. She was amazed by the creations that came from mere rough ideas from their previous sketches. 

This story gave her the realization that artists should not throw away sketches and rough drafts of previous works as they can be sources of information for future projects. 

Jay Alim, LeapOut’s Graphics Lead, was also inspired by the sacrifices made by the Acid House founders that led to their big break in the industry. What left a lasting impression on Jay is their audacious bootstrapping moves at the time they were pitching their name in the field of broadcast design and video post-production.

Commitment to Pursue Creative Passion 

Commitment in turning imagination into moving artworks is another lesson the team learned from the two-day convention. Jam expressed her admiration for Lauren’s dedication to her craft that despite her introversion and many personal problems, she still managed to produce top-notch works.

Aica Guevarra, Program Manager for LeapOut’s Creative Team, also voiced her amazement to the Despi couple’s commitment on integrating minimalism and maximalism in their body of creatives. For Aica, the couple’s perfect balance of incorporating these two opposing art philosophies is a potential fit for the agency’s graphic and video content.

Discipline for Sustained Success

For Dave Amolong, senior creative specialist, apart from courage and commitment, the speakers showed tremendous discipline in the creative process.

He cited Benjamin Su, a Directing Animator at Pixar, as an example. In his talk, Benjamin showed the rigorous process his team at the animation studio takes to complete project after project.  

“In creating realistic 3D animations, I could just imagine the focus and discipline the speakers have gone through in completing their creations,” Dave said.

Artistic Inspiration for Personal and Professional Growth  

Marvin Ortiz, LeapOut Co-Founder and CEO, expressed his appreciation to the team’s attendance in the event and active participation in providing inputs from the event.     

“I’m happy that you’re also finding your inspiration and also growing your craft. Despite the limitations we have in our organization, including the varying preferences of our clients, I think it should not stop you from pursuing your passion even outside work,” Marvin said.  

He also stressed the importance of art as a hobby that gives purpose to creatives.  

“Money is important but the fact that art gives you purpose. Money is the means, art is the purpose, your avenue for expression,” he added.

Annual Gathering of Creative Minds

For 19 years, Graphika has been an annual gathering of Filipino and International artists specializing in computer-generated graphics. The 2024 batch of speakers is packed with famous and emerging artists, representing various media, including graphic arts, art installation, visual effects, digital calligraphy. 

Local artists filled the lineup during the first day of the event, comprising: 

• Jethro Olba, illustrator and designer
• Jay Santiago, visual effects artist for Riot
• Johanna and Mark Deutsch, artists and illustrators for Happy Garahe
• Anjo Borlada, visual artist and illustrator for Studio Bitto
• Pauline and Ivan Despi, motion designers and animators for The Acid House
• Liza Flores, Abi Goy, and Fran Alvarez, illustrators and graphic artists for Studio Dialogo
• Ryan Serrano, digital modeler for Weta FX

Some famous international artists joined local creative minds during the second day:  

• Mark Mendoza, animator for Friendly Foes
• Risa Rodil, freelance illustrator and graphic designer
• Jackson Tan, art installation expert and designer for Art Zoo
• Abi Miguel, portrait photographer of I Am Abi
• Benjamin Su, directing animator for Pixar, Marvel cover artist, and toy designer
• Lauren Tsai, illustrator, model, and actress
• Timothy Goodman, graphic artist, art director, and author 

LeapOut is active in attending events to level up the knowledge and skills of its specialists.   Besides Graphika Manila, the digital marketing agency also joined Peepcon Lite, a convention for search engine optimization (SEO) professionals.