Calista PH: Call Them Stars.

 

Calista: Call Them Stars  

 

Even before the emergence of K Pop Girl Groups like 2ne1, Wonder Girls, Girls Generation, Black Pink and other girl groups abroad, we already got a fair share of popular girl groups here in the Philippines, well who wouldn’t forget the Sexbomb Girls of the Millennials and as years go by these pop novelty girl groups already evolved to what we now call PPop Groups and they aren’t just girls now we are also seeing the emergence of male groups such as SB 19 who dominates the charts these days.  

 

But we aren’t talking about them, we will talk about these new girl group that TEAM’s Tyronne Escalante had built, their group name stands for “Call it a Star” or you can call them “Calista”. The new girl group is composed of 6 very talented girls led by Anne Tenorio, Denise Pello, Dain Leones, Elle Pascual, Olive Bihag and Laiza Comia.  

 

Calista has been training rigorously for almost a year now, they said that they were formed early of this year and has been under different workshops to enhance and polish their group when it comes to performance specially in singing and dancing.  

 

Let’s get to know Anne, Denise, Dainiel, Jhudiel, Olive, and Laiza more: Let’s start off with Anne.  

 

Anne Tenorio is 19 years old and stands at 5’3”, she is into acting, modeling, singing, dancing, and hosting in fact she is one of the hosts of Its Showtime Online Universe and Star Magic’s Inside News. Anne also joined the noontime show’s hit singing contest “Tawag ng Tanghalan”. She is also an online influencer with more than twenty thousand followers on Instagram and Facebook.  

 

In Calista, Anne serves as the leader of the group and she also serves as the main vocals of the group.  

 

Next, we have is Dainiel Leones, she is 21 years old and stands at 5’5” tall, Dainiel is into Singing, Acting, Dancing, and Modeling. Prior to joining Calista, she is a budding beauty queen and has joined various pageants, she is also a college student taking up Tourism Management.  

 

Our third star of Calista is 20-year-old Elle Pascual, she is into acting, modeling, and dancing, she is actually considered dancing as her forte as she came from a dance group.  

 

We got the youngest in the pack, 16-year-old Olive Bihag. Olive is an aspiring beauty queen, writer, and a dancer as well. She also sets her sights in acting as she got herself into several workshops to improve her craft.  

Our fourth Calista is Denise Pello, the lead dancer in the group, Denise came from a family of singers, but she really prefers to dance rather than to sing. 

 

Last but definitely not the least is Laiza Comia, the 20-year-old star of Calista might be quite familiar to you, Laiza started out her career as back when she was a child she has appeared in various movies, mostly horror like White House, Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang, and now she is also a part of the MMFF 2021 entry “Huwag Kang Lalabas”.  

 

Get to know more of the stars of Calista on their social media accounts at @Calista_socials on Instagram and Calista PH on Facebook.  

 

Watch our Interview with them on our youtube channel as well special thanks to Tyronne Escalante. 

FDCP, DFA to Hold Film Festival Tribute to National Artist Kidlat Tahimik

 

To honor the invaluable contributions of National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Kidlat Tahimik to the development of independent Philippine Cinema, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Public and Cultural Diplomacy arms will hold free screenings and a talkback session on November 28 to December 8.

The National Artist, born Eric de Guia, is known for his films that often critique neocolonialism, and his bamboo camera which symbolizes his exceptional local storytelling. The “Tribute to Kidlat Tahimik: Lolo of Filipino Indie Cinema” aims to boost the creative industry and showcase Philippine culture by featuring his award-winning and internationally-acclaimed films. 

Kidlat Tahimik has received accolades from local and international award-giving bodies such as Cinemalaya, Gawad Urian, Prince Claus Fund, Amiens International Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival through decades of his career. 

Five notable works from the National Artist will be screened for free on the Vimeo Channel including the following: Perfumed Nightmares (1977), Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979), Turumba (1981), Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (1994), and Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III (2015). 

Additionally, the “Talkback with Kidlat Tahimik” will be moderated by professor, writer, and producer Jag Garcia that will take place on November 30, 4 PM via Zoom. 

“Through this retrospective and talkback session with National Artist and Father of Philippine Independent Cinema Kidlat Tahimik, made possible by a partnership with DFA, audiences, especially our local independent filmmakers will hear from the National Artist himself. As we shine the spotlight on his films, we hope to see more independent films influenced by local stories and our culture on the silver screen in the near future,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Diño.

The event is also in line with FDCP’s marking of the first Philippine Film Industry Month last September, as mandated by Presidential Proclamation 1085, with the theme "Ngayon Ang Bagong Sinemula," which celebrates the heritage, significance, and legacy of Philippine Cinema. 

To view the films, register through this link: https://bit.ly/KT_FestivalRegistration. To join the talkback session, register at https://bit.ly/KT_TalkbackSession. 

Festival Schedule and Program of “Tribute to Kidlat Tahimik: Lolo of Filipino Indie Cinema” from November 28 to December 8:

November 28 - 29 

Screening on Vimeo 

• Perfumed Nightmares (1977)

• Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979)

• Turumba (1981)

November 30

• Talkback with Kidlat Tahimik 

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM via Zoom and FDCP FB page 

December 1 - 2 

Screening on Vimeo

• Turumba (1981)

• Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (1994)

• Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III (2015)

December 3 - 4 

Screening on Vimeo 

• Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III (2015)

• Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (1994)

• Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979)

December 5 - 6 

Screening on Vimeo

• Perfumed Nightmares (1977)

• Bakit Dilaw ang Gitna ng Bahaghari? (1994)

• Sino Lumikha ng Yoyo? Sino ang Lumikha ng Moon Buggy? (1979)

December 7 - 8

Screening on Vimeo 

• Perfumed Nightmares (1977)

• Turumba (1981)

• Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III (2015)

The TECNO Way of Winning AI Camera Technology Race for Future

  Step into the TAIVOS Imaging Lab to learn about the cool technology behind CAMON 18’s clear and steady, advanced AI Camera!

Cameras and mobile technology have always been symbiotic, and have heavily influenced the development of modern smartphones. This effectively means that any manufacturer who is able to provide leading, cutting edge mobile imaging solutions for smartphones will be able to determine what the future of smartphones will look like. This is why TECNO started TAIVOS Labs, focusing on innovative and cutting-edge technological breakthroughs for mobile imaging technology. TECNO’s labs have been involved in numerous in-depth research and analysis that contributed to many of the new camera innovations that we see today.

We talked to Jiangtao Li, Senior Director of TECNO Imaging Product and Head of TECNO TAIVOS™ Labs, to learn more about the lab, and also to learn about how he reimagines the future of mobile camera technology. 

Jiangtao Li, Head of TECNO TAIVOS Lab

TAIVOS™ Lab, short for TECNO AI Vision Optimization Solution Lab, was set up to enhance photography and videography through the latest technology. When asked about how the lab came about, Li said, “Based on these grand objectives, our TAIVOS laboratory studies our devices extensively to make some deeper innovations that our users will enjoy and benefit from. We want to redefine how the mobile camera is perceived and what it can do for our users.”

With this goal in mind, one of TECNO’s grand challenges it had to overcome was to cater to the many varying views of beauty over different regions and cultures, combining the best of the past and the present. With this awareness that beauty can be subjective and individualized, TECNO added more than 200 professionals to its research team, successfully producing more than 6,120 Evaluation Scenarios spanning 115 countries. According to Li, TECNO is putting in so much effort because it is not enough to advance technology. Still, it is essential to build it with diversity in mind so that everyone can enjoy and utilize mobile imaging technology together. 

TAIVOS™ Lab’s final products have continually exceeded the expectations of consumers, producing many successful commercialized features. Specifically, TECNO TAIVOS™ certified cameras could reach a remarkable 4,500 fine-tuning settings thanks to the 3A Algorithm and ISP (Image Signal Processor) module. Pictures that are inclusive of all demographics and all three primary skin types, particularly those with darker skin tones, are sharpened. A comprehensive Material Library covers nine skin types and 76 categories so that everyone, regardless of demographic, gets to enjoy these improved features. On TECNO’s CAMON 18 Premier, these optimizations enable excellent visuals even in low-light situations.

Another breakthrough of TECNO TAIVOS™ Lab is in the advancement of the Screen Inspection Process. TECNO screens and cameras are fine-tuned for up to a half-year apiece throughout this procedure to provide users with the most bright and compelling colors. This has brought about many learnings for TECNO, as lighting is one major issue for mobile camera users that inhibits them from creating professional-level photos and videos. Li wants to democratize the pleasures of taking a good picture, and technology can be a significant aid to people looking to gain confidence in their photography skills.

TAIVOS™ Lab’s innovative deep technologies are also evident in its Image Algorithm Technology. Using AI algorithms for Image Super-Resolution, low-resolution images caused by digital zoom can be recovered. As a result, even for those with close to no photography skills, images on TECNO’s upcoming flagship will turn out to be more explicit, richer in detail, and more true-to-life than ever before. 

TAIVOS™ Lab has also patented various technologies to support the innovative ideas churned out by the lab. For example, featured inside the upcoming CAMON 18 Premier is a self-developed Galileo Algorithm Engine. Thanks to this new engine, TECNO says that users can enjoy ultra-long-distance shooting effects comparable to astronomical telescopes and pixel-level image segmentation accuracy, all from the comfort of the smartphone in their pocket.

Li shares: “TAIVOS started five years ago when we established a project department at that time, and then we began to accumulate our data from that time. We have a huge database, and compared to the entire industry, the quality of this database is high because, firstly, it is very focused. Secondly, we are spending a lot of energy to label the data. After we accumulate and label the data, we can do so much more to improve on what we have so that our users will always have the best.”

That data becomes helpful in applications such as a cutting-edge gender recognition feature that comes packed in the CAMON 18 Premier. For example, with a complete understanding that males and females have unique facial traits and different desires when taking selfies, the gender recognition AI protects the details of your natural features – men with beards can enhance them. At the same time, women can enable the technology to deliver beautiful lashes.

Li concludes: “TAIVOS™ Lab has allowed us to enable our users to analyze and recombine photos on a pixel level, bringing out the best photos for our users. Now with the CAMON 18 Premier, we are extending this technology to video. Hardware is only half the battle. We work incessantly to improve our software to bring the best user experience to our customers. TAIVOS™ Lab is at the forefront of mobile imaging technology today, and we will keep you excited for years and decades to come.”

The highly-anticipated TECNO CAMON 18 Series launched in the Philippines this November, bringing an array of exciting innovations developed by the TAIVOS lab to consumers around the country.

CAMON 18: TECNO Mobile’s most advanced pro-camera phone to date

As the most advanced pro-camera phone to come out of TECNO Mobile’s CAMON line, the CAMON 18 Series is perfect for filmmakers, and anyone who loves taking videos using their smartphones.

Video enthusiasts will certainly enjoy the experience of shooting with CAMON 18P’s 48MP clear and steady video camera, and its 13MP 50mm pro portrait camera. The CAMON 18 variant is another great choice for mobile videography and photography, with its 48MP multi-function triple camera. CAMON 18 also comes in an exciting new Iris Purple colorway that women are sure to love.

CAMON 18P and CAMON 18 are available at the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall, the TECNO Mobile Flagship Store in Lazada, and select TECNO stores. CAMON 18P is priced at Php 10,990, while the CAMON 18 variant retails for Php 9,499.

Also check out the ‘Movie Master’ CAMON 18 Premier with Stabilized Gimbal Camera, which retails for Php 15,990. 

Shop at the Black Friday Sale, until November 26, and get the CAMON 18 Premier for only Php 14,990, CAMON 18P for just Php 10,490, and CAMON 18 for Php 8,999.

Stay updated on all the latest promos when you like and follow TECNO Mobile Philippines on Facebook. Visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph to learn more about your favorite TECNO Mobile smartphones and gadgets.