When work requires creativity, our propensity to play stretches; in this expansive atmosphere, human beings can imagine more.
Given today’s salad bar of options, configuring a work set-up malleable to one’s personal proclivities is a privilege to reckon with. You can work a nine-to-five and then some, preserving weekends and after-(official)-work hours to nurture ideas that break the gray of your every day. For as long as there’s a good internet connection, we can work on islands, by beaches, in transit, or overseas—coffee cup in hand, surrounded by next-table neighbors in beautifully designed communal spaces. For an ocean of freelancers juggling multiple stints, work continues to shift and evolve into a hyper-customized experience designed to service one’s life. Work need not define who we are, but the way we choose to work surely says a lot about us. Creatives have been smudging the lines between work and play for time immemorial, but never has the process of designing the inner imaginings of an office space been as fanciful as this. In the thick of tech’s prevailing relationship with art and design, truly anything can be engineered possible.
Last February 2022, Samsung Philippines introduced its latest iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series—with the biggest and boldest display the Galaxy Tab S8 Series has offered to date, creatives are winged to imagine the most exciting and flavorful mash-ups of work (and whimsy) like never before; with its HyperFast 5G feature, anywhere in the world can be your chosen studio: producing an album in the middle of a jungle, shooting a live stream on a hot air balloon, or sketching digital illustrations on a skyscraper?—stars’ the limit for the wandering creator. Thanks to the Galaxy Tab S8 Series, the fringe benefits of creative work are practically cosmic.
Marvin making coffee while working at home with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G.
For Marvin Conanan, Founder and Brand Director of PURVEYR, work is conveniently managed from home. Admittingly, sometimes brought bedside via tablet; his dreams particularly influenced by the clean lines and soothing tonalities of his mood-boards. Marvin really enjoyed working at coffee shops prior to the pandemic, but right now, he prefers to spend most of his time at their home office – or wherever his work ingeniously takes him. Sighting a streamlined Instagram grid orbiting baby pics, moody industrial corners warmed by woody interiors, streetwear, urban photography, and so much coffee, we might intuit how Marvin Conanan’s day-to-day grind chimes on like—him being a prominent figure in the Philippine creative scene and all; but for those who are eager to meet the worker behind the curtain, to be acquainted with the nuts and bolts of this director’s movements, we casually chat to serve you a soft leak.
Why do you think it’s important to show the audience behind-the-scenes footage of what a creative actually does? Why do you think viewers enjoy this sort of voyeurism?
A behind-the-scenes look humanizes the work that creatives do; work that either comes off as nebulous, mysterious, or unrealistically romantic.
Heaps of information are thrown at an audience every day; because the influx of content can be so dense and overwhelming, consumers consequently come up with their own version of a filtering system. Viewers have learned to discern which among the media they consume feels authentic, manufactured, or fabricated. The role of BTS content is to present a rawer, more genuine take on a published story. This digital backstage pass invites the audience to observe real moments behind typically closed doors. When we reveal the mechanisms behind our process, we in turn show viewers how our professions are relatable too.
At PURVEYR, we believe all minds are creative; creativity is an aspect of being human. We may practice creativity for a living, but we’re not much different than you think. Technology has advanced to provide every one of us with a studio, a laboratory, and a playground; it’s how we choose to use these tools which determine evolution.
In the spirit of humanizing creativity, we join Marvin Conanan as we glimpse the sobering trail behind a PURVEYR story. As produced with the help of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G, the PURVEYR team lets us in on a behind-the-scenes look at covering rising illustrator Ivy Berces.
What do you usually do to get yourself inspired for a project, like this one? What steps do you initially begin with to gather information for a story?
The bulk of it goes to research, and not without a collaborative effort with the team. Finding out what creative does, how they present themselves, and what they’ve so far accomplished are the things I initially look into—And then I inquire about what slant our Managing Editor, Tricia, and whomever the assigned writer is (in this case, it’s Jean-Pierre Ditona), may have in mind for the story. From there, we collectively align on a specific angle—one typically based on the things we’ve gathered from research alongside our subject’s preliminary interview.
What are important points to consider when it comes to the coherence of storytelling?
It’s about having a strong point of view and clear objectives. Storytelling is a medium that can be universally applied, which is why it cuts across so many spheres and contexts. The first point I mentioned comes down to understanding your own frame of reference – knowing where you stand as a storyteller, what your narrative capabilities are, and which values you adhere to. The second point I referenced functions as a guide – what do you intend for the audience to take away upon experiencing this? When stories miss a unique point of view, they end up diluted and lackluster. In order for a story to create impact or stand out, it needs to resonate with a distinct audience. Funneling and filtering ideas, and figuring out whom you want to connect with is a crucial part of the process.
In the beginning of 2022, I re-channeled the direction of PURVEYR, spotlighting the individual profiles of Filipino creatives. Although we’ve been working on biographies for quite a while now, it’s through this subtle shift that we’ve been able to solidify our mode of storytelling and media distribution. In case you haven’t noticed, our Instagram account has totally shifted its contents due to this light swerve as well — instead of just sharing one social media post for every story produced, we now release four configurations of content to brace the narrative: a launch post, a story summary, a highlighted quote, and a key photograph. Thanks to these auxiliary deliverables, we’re able to extend the life of each story, prolonging their exposure under PURVEYR’s limelight. More so, we’ve padded our interview process with an additional layer: an introductory step wherein the writer sends the interviewee preliminary questions, probing into the subject’s current state of affairs — this way, we end up with hyper-focused angles; instead of adopting a generalist approach, we seek to explore each subject or theme in a much deeper fashion. Although we’re still refining our freshly formulated process, we’re already seeing changes in audience reception.
A look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G used in different scenarios: before bedtime, home office, coffee shop, and at the photoshoot.
As breakthroughs in tech continue to elevate the art of storytelling, how were you able to utilize the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G as a compositional tool?
Well, it all starts with conceptualization and research.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous answer, I begin by consolidating ideas with the team. As the PURVEYR team works mostly online, I like that the Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G has a 12.4” sAMOLED screen that allows it to function halfway between a laptop and a phone. That makes the tablet very handy so we can conveniently hold video meetings anywhere: most especially in transit—I think this saves creatives who are always on the go (and working multiple gigs), a lot of time.
I use it even for meetings outside the team, like external partners or the subjects of our feature because it has an ultra-wide front camera, and its 3-mic noise reduction technology makes it so easy to transition from our casual team meetings to more formal virtual schedules. We even conducted our interview with Ivy Berces on the Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G. Given how the traffic gets here, and how tight or hectic our schedules have become (particularly for new parents like me!), being able to hold conversations on a light, wide-screen tablet just makes things so much more efficient.
Marvin using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G at home for the Ivy Berces interview and project brainstorming.
When it comes to brainstorming, I like to conceptualize using whatever’s in front of me, be it paper, my phone, or any tech gadget within reach. As for someone like me who finds himself attached to the romance of pen and paper, the very versatile Samsung Notes feels like the best alternative. As the application infuses its virtual features of the S Pen with an analog feel, it makes for a perfect modern diary or idea journal. I appreciate how I can easily doodle or jot notes on images and videos, type when I want to, download files, or drag content from countless sources. I read that the S Pen literally mimics a pen gliding across paper. As I run a media publication, I find that it’s one of the device’s most valuable features; rest aside its ability to transform your handwriting into the type-written text too. This is helpful when ideas are flowing—when your train of thought can’t afford to be interrupted. Utilizing a gadget that successfully merges the digital with the analog certainly elevates storyboarding as a creative experience.
I also like that through its multi-window layout, I can conveniently work and access research references, toggle between apps, inspirational imagery, articles, and design pegs all at the same time—even add in a simultaneous video chat with a colleague if a meeting happens to be in place. As I maintain several Pinterest boards for inspiration (which I sometimes fill up before going to bed), the gadget can easily be tapped at arm’s length or a second’s notice.
Marvin at a coffee shop working on the Ivy Berces photoshoot mood-board.
What is PURVEYR’s ethos when it comes to storytelling?
When we circle themes of creativity, exceptional artwork or output easily comes to vision; while these subjects are naturally touched upon in PURVEYR, it’s the human beings behind the creative work whom we’ve chosen to the foreground. By celebrating the creator, we hope to inspire and encourage more people to explore their own sense of creativity—as our maxim goes, “all minds are creative.”
Through revolutionary gadgets like the Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G, everyone is invited to play in untapped spaces of time and possibility. Because the device is so light and mobile, anyone can easily set up production and create on the go; this is beneficial to content creators who deliver time-sensitive content on a consistent basis. Tech when fused with travel, adds a whole new element to the production process too! You can be as adventurous and as experimental as you free yourself to be. It’s an exciting time for human beings. It pays to be innovative; to be curious and forward-looking.
Was the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G a useful tool throughout the actual photoshoot? How were you able to utilize the device for creative direction and management?
I easily took it around different locations throughout the shoot. As with everything else in storytelling and media, having a handy visual guide makes it a lot easier when directing a team or navigating production.
A sleeker gadget is especially useful when I’m out for errands too. Because the Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G is so thin, it literally feels like I’m carrying a small magazine or a big notebook around. The device easily slips into my tote-bags, which is a go-to for me. And for added ecological value, the tablet which is made of Graphite, is partially constructed with plastic components repurposed from discarded fishing nets—all in Samsung’s attempt to help reduce ocean-bound plastic and advocate for environmental awareness. I think we should all be advocating for the planet in this day and age. This goes hand-in-hand with PURVEYR’s efforts to champion developments in circular design.
Behind-the-scenes images at the Ivy Berces photoshoot
Because practically anyone can become their own publishing house in our present day, what would be your advice to aspiring storytellers when it comes to maximizing their social media platforms best—based on a decade’s worth of experience with PURVEYR?
I think it’s understanding that half the battle is about cultivating a unique point of view while intuiting what your target audience responds to. As authors, we can easily get stuck thinking that telling good stories is enough; but in reality, as this world has become so saturated with distraction, it’s become infinitely hard to capture attention. Only storytellers who have a good grasp of channels, distribution methods, and audience behavior will stand a chance at being noticed—even when they don’t tell the best stories at times. It’s one thing to be seen, but to give good, meaningful stories a real shot at being absorbed, storytellers must work smarter by studying the mechanisms behind the media.
Editing the Ivy Berces story through the split screen feature of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G.
Why do you believe artists and storytellers should invest in tools like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G? What might creatives gain from the bigger picture, in the long run?
The Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G provides us a snapshot of the creative’s future (which is amazingly, somehow in the now)—as the device powerfully blurs boundaries betwixt diverse settings and mediums, painters are able to utilize technology to animate their craft, designers can wave a practically magical pen across a digital plane resembling paper, while thinkers are incentivized to capture and compile ideas, thoughts, and inspirational content through an extremely versatile gadget, anytime and anywhere.
I haven’t tried the feature just yet, but Samsung purposefully partnered up with Clip Studio Paint to provide artists with a really textured creative experience. Just as if you were painting in real life, illustrators can choose colors and brushes off their Samsung phone which doubly functions as a physical palette; this allows you to keep your canvas (the tablet) spacious and clear while you freely navigate with a brush (your S Pen). Isn’t that impressive? Everything was so mindfully designed for the artist. It gives creatives an inspiring glimpse of how digitalism and physical tangibility can be seamlessly synthesized and further explored!
More images from the Ivy Berces photoshoot with Zaldine Alvaro and Danielle Ramos.
Lucky to have an entire trove of resources teasing the itchy storyteller’s hands, maybe given the right device, we can unlearn what we know and reimagine technology as something quite spectacular; as if it were unbeknownst to us, the way early man would.
Can you see the bigger picture? We can take flight through the pages we write.
With the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G, we could.
