By Kristine Anjela C. Pablo 

A sportscaster powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT–these are just two examples of technological breakthroughs that caused a stir online. Incorporating this idea led fourth-year Communication students to launch VERSUS, a game show to identify student or AI works premiering on October 25, 11:00 am to 12 noon, via Far Eastern University (FEU) Studios. 

The production will feature a Multimedia Production class with FEU professors as its guests to challenge their skills with easy, medium, and difficult rounds. 

During the group’s pre-planning, two themes were initially given by their professor which were sports and technology. 

The group also chipped in to name the show VERSUS, pertaining to comparing how the human mind and technology works in different fields. For the production team, something catchy and short does the trick to make the audience remember the contents that they are producing. 

Fourth-year BA Communication student and Glitch Production director Justine Renee Cruz also shared how they initially planned and changed their program flow to match the ever-changing media landscape. 

“‘Yung inspiration nung Glitch Productions theme na VERSUS is the idea na magkaroon ng two comparison with each other and ‘yun ‘yung professors versus AI. The initial idea din kasi ‘diba before is ‘yung mayroon ding music versus AI eh masyado kasi naging matunog ‘yung VERSUS, so ‘yun yung naisip ng prod team na maging title (The inspiration of Glitch Productions to make the theme, VERSUS is the idea to have comparison with professors versus AI. The initial idea was to have music versus AI, but VERSUS appealed to us more that is why the prod team decided to go with it),” Cruz shared. 

The production wanted to explore whether AI will be beneficial to the academe and pedagogies and if viewers will have a keen eye to identify one. 

But just like the production’s name, they also have encountered glitches especially during the preparation of the event. 

"Yes, there’s a lot of challenges in the preparation of the event. Syempre, andon ‘yung mga pabago bagong prod design, there’s also mishaps tungkol sa mga proponents. So at the end, naremedyuhan naman sya, nakagawa naman kami ng solusyon para doon sa mga challenges na ‘yon. Hence, we have a show that we can publicly stream na sa FEU Studios on October 25. (Of course, there’s a lot of challenges in the preparation of the event. There's changes in the prod design, and mishaps with the proponents. But in the end, we were able to fix it and make a solution that is why we can now publicly stream our content via FEU Studios on October 25),” the fourth-year student said. 

Mark Christopher Aspiras, a Multimedia Production class professor, shared how this course served as a modern day representation on the previous traditional broadcasting on television. 

"Multimedia Production class is actually a modern-day representation of broadcast production. Ibig sabihin, its a modern feature where you are to produce audio-visual content dati on television, broadcasting (Multimedia Production class is actually a modern-day representation of broadcast production. Meaning, its a modern feature where you are to produce audio-visual content, because before on television, broadcasting)," Aspiras noted. 

He also delved in how he came up with the themes that students can choose from starting from entertainment, news, and variety or magazine. For Aspiras, the challenge is how to teach students to execute what he had taught in the classroom. 

"Content like these shared in Far Eastern University's Department of Communication's digital network FEU Studios is a taste of what it's like in the real world," Aspiras highlighted.

Aspiras also shared how this can help students boost their skills while also making use of avenues like FEU Studios.

"'Yung administrative responsibility belongs to the department, pero 'yung sa Communication Society sila 'yung operative part. May avenue tayo. Ang kagandahan ng presence ng FEU Studios ay bukod sa inii-stream niya 'yung content creation ng mga estudyante, pwedeng gamitin ng mga estudyante 'to as reference pag nag-apply na sila sa field (The administrative responsibility belongs to the department, but Communication Society is the operative part. We have an avenue. The presence of FEU Studios aside from it stream content creation of the students, they can use it as a reference when they apply in the field)," Aspiras noted.

He emphasized that students need to be open and to treat the course not just a a class requirement, but also to act as professionals. More than being repositories of content, FEU Studios in partnership with such classes is an opportunity to play with various genres.

Glitch Production’s second episode will showcase a traditional magazine format incorporating AI in the Esports domain and will also stream on the same platform.

To incorporate something new is not a bad idea at all. But exploring this new take on technology does not only require study and patience, but fresh minds to adapt to this continuous change. 

(Photo courtesy of Glitch Productions/Facebook)