watch this!

bc196 laguna trip

09.22.07

ancient gawad pics

Finally, I found Je's multiply. =)
These are from that account.
Taken 07.04.07

with Ma'am Pinky

Meline, Trish, Sir Mario Garcia and Ma'am Pinky of Tinig ng Bayan, Angelo, Therese

Je, Mario, Pinky, Ma'am Mel, Angelo, Erroll

09.07.09 shoot

College of Fine Arts shoot
with makey, karen, chichay

group pics with broadmates

jei, jecs, angelo, mj

bc 111 iCare group: with jei and karen

jei, angelo, ge

before the grad pictorial

this was our looks before that pictorial =)

melai, jei, ge, yves

random question

This is from some site:

How did you go about planning for a recent event/project you handled?
(Keep within 4000 characters or approximately 500 words.)


--------

The most recent event I am handling is a school endeavor where we are supposed to launch radio documentaries and television dramas that we are producing ourselves. This is tedious because aside from producing our radio and television materials, we are also planning for the launch of the said radio-TV festival. Not to mention the other equally-time-consuming requirements of other subjects we have that also demand hordes of energy, time, and monetary resources.

The batch is divided into three groups. Each group has to come up with a 30-minute TV drama and an eight-minute audio documentary. For my group, I am the line producer for the TV drama and a researcher for the audio documentary. But most often, my jobs cross that I become head producer for both radio and TV. I am to oversee everything from pre-production to post-production and make sure that every plan is executed well. Daily, I receive text messages and e-mail of problems and endless questions.

I am not expecting that while I am so occupied with my tasks as line producer, the whole batch voted for me to head the logistics of the event, the launch. I could not say no anymore because when it is your whole batch who believes that you can handle the job, it is just so hard not to give in to their trust.

Since I am now at the helm of two big units, I have to be careful in devoting my time to both projects, making sure I am not neglecting any duty. I am just so fortunate that I have a sound time management skills that has its roots during my elementary and high school days. Call me an obsessive-compulsive (OC) but I want every action of mine noted down complete with little boxes before the task. I will check or shade these little boxes after finishing whatever it is that is written. Ergo, I have a checklist of all the tasks that I have to do for our group's production and the batch's launch event.

There are times, of course, when things just don't happen the way I planned it especially in the time department. I would write targeted time of finish of shoot complete with all the leeway but things like camera and lighting difficulty or a late production member would break my OC-ness. Just when you thought you have planned everything and expected all possible delays, you would see yourself not following the plans you thought about for endless nights.

Flexibility is the operative word. I could not cry over spilled milk. So when that much delay happened during our first day of shoot for the TV drama, I just learned to go with the flow. It's another lesson learned, a lesson that we will carry until the last shooting days. Surely, we are fast learners because during the succeeding shoots, we would finish early or on time.

Also, being the head doesn't mean I have to do everything. I delegate tasks and ask people to do things for the projects. Having faith in your group and in the people inside the group is a big plus. Honestly, I am confident as a leader because I know my members can confidently deliver and execute as well.

As of this writing, I am still doing checklists and plans for our group's production and batch's event. I am still optimistic that careful planning and having plan B's work. I am still believing in my group, in my members, and most especially, in myself.

with melai, mj, madel, jei

with BC130 groupmates

09.12.07
pics from paola's camera

karen, makey, paola, ayeen, angelo

meline, mj, paola, angelo

with ge =)

09.12.07

09.09.07 BC 130 shoot

the lead actor, the director, the line producer

while waiting for other peeps

got afro?

a namesake (no, not a character but a streetkid who hugged me upon learning that I, too, is angelo)

now he faces the cam

meline, chai, russ, ksar, casey, makey

minus casey, plus me


the juvenile joy

oblation

essay on NBN experience

Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You

National Broadcasting Network (NBN-4), being the government station, naturally has to protect the administration. The station only has good words for the President and her projects. This is openly admitted by the people I work with there. In fact, one executive producer of ‘been there, done that’ caliber told me that NBN-4 is a propaganda station and advised me that if I really want to write and express myself, I should not apply for a job at NBN-4. She just didn’t elaborate why she herself chooses to be there for a couple of decades already.

When I entered the station as an intern, I did not think of doing everything from pre-production to post-poduction. I thought that as an intern my tasks would be to move props from one point in the studio to another or to call the talents if they would be going on-air already or to photocopy documents, internship duties recalled by the past interns-slash-friends.

I was grateful that NBN-4 had utilized my potentials as a Broadcast Communication student. I was assigned at the Production Department of the station, the network’s arm that produces entertainment programs. Everything that is not news and public affairs, this department makes.

The whole experience was BC121-ish (even their studios are BC121-ish). I experienced being a floor director, an audio engineer, a writer, a talent, a technical director, a cameraman, a guest coordinator, a hotline handler, a chargen operator. I guess manpower shortage is one big problem of this station and one big reason why they allow students-interns to have a hand in their broadcast operations. In fact, executive producers there were asking me and my co-interns to apply for a writing job at the Production Department because two full-time positions were vacant. Those executive producers ironically revealed that salaries are delayed. I declined the offer not because of the deferred or meager salary but because I might not be able to fulfill the duties because I still have school.

The Hotline Brouhaha

One program I had the chance to work in is Serbisyo Muna, a daily talk show that discusses different programs of the administration. This is hosted by Baby O’Brien and Allan Allanigue and airs every eleven in the morning. One time, I was tasked by the floor director to hold the text hotline and to write the questions or comments of the texters-viewers. She reminded me to consult first the writer before I note down the text messages and hand it to the host. That day, the topic was the past and future projects of a former congresswoman and now-governor-elect of Marinduque.

At first, text messages were pertinent questions like what would be the lady’s plan for her city and question of updates on her past projects and so on. The writer allowed me to write the messages and I gave it to the interviewer. Next horde of messages was comments that were pertinent also. This time the female writer, who I guess is in her early 20’s, did not allow me to write the text messages. Why? It was simply because she thought messages were negative and derogatory. It included a question dragging the name of the governor, who was an administration bet during the elections, to a case of extortion. Another text averred that the governor had been in the congressional position for a long time but she did not do any progress to her district and now she had the guts to assume a higher position. Too bad I forgot the lady politician’s name, or I think I intentionally forgot her name because of this upsetting situation of censoring the texters’ sentiments.

The callers wanted their text messages to be read on air badly because they were calling already. I passed the mobile phone to the writer because I didn’t know what to respond to the callers. The writer answered it. The caller turned out to be one of those who were texting to death for their comments to be read. After that first call, the writer told me not to answer the phone anymore because the callers’ comments would not be read on air anyway since it was against the lady interviewee. I instantly remembered a lesson in one of my theory classes, the gatekeeper concept.

The concept refers to someone who makes decision about what passes through the various gates separating potential media contents from their audiences (Perry, 2002, p. 64). I don’t have to interview networks’ officials to prove that all broadcast firms do this to protect personal interests. All I have to do is to watch TV or listen to the radio or read the dailies and evaluate why the broadcast firm chooses to air or publish such stories and choose those angles, why news about this and that is not included when they are newsworthy.

Probably, I was just unprepared to witness and be a part of that gatekeeping process. My unpreparedness explained that feeling of uncomfortability and guiltiness I had during the whole situation. In class, we, students, are so idealistic and optimistic that we always say that we will be catalysts in the media when we step out of the College. But I thought about it several times, when I enter a media firm armed with the theories and practical skills I learned in my four-year stay in CMC, it would really be hard to fight those that are in positions and say ‘Hey, what you are doing is not right. People ought to know everything, unbiased and balanced. Your station needs an overhaul.’ I would be an ant then fighting against the elephants, and that could cost my job.

Then What Now?

The next time the floor director allowed me to handle the text hotline of Serbisyo Muna, the writer was not there so I thought I had the chance to vindicate myself. This time the topic was on the housing projects of the administration. No message with any dab of anti-government entered the mobile phone; messages were questions on how the viewers could avail of the housing program of the government.

But had a negative remark entered the hotline, I think I would still consult it first with the production team there. NBN-4 is not different from other bigger stations for these other stations also gatekeep and protect their affiliate companies. The only distinction my internship station has is that it is the government that they need to protect.

I think working for a media firm, or any company in general, is a matter of not biting the hand that feeds you. Loyalty is the operative word—not only loyalty to the company you work for but also loyalty to the permanent interest to feed yourself and your family.




---------------------
Reference:

Perry, David K. (2002). Theory and Research in Mass Communication: Contexts and Consequences 2nd Ed. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

with orgmates and seatmates

09.04.ACLE.Nike.

09.04.ACLE.Jen.

09.04.ACLE.Melai.

09.03.BC130 Class.Paola and Makey.

personal

in search for the an ID pic

oh yes, happiness at sterten condo

who touches yours?

before the elevator-slash-mirror at sterten again

the morning after

macromedia flash lec demo

CMC Student Council and the UP Journalism Club

invite you to

CMC Sessions:
Macromedia Flash
Lecture Demonstration

04 September 2007
tuesday / 9-12nn
M201 (near the canteen)

For inquiries,
please contact:
Preng (09064677534)
Rocel (09278074225)

with hanna

When: 09.01.07
Where: all over Sterten Place Condo