I was only able to join one taping session for this episode located at a local bar along Timog, Quezon City. In that short amount of time, I was able to observe how a television production was put together and learn about the important role of production assistants. Aside from observing, I was also fortunate to chat with the technical directors, head of food distribution, as well as head of casting; who all taught me that after their years in the industry, they were all able to find their individual purpose and place in making the production happen.

Production assistants, as I have learned, have their handful at all times. They are always on their feet and ready to take orders from the directors and the camera people, and make sure that nothing is overlooked. They stand-in when needed, and relay instructions from the director to the talents which is harder than it looks, especially when they have a crowd of extras to handle and assist for things such as wardrobe changes and seating arrangements. I was fortunate enough to give them a hand in the short time I as there by assisting the extras to different seating positions in the change of scene.

When I was not observing, I was busy talking to the crew behind the scenes and asking them about what it’s like to be working in such a fast-paced and hectic environment. And as they were explaining to me how rewarding it is to see the episode air and know that you were a part of what made it happen, and then top it off with receiving news of good reviews, I realize that the difficulty is just part of the job and that what probably motivates them is how they have learned to enjoy what they do with people they have considered almost family.

In the end, with an episode that told a story about fame and having people know your worth, I was grateful to have immersed with people out of the limelight. Not just because I believe that they deserve to be given as much attention—because they I do—but also because I found it more remarkable how they found purpose and worth in what they do, on their own. They admit the exhausting process of long shoot, but because they know for themselves that what they do is important, and that without them things would probably not go as smooth, then they are happy to take pride in that. And I learned that sometimes that’s all you need to keep you going; that in the middle of a big crowd that is busy doing their own job, it’s important to find your own reason to love what you are doing.

The following task as an apprentice was all about facing my fears and trusting my capabilities. When my internship was interrupted by technical matters, I was given an assignment that was different from being a production assistant. Last July 4, Sir Raz instructed me to be his video producer for an AVP project for Unilab. The name of the role itself was enough to scare me. It was quite overwhelming to find myself doing something more than merely observing and asking questions—this time, I was going to be responsible for the (hopefully) smooth flow of a corporate project.

The preproduction meeting with Sir Raz, Ma’am Alexa, and Ma’am Maan who were representatives of the agency and production house involved in the project was all it took for me to toughen up and swallow my anxiety. I figured that though nerves proved how eager I was to take on the assignment, it was of no help in accomplishing it. At that point, I learned that the only way to do my job properly was to just do it. And so I did. I listened, asked questions, and clarified all my deliverables.

It was a surreal experience to work with people with such an experience in the industry and all I wanted to do was prove to them that I was worthy to even sit with them in the meeting. Fortunately, they were all very professional and encouraging the entire time. They welcomed my questions, clarifications, and affirmed my small initiatives.

The experience was something that tested my leadership and organizational skills more than anything. Apart from coordinating with Sir Raz, Ma’am Alexa, and Ma’am Maan, I was also responsible for two of my batch mates, Shari and Ica, to follow through an agreement to produce about six 1-minute videos. In hindsight, it all seems so easy; it was basically like a group work for Sir Raz’s class. But in that moment, it felt much more and the excitement to partake in such a professional task was palpable in the three of us.

Organizing schedules, following up agreements, coordinating with different people—these things I had absolutely under control because of my previous experience in production management.

The first cut of videos was due last July 17. Prior to this, I experienced various challenges as the video producer. The most challenging was one completely out of my control where the video editors could not get a hold of the complete set of footage to be used for the videos. Because of this situation, I was responsible for following up the deliverables of the client through the agent, and making decisions according to what Sir Raz asked from me during our last meeting. The experience so far has taught me to be independent but at the same time value the importance of teamwork—especially in the corporate world. It made me realize that in any project, a leader must know when to believe in herself and trust that their team members will come through with their responsibilities. It was very interesting to experience teamwork beyond the projects and productions in class where only grades are at stake. It was humbling to handle matters much greater than what we deal in school.

As the drafts were being reviewed and reedited, I learned something only my professors could explain in class, first hand; it’s that, in the real world, what matters the most is that your clients are satisfied. Shari, Ica, and I were all undergraduates with our own taste and style in editing. It was interesting to see how different they were from our clients’ and how we were able to compromise. A situation came when we had to decide which aesthetic to follow. We decided against a creative decision made by the clients but we had to remember that we were at their service. At the end of the day, what is important is that we deliver the work they demanded to the best of our ability. And with a specific request at hand, simply offering our creative input is enough.

In the end, as much as I wanted to be afraid of the responsibility, I learned to be accountable for the trust given to me. Suddenly, I had to believe in myself and the amount of experience that I had in order to muster enough confidence to accomplish this task. More than that, I learned that in moments of doubt, one can never go wrong with just doing your best to deliver. It is important to remember that you are allowed to ask questions, clarify things that you don’t understand, and suggest better ways to go about things more efficiently. Most of all, it was humbling and calming to realize that, no matter what page in life we may be, we are always learning from one another—and it will only happen if you open yourself to scary opportunities to grow with other people.

It is one thing to witness a story come to life before your eyes as it gets filmed, and another to experience the journey of the story before it becomes the film that it is. My experience in the creation of Maalaala Mo Kaya’s “PaMEALya” episode that aired last July 8 was of the latter. Even though I was not able to join the taping of the episode, I was fortunate enough to come to the ocular dates and preproduction meeting.

The first ocular session was in Bulacan last June 29. On that day, I was able to join my mentor, Director Raz de la Torre, Sir Julius the cinematographer, Sir Jayson the technical director, Sir Japoy the art director, and Ma’am Rasa the associate producer as they visited six variations of a location they needed for the episode. Primarily, I was there to observe how the crew examines a location and eventually decide whether to keep it or keep looking.

More than just observing, I also had the freedom to ask the crew questions. Because of the immersion and conversations made, I was able to learn what each crew member came to look for during an ocular and how this professional setting differs from how my team and I did oculars for class projects.

The second ocular session made me realize that the difference boils down to the clear vision of what each member of the crew wanted that came with, what I can tell, was their years of experience. This meant that the script was only one of the many things concerned in the search for the appropriate location. I learned that while it was very important for the location to replicate where the event truly happened, it was also equally important to find a venue that can hold the production together. From the lights and sounds equipment, cameras, to the crew that holds everything together; the location must be able accommodate it all.

The ocular experience was fun because it felt like an adventure. I found it enjoyable to look for locations that matched both reality (as the story is based off real life), as well as the director’s vision. From that experience, I learned what to look for from the perspective of the different people in the crew. For the director, I learned that accuracy was his priority—the location needed to be as close to what is needed in the narrative as possible. But as a director, Sir Raz was also concerned with the allowance of space for the benefit of the entire crew during the shoot especially for indoor scenes. I learned that this was a common cause for compromise. However, at the end of the day, I realized that it all boils down to feasibility given the time constraint, available resources, and production budget. Nevertheless, it was important to remember not to give up searching for the best.

Moreover, much can be learned from the rest of the crew during the ocular as well. I learned to anticipate almost everything during the day of the shoot itself. For example, for the Lighting Director, his experience allowed him to anticipate all possible scenarios that would affect his task during the shoot such as bad weather and lack of natural light. Likewise, I learned what a Production Designer and Art Director would be anticipating for during a shoot such as props, costumes, and other set pieces.

When I look back at how we do oculars for our production classes, I notice the difference in planning as well as the focus of the crew members—they were in this trip to get things done—and quickly. As someone who aspires to work in the same industry, I find that focus and direction is a skill I have to master first and foremost. As much as we hate to acknowledge it, people’s time and money are involved to make the production work, which means there should certainly be none of them to waste. Thus it’s important to focus at the task at hand and stick to the schedule. But even in the professional world, I learned that it is easier said than done.

Fortunately, my experience in the production of this episode also involved sitting down with the team to discuss preproduction matters. I sat with the crew and went over the script with them, learning how they deal with inconsistences and holes in the narrative. I learned how to always look for what is not specified but should be, as well as quickly think of how to resolve certain issues given the time constraint. I realized this as they were going through the costumes, production design, and locations. I learned a lot about anticipating shots and envisioning the scene from how Sir Raz asked about what certain pieces looked like and where they were located. These were things that never even crossed my mind as I read the script with them and yet I am sure would have mattered to me as a director on the day of the shoot itself.

At the end of the day, apart from observing the workflow of a big network’s production, I also realized how it was always only underestimated in our production classes. They will tell us that it is fast-paced and hectic, but one sit-in session at a preproduction meeting did not prepare me for the headache and stress that it made me feel. It was very difficult to simply observe and I could only imagine how much more difficult it was to actually work on making the production happen. In the end, I learned how important it was to find passion strong enough to drive you through all the hassle and see your hard work come through.