Mentored and facilitated by two industry powerhouse names, Moira Lang and Monster Jimenez, in a span of three days, all the participants went home with valuable insights and first-hand industry lessons to kickstart a career in film. But two lucky attendees emerged from the workshop with a bit more. Get to know Belle Mapa, a storyteller and writer for Edukasyon.ph, and Kylle Columna, a Computer Science undergrad at UP Manila.
Kylle Columna, Computer Science student at the University of the Philippines Manila – Best Pitch Winner – Mentors’ Choice
So, what are you currently working on?
I’m a student at the University of the Philippines Manila pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. The only thing I was sure about after high school was that I wanted to take something outside my artistic interests but within my logical skillset, so I took a year of engineering before shifting to this. I wanted to believe that this would get me through my undergraduate years, thinking it would do Future Kylle a solid for once she tries for her dream career in animation. But with all my majors and my overall lack of experience in the creative industry, I know there’s always going to be something missing. The option of transferring to a Film course has always remained open, but with less than half of my coursework left, I’m looking towards finishing this then taking a second degree or Masters in Film or Writing instead to more easily make decisions for myself, especially for the long-term.
What prompted you to sign up for the workshop?
With my plate full of academic requirements and extracurricular tasks not in the least related to making films, I never had time to build on my goals towards those dreams. I never thought about exploring events and workshops about anything related to it until this year, believing there would be enough time for it after I graduate. Well, also this year, I finally came to face that I can’t really tell when that graduation will be (please don’t let my mom see this), so coming across Swipe Write in a pool of other writing workshops was this bright glimmer of hope. Beyond my interest for learning animation was a long-running passion for storytelling, and I felt like the workshop’s description rung that out.
I wasn’t required any experience, which was a big plus for me. I had no clue how big or how intimate the event would be, and I’m never the most confident person in the room — I couldn’t imagine sharing anything in front of a group of total strangers, which was, of course, the sole assignment of the event. The biggest surprise of all was how those three days gave me way more than I’d come in for.
Is filmmaking or writing for film something you’ve always wanted to do? What were you expecting to learn get out of this three-day workshop?
I only figured out that filmmaking was something I wanted invest my time in someday when I was applying for colleges. I’ve always loved watching movies with different people with different interests. Growing up, I didn’t see it as an option yet, closing myself to the idea that the only way to make it big with your films was to make it big outside the country, which scared me off at way too young an age (seeing our film industry through the eyes of each person in the workshop, I was obviously scaring myself!).
I dived into every chance to write when I was younger, and I thought that this event would remind me about things I forgot along the way and add a little more about writing specifically for films. Later, I’d learn that the workshop was 4% reminding and 96% new knowledge, making it all the more worth going to each day.
What happened in the three days of learning from Moira Lang and Monster Jimenez? What were the most valuable highlights from this experience?
The workshop was nothing short of eye-opening for me, being it my first time to attend such an event. I didn’t expect it to be so comfortable, where not only was I able to discuss ideas and listen to insights bounce off from the other participants, but I also got to talk to the speakers about anything.
After their lecture on the first day about writing and producing films in the Philippines, we were assigned to prepare our own story concept for a cumulative pitch we’d be making and presenting by the end of the workshop. They topped the night off by screening Patay na si Hesus, of which Moira was a producer of, and a little post-discussion of the feature with her and the film’s director, Victor Villanueva.
My plan of going through the workshop unnoticed was rightfully shoved off the table starting the second day when Moira and Monster went around the room after their discussion about screenwriting to let every participant share their story concepts to them. Before the evening ended, they played us Apocalypse Child, a full-length movie Monster had co-written Mario Cornejo, who just happened to be around with us when the movie ended. Like the workshop day before, they opened for a comprehensive talk and Q&A about how the film came to be.
The third and final day was the day of pitching, where we were given the chance to sell our own story to our fellow participants, the speakers, and the evening’s very special guest judge, Jun Robles Lana. Before and after our little graduation, everyone had all their time to mingle and talk. I wouldn’t have expected it when I first came in, but at the end of everything, all I wanted to do was interact with the people there and listen to their extensive ideas.
Being able to watch Patay na si Hesus and Apocalypse Child in a room of both film enthusiasts and professional filmmakers working in the industry was remarkable, but being able to hear the film creators talk about them and really immerse the rest of us into their creative process was extraordinary for me. Another highlight was hearing everyone’s pitches on the last day. It was amazing seeing all these down-to-earth people from different walks of life lay out stories that everyone could feel was, at the very least, roughly based on a piece of their lives. Just as all the thoughts from Moira and Monster came, the participants’ thoughts opened new doors they didn’t know had existed before. The workshop inspired for a hive of ideas building on each other. There was never a dull moment for me, not with all those people in the same room.
Could you tell me more about your pitch?
“Biag ni Manag” explores the ventures of 18-year-old Joey, an aspiring writer, and 7-year-old Pining, a little Ilocano girl who dreams of making it as a doctor in Manila. The film would shift in perspectives, depicting the lives of both protagonists as they go through them with their respective siblings: Joey relentlessly avoiding her younger sister, Talam and Pining just idolizing her older one, Manag. The story plays with elements of fantasy and reality, slowly connecting their ultimately different narratives as they realise their lives might be so far apart after all.
What’s your biggest takeaway from the workshop? How do you think you’ll be able to take this with you throughout the next steps in your career?
Every part of the workshop where we were asked to share our ideas took me off-guard, even when I knew they were coming. I was the only participant still in school at the time, not to mention my course isn’t exactly a surefire way to get into Film or any sort of writing career. Every minute I was present to listen to and watch these immensely talented people around me say things about what they know or what it’s like to be in their field of work and circling back to filmmaking, I felt like I was everyone’s biggest fan.
All this made me understand that once you’re in the industry and are able to have maximum control over your thought process and ideas for making a film, being patient having persistence could be much easier said than done. At the end of the pitching day, the participants found themselves around a single table for the first time, talking about their own incredible lives and eventually their quips on the state of the Philippines when it comes to rising artists sharing their work. On the foreground, it was a talk on commercialism of art and the lack of the attention many local artists deserve because of a multitude of reasons that people don’t get to talk about much. With the workshop delving more into Philippine independent films (which I rarely took the pleasure of watching before this year), everyone was able to talk about the best and worst parts of filmmaking and doing their own art from the most realistic points of view. I have to say that it might have been the most exciting part of the workshop.
At this point, I don’t doubt I’ll be working to get some kind of degree in Film or relating to Screenwriting, and this workshop helped me gain confidence that I won’t be making that half-hearted choice in the future. Our country is overflowing with artists who want to let the world hear what they have to say, and if film production is one of the best ways to bring that out, I really want to be a part of it.
Did you expect to be one of the winners at this workshop? What were the prizes and what did you hope to get out of your hub membership?
Not at all. Haha! The whole time before that, I just felt like everyone knew what they were doing there except for me. That said, it doesn’t make me any less grateful for the speakers’ vote — the reward was almost like a second cherry on top.
The prizes included a 1-month hub membership, a personalized picture book from Photobook, and a 3-month unlimited access voucher to iflix. I’m certainly excited to attend more similar events and workshops in the future with the hub membership. Putting up creative hubs in the country is a fairly new concept [in the Philippines], and I can’t wait to see how it goes as both an intimate venue for putting heads together and an instrument of artistic expression.
