adobo hosts its first round table with production industry influencers at the quiet but quirky Filmfest Café: an informal dialogue on the state of the advertising production industry.
BEER BUDGET, CHAMPAGNE EXPECTATION
Digital production requirements ‘ volume is now almost at par with TV commercial production but budgets for digital are lower. Clients, however, expect the production values; output quality to be the same and look for the same “creature comforts” they enjoy during shoots and interlocks. Production teams strive to deliver quality work inspite of the low digital budget.
Sunny: It’s a Catch 22: clients give us lower budgets for digital but we still come up with quality products which makes them think, “Eh kaya n’yo naman pala gumawa nang maganda kahit maliit ang budget, bakit pa namin lalakihan?” (Why should we increase our budget when you can come up with quality work, anyway.)
Madonna: But it can be pushed further if there was a better budget, mapapaganda pa (better quality).
Raul: Gagawin mo rin naman, gawin mo nang maganda. (If we’re going to do it anyway, we’ll do it well.
Aids: We’re primarily a creative group and we’re not driven by revenues.
All: Mindsets need to change. Expectations need to change. There’s lots to learn.
NO 50% DOWNPAYMENT, NO SHOOT
Not strictly implemented
Madonna: Some clients now outsource their Finance so the process has changed.
Sunny: There are different payment release schedules for each client.
All: We cope! If you’re in the production business dapat malalim ang bulsa mo at mahaba ang pisi mo. ( your pockets should be deep and your patience enduring)
Jim & Erwin: Lalo na kami kasi kami ang huli! (Even more so for us since we’re at the end of the chain.)
TOO MANY STAFF DURING SHOOTS
Unlike foreign productions with a lean team. mergence of some celebrities’ “Glam Team”
Aids: I think the reason might be cultural.
Jim, Madonna & Raul: Though it can sometimes be unwieldy, it’s good to be able to give jobs to more people.
Sunny & Madonna: We request that the cost of the “Glam Team” be outside our production budget.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sunny: A producer’s guild.
Raul: We need to update our trade standards manual.
Aids, Raul & Madonna: A kapehan (dialogue) every month for the groups in the production industry.
Jim & Erwin: Communication is key.
ATTENDEES
Angel Guerrero
Publisher, EIC, adobo magazine
Jim Gallardo-Baltazar
President, CMB Film Services
Madonna Tarrayo
President, Unitel Productions
Aids Tecson
Managing Director, Underground Logic
Sunny Lucero
Permalance Broadcast Producer, TBWA\SMP
Raul Blay
President, Soundesign
Erwin Escubio
General Manager, CMB Film Services
Irma Mutuc
Senior Editor, adobo magazine
Guest Appearance
Brillante Mendoza
Award-Winning Film Director, Owner, Filmfest Café
