WORDS Joselito O. Tolentino
The job of a publicist in the arts always spell excitement. But when one really seriously considers to work for any of the seven fields of art—painting, sculpture, photography, cinema, dance, music and literature—it is going to be a tough battle out there in the playing field. Building a career as a well-respected publicist in the field of arts does not have any short-cuts. To like and love the seven fields of art is no mean feat.
EXPERIENCE
The would-be publicist should have to say the least a college or a post-graduate degree in the arts. We were lucky to be born to a family that lives and breathes art. Coming from a stint as scriptwriter at PTV Channel 4, we also found ourselves over at McCann Erickson, J. Walter Thompson, REACH and AVIACOM—all advertising agencies. We opted to become a freelance writer and publicist in 1983 and still continue this passion. Our list of published articles in various publications, and our travels to Hongkong and China, Singapore, Australia, US, Canada, UK, France and other European cities were all contributory factors that helped us with our job as a publicist.
From producing art exhibits in New York featuring National Artist Ben Cabrera, Rock Drilon, Benjie Cabangis, Arturo Veloira, Soler, Mona Santos, to name a few and conversely bringing to Manila the artworks of John Lennon from New York as loaned by Yoko Ono, the 2000 Miss Saigon Manila production, a public art competition sponsored by Remy Martin from France, an array of theater productions, corporate accounts like real estate, beauty and wellness, food and restaurant, international fashion luxury brand Louis Vuitton and Benetton, fashion designers, film projects, photo exhibits, concerts and performances, we have survived all of the challenges and opportunities. Today, at age 62, we can humbly say that its to pay it forward and help young artists by generating media exposure through the various publicity campaigns that we help conceptualize and execute.
DISRUPTION
Over the years, we were also witness to the new breed of publicists but only a handful have remained steadfast. The ‘globalization’ of communication campaign platforms have also changed the over-all perspective in adopting strategies that will best suit the Filipino psyche. But the thing that we like in the arts is the diversity and acceptance of ‘international’ formulas that work to the advantage of the local clients who have openly accepted the norms that equate to world-class savvy – the traditional media, websites and on-line, and of late, the power of social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
If you want to take on a job as a publicist in the arts, be prepared for the very long engagement period which can take years even before you can claim that you have arrived. Remember, the job also equates to a ‘relationship’ with the media. The finer art of personal and professional mixes will always be a test and must be kept in reverence. This also avoids falling into the ‘envelopmental journalism syndrome’ where one’s press release gets published in exchange for pesos and cents.
