rockyROD: S.O.C.O.: Scene Of Career and Opportunities

“Excellence is not being the best, it is doing your best”

It was a great experience having my television internship in ABS-CBN. Since my childhood days I love watching ABS-CBN shows. I always watched news and current affairs shows so when I was called for an interview I am very happy. It’s like a dream come true and was like calling ourselves together with my classmates as “KAPAMILYA”. One of my dreams is to become a reporter, an anchor someday that’s why I chose Broadcast Communication as my course so when Television Internship subject comes I have this in mind that I want to be an intern in ABS-CBN news department. Then, luckily I passed the interview and complete the requirements needed for the internship and after that an amazing journey has begun.

Originally my contract as an intern in ABS-CBN started on November 17, 2014 however due to conflict on my schedule because of the school requirements and activities I need to attend to like organizing an event for my radio organization, finishing my thesis and being qualified to be one of the students that will be a delegate to be an “Ambassador of Goodwill” that will go in Japan for nine days. With concerns like that I need to postpone for the meantime the start of my internship.

After the busy days have pass, it’s the start of a journey of learning which I am very excited. I was assigned on the News and Current Affairs Department or NCAD for short. It was on SOCO specifically I was assigned. The moment when I first enter the NCAD I need to look for the SOCO workplace. At first it was a struggle on finding it because I am hesitating to ask the people working there because I’m a bit shy on approaching the employees but luckily when I asked someone it was a good conversation we have. Finally, I reached the SOCO workplace on which located on the near end of the room of the NCAD.

It was December 10, 2014 when I officially started my internship. I met my immediate supervisors, it was Ma’am Jocelyn Sambilay or Ma’am Smiley. On my first day, I tried to be familiarized to all the people working on SOCO, their work specifically on the production of SOCO. Days after Ma’am Smiley orient me on what will be the specifications of my internship. As part of the curriculum of my school in PUP, I have to fulfill 200 hours for my television internship with that Ma’am Smiley divided my hours in order for me to experience and expose to different levels on a television production. First 50 hours as a production assistant, another 50 hours as researcher and the last 100 hours will be dedicated as segment producer. In addition to that she also stated rules and regulations while the internship program is ongoing, the do’s and don’ts and the requirements we must comply in order for us to finish the internship.

TRANSCRIBING

At first I thought that transcribing was an easy job but I was wrong for thinking of that. It wasn’t an easy task at all, it’s like a time consuming one and a very challenging work to do especially those who are time pressured because of the deadlines that was given to us. It takes me 1 hour to transcribe a 10 minute interview. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, with that ratio I am only focus on transcribing the interviews of the case subjects however at the back of my mind with that ratio I think I am kind of slow. Like any other things you have be wear “PATIENCE” because you have to be accurate regarding those words spoke of the interviewees and sometime there are instances that the subject itself words are not clear enough to understand so as a transcriber you have to repeat the part you didn’t understand and understand it because a good transcription will be beneficial on writing the overall script of an specific episode.

EDITING

I must say when it comes to this area, I consider this as my weakest point. This is where patience and creativity must combine. As I observe some editing sessions, the characteristics I said earlier must takes place in order to have a good outcome. Like our school productions it’s very similar however the thing that separates the two to each other’s is that the first is aired on a national television so I guess it adds to the pressure. I really don’t have a close encounter when it comes to this part because it’s one of the delicate part of the production because once a file is deleted there will be a big problem. So with that they took precautionary measures in order to avoid such things. As an intern I observed the things they do when they were editing an episode of SOCO and they were professionals because they were fast on editing. Lastly, I want to learn more from this area in order for me to be more equipped when I finally enter the media industry in the very near future after my graduation day.

WRITING SYNOPSIS

One of the tasks that were given to us is to make synopsis of the previous stories that is featured on the show starting from June until December of 2014. It was a task that you have to be patiently reading those scripts in order for you to make synopsis out of this stories that will be put on a notebook that will serve as reference for future use. Reading SOCO scripts were amazing, you will encounter different things that were like not applicable on the real life situations or even possible to happen. You became hooked to the script, it was like you are encourage to read more in order for you to know the suspect and to give justice to the victim. All in all it was task that makes reading more interesting.

REENACTMENT SHOOT

One of the activities that I am looking forward to do is the reenactment shooting and if it’s Tuesday it’s the reenactment day!!!! For me this one of the memorable moments I have experienced here in SOCO. SOCO family they not just let you watch while they are working, they let us to be engage on the production itself. Thanks to Director JV Noriega, he let us hold a camera, he teaches us camera shots, angles and other techniques in order to have good quality of video. Alongside with the other cameramen I personally have the opportunity to take shots while shooting that was shown on a national television. It’s a very fulfilling one because as an intern that was a quite rare opportunity to let you work in a television production.

Aside from working on the production, the whole production staff of SOCO is fun loving people and easy to work with. The whole production itself is a difficult one but the people working in the production are efficiently doing their part so the process becomes more easy and productive. Every reenactment shoot that I have attended was unique to each other I get to work with different segment producers which have different approach on working on a story. Also I have the opportunity to ask them regarding some matters related to their work as segment producers. In addition to that it was so much fun to be a talent (extra) to some reenactment shoot because you were given a chance to be seen on national television, a opportunity on having seconds of fame hahaha. From that I got to learn new things on the nature of the job they have. Being exposed on a real and actual television production was amazing. To be part of the production team of the SOCO is fulfilling.

SPIELS

This was the most epic part of SOCO for me as an intern because I watched SOCO and the part when Sir Gus Abelgas is talking about the episode’s case is kind of legendary because of his unique voice quality. The first time I saw the set up of the spiels I felt amazing because I only watch the show and now I’m part of the show and got to chance to be engage on the production. This part of the production is every Wednesday night so if it’s the spiels day we are ready to be stay up late and aside from that this is the time that I get into touch with the main man Sir Gus Abelgas.

RESEARCH

This part of the production was one of the challenging one because this are the backbone of the whole show. It serves as the brainchild of the whole production. As part of the pre-production process, the research part is most crucial part it is a make it or break it part because if the story is feasible it will be pursue and if it’s not it will be embargo. During my internship I learned so many vital things regarding research. You have to be resourceful on researching news. You have to be vigilant on the news you watched on a television, you heard on a radio, read on the newspaper, cited on the internet or even you heard from a couple of people because as you verify this stories it can be the next feature story on one of the episodes of SOCO. One of the tips I learned was that you must be approachable to those people you dealt with, be more pleasant because you are the one who need something coming from them like when it comes to talking to those authorities who holds the case for example.

INTERVIEW

Interviewing a resource person I must say was one of the exciting parts of the whole process because I got into new far places I’ve never been into and to meet new people. One of the things I learned from interviewing people was that you have to be good in communication skills because one of the vital parts in order to build a good rapport was to have good quality of conversation that will lead eventually to a good interview. Same with the researching, interviewing makes me get into place like police stations on which I have not done usually. Also because of this I learned so many things regarding on the things happening in a television production.

As what I say earlier it’s been a great experience for me as a Broadcast Communication graduating student to be expose on the industry I’ll be entering on the near future. At first I thought 200 hours was a very long one but I didn’t notice that time was running out, I’ve completed 200 hours of duty and it’s time for me to say goodbye to those people I’ve been working with. It’s been two months since I started and time flies very fast. I learned so many things that a four corner classroom won’t able to teach. I learned so many things that will surely beneficial to me when I enter the media industry. Thank you Ma’am Smiley for the opportunity you have given to us to experience the television production from the different levels. Thank you for allowing us to be part of the different pull outs whether it is research, interview or reenactment shoots because of this aside from learning on the office, I learned so much more things on the field itself.

It’s been a great journey. My television internship in ABS-CBN SOCO was been a great experience. I made friendship with my fellow interns and also to some production staffs. I have many unforgettable experiences that I’ll treasure for a lifetime. Since I was a child my dream is to be a reporter, an anchor in this station ABS-CBN . The moment when I was accepted to be become an intern I claim it that was another step closer to my dream.