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Allison Tapia

It is a sad reality that some independent filmmakers struggle because of budget issues. Usually, they only get a few sponsors to support their project and there are times that they would actually use their own savings in order to finish it. Despite budget constraints and such, I truly belive that they can still portray their story well. They will just have to be resourceful and creative in executing it.

Another concern is the struggle of mainstream films in our country. The people are too fixated on the same kind of plot like when a rich boy falls in love with a poor girl and more Also, the people are to fund of the same character archetypes. It is a harsh truth that the entertainment industry is indeed a business. They want to earn money so they produce films that they are sure is a hit and is already tried and tested, they make use of the same plot and get the famous actors, but that is the problem because it is stagnant and static, it is the same thing all over and over again. We need to break that, we need change. Incorporate new storylines, new ideas shy away from the tried and tested formulas. I'm sure that people nowadays are open to changes and they will surely support it.

It is no secret that the entertainment industry in the Philippines is slowly starting to evolve with the help of social media. They are now starting to incorporate new storylines. They try to break away from the traditional ones. They are now starting to make movies and shows that involve the LGBTQ community which is great because they are trying to venture out to new things. Take for example a movie that was actually based on a story that was published online.

Natalia Austria

Truth be told, the entertainment industry is business. Reality tells us that movies aren’t truly all about glitz and glamour. Films that land the opportunity to have big budgets become mainstream for the reason that the story line is tailored to target an audience that is guaranteed. This means that they use a particular “formula” plot. Most films that get more budget and exposure have a cookie-cutter plot that follow a specific stereotype, while films that usually have unique and inspiring ones do not.

So when does a film have a budget generous enough to produce a different and unique story line? The main issue here for mainstream films is having a different plot. One thing they can do is to use popular artists that are fitting for the roles. But the bigger struggle here is for the independent films because you can never make a film without money and some might even say that you can never say a film is successful without enough exposure. This truly is a struggle especially now that things that have always been popular (love teams and the like) are going steady and keep growing because through social media. But I also think that social media can make or break independent films or independent filmmakers. Other films can quickly overpower independent films with new love teams and quotable quotes from a formula plot through tweets and status posts, but social media can also boost an independent film’s popularity. They can showcase it more through this.

Lapada, RC

The biggest challenge when it comes to making an independent film would be working with a small budget. But, despite that, one can still make a great film. Based on my experience when it comes to making short films for school projects, a resourceful and creative mind is all a person needs to be able to tell a story in an effective manner. Also, if the story has a more realistic plot, then it will be a lot easier to film.

On the other hand, the biggest challenge when it comes to making mainstream films is breaking out of the “tried and tested formulas” while not alienating the target audience. Nowadays, most successful films have cliché plots. This is because making a movie that has an unusual or different plot than what people are used to may cause the ratings of the movie to go downhill. However, there are ways that can help in ensuring that the movie will still be successful in spite of straying away from the clichés. One of the options will be casting famous actors or love teams. This is because they have fans who will most probably support them no matter what. Another option will be starting with a cliché, but as the story goes on, it will be something they won’t expect it to be – basically, a plot twist. The film may still have a bit of the “tried and tested out formula,” but at least it will somehow end differently. By going with this option, the viewers will also not feel that alienated because the changes are minimal – baby steps. Another will be incorporating modern social issues into the plot such as the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. However, for this option, there should be a lot more care in making the plot and characters, unless they want the film to be satire or they just don’t care how the critiques will react.

It’s not that creating a movie with the “tried and tested out formula” is bad. It’s just that it will be fun if there are a lot more movies out there with new and unpredictable plots.

Moving on to the Philippine popular culture, social media, as well as the internet, has truly affected it in many ways – some good, some bad. Starting with the bad, Philippine pop culture is about what’s trendy in other countries. Filipinos tend to be more interested in the arts and culture of other nations and social media has just helped this to continue. For example, Western movies or K-dramas are much more popular and get more hype than the films and teleseryes made in the Philippines. But, the good news is that social media has helped for people’s creation to get discovered. A great example for this will be the stories from Wattpad that have been made into movies such as “Diary ng Panget” and “She’s Dating the Gangster.”

All in all, it is evident that social media and the internet has contributed greatly to how and what the Philippine popular culture is now.

Mikaela Abela

Independent films are often unique and creative. They tackle different matters that may not capture the attention and interest of the majority, thus, they aren't as popular as mainstream films. Aside from their lack of popularity, they lack budget to manifest their vision and story clearly. Despite some challenges, they still manage to present the film in a creative manner. On the other hand, mainstream films have a certain pattern to target their audience. They have enough budget to create and promote their films. They gain popularity and earn profit. As wonderful as it seem, mainstream films’ plots are similar and repetitive. In order to capture the attention of the majority and gain popularity, they follow a certain archetype which leads the lack of expression Though they are often restricted to a certain type of plot, sometimes it is also essential for them to create new types of storylines that may introduce the audience to a new plot rather than the common ones. With social media playing an important role in promoting mainstream and independent films, there is a possibility that it’ll give rise to indie films since mainstream films are repetitive and viewers tend to be bored easily with all these similar films and find a new one.

Marty Santos

The thing that makes independent films such a joy to watch and make, is its ability to go outside the box. With independent films, possibilities are endless. Thus, what they lack in money production, can be made up with by creativity. One can use different mediums in order to achieve a final film.

On the other hand, for mainstream films, one can break through the "tried and tested" barrier by going slowly. It's definitely a challenge to go away from what we are so used to, without alienating the mass. That is why I think going at a slower pace can still work. Film after film, one can slowly add new concepts. This can gradually help change people's mentalities on what makes up a mainstream film.

I think it is quite entertaining seeing how much social media has affected our popular culture. First, some of the new ideas coming up can be taken from the internet. For example, one can be inspired to make a film based on a story published on the internet (Diary ng Pangit). Another way popular culture has evolved is through the feedback that can be seen through social media. Those in charge can then get a sense of what they need to approve on and what they are doing right. Lastly, social media has changed the way we tell our stories. New plots here and there inspired by our new technology. An example is the film "Unfriend."

Miles Roque

It is known that the independent filmmaking industry is struggling due to budget constraints. However, this does not hinder filmmakers from creating beautiful and meaningful outputs. The creativity of Indie films should not be sacrificed because of lack of budget. One can stay within the budget if he/she chooses actors who are good in their art but are not well-known. Even with a low budget, I think that I can effectively tell a story through Indie films. Since this genre does not pay much on special effects, I think that the content of my film will be more pronounced.

To be honest, I like mainstream films. I like them because they're meant to be liked, these films are tried and tested, it follows a formula. However, if I were to make one, I think that we should try to be more unique and be creative around these formulas. With the money that comes with mainstream films, I would have the capability to experiment a bit. By doing this, I don't think that my target audience would be alienated because, because in a way my creations would still have a formula it's just that it is enhanced.

Social media has become a platform to share culture. One culture can be influenced by the other. In effect, I think that the Philippine popular culture would be influenced by other cultures, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it would lose its identity.

Amita Avestruz

The independent film industry in the Philippines is very underrated and inconspicuous. This is due to the much evident and stereotypical films that surround the film industry in our country. With a small budget, we could not avert the fact that struggles in making a film that would grasp the attention of viewers and make it to the big business would develop. But as I have watched a generous number of indie films or short films already, I could tell that despite the lack of money or such resources does not hinder the indie filmmakers to make an effective and impactful story. Some indie films provide stories that more favored films cannot cater. Indie films portray a more realistic and profound stories, they depict unique elements that further make these films moving. I think that we need to give more recognition to indie films and the filmmakers. Because of the more palpable and cliched films that give common storylines (e.g. loves story of a rich boy & poor girl, revenge of a poor man, bestfriends turned to lovers) and does not illustrate real situations or too illusioned, indie films are not given enough acknowledgement despite the exceptional and realistic stories it shows.

Sophia Famatigan

To be honest you don’t need a lot of money to create a good movie. What is more important is your skills in filming and also the plot of the story and good actors and you can say the location where you’re going to film it also matters. If one is not included for example, the plot. If your filming skills is great and you have great actors but the story doesn’t mean anything or has no deep meaning about it or in short not interesting your film wouldn’t be good at all. Your effort making the film would be useless if that’s the case.

Be unique. Don’t always copy other films.

Most filipino films has the same ending or story or you could already tell whats going to happen at the end. Most films happens like this : rich guy falls in love with a poor girl, mistress, adopted etc.

Dani Sulit

Blog #3

I believe that these agencies are essential important considering that they preserve, promote and make the Philippine culture still alive. I personally think that no agency should be removed as each of them contribute to the Filipino culture. Also, these agencies serve as our reminder that such beautiful things exist and it is created by us.

If I were to create a new agency, I would like to focus more on promoting what the youth can do in order to take a step in contributing to the change that we’ve all been longing for. The youth today engages in a lot of creative activities which is sometimes used as a medium to let the people be aware of what the world is going through. In simple terms, I would like my agency to be focused mainly on the artworks that depicts the reality in the world. This agency will be called “L’avenir” which is the French translation for “the future”. With this, I would happily launch a project in helping people to use their creative minds with regards to the reality that almost everyone is afraid to face.

Michelle Gador

Independent films have been underestimated because of the lack of budget they have, but what I think that it is not a struggle because then it makes it sound negative and like it is such a burden. For me, I see it more of an exciting challenge to exhibit ones ideas, visions, and stories with the use of limited resources because knowing Filipinos, this would not discourage, but rather the opposite. Everyone filmmaker dreams and hopes to one day show the world their visions that were once kept within their own mind, so why allow the lack of budget to hinder one from doing so? A filmmakers mind is vast enough to come up with ideas on how to properly and appropriately manifest their story and enough to still amaze the audience even with this exciting challenge at hand.

As for mainstream films, it is obvious that they receive more opportunities and advantages when it comes to the equipment, actors, settings, and materials used, but some of these movies still have the tendency to lose its effectiveness because they take for granted the abundant resources that they have. I guess because everyone is trying to be the best, its better to try to be different instead. Mainstream movies are known to be quite predictable, but even so, these filmmakers can take advantage of the things that they have and use that to their benefit and to excel, without alienating from the target audience.

With the advent of social media and the internet, I perceive the Philippine culture as trying to imitate that of the other countries culture as well when it comes to films. We try to hard to be like them when in reality we can just be our own selves and still be good at what we do.

Dianne dela Cruz

Making a film with a low budget is indeed hard, but it is very much possible. This can be proved by videos posted by people on YouTube, or even all the videos we had to do for school projects. Resourcefulness is the best solution in making an independent film successfully. When planning on production, always make sure that all the decisions and ideas made goes with the budget presented. A big crew or lots of grand props aren’t necessary.

On the other hand, mainstream films definitely need to make use of the tried and tested formulas in order for it to be successful. The reason for these formulated movies to be successful is because these plots are usually something which majority relate to or have interest in (e.g. love, horror). One way to break out these formulas without alienating the target audience is by hiring a cast which the target audience have the most interest in. This can make the target audience watch the movie at the cinema because of the actor/actress.

With social media and the internet, I see Philippine popular culture as something that has been developing so well over the past years. Few people in the film industry now show rising social issues when making their films (e.g. lgbt). With this, we can inform people with the use of creativity and art.

Bianca Baluyut

It is known that independent filmmakers struggle due to the lack of budget; however, the ways in which the filmmakers in the indie movies i have watched made up for it actually had a strong impact on me. Less visual effects were used, filmmakers shot in actual locations (rather than green screens), and the actors weren't much known which inherently gave me the sense of rawness. Most indie films are usually about current issues which show us how reality truly is and therefore these make us feel more attached and connected with the film. The most powerful issues are usually the grave and silent ones. The settings in which these issues happen can be found in the hidden (such as provinces and ancestral lands) or common places (such as homes, bedrooms, school, etc), so a plot with such rawness would not need that much special effects anyway. However, when special effects are direly needed, it would be necessary for the filmmaker to be resourceful. Mainstream filmmakers on the other hand, have much more budget because of all the many film industries supporting them. Because of this, they get to hire popular actors, utilize more special effects, and access more things needed for their film. Mainstream films usually have typical, predictable plots - plots that apply to pop culture. Despite the actors I've seen multiple times, the fake locations, and the usual plots, I, too, have been moved by several mainstream films, usually because of the cinematography and the amazing special effects. To create an interesting and effective mainstream film, the filmmakers should take great advantage of the many opportunities they have in order to enhance their plot and make it seem more interesting. Be it an independent or mainstream film, a typical or new plot, an effective film all boils down to the resourcefulness of the filmmakers and the sense of reality and connection the film gives to the audience. The Filipinos are not that connected with the Philippine art industry, so with the advent of social media and the internet, the Filipino people tend to get influenced with the doings of people in other nations. The "in" here in the Philippines usually comes from other countries especially when it comes to technology, clothing, music, way of living, and a lot more. This leads to the conclusion that people should be more appreciative of Philippine art and aware of the Philippine art industry for it to burgeon, for the benefit of our artists, and for us to be more aware of our own culture.

Dane Llenado

Blog #4

Indie films are commonly understood before as films done independently. The concept before was that these movies are produced relatively with cheap but efficient resources compared to large-scale movies. I propose that by sticking with simplicty, my vision for my movie will come through. In movies, I have high regards for topographics and this is something so easily incorporated in any movie and I also plan to add it in my possible movie as well. All things needed consist of the following: a good camera, plot, and crew. Subsequently, in order for me to cater to my target audience but still being an outstanding pick out of the set, I believe that the thorough analysis of the chosen demographic is needed. I should be able to meet totally or if not, halfway with my vision and their expectation. If I were to choose what would be better, I would like it that my movie will not meet their expectations. Rather, my movie will exceed them.

The subjects Filipino films grow as the Pop Culture in the Philippines progress. Social media has been the primary outlet for films nowadays. Publicity and sneak peeks cause a film to gain internet success that often leads to the point of actually going out to the cinema and supporting the actual film. With the multiple issues arising from the Pop Culture influence my social and political perspectives, there is a more diverse spectrum of film topics for moviegoers and film directors to choose from.

Ruth Martinez

As an avid fan of independent short films, I have seen various low budgeted films that did not sacrifice creative integrity due to money constraints. I believe that although making films need money, the resilience and creativity of its maker transcends whatever budget is given. And in my honest opinion, the constraint of a low budget actually incorporates even more creativity and resourcefulness that evidently seeps throughout the film made. Although I am not very familiar with the film-making industry, from what I’ve learned from making videos for certain school projects, incorporating scenes of daily life (be it a butterfly just passing by or the slow ticking of the clock above the sportscom) can do wonders on the ambience of the film with little to no money spent. Dialogue is an integral part in most basic films, but I find that majority underestimate and are usually unaware about the power of scenery. As it happens, many ordinary objects that are easily acquired (ex. books, clocks and plants) have symbolism imbued upon them. Researching the common meanings of household things can help in propelling the story of the film.

I’m one of those people who cannot stand things (especially in media) that are mainstream. Stranger Things may be a very good series, and from the synopsis, I know it’s something that appeals to my interests, but I vowed not to watch it until the hype over the show is gone. However, Stranger Things has become a prime example of those rare unicorns in mainstream media wherein the story itself doesn’t follow a specific age-old formula but still attracts a huge audience. Truth be told, when it comes to tv shows, there are more unicorns sprouting out at present time, but it isn’t the same case with films. Tried and tested formulas work best in films because it has come to the point that without them, the film feels incomplete. One remedy I can think of is to set out a synopsis that uses these tried and tested formulas in order to attract one’s target audience, and then transcend these formulas in the film itself.

I imagine that through the avenues of social media and the internet, Philippine popular culture will develop a more holistic and multicultural aspect. The subtle westernization evident in various Filipino movies and shows is the beginning stage to a broader and more ambiguous identity for Philippine popular culture. In terms of storytelling, I predict that films will become shorter and books will become thinner for the reason that long exposure to social media platforms and the internet in general has been proven to shorten our attention span on certain things. The under a minute videos (ex. vines) that are trending nowadays are forewarnings to the eventual butchering of stories to be told.

Bea Gomez

Being a short film enthusiast, I learned from various online vloggers that working with a small budget and producing a good movie is enterely possible. I learned that utilising what is readily available can help ease expenses, and making story lines that are more realistic to daily life can help limit the setting of a short film. For example, a particular vlogger I like asks his friends and film school classmates to act in his films. They then post their videos online, and receive critiques on how to improve. I believe that effectively working with a small budget is all about being resourceful. Capturing the message and the essence of real life is the focal point of a movie, and I believe one does not need to have a big budget to establish this connection with viewers.

In order to diverge from mainstream media, a film must present a different approach to delivering or making a storyline. However, it is true that difference isn’t always accepted by all, and most people tend to lean towards plot lines they are used to (e. g. Romantic comedies). I believe that avoiding this isolation of audience can be done by making themes that are applicable to a wider audience. I believe that certain themes are timeless and ageless--meaning, they do not restrict the age group or the interest of an audience. For example, common themes like patriotism and family love have been interpreted in different settings and genres--sci fi, romantic, drama, horror--however, indie films about these themes also prosper because of the theme’s ubiquity and connection to any audience. Establishing a connection to viewers is important, as I said earlier, and I believe that non-conformity can still establish this same connection while including a wide audience range.

With media on the rise, film has a new platform to reach millennials, and millennials in turn affect the film industry as well. Media incorporates a closer connection between people--even if it is virtual. This sense of unity and interconnectedness of people through technology can affect the stories of Philippine popular culture in terms of moral and social themes. Also, now that almost everyone is active on social media, independent films and productions have a wider platform for marketing, and invite an audience with more adventurous taste/interest in film.

Dani Sulit

Blog #4

For me, creating a great film does not really need to cost that much. It all needs an effort to actually come up to something as good as the things that costs a lot. Moreover, I think that what it really needs to produce such great outputs is not the high budget but the creative imagination that lies behind the minds of the producers. Creativity, imagination and resourcefulness can absolutely help in making a beautiful film regardless of the budget – may it be high or not.

To break out of the tired and tested formulas without having to alienate the target audience, I think that it would be best to have a unique plot that everyone can still relate to. I personally think that it can attract audience and make it more interesting if it would be something of a not mainstream plot or story. Also, it would be more astounding to have props and casts that are not too common in the industry.

Filipinos are known to be the people of hospitality and it is usually depicted in most, if not all, of the movies that are being or has already been made. OPM is also one of the country’s best popular culture for it tells stories about one’s experience in life. The story behind these popular culture, I believe, have evolved according to what it is in the trend and where the audience can relate to the most.

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