A Glimpse To The Awesomeness

ABS-CBN is in the business of generating world-class entertainment, news and information programs and in the continuous adoption of innovative technology to deliver its audiences not just in the Philippines, but globally.

            But ABS-CBN is more than just a company. It also served as a home for a lot of young determined students who want to make nothing but the best out of their internships. It’s a place where these aspirants were able to maximize their experience in the world that they greatly want to be part of in the future.

            I can still vividly remember the very first day of my stay in SOCO. I was a little jittery because I know it’s a totally different environment from what I had in my first internship in Manila Bulletin. But even if it was, I was up for the challenge. I was filled with excitement to discover the unknown and to experience this side of media.

            I had a taste of more than just what they say getting-coffee-for-your-boss kind of thing because my supervisors have definitely given me all the support I need, in any way possible, to train and cultivate my skills.

            In my stay, I was able to grasp the basics of editing which was really fun. They let me use the actual equipment so I can acquaint myself with how it works. It may appear quite intricate at first but once you get the hang of it, you will get to like it eventually.

            Sir Rick, fondly called as Tatay Rick, amiably taught me everything I should know about his work –from ingesting files, converting jpeg file to mp4, to getting SOTs needed for the spiels and grabbing photos from videos. He generously shared them to me.

            Tuesdays were always something to look forward to because I get to come to the reenactment shoots. In here, I learned everything I know about production.  I also get to be with these cool people who make every reenactment such a fun time for everyone –people who didn’t just bequeath me knowledge about camera techniques or production stuffs but also about life.  

Everyone in the production team do their best to make every little thing perfect and for them to produce the ideal product that is needed for the segment. Our director sometimes even arrives on the set with this crazy looking tools that work magic in his shots. He always tries to be innovative and inventive in bringing something new to develop his craft.

Furthermore, SOCO has the most notable people behind it, Sir Ferds (our Executive Producer), Mam Smile (our Associate Producer), the researchers and the rest of the Segment Producers–admirable individuals who have such incredibly brilliant minds that passionately exert their finest in giving exemplary work. During my stay, I have seen their devotion and commitment towards giving nothing but quality creation for their audience.

I realized there is no small part in a show. The production, the editors, the researchers and the producers –each and every one plays a vital role in making SOCO a success every week. They all provide unwavering effort to produce a TV program that does not only entertain viewers but a show that extends a helping hand to the victims for them to attain the justice they deserve.

One word that best describes my internship—EPIC! It has exceeded all my expectations and has even bestowed more of what I thought I could learn. I owe a lot to the SOCO Team, from benevolently nurturing my skills to generously giving astonishing experiences that I know to my heart will never be consigned oblivion. Thank you for everything!

On A Constant Whir

Two significant things I've accumulated in my short-lived stay in that fast-paced little world where time is most essential and best effort is a prerequisite: first is, things are a lot tougher and way more difficult than what they seem and second, it takes something as monumental as this to make me realize what I really want to pursue. perennial

The idea of having my internship in a production environment thrilled me. I've long been curious of how that specific environment works and I couldn’t wait to figure it out. So strong is my curiosity that I have created a clear picture of it in my head: A big room swarming with all things technical and a horde of people in constant motion. This was proved true when I started spending my internship hours in ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs (NCAD) Division. I got to choose what program I want to be part of, so I picked XXX, not only because I'm a fan of exposés and anything that entails danger and thrill but mostly because I'm a secret admirer of one of its regular hosts: Anthony Taberna. Given the kind of luck I have, it turned out that the program is a dead show already so I was assigned instead in a similarly-themed exposé-busting program - Bistado. Apparently, XXX just got a new look and a bolder name via Bistado which airs every Monday at 4:45pm. The sole remnant of XXX in the program is its staff which are the same people working behind the camera and Julius Babao who now single-handedly hosts the show. 

During my first day, I simply observed and was a little surprised that some of the staff are almost the same age as mine. There’s Sir Sonny or “Kuya Sonny” because he preferred to call him that, the production assistant of the show, who is a fellow COCian and presumably, is just a year older than me. And then there’s Ma’am Camille, production coordinator, who argued that we belong in the same age bracket and therefore must be called “Ate Camille”. She is probably in her early 20’s but looks younger than whatever her age may be. Likewise, there’s Sir Rey or “Kuya Rey” as he invariably pointed out, who is the youngest among the segment producers in Bistado. Even the program’s executive producer – Ms. Myra Chavez – appears youthful and even acts as bubbly and candid like the rest of the staff.

So there I was, enveloped with a fresh and zesty air exuding from the cheery personality of every staff member, giddy to get started. My daily tasks in Bistado include: running errands, paper route, labeling tapes, arranging files, transcribing videos, accepting phone calls from tipsters, escorting Sir Sonny to the audio mixing room, observing during editing sessions and having realizations, the most common I get each day is: Their work is more complicated than what I’ve previously thought.

As weeks passed, I learned that this kind of work demands one’s full time and dedication. I witnessed how each member of the team exerts his undivided time and effort to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Basically, the segment producer writes the script and provides the entire plan of how a single episode of the program will turn out. One of my most memorable experiences in Bistado was when I stayed overnight in the office transcribing three video files, all considerably long, which were responsible for the bags under my eyes that materialized the very next day. I stayed with Kuya Rey, who needed the transcriptions to be able to finish writing the script for his assigned episode. Although the task was pretty exhausting, I didn’t mind it that much because I knew in my own little way, I was able to be of help. Most of the time, the segment producers are out in the field, interviewing their case study and those people concerned in their story. They are accompanied with cameramen who take video sits necessary to make the story more interesting. I wasn’t allowed to go on pull-outs because it’s obviously perilous and the staff didn’t want me involved in any kind of danger. I understood it certainly so I made it a point to do the best that I could with their given tasks inside the office.

During my stay, something amazed me significantly and it’s the audio mixing room. Every Monday, before the program airs, I accompanied Sir Sonny to the audio mixing room to hand the edited videos to the program’s audio mixer. Sir Aeneid, Bistado’s audio mixer, is responsible to inject the necessary sound effects and melodies to make the episode more arresting. I uttered a soft “Wow!” when I saw the room with this amazing equalizer kind of thing sitting on a huge table. I saw how Sir Aeneid adjusted the buttons on the equalizer to create the proper audio effects that will best complement the story that those videos tell. I learned how important his role is because those effects are an important ingredient to provide an emotional vibe that tugs at the viewers’ heartstrings.

It dawned on me that what viewers see on TV is just a small portion of how the process actually works. The final output we see on TV isn’t the work of a single hand; that 20-minute program catapulted into reality because of the collective effort of every staff member starting from the excellent hand of the executive producer, to the creative minds of the segment producers then down to the imaginative ideas of the cameramen. These are all essential in generating an episode that doesn’t only uncover truths and exposés but also provide its viewers new knowledge that tells them to be wary of the people they encounter and the businesses they get themselves into.

My internship experience in Bistado was a memorable one. I was given enough learning on how the production environment operates. Although the staff is seemingly on a perennial whir, it’s also apparent that the whole staff enjoys doing the job. I couldn’t say any single bad thing about the team because they have treated me nicely and there’s enough air of youthfulness that it’s impossible for me to feel like an outcast. In spite of all these good things, I still believe that writing is home to me and I’ll pursue it with all my might. I might not pursue a production-related job in the future but what I’m sure of is that the learnings I have picked out in Bistado will always stay significant and helpful as I tread on whatever path I might choose.

Hi~! I'm Simsimi.

If you’re just bored and you need a friend to talk to then SimSimi will be of help. With this app, you can tell SimSimi anything, and he’ll answer as long as he has knowledge about it.  Just imagine like you’re talking to a close friends.

SimSimi is a popular artificial intelligence conversation program that was created in 2002 by the Korean tech company ISMake, it uses artificial intelligence (or AI) to converse with human users.

Users say it provides experience much like one they might have with a quick-witted and lightning-fast human texting buddy, which should not come as a surprise because it is based in the knowledge of its 2.7 million users.

SimSimi is a super advanced chatting robot that makes amusing conversation to engage with users using this app is really simple. Just start a talk session at your touch screen then Simsimi will instantly greet you with a cheerful chat. Like those typical messaging apps, just send your message through a chatting box. Don't be surprised by Simsimi's fast response. It's a super-duper robot, you know!

You can teach Simsimi your own words as other users teach their own ones too. If Simsimi has no data to answer your former message, it will say 'I HAVE NO RESPONSE'. Then you might select the 'TEACH' tab and instruct it your own words in a paired form of 'request & response'. Once you teach Simsimi a pair of words, it will make a response with those words immediately.

If you’ve used Simsimi, you’ve probably noticed that some of its responses are pretty funny. 

Programmers want Simsimi to be useful and entertaining, so don’t be surprised if Simsimi has you ROFL.

Swimming Made Easy

Have you ever watched other peoples swimming strokes at the swimming pool? You might wish you could swim as well or even better than them.

The fact is people who swim the four basic strokes usually swim badly. Their swimming technique is usually inefficient, making them use more energy than if they had correct swimming technique.

When executing any swimming stroke, there are a number of basic principles to bear in mind that will make the stroke most effective. It is important that the torso and legs are kept as parallel as possible to the surface of the water. It is also essential that swimmers learn good breathing techniques as this will allow for greater speed and endurance

SWIMMING STROKES

There are a number of swimming styles that have been developed which depend upon the position of the swimmer to the water. These styles are known as strokes and the stroke used will depend upon the purpose of the swim.

Breaststroke

Breaststroke is the oldest known swimming stroke, as evidenced by cave drawings which have been found depicting Stone Age inhabitants using the motion. As the easiest stroke, Breaststroke is the most popular style for swimming recreationally and for fitness, and it is the slowest official stroke used in competitive swimming.

Butterfly

Butterfly was originally derived as a faster alternative to breaststroke. One American researcher discovered that the swimmer is slowed down significantly in breaststroke by bringing the arms forward under water and instead developed a technique of bringing the arms forward over water. Butterfly requires more stamina and strength than the other strokes with both of the arms coming out of the water at every stroke. As with Breaststroke, both hands start in the water in front of the shoulders.

Backstroke

Backstroke is the only official swimming stroke to be swum on the back and the second slowest stroke in competitive swimming. The advantage of Backstroke is that it makes breathing easier but it also means that the swimmer cannot see where they are going.

Front Crawl

It is the fastest stroke, but can be difficult to learn, chiefly because it is hard to find a good breathing point. Front crawl is also used interchangeably with the term ‘freestyle.’ Although freestyle officially means that any stroke can be swum in competition, swimmers will always choose front crawl as it is officially the fastest stroke.

There are certain things that advanced swimmers do that take time to master but there are other things they do that anyone can do if only they knows how.  Enjoy the summer.

May the odds be ever in your favor

Now that Harry Potter and Bella and Edward have finished, book readers of all ages everywhere have been turning their heads towards The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins has been read by over 23 million people?

If you aren't one of the 23 million people to have read The Hunger Games, and you've missed the whole Hunger Games thrill, then here's the need-to-know information:

The Hunger Games takes place after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event, in a nation known as Panem. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains.

The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, who once gave her bread when her family was starving.

Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair.

When the couple is finally the last two tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Upon realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games has been well-received by critics. Lions Gate Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of The Hunger Games, which is being produced by Nina Jacobson's production company Color Force.  The film was directed by Gary Ross with Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Katniss, Josh Hutcherson in the role of Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth in the role of Gale.

Let the Hunger Games begin!

Unfolding “The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel”

      

            The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a series of six fantasy novels written by the internationally acclaimed New York Times Best seller Irish author Michael Scott, completed in this 2012. 

         Readers will definitely love the fast-paced action and will be swept up by a plot that was impeccably crafted with thorough research and extremely beautiful imagination of Mr. Scott. It is an enthralling fantasy that will surely send the readers hurrying to their encyclopedias.

          The story mainly involves in the adventures of fifteen year old twins Sophie and Josh Newman, whose regular lives working at their summer jobs (Sophie works in a coffee shop, Josh works in a bookstore) are turned upside down by the arrival of Dr. John Dee. Dr. Dee engages the bookstore owner Nick Fleming in a battle of magic in an attempt to steal an ancient book, The Book of Abraham the Mage (aka the Codex) from him. Dr. Dee snatches the book from Josh’s grasp but Josh manages to retain two pages. Dr. Dee also kidnaps Nick’s wife Perry in the melee and imprisons her on Alcatraz Island.

How to Have a Healthy TANtalizing Skin

Hey, girls! Vacation has finally come. Summer! But are you afraid of having harmful skin dilemmas? Summer is the time to give your body the healthy tan and protect it from the horrors of sunburn, and even sun-scorched skin cancer.

Imagine yourself going back to school or work after vacation with super toasted skin…--a major no, no! But these skin disasters that can happen in summer sun can be prevented.

You don’t have to make your dear skin suffer against the sun’s damaging rays just to have those anticipated glowing tan because you can have it in healthy ways.

You want the natural way done and want to spend in a fun, revivifying and spirited way that you can indulge yourself breathing the fresh air of the most famous beaches in the land? Here is the Basic 4-Step Skincare Regimen to have that radiantly traced sun-kissed skin:

Avoid sun exposure from 10 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon

• -in these hours, the sun is in its strongest and can damage your skin.

Applying and re-applying sunscreen is a must

• -apply the sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going in the sun to help protect your skin from the ultraviolet radiations.

Sun exposures should be done gradually

• -those who have a fair skin should not stay more than 10 minutes exposed to the sunlight during their first annual session of sun tanning. After a few days their skin will be ready for longer sun exposures and they will be skin-burned free.

Drink lots of water and have a good diet

• -supply your body with enough fluid. Diet plays an important part in sun tanning. It seems that fish and olive oil are good for the skin during summer time as they increase its capacity of defending itself of the harsh sun light.

          

             Enjoy the summer and have that beautiful luxurious tan without harming your skin.