Stories of the land
Flying high: The Create Camp grand prize includes Php 1 million worth of Philippines AirAsia flights.
MANILA, Philippines — In today’s internet age, it takes a certain skill to be an effective storyteller. We are so easily distracted that getting your audience’s attention and keeping them engaged takes practically as much effort as getting a college degree. Think about it: when you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed, which stories do you stop to take a look at, react to, and keep watching or reading? There’s not a lot, I imagine. And in the endless sea of digital content, it’s becoming harder and harder to discern which ones are really worth your time. And that’s why good storytelling is important.
This was AirAsia’s goal with Create Camp. The first of its kind, Create Camp is a social media reality show that also serves as a boot camp for aspiring multimedia storytellers. They recently crowned their first winner, Paolo Garrido, last Nov. 9 at Green Sun in Makati. The show’s first season took the contestants around the Philippines, going through different boot camp sessions with AirAsia’s stable of expert storytellers in scenic locations. Paolo, along with his fellow competitors Raymond Baguilat of UP Baguio, Angela Cara Durano of De La Salle University in Cebu and John Paul Saluba of University of Iloilo, traveled to Bohol, Palawan, Tacloban and the Cordilleras. They were mentored throughout the competition by AirAsia storytellers Patrick Martin, Kyrke Jaleco, Neila Lomotan, Ayen dela Torre, Rachel Halili, Javi Cang, Enzo Cruz, Benj Ramos and Paolo Cuarteron.
What’s notable about the competition is that, aside from giving young photographers and videographers a platform to hone and share their craft, it also teaches them to pay closer attention to the places they visit and ensure that they tell these stories with as much reverence and accuracy as possible. There are still very important technical aspects that aid in storytelling, but the core still lies within the place and its people.
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For more information about AirAsia Create Camp, visit www.airasiacreatecamp.com and follow AirAsia on Instagram at @airasiafilipino.
