At the onset of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all training and extension services of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) are affected because all face-to-face activities were restricted or generally barred, thus, travel of personnel is also limited. Barely two years now, the threat still continues to haunt us.

With this scenario, ATI paved its way to search for methods that are feasible, affordable, and acceptable to clients. The 16 Regional Training Centers across the nation plus the Central Office keeps on innovating to deliver the institute’s thrust that is to provide services to our farmers and fishers in a timely manner.

Good enough that personnel under the Information Services (IS) are majority young-ones where the use of modern technology is at par their specialty. However, there are some personnel under IS who are once young, but, exerted efforts in keeping the trend to deliver services in a timely manner expected by them, and that’s video production for live streaming.

Of course, we are at odds sometimes in terms of aesthetic as-we-put-in where our choice of style differs from the newer generation. Literally visible, however, we are too proud and loud to say that the quality is even. We can even see to some center’s pages post how their small spaces transformed into little studios and how people behind the camera works.

Two lessons I learned from this development particularly on video production:

First, keep on learning and be open. With all the resources available online, we have a sundry of “how-to’s” and “what-to-do’s” to lean on but we should admit also that we must be always open to seek “helpline” from counterparts in the regions – these elements are the best to compliment.

Second, stick to the shot list. Perhaps, some are already expert enough to produce without any hint of guide (the printed and detailed one) because their minds are sharp enough to draw the lines and still able to direct where the shots go as the story progressed.

For me, to be honest, having and keeping the shot list is still the best because it helps me maps out exactly what will occur and what will be used in that particular shot, or scene. Yes, it may sometimes take you forever to prepare it, but the output is worth the wait.

Hence, this blog is dedicated with all my due respect to all people behind the cameras who labored to produce quality output. They are our champion but, sometimes given small recognition, because what they see is on the output is not necessarily what they get in terms of the production. The video might be short, but the preparation is the same with an hour or two lengths, where it even takes us sleepless nights not just on the editing but also with the rendering.

To our BTS (behind-the-scene) crew, thank you for your time, effort, and dedication.