Pursuing a dream

CEBU, Philippines - High school graduation is a momentous milestone for any student. It is the time when, head held high, the student steps on stage to receive his diploma. This brings with it many new opportunities but also responsibilities and decisions. What is next?

 The transition from high school to college is not a cakewalk, regardless of the experiences in high school. You are often away from parents and the comfort of home. You may feel an initial fear of the freedom to make your own decision, often based on new peer pressure. College is totally a different ball game.

 Alphonzo Climaco Alegrado, a recent graduate of the Ateneo de Cebu and son of Clifford and Gera Alegrado knows exactly what this situation is like. However, fortunately for him he has made some of the major decisions already. He has chosen the school and course he believes will help him achieve his goals. The following questions and answers reveal his preparation and path to college.

 Q: What inspired you to take up Bachelor in the Arts in Digital Filmmaking when you enter college this June?

 A: I have always been a huge fan of films. Ever since I was a kid, nothing made me happier than sitting in a dark room and watching movies come to life on the big screen. When talking about college with my dad, we brought up the topic of my strengths and weaknesses. We looked into different courses and found that filmmaking was offered in various colleges. So my love of films being one of my key interests, I decided to go with filmmaking.

 Q: How do you prepare to get into this course?

 A: I studied for the college entrance exams for about a month. Aside from that, I’ve been busy with my school (Ateneo de Cebu)’s theater Arts Guild (Blue TAG) as president of the Guild and director of two major productions. “A New Yorker in Tondo” and “Blue TAG Goes Broadway.” These experiences have helped me to prepare for the film and theater industry. True, they may be very different fields but I believe the things I’ve learned on stage can be applied on screen.

 Q: What qualities do you possess to enroll in this course?

 A: Patience. Being a director of a major production has taught me that there will always be ups and downs and that these industries (film and theater) are far from easy. Since these are such big productions, you will deal with a lot of people who have varying opinions and often believe that their ways are best. So it’s a matter of everyone acknowledging each other’s opinions and working around them.

 Q: What made you choose St. Benilde as your school?

 A: My parents and I really tried to look at all of our options last July. St. Benilde, USC and UP Dilliman were the only schools we knew that offered filmmaking. UP was the oldest, so there was more experience. USC just started their program last year, so not so much experience there, but we heard they got a professor from NYU film to teach for three years. Benilde has had it for a few years so their facilities and equipment are rather new. We decided to go with Benilde because of their more modern teaching methods and of course, the equipment was very important as well.

 Q: Who are your role models in this field and why?

 A: To name a few: Quentin Tarantino because he is just such an intuitive storyteller. The way he presents his movies is simply so original; Steven Spielberg as well, because he is the most accomplished director out there; Not to mention Christopher Nolan because the scale of which his movies takes place is just tremendous and overwhelming. I would name more but that would take up too much space.

  Q: What would you like to specialize in?

 A: Directing, screenwriting and acting. I’d like to put myself in a lot of different fields. The more exposure I get, the better the quality of my work.

 Q: What do you hope to achieve at the end of this course?

A: I want to become well rounded in the film industry. What I expect from St. Benilde is what they and most film schools preach: “theory and technicality.” So I hope to learn a lot in the classroom and out on the field doing actual work.