GMA News and Public Affairs & Mendoza embark on Camera Juan

MANILA, Philippines - How many videos have you clicked on or shared today? These days, anyone can log on to Facebook or Twitter to get in on the newest viral video everyone is talking about. YouTube estimates that up to four billion hours of video are watched each month on the website. And with so many clips shot with personal devices being viewed online, it seems someone is always filming, recording daily events with a simple handheld camera. In fact, any ordinary Juan need only point, shoot and upload to earn his 15 minutes of fame. But sometimes, the camera captures more.

In a remote village, the lens focuses on children gathering drinking water from a dirty well. In another town, a hospital worker records on her cellphone a father’s struggle to find a syringe for his child in the ER. And in yet another corner of the country, a government authority negotiates a bribe as the camera rolls. These images of real life events are filmed not by professional journalists but by ordinary citizens. Indeed, the advent of the personal camera has extended the power and the responsibility of video journalism to every citizen with access to a cellphone, tablet or digicam.

This power is at the heart of GMA’s groundbreaking election project, Camera Juan. An ambitious undertaking that hopes to demonstrate the might of a watchful citizenry.

“When we were conceptualizing the project, we wanted to do something that has never been done before in the country,” relates AVP of Public Affairs Clyde Mercado. 

To provide visual direction and to weave the story into one powerful motion picture is renowned Filipino filmmaker and Cannes award-winning director Brillante Mendoza. 

“As filmmakers, we need to immerse in the issues to fully understand them. Sa Camera Juan we went to far-flung towns to dig deeper into these issues (presented by video contributors). Sana ang maliit at simple naming paraan sa paglalahad ng mga bagay na ito ay mabigyan din ng pansin ng mga susunod na mamumuno,” shares direk Brillante.

“We are honored to have direk Brillante on board for Camera Juan,” says executive producer Richelle Figueroa. â€œDirek Brillante’s insight into how a film can communicate a social message, the public’s effort through their video contributions, and the editorial experience of the GMA team are what make this project a truly unique and collaborative effort.”

 Camera Juan: Pelikulang Bubuuin ng airs in April on GMA. Video contributions may be sent via www.gmanews.tv/camerajuan until March 31.