The path to achievement is frequently characterized by a series of obstacles, victories, and unwavering resolve. This profound storyline strongly connects with the innovative individuals of Spotlight Creatives as they navigated their way from passionate university students to influential pioneers in the industry.
The Inspiration behind Starting a Production Company: Kim, Can you share with us the inspiration behind starting your production company right after college? How did your early experiences shape your approach to entrepreneurship?
I was an officer in a photography org at university when I met a friend who was very much
into doing videos; he told me that I might have a knack in video production and
production management. Summer of 2014, he asked if I wanted to try managing a project
of our university that he was directing – the University of Santo Tomas Marketing Video.
The project kickstarted my (I would say) lifelong love-hate relationship with production
management. The project won international awards thankfully; after the project’s success,
we both sat down and talked about the possibilities of starting a production company.
My first few experiences in running my team was of me receiving gift checks as payment
from a major mall / department store.
My friend would look for buyers for the gift checks
that we would receive and sell them off at a 10% discount. I would divide it between us
and keep a portion for the company for its savings or contingency fees. It was also around
the same time when I started to learn how to budget and prioritize my spendings. I would
like to think that learning about entrepreneurship went hand-in-hand with my personal
learnings about managing my own finances and life decisions and it’s an ongoing learning
experience until today.
From Vision to Venture: Can you tell us more about Spotlight Creatives?
Spotlight Creatives is a video production company that was established in 2016. Our team
caters to editorials, corporate event coverages, campaign shoots and digital content
services such as vlogs, Instagram Reels and TikTok content. We are a collective of
freelancers and so we tap into creatives who we believe have the same vision as we do.
We started shooting for editorials and worked our way up and we are really thankful for
all the brands and artists that trusted us, because fast forward, after almost 8 years in the
industry, we were finally able to open our own studio under the same name, Spotlight
Creatives Studio. It was designed to cater to clients and creatives who are looking for a
venue to shoot their content, host private events, organize meetings, or even to simply
use the venue as a co-working space.
Navigating the Challenges: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the initial stages, and how did you overcome them?
Initially, we all worked remotely and we found it difficult to align for projects because we
were all just discussing through group chats. And so we would always be working at
coffee shops, setting up meetings and using up an entire table to align for our projects up
until midnight. The pandemic was a silver lining, it kind of made our meetings easy
because of Zoom and Google Meet, but prior to that, it was always in different coffee
shops.
I started the company when I was 22 years old and so I was in a different headspace at
that time. I eventually came to understand that we meet different kinds of people and so
we have to have a different approach for every person that we meet. I can’t only stick to
what I know and I have to be flexible in order for me to build a relationship among peers.
Connection is really important in this line of work and if we don’t understand how that
works, we would have a hard time collaborating with other people. “Different strokes for
different folks,” as they say.
In terms of corporations: Top of the list of challenges would be charging clients, following
up on payments and making sure that my team gets paid on time. I believe that this is also
every other creative’s struggle and unfortunately, we all eventually just lived with it.
Second would be helping clients understand the whole production process. We started
working with MSMEs as well and so it was a part of my job to help them understand the
proper workflow and how projects should be done.
Sourcing a group of creatives who would understand the struggles wasn’t that tough
because I am blessed to have friends who have the same vision and passion as well as
understanding for the work that the team is doing.
Working with leading brands and prominent artists within the Philippines is no small feat. What do you believe sets your production company apart, and how do you consistently deliver excellence in your projects?
I believe that building not just connections but great relationships is so important when
working in the industry. Just like choosing a team with the same vision and values,
choosing the right client to work with is also vital. Just because a brand or an artist is well-
known, doesn’t mean that they are meant for us. Letting go of difficult clients is also
something that I had to learn early on. I also had a mindset that: there are a lot of teamsout there looking for projects and there are a lot of companies looking for production
teams – what’s meant for us will come to us.
To consistently be able to deliver, a right headspace is very important and so I always
remind my team to take a break when they need it. The first question that I ask them all
the time is, “Kaya mo ba?” (Can you do it?) Because I wouldn’t want for them to go
through burnout that can potentially create issues within the team. And so there would be
projects that I would choose to let go of. As much as the demand for content is high, I
believe that rest is very very important and that’s something that no one should ever
demand for because rest is something that we all deserve to have.
As you aspire to work with international clients, what strategies are you implementing to expand your reach beyond the Philippines?
From the get-go, I’ve always asked my team if they have any dream projects to work on or
any dream brands or artist that they wish to collaborate with. My role in the team is to
make sure that we get to work on projects that we are all passionate about. Someone
would be passionate in doing music photography and content; another would be aspiring
to direct their own commercial; and one would be dreaming about learning more and
creating more cinematic outputs.
We can’t do everything by ourselves and we have to eventually understand that for us to
grow, we have to leave some things behind. Right now Spotlight Creatives is going
through a shift in management. I’ve always told my team that wherever and whenever I
would get projects, I would bring them with me and in order for me to do that, I have to
let go of some responsibilities in the production company to make way and reach out to a
wider market. I have a director and a project manager in my team who help me out when
it comes to client discussions and internal alignments.
I am also trying to reach out to clients and connections that I’ve collaborated with in the
past in hopes of making things work out and happen for me and my team.
Collaboration is key in the creative industry. Could you highlight a project or experience that
truly exemplifies the power of teamwork and collaboration within your production company?
I can’t highlight a specific project because for every project that we work on, we make
sure that tasks are designated among one another properly. Early on, we’ve each had the
experience of taking on a lot of tasks and we all found it very challenging. Since then,
we’ve learned that one must focus on just one task or else, things can potentially fall apart.
Every project that we’ve done, we feel very fulfilled and happy. I’d like to believe that my team is very proud of all the work that we’ve produced because we all stay in our lane for that specific project and we hold each other accountable for our responsibilities.
Being both a director and a photographer, how do you find synergy between these roles, and
do you feel that one influences the other in your creative process?
I’ve always loved shooting behind the scenes, candid moments, alongside incorporating
cinematic compositions. I believe that how I compose my videos is how I also capture
photographs. I always make sure that I only capture the raw and the unfiltered; a bit
subjective but anything that would require me to edit heavily, to me, feels manipulated
and unnatural. I love taking a photo or a video of mundane things: a person passes by a
scenic spot, or of two friends chatting over coffee; I also love capturing moments wherein
people allow themselves to dance and have fun as if no one was watching because it’s in
these moments where I find them beautiful.
Many emerging creatives look up to you for inspiration. What advice would you give to those
who aspire to pursue a similar path in the industry?
Patience, grit, and perseverance are so important. This industry can be very tough to the
soft-hearted, building confidence in your capabilities and showing the people around you
that you know what you are doing will be your superpower. Knowing your worth and
believing that your work will eventually speak for yourself is going to be your strength.
This will be the reason why clients will always approach you for projects and fellow artists
will understand what kind of person and creative you are. Ambition is important, but
humility is also very vital. So many other creatives are willing to step on fellow creatives to
get to where they want to be, but I believe that our industry would succeed when we
build a healthy competition among each another.
In an industry constantly evolving, what do you see as the future of multimedia production, and
how do you plan to adapt and stay ahead of the curve?
In terms of the future of multimedia production: I feel like AI will persist and people will,
unfortunately, be dependent on it.
I used to ignore TikTok and Instagram Reels. I also used to ignore AI before everyone else
did it. But I think understanding how a current trend works and slowly going with the flow
while incorporating experiences from the past helps a lot when it comes to creating a
compelling material. Mixing past and present trends wouldn’t hurt, especially when you’re
confident that something great can come out of it.
In your opinion, what sets Filipino creativity apart on the global stage, and how do you hope to
contribute to this narrative with your work?
Based on my experience seeing and working with creatives from other countries, I truly
believe that Filipino creativity is top notch, just undervalued. I think if clients here value
the creativity of a Filipino artist and not just see them as just people with a camera and an
editing software, a Filipino artist will thrive in the international stage. And honestly, I don’t
think it’s just about creativity, it’s also about the work ethics. Anyone can be creative,
anyone can be recognized on the global stage, but not everyone can be as persistent and
hardworking as Filipino creatives. With proper time management and with respect from
other peers, a Filipino creative can thrive wherever she goes.
I just want to try working on projects internationally and do meaningful work, something
that would speak to another person’s soul. I think if I am able to do that, no matter where
I am, then that would be the best thing that I can ever contribute as a Filipino creative.
Looking ahead, what are some of the projects or goals you have set for yourself and your
production company in the coming years?
I’ve always had the mindset that if it’s meant for you, it will come to you. Law of attraction
is one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me and my team. We’ve always
dreamt big and we’ll always dream big.
I dream of trying it out in the international scene too. Sometimes we just really want to
grow and explore more and I feel like I can do internationally what I’ve been doing even
outside of the country. I am ambitious and one of my dreams is to be able to capture
photos and videos at the Oscars, whether it be backstage or the coverage itself, or an
awards night afterparty would sound nice. Maybe in the future, when I get to that point, I
can eventually bring my team with me, do more international projects and build a bigger
portfolio. Recognition is the least of my concerns but I would really love to eventually
prove ourselves to those who’ve always said that we’re too young to create compelling
and meaningful work.
Portrait Photo by @manalojohn
Assisted by: @go.gaff.ga
Studio: @spotlightcreativesstudio