As a creative, my life revolves around content creation. I started as a photographer with a passion and have since become a multi-media creator of sorts. I've learned how to animate via Adobe AfterEffects, use equipment such as light kits and boom mics for production, and edit videos using software such as Adobe Premiere. I'd also like to say that I'm fluent in creating designs via Canva. The more invested I became in making content, the more I shifted gears into turning my art into my career.
Taking photos for Undiscovered SF's blog was the first time I've ever taken any promotional product photos. Undiscovered SF is a monthly Filipino night market showcasing different Filipino art, vendors, performances, and restaurants. The first shoot that I did was for Oodalolly, a Filipino father-and-son chocolatier duo. Oodalolly is one of the vendors featured at Undiscovered's events. Since then, I've also taken pictures for JT Restaurant, a business in the Mint Mall that is operated entirely by Ate Tess, a Filipina woman that has been in the community for years. I've also taken photos for littleHONEYvee, Undiscovered's online shop, and more.
Previously, my forte was event photos and portraits. Undiscovered provided me with the opportunity to expand my horizons and add "commercial photography" to my professional profile. Through these shoots, I gained a better understanding of the way that these kinds of promotional content boosts user engagement and brand recognition.
Currently, I intern for SOMA Pilipinas. My role is that of a chameleon: flexible and constantly changing and adapting depending on what work environment I'm in.. Communications & Outreach intern, Content Creation intern, Development Intern, My title was never set-in-stone, which works in my favor when applying for jobs. My essential role is to cater to the organization's video needs by outreaching to different community organizations and capturing their stories. This is a short-cut sneak peek of one of the videos I have created for SOMA Pilipinas. Legacy Businesses is a new, unpublished series highlighting Fil-Am community businesses and sharing the history and narratives of the businesses that no longer exist. As of right now, we are still strategizing when, where, and how we plan on releasing these segments. Being in the Social Media Strategies for PR class, I brainstormed all of the ways that we can engage our audience through the tactics we have learned: User-generated content (UGC), utilizing influencers, boosting brand presence. With SOMA being a non-profit organization, the strategy has to revolve around gaining donations. This differs from companies because their main goal is to maximize profits by selling a product. This realization forced me to step back and shift my line of thinking. I had been focused on PR that generates monetary ROI rather than PR that generates donation ROI.
Hopefully in the future I will be able to gain more insight as to how for-profit organizations/corporations strategize their PR to compare it to non-profit PR. For now, I'm excited to continue utilizing my internship to flip the script and gain even more insight on the non-profit industry.