It would truly be a shame if no one witnesses the complex inner-workings of staging the grandest fashion and lifestyle assemblage in the country. But five fledging videographers are bravely coming in to capture the seldom-documented goings-on and present these exactly the way they see them.

Culled from different colleges and universities, and selected based on talent and potential, Alwin Tan, Mario Relampagos, Bea Acosta, Jiggy Cruz, and Mark de la Cruz are the members of the first ever Philippine Fashion Week Videographers Apprentice Program. The idea was conceived by PFW to create the opportunity for these amateurs to learn the finer points of fashion videography and test if their skills measure up to the reality of the profession. They’ll have a full schedule ahead of them, a curriculum involving everything from the technical how-tos to extensive coverage of red carpet arrivals, model and designer stories, fashion front rowers and trend reports.

For those who are not familiar with the term, videography combines the early Greek and later Latin word "video" meaning "I see" or "I apprehend" with the terminal ending "graphy" or "to write." Our would-be videographers’ first assignment practically begs them to do this. They’re being given a rare behind-the-scenes look at PFW plus the freedom to collect raw footage without the restriction of a script. No shouts of "Lights, camera, action!" will be heard and there won’t be reels of film either because they’ll be relying on the newest cutting edge wonders – Sony’s range of DVD Handycams.

Electronics giant Sony hastens videography’s rapid progress with the DCR-DVD905, 805, 755, and 605. These clever camcorders which boast trouble-free playback on home DVD players as well as a Visual Index that features moving thumbnails for previewing and identifying video clips, will be used by the students both before and during the shows they’ll be filming. Of course, the right equipment is key for one who would like to work on "documentary projects" for Discovery Channel while following in the footsteps of Wong Kar-wai cinematographer Chris Doyle, like Mark de la Cruz of UP Diliman is. Saying that one should be able "to use the camera as an extension of your eyes and to effectively convey messages to your audience," Mark’s dream project at the moment is producing a short feature for the hit TV show Project Runway. As luck would have it, he has become part of something quite akin to that.

After videography’s meaning was firmly established, the term was embraced by video makers worldwide who used it to describe their methods of production and post production. Here, the mechanical pulldown of the film projector has been replaced with a continuous stream of pixels. With Sony DVD Handycam models, not only is Easy Playback & Sharing possible, editing on a PC is also done quickly with bundled software. This advent of digital imaging has enriched the medium, particularly for individuals such as De La Salle University’s Bea Acosta, who wants to make documentaries that "feature real people with real stories." Listing Clodualdo del Mundo and Pepot Arlista as her major influences, the group’s lone female is looking forward to gaining more insights as well as mastering the rudiments of her chosen field through this fashionably hands-on experience.

Numerous possibilities have cracked the field of videography wide open, giving rise to event, corporate and broadcast videos as well as the kind that has made many a recording artist famous – music videos. Atenean Jiggy Cruz’s goal runs along the same vein; he wants to create a music video for his school’s hymn. While this is still in the works, the former Ateneo High School Video Club member and moderator prepares to immerse himself further into the multifaceted profession. University of Santo Tomas student Mario Relampagos is of the same mind, set on exploring every kind before deciding on a specialization. He acquired the inclination at 15, when he saw his dad taking videos. Now, the maverick videographer confesses to "grabbing every opportunity that comes my way," going as far as shooting footages of summer processions which he then sends to sociology professors to use in class.

A videographer’s pride lies in capturing images that appear more "live" than its movie counterpart, thereby producing an account that closely echoes the feel and vibe of actually being there. Alwin Tan shares the same sentiments and admires Vernon Perez and Miguel Olfindo videos for bringing viewers to the heart of the matter. After taking videography as part of his course at the De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde, he has since served his internship at a production outfit and, in what can only be called a happy coincidence, is planning to get into "filming big events like fashion shows." In addition to beefing up his portfolio, the Philippine Fashion Week stint provides Alwin with something he can really sink his teeth into.