CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0002

 

arkadymac.com takes you behind the scenes of a Wagas TV show episode on GMA News TV 11.  It’s scheduled to air on Saturday, March 8 at 7pm.  Entitled “Choi and Charlene Elegado: The Cosplayers’ Love Story,” this episode features Kapuso stars Kris Bernal and Mike Tan playing the lead roles of cosplayers who were fated to fall in love through a mutual hobby, while my friends and I were invited to fill up the other roles of cosplayers for their story.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0005

 

Thanks to a friend, I was in invited to be one of the talents for the taping of this episode several weeks ago.  It was a gig of sorts, and quite a sudden one: invited today, tape tomorrow, that kind of thing that I barely had time to react.  I gathered up my costumes and props and prayed I could get some sleep in before the 4 am call time.  I and eight other cosplayers were whisked away in a van for several hours to an exclusive subdivision in Tagaytay.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0035

 

The place was quite a sight: pretty houses sparsely scattered amid greenery and pine trees, a scene that would make one think they were in another country.  The crisp, cold air that Tagaytay is known for was truly pleasant too, especially if you’re wearing layers and layers of costumes.  Well, not quite so for the girls who wore cloth costumes though: just a gentle breeze was enough to get most of those in our group shivering.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0025

 

Shooting started promptly early that morning.  We got to experience what it was like behind the scenes of these TV programs, how much work and effort people put in even the smallest scenes.  The cast and crew were real professionals who knew what they were doing and guided us along.  They were courteous and helpful as we did our small parts for the program.  Most of our time was spent waiting for the next scenes we were supposed to be in and no one ever imagined that that would be tiring as well.  To fill the time in between takes, I and my photo partner Reiku took the chance to have a photoshoot with the cosplayers all around that amazing, idyllic place.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0001

 

We had the opportunity to work with Kris Bernal, the lead female for the episode.  I admit not knowing who she was as I haven’t watched TV in a very long time, but she is the real deal.  She is a quick study, eager to learn, a pro who takes her job seriously.  I admire her bright and humble personality, taking the time and effort to talk to us, ask us about cosplaying, and taking pictures with us when we had the opportunity.  Mike Tan, the male lead, was a great actor who loves keeping things light and fun around the set.  He says he cosplayed quite a bit before and was quite familiar with the characters we cosplayed, taking time off to chat with us in between takes.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0004

 

All throughout the day we did silly fight scenes, fumbled with the few lines we had, and pretended to be busy while the cameras were rolling.  It was really tiring but at the same time exciting and enjoyable.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0003

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0070

 

For our efforts, were fed properly, escorted back to Manila, and were given a considerable talent fee.  Not bad at all.  For us it was an experience we won’t soon forget.  Many thanks to the folks I was with that day:  Marvin and his mom, Abe Gail, Reiku, Dennis, Misaki, Chii, Micah, Jenny and Arcel.  Many thanks to the stars and the great crew of Wagas for having us over and doing a splendid job. We eagerly await seeing the episode on TV.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0050

 

Thank you for visiting, and please drop by again soon for more cosplay features here at arkadymac.com.

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0006

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0009

 

CosplayersGMAWagasTaping_0027

 

Please click on an image to view slideshow.

 

 

 

 

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *