Two Stops Over

Tuesday January 18th, 2011

Francisco Guerrero has officially made the jump from photographer to television star. When Francisco told me that he was now starring in a TV show, I needed an explanation. This is what he told me:

In early 2010, executive producer Monet Silerio and writer Troy Bernardo approached me to do a pilot for a TV show. The concept was simple, a show about photography aimed at the amateur and pro-am markets showcasing behind the scenes footage of photoshoots with tips and techniques. So off we went to the helipad of one of Manila’s tallest residential buildings to shoot some skateboarders. Being in front of the camera was quite a change from my usual position stuck behind my Canons, but it was a fun day with me blabbing away about f-stops, flash syncs, backlight, etc.

After a few weeks, Monet and Troy called me back. They had cut the pilot together and showed it around to industry insiders and it got good reviews. To my surprise, the feedback pointed them in a new direction. They wanted to use me as the main host and weave my story into the narrative. I was born in Manila, lived in various countries around the world and after 20 years out I finally moved back. The show would follow me as I re-dicovered my country—it evolved into a documentary/travel show with a photographer as a guide/host. While discussing all this over some beers we came up with the show’s title, Two Stops Over, an allusion to the overexposed shooting style that I usually prefer.

Once they had picked a title and decided on the narrative, the team developed a few goals: “One, showcase some the Philippines in a new light giving airtime to interesting and offbeat subjects. Two, the whole show was to be shot using Canon HDSLR, 5D Mk II and 7Ds. Three, incredible cinematography and incredible stills.” With the addition of videographer Dondi Narciso and supervising producer Eric Tam, the show was ready to launch. You can view the intro video below.

Francisco and co. have just wrapped principal photography on their 13th and last episode; the show airs, Francisco says, “sandwiched between Inside Hollywood and the Ellen Degeneres show,” on a local cable station called 2nd Avenue. Not only has the use of HDSLR resulted in a unique and influential aesthetic, their audience base has broadened to non-photographers, who tune in to see the interesting stories that are a part of every episode, including national ballet dancers, disabled athletes, beauty queens, a Speedo ad campaign, and a couple of quirky travel destinations.

The whole experience has forced Francisco to do some homework—literally, he has revisited his old homework as a photo student. “It had me going back to my Brooks Institute notes as I tried to explain technical aspects in detail to a non-photographer audience,” Francisco said. “As a photographer I had a challenging time both prepping and shooting my subjects as well as having to juggle the responsibilities of a host, talking to the audience and being their guide through the narrative.” The end result, however, has been a great opportunity for his photography. “Mainly the show has been the perfect excuse to go out and shoot a lot of personal work that I otherwise would not have done.”

-Asad