Ever wonder how theaters and films bring their stories to life? The answer may lie in a project’s production design. A creative collaboration, the Production Design (AB-PRD) program aims to bridge the different worlds of production, from hair and makeup to set design, with the goal of bringing the director’s vision to life.
It is one thing to tell a story, and it is another to immerse your audience in it. Everything from the tiniest details to the biggest elements works together to set the story’s ambiance and pull the audience into the story. However, AB-PRD is more than just simple prop-making for theater stages or film sets, in this After Class article AB-PRD students take us through their experiences and offer a deeper perspective of the course.
A production designer’s many hats
“We do a bit of everything,” says ID123 third-year student from the AB-PRD program, Gela Gamil, summarizing the program into a few words in her interview with The Benildean. “Need namin maging jack-of-all-trades from designing to constructing and execution [...] Inaaral namin lahat ng mga roles sa isang production para may idea kami how everything works,” she continues, explaining that the various specialized classes that they take up from storyboarding to photography and hair and makeup.
Reflecting on her own frosh experience, she mentions how the projects in the course teach you to become resourceful. “Sa program na ‘to, natututo ka talaga maging resourceful [at] creative sa kung paano mo i-execute yung ideas mo. Basta madiscarte ka, makakasurvive ka naman,” she ends.
The AB-PRD course is unique to Benilde, with the College being the only institution that offers the course program in the Philippines. It is anchored in an Outcomes-Based-Education (OBE) framework that blends lecture-based lessons with physical outputs that help students build a foundation for their portfolios. The program encourages its students to rely on their creativity and strategic thinking to execute their projects.
Its faculty consists of experienced professionals who actively contribute to the industry that they are preparing their students for. The hit musical Delia D., for example, featured AB-PRD faculty member, Ms. Ellawyn Cruz as a production designer. In another production, Ten Little Mistresses had Benilde faculty Mr. Jaydee Jasa as their headpiece designer for the film. The program was also headed by award-winning filmmaker Mr. Gabriel Fernandez from September 2007 to August 2016.
Putting “production” in production design
From planning to execution, Production Designers are taught to have the skillset to cover all bases, but this often comes with the generalization that they are solely the executioners of the project’s props or set design. In her interview, Gamil expresses her disappointment with this notion. “As [a] production designer, kami dapat yung parang mag-help mag-solve ng problem, [at] nagbibigay ng solutions,” she explains. Gamil hopes that people understand how crucial production designers are to the whole production process, not just for making the final product.
However, as confining this generalization may be there is a flipside to it, AI simply cannot reproduce any of their works, “kaya ba ng AI gumawa ng props?” Gamil jokes. With the large scope of work open to production designers, Gamil continues to explain that their work is not limited to just the stage. “From film, theater, pwede kami, kahit events like weddings and birthdays. Pwede din sa advertisement. Actually, kahit saan, basta may production, may photoshoot. Hindi siya natatapos lang sa entertainment industry.”
More than sets and props
For ID123 AB-PRD student Hannah Kate “HK” Sibasco, the course challenged many of their initial assumptions about production design, particularly when it came to its technical demands.
While lighting was something they expected to encounter, the depth of the subject took them by surprise. “Akala ko basic lighting lang—yung tipong paano mag-ilaw ng subject.” HK shares that learning unfamiliar software and professional-grade equipment became one of the more challenging aspects of the program. “Hindi ko inexpect na kailangan pala naming gumamit ng buong lighting program na ginagamit talaga sa theater, lalo na sa malalaking stages.”
The constant shift between manual work, conceptual planning, and execution trains AB-PRD students to adapt quickly. When asked if the course had their own inside joke HK shared jokingly that “lahat ng AB-PRD student may [have] ADHD,” because of the many different things they have to accomplish. “Ginusto namin to e,” they laughingly said.
Collaboration is also key for such a hectic course, they explained that students start with basic tasks like moving equipment, working their way up through the hierarchy. “Once mag-start ka, taga-plantsa ka lang, taga-buhat ng mga gamit. Once you climb the ladder kasi, it's all about gaining trust [ng] ibang tao,” they shared. This system teaches students to work in a team and take on more responsibilities—skills crucial in any professional production setting.
Production Design at Benilde is more than just building sets or creating props—it is a program that trains students to think critically, adapt quickly, and collaborate effectively. Through hands-on projects, research, and interdisciplinary learning, students like Gamil and HK gain the skills to handle every aspect of a production, from lighting and makeup to script analysis and material sourcing.
The course prepares them to wear many hats, solve unexpected challenges, and contribute meaningfully to any creative project. In the world of production design, what happens behind the scenes is just as important as what the audience sees, and Benilde’s AB-PRD students are ready to make that world come alive.
