When in Manila recently reached two million likes on Facebook! This was a humbling milestone for the When in Manila Team. As we met together to brainstorm on how to improve, we thought it would be best to reach out to our readers on a more personal level. After all, When in Manila is a essentially a community. We’re not merely content producers who dish out new articles daily–we want to establish a sense of community and constant exchange of ideas with our readers. To make this possible, we’re happy to launch a new series: When in Manila’s #MeetTheTeam!
Photo by Bria Cardenas (@briacardenas)
Meet Courtney Sayson, Senior graphic designer and social media manager!
What do you do for WIM?
I create graphics and layouts for wheninmanila.com’s personal branding as well as for fellow admins’ articles. I will also be creating other contents like motion graphic videos, funny sketches and just about just anything random you can think of! I will still occasionally cover events and concerts as a media photographer.
How did you find out about WIM?
I found out about WIM from my friend and fellow WIM admin, Rebecca Lee. One day, out of nowhere, she texted me if I could be her +1 photographer at Taylor Swift’s RED Tour MNL – she was the writer covering the event. That was the night of many firsts, it was the first thing I ever did for WIM, first time being an official media photographer and first time covering a big event. It was also what made Vince invite me to join WIM as a contributor.
What’s the best part of working for WIM?
Best part of working for WIM is going to these awesome events and meeting all these awesome people! WIM has a lot of amazing opportunities to offer which is why I get to experience a lot of things for the first time as well.
What was your most memorable experience working for WIM?
I guess I have two most memorable experiences, the first one was Taylor Swift’s Manila concert, not only was this my first experience as a media photographer, I also got to enjoy the concert with one of my closest friends, Becky. 🙂
The second was the Against the Current press conference and concert. I have been a fan of them since the beginning and even if this was already the 2nd time I was seeing them, this was the first time I got interview them personally! ..That was also the first time I interviewed someone – EVER. To top it all off, I was informed I was going to interview them like 20 minutes before the actual interview! I don’t think I have ever been that nervous in my entire life. Thankfully, the band was really nice and everything went well.
What were the challenges along the way?
Time management has always been a challenge to me, not only in WIM but my life in general (yes, I’m a PRO-crastinator). I was offered the position of senior graphic designer during my 4th year in college and it was hard managing school, thesis, org, and WIM work all at the same time.
Describe what the normal day working with WIM is like.
I’m a nocturnal person and thankfully WIM lets us work at home. I am usually wide awake during 11 pm – 5am, so this is the time I work, edit videos and pictures, work on graphics and etc. I also usually stay at coffee shops, since working in my room where my bed is just a few inches away is always a bad idea.
What are the things that you enjoy writing about/featuring the most?
I enjoy covering and photographing concerts the most. I LOVE music and photography and getting to do these things at the same time is always enjoyable and fulfilling.
“I wish WIM readers would know that_______________.”
Despite having different passions, the WIM team comes together and works hard to give our readers the best that we can. In case our best isn’t enough, we really appreciate your feedback.
Future dreams for WIM:
To continue having a growing community. Hopefully for our readers to get to know the team as well!
Future dreams for yourself as a blogger/admin for WIM:
I would like to grow more as an artist and a photographer. Hopefully someday, I can get to train and share my knowledge and experiences to future WIM graphic designers and artists.
Top 3 WIM Stories
1.) First viral infographic map I made (in collaboration with Angeline’s Maginhawa article. That article reached more than 4.3 million people, had 31,000 likes, and 29,000 comments!
2.) Banner displayed at movie premieres and advance screenings hosted by WIM
3.) 10 Crazy Ways to Beat Manila Traffic
Twitter / Snapchat / Instagram: @courtneysayson
